Fender Studio Pro 8.2.1 - Discussion Thread

[Vocalpoint]

I confirm. It is bad advice. Of course, a studio PC that never ever has access to a network of any kind might get away with it.

Not a PC that runs Studio Pro.

You will need network access - unless you have installed zero plugins and run stock for everything.

VP

 

[madFloyd]

Indeed, I am worried. I use my PC all day long and not just for music.

I'm afraid of losing performance due to the various optimizations the DAW builder has done and then having to sheepishly ask for help.

This is what he said back in August:

I get that there are vulnerabilities in Windows (sometimes worse than others).
That said, your odds of being hacked or infected with Malware are pretty low.
You won’t get infected/hacked going to music related sites, downloading/installing music programs/plugins, watching YouTube videos, etc.
The biggest risk is opening unknown Email file attachments. If you avoid doing that and surfing “risky” websites (Warez, etc), you’ll likely never be hacked/infected.
If you’re doing large bank transactions, I can understand being overly cautious.
For most typical DAW users, having a proper backup is all the security we really need.

As an end-user, I’m not a fan of being an early adopter of Windows Updates.
Often times, something gets broken… and the rest of the industry needs time to figure out the problems and implement solutions.
If you’re an early adopter, you’re going to be beta-testing.
I’d rather be a late adopter (especially with a significant Windows Update)… where problems have already been found/resolved.
It’s just a smoother more trouble-free end-user experience.
If you’re a software developer, I can certainly see why you’d want to apply Windows Updates as soon as they’re available.
You need to find problems… and fix them as soon as possible.

I might get brave and update today after backing up first...

I appreciate all the replies!

 

[Vocalpoint]

I'm afraid of losing performance due to the various optimizations the DAW builder has done and then having to sheepishly ask for help.

If you need help "optimizing" - please let me know. But to be perfectly honest - you are probably losing performance just by being on 24H2...

And there is no such thing as being an "early adopter" if you update everything when most of us do - every second Tuesday.

Now - you definitely do not want to be in the Insider Program etc - that is the definition of "early adopter" but I have not experienced any Windows Update here that has had any negative effect since the early Windows 10 days back in the mid 2010's.

Finally - if you use this PC all day long - and NOT just for the DAW aspect - I take it you are actually on the internet - and if that's the case - gentle suggestion to really consider having the latest security updates in place.

We got you if you need help.

VP

 

[Gary Shepherd]

Since Color Toolbar is discontinued anyway, it’s just a matter of time until it no longer works at all. The closest successor would be Lukas’ Pro Navigator which also survives minor updates.

I didn't know it was discontinued. It's still working now of course and is a Script package - so may carry on for a while.

 

[Crossinger]

I didn't know it was discontinued. It's still working now of course and is a Script package - so may carry on for a while.

Yes, as long as it works you can continue using it.

You’ll find the official statement on top (red text) of their website:

Studio One | Color Toolbar

Adding a color toolbar to Studio One.

s1scripts.wixsite.com

 

[FMN-Music]

Just to even out the field of opinions here. I'm also in the camp of not updating operating systems. My win10 and my win11 machines are locked down tight. There are no updates happening unless I engage them manually. I currently run 23H2 win11 and 22H2 win10. I only update, when it's crystall clear that the OS version is prohibiting an app of importance for me to work. All the talk of security risks leave me unimpressed because in my experience with computers, the number and severity of issues because of updating by far outweigh the issues I had because of not updating ...like a thousandfold probably. "Never touch a running system" comes to mind.. I even have Windows Defender shut down completely and no other third party app to replace it because it just slows down various processes (including the scanning of plugins by FSP startup), that's how much I don't care about security risks. Did not have had anything bad happen for more than a decade.. yes same strategy in win7 and 8. Must be the luckiest man alive. My OS's are stable, run smoothly and are optimized for audio work.
So no need to worry too much madFloyd, there are people out there who are supposedly doing it far worse than you.

 

[Vocalpoint]

My OS's are stable, run smoothly and are optimized for audio work.

So are mine. Even Defender has been explicitly told when and where it can operate. (Never during working hours)

But I am also fully up to date and have not had any OS "update" issues - ever - in the last 15 years.

From an actual functional (not security) software standpoint - the one thing that no ever thinks about is that while an old dog of an OS might work just fine (due to unwarranted fright about breaking something) - remember that retired version is most definitely not the version that the vendors are doing their internal Q&A on - especially when it comes to major new releases.

If I had a nickel for every user I have helped over the years (both here and many other forums) due to their OS being outdated....just sayin.

Fender is also doing a hard stop for Studio Pro on Windows 10 22H2 on 12-31-2026. So in early 2027 - that one will be gone from many an install.

But everyone has their reasons - each to their own I guess.

VP

 

[FMN-Music]

yeah I will have to update at some point.. no doubt about that.

My reasoning is in part that I see the OS as a bridge from software to hardware. Whenever an OS version is released the optimizations of it tend to be for the current hardware that's out there at the time. Most of the later following OS update's optimizations also tend to be for current hardware options of their time period. So when a user keeps updating the OS, but the hardware stays the same, the distance between the optimizations and the hardware being used is getting bigger and at some point compatibility with the now old hardware will erode.
Same thing between software and OS. Software optimizations (as you rightly pointed out) are also made with current OS versions in mind. So the Software compatibility with the OS will at some point erode as well, when the OS gets older.
So I guess what I am saying is, that it might not be too bad of an idea to try to keep the respective age distances between software, OS and hardware somewhat similar in order to get possibly the best/safest level of optimization-compatibility between these entities... I might overthink this or be totally wrong, but it worked for me so far.

 

[Vocalpoint]

Whenever an OS version is released the optimizations of it tend to be for the current hardware that's out there at the time. Most of the later following OS update's optimizations also tend to be for current hardware options of their time period. So when a user keeps updating the OS, but the hardware stays the same, the distance between the optimizations and the hardware being used is getting bigger and at some point compatibility with the now old hardware will erode.

I used to think about this as well - until I rebuilt my DAW on 07-31-2026 with Windows 11 25H2 - on hardware that I purchased in mid-December 2023.

When I first installed Windows 11 23H2 on that hardware - just a week after getting it - it was a total dog. Felt like the whole machine was covered in molasses. I struggled along in testing for about a week into very early 2024 - and then one day I just ditched it and rolled back to Windows 10 22H2. Left it like that until 07-31-2026

When it came time to rebuild in July of this year - using same exact hardware, my trusty custom ISO install of 25H2 - I simply could not believe the speed and smoothness to the OS - it still makes me wonder after the last 5 months.

So something has changed - in a big way with the OS and this specific hardware. Now I am 26H2 and it seems even faster - if that is possible.

MS has done a sea change to this OS in the last three years. Everyone should take 26H2 for a spin.

VP

 

[FMN-Music]

That's interesting. So what you are saying is that 26H2 might be a good one for older machines? Would you try it even with a 2020 PC?

..man, that would be a bold move, I get sweaty palms just thinking about it.