Hi, like many of you, I pulled the trigger on Studio One. I was a huge SONAR loyal user and am absolutely aghast at what Gibson has done to me beloved DAW.
 
I reluctantly purchased Studio One Professional. I am keeping an open mind and am willing to put my all into learning this new (to me) DAW.
 
I did some tests and found something that is bugging me a bit. Hopefully someone can put some of this to rest...
 
I took some recent drum tracks (real acoustic drums that I miced up myself) and used them as my test.
I imported the raw tracks into Studio One and SONAR. No effects at all. I made a crude balancing mix and made notes of exact levels. I duplicated that crude mix in both SONAR and Studio One, then exported.
 
I imported those two crude mixes side by side so I could compare. I can swear that the SONAR mix has more depth and an extended low end. I thought that maybe this could be a bias or some kind of placebo effect.
 
I flipped the phase on each mix, after making sure they are 100% sample aligned. The should null, but did not. There is indeed a difference. I don't think it is pan laws either.
 
I am really worried that Studio One is not as good at summing as SONAR, and I really want it to be because I just spent the money on it.
 
Also, I HATE that fact that in order to flip the phase on a track I have to actually use a plugin as opposed to SONAR having it built in. Do you suppose Studio One could ever implement a phase flipping switch like SONAR?

jimkleban
 
I already owned an earlier version of S1 and was able to upgrade to the latest (FULL) version for $99.50 directly from Prosonus web site.

First, thanks for sharing your positive experience with your migration! Likely I will see you at the S1 forum in the future!
 
From your upgrade price, looks like you had the same version of S1 that I did.  I just wanted to mention to anyone planning to do a similar upgrade... Do yourself a favor and check out retailers like jrrshop or audiodeluxe.  They are currently offering discounts on top of the retail price you'd pay through Presonus.
 
That $99 upgrade cost me $83.98 at Audiodeluxe.  I received the code within 5 minutes of payment, and it took me maybe a minute to login to Presonus and use that code to  "unlock" my Studio One to v3 Professional.

Sylvan
 
I flipped the phase on each mix, after making sure they are 100% sample aligned. The should null, but did not. There is indeed a difference. I don't think it is pan laws either.
 
I am really worried that Studio One is not as good at summing as SONAR, and I really want it to be because I just spent the money on it.
 
Also, I HATE that fact that in order to flip the phase on a track I have to actually use a plugin as opposed to SONAR having it built in....

Sylvan, any chance the problem is with the phase invert plugin?  Maybe try a different one and see if you get identical results...

JonD

Sylvan
 
I flipped the phase on each mix, after making sure they are 100% sample aligned. The should null, but did not. There is indeed a difference. I don't think it is pan laws either.
 
I am really worried that Studio One is not as good at summing as SONAR, and I really want it to be because I just spent the money on it.
 
Also, I HATE that fact that in order to flip the phase on a track I have to actually use a plugin as opposed to SONAR having it built in....

Sylvan, any chance the problem is with the phase invert plugin?  Maybe try a different one and see if you get identical results...

That could be. I will investigate further. I can post a video of my tests later as well if others want to see and hear what I am talking about. I know eventually I have to move on, but it just makes me realize how great SONAR really is or was. Having said that, I have tried Pro Tools, Reaper, Studio One, and Cubase and I like Studio One the best out of that bunch. I just hope that Studio One's audio engine/summing is up to snuff as well as SONAR's is.

Sylvan
I imported those two crude mixes side by side so I could compare. I can swear that the SONAR mix has more depth and an extended low end. I thought that maybe this could be a bias or some kind of placebo effect.
 

That is not the consensus outside the world of Sonar. I don't have an opinion as of yet, but if you were using the Prochannel in Sonar, that "sound" would definitely be different than straight out of any other DAW.
 
Dan

No Pro Channel. No FX of any kind, just fader balancing on raw tracks. I wanted to keep the test fair. The only plugin used was a plugin to flip the phase of the bottom snare track in Studio One, since it cannot flip phase otherwise like SONAR can.

I will test further to try and get more concrete info and results. I really am hoping that Studio One is up to the task since I already purchased it.

Sylvan
No Pro Channel. No FX of any kind, just fader balancing on raw tracks. I wanted to keep the test fair. The only plugin used was a plugin to flip the phase of the bottom snare track in Studio One, since it cannot flip phase otherwise like SONAR can.

I will test further to try and get more concrete info and results. I really am hoping that Studio One is up to the task since I already purchased it.

It assuredly is. I've seen null tests between the various DAW's before and they should and do null. Something is wrong in your setup.
 
Dan

I have already explained this in another thread. I have done DAW comparisons between 4 DAW's. Sonar, Studio One, Logic and Pro Tools. Use quality raw tracks in all 4. No plugins used. Just maintained pan laws and used LCR panning and set faders the same in all 4. Got perfect nulls between any 2 from all 4. A room full of great engineers had no idea which DAW they were listening to.
 
Once you start bringing plugins in then things will start to change. Stock Studio One plugins are excellent and can do a wonderful mix. Third party plugs sound the same in any DAW. Studio One sounds fabulous and can do a great mix. Please stop saying otherwise.  Any mix that is lacking is totally your doing, not the DAW.
 
I have worked with a few DAW's over the years and if you can hear the sounds you are after in your head, and you know how to get there, then you will arrive at that point.  It is you that arrives at that point not the DAW.  I can get an identical mix in any DAW I use. 
 
I could actually say the audio engine in Studio One is superior. It is totally seamless and gapless which some other DAW's are not. It can do stuff that will amaze you while it plays perfectly e.g. dragging plugins and instruments in and auditioning all while it is playing. It loops amazingly well too. 

The midi complaints of Studio One scared me but once I downloaded and played with it I find myself actually editing midi much faster than in sonar.

Well, I am on the other side.  My project migration has the mix sounded better to my ears than the mix was in SONAR (which I liked the mix in sonar) only I like it better in S1.  Could have been the pan laws I had set in Sonar vs what they are in S1 (I have no idea if you can change them in S1 yet).  But, the placement of the audio sources in S1 seem to be much better defined.  The Sonar mix stereo field sounds mushy as compared to the S1 stereo field.
 
But, this all could be wishful thinking.  Same thing happened whenever I purchased new golf clubs... the first few times out on the course with them I was playing better golf and then slowly but surely, a few months later, the same old ****ty swing came back home to Papa.