Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Super-Simple Dim Solo Functionality

29/12/2022

Dim solo is a variation on the standard solo function. With dim solo, non-soloed tracks are still audible, but at a lower level than any soloed track or tracks. This is great for many applications, including comping. Often, when auditioning comps, you want to hear them in context with the mix, but with the mix at a lower level. Dim solo is also helpful when checking out a track's processing in isolation, or listening to a pair of tracks (like bass and drums) in context with the mix.

Studio One's Listen bus offers a comprehensive dim solo function, but this tip is about a fast, easy way to add dim solo functionality, without needing the listen bus-or even having to actually solo tracks.

1. Select all the tracks in your project (e.g., click on the first track and shift+click on the last one).

2. De-select the track(s) you want to solo. You also need to de-select any channels that are already assigned to a VCA Channel. However, the VCA Channel that controls them should remain selected, so it can be dimmed along with the other tracks.

3. Choose Track > Add VCA for Selected Channels, or right-click on one of the selected tracks to add a VCA Channel for the selected channels (fig. 1).

Figure 1: All channels are selected except for Vocal Lead. Right-clicking on a selected track, or choosing Track > Add VCA for Selected Channels, brings up a menu that allows adding a VCA channel for the selected tracks.

4. All the selected tracks now show VCA1 under their faders (or a different number if there are already VCA Channels in the project), to confirm that their gain is being controlled by the VCA Channel. When first added, the VCA Channel's initial level will be 0.0.

5. Now, vary the VCA Channel level to set the dimmed level for the selected tracks. The level for the unselected track (or tracks) will stay the same. Turning the VCA Channel all the way down provides the traditional solo function that mutes, rather than dims, the other tracks.

Figure 2: The VCA Channel fader has reduced the gain of the previously selected tracks substantially. However, the Vocal Lead track has not been affected.

6. Do your edits on the soloed track(s). When you're done, ctrl+click on the VCA Channel's fader to return the VCA Channel to its initial value (0.0). After that, the levels of all the selected tracks and buses will return to what they were prior to step 1.

Once you use dim solo functionality, you'll wonder how you got along without it.

Bonus Solo Tips

For an Exclusive Solo function that solos one track while muting all others, click on Solo while holding Alt (Windows)/Option (Mac).

If several tracks are soloed, to unsolo them all at once, hold Cmd/Ctrl while clicking on one of the solo buttons. To restore the same state, click on any Solo button while holding Cmd/Ctrl, and Studio One will revert to the previous solo button state.

Errata (fancy author word for I messed up ): In The Huge Book of Studio One tips and Tricks, version 1.3, Chapter 2, page 181, fig. 2.77, the right-most panpot of the Dual Panpot should pan fully to the right, not to center. This is corrected in version 1.4, which is being updated for Studio One version 6. The update will be free to owners of any previous version of the book. Estimated publication date is early 1st quarter, 2023.
LINK: https://blog.presonus.com/2022/12/29/super-simple-dim-solo-functionali...
See more stories from presonus

More from PreSonus

01/12/2023

Vocoder Tweaks and Tricks

Vocoder's aren't normal effects. For example, Arturia's Vocoder V is an effect/instrument hybrid, because it's an audio effect that includes a...

24/11/2023

Release Your Music in Stereo and Immersive

For over a decade, stereo and mono vinyl records co-existed before the transition to stereo was complete. During that time, many records were released in both m...

17/11/2023

String Arrangements Made Simple

Strings can enhance almost any genre of music-and with a little more effort, you can do string arrangements that go beyond simply adding a string pad preset. So...

10/11/2023

The Metal Amp De-Harsher

Since Dynamic EQ was introduced in version 5, I've used it to replace and improve some techniques I used to do with static EQ. For example, I'm a fan of...

03/11/2023

Capture-and Keep-Your Creative Impulses

Gregor Beyerle recently posted a video called Producer vs. Engineer-What's the Difference?, which had quite a few comments. It seems most people feel that f...

27/10/2023

Better Drum Reverb with Dynamic EQ

Sending too many low frequencies through reverb gives a bloated, muddy sound. This is one reason why you'll rarely see a send from a bass track going into r...

20/10/2023

A Happy Accident for Drum Sounds

While trying to do something else with Melodyne, I stumbled on this way to add depth or tightness to drum sounds-quickly and easily. Here's the sound of an ...

13/10/2023

Create Track Presets for Parallel Processing

Parallel processing splits a signal into two or more parallel channels. Bi-amping is a common example of parallel processing: One channel processes low frequen...

06/10/2023

Easy Atmos: Grab Headphones, Mix, Have Fun!

Everyone talks about the importance of Dolby Atmos for post-production, but the implications go further than that. Atmos really does change how you create and ...

29/09/2023

You Can Do Immersive Audio. Right Now.

You don't need a massive surround system with speakers wired all over your studio to create immersive audio. Whether you want surround or Dolby Atmos mixes...

22/09/2023

Better Ducking for Voiceovers & Podcasts

By Craig Anderton Background music or environmental sounds are usually an essential part of commercials, movies, presentations, podcasts, and more. When doing ...

15/09/2023

Steal Your Intro-with Ripple Editing

The post Mixing la Studio One had a great response, so here's another tip that relates more to making better music than making better-sounding music. We&#...

08/09/2023

Quick EQ Fixes with Dynamic Tilt EQ

This FX Chain's inspiration is the Tilt filter circuit created by Tonelux designer Paul Wolff. First used in the Tonelux MP1A mic preamp, the Tilt filter h...

01/09/2023

Create Authentic, Customizable EDM Pumping with X-Trem

But first, some breaking news: Version 1.5 of The Huge Book of Studio One Tips and Tricks is now available from the PreSonus shop. Like previous versions, it...

25/08/2023

Superspeed Comping with Studio One 6.2

Studio One 6.2 reworked Layer and Take handling, and some of the new functionality is exceptionally useful. For example, suppose you want to record comp vocals ...

18/08/2023

The PhaseTone Warper

We haven't done a boutique digital effect for Studio One Professional in a while, so let's use a plugin in a totally wrong way-yet end up with somethi...

11/08/2023

Improve MIDI Drum Loop Flow

MIDI drum loops have a bad rap, because some musicians consider them metronomic and boring. But they don't have to be. Subtly leading or lagging the beat at...

04/08/2023

Mixing la Studio One

Ask 100 recording engineers about their approach to mixing, and you'll hear 100 different answers. Here's mine, and how this approach relates to Studio ...

28/07/2023

FL Studio Meets Studio One

FL Studio is a cool program. Yet when some users see me working with Studio One's features like comping tools, harmonic editing, the lyrics track, Mix FX, M...

21/07/2023

Make Bass Pop in Your Mix

Bass has a tough gig. Speakers have a hard time reproducing such low frequencies. Also, the ear is less sensitive to low (and high) frequencies compared to midr...

18/07/2023

Notion Mobile 3.2 Now Available

Notion Mobile v3 took mobile music creation to the next level with support for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS. Now v3.2 adds many enhancements and fixes, as we...

14/07/2023

Enhance Your Reverb's Image

First, an announcement: If you own the eBook How to Record and Mix Great Vocals in Studio One, you can download the 2.1 update for free from your PreSonus acc...

07/07/2023

Free! Three Primo Piano Presets

Let's transform your acoustic piano instrument sounds-with effects that showcase the power of Multiband Dynamics. Choose from two download links at the end ...

24/06/2023

Fix Boring Acoustic Drum Loops

Acoustic drum loops freeze-dry a drummer's playing-so, what you hear is what you get. What you get. What you get. What you get. What you get. What you get. ...

16/06/2023

3 Special FX for Lead Guitar

Melodyne can do much more than vocal pitch correction. Previous tips have covered how to do envelope-controlled flanging and polyphonic guitar-to-MIDI conversio...

09/06/2023

MIDI-Accelerated Delay Effects

Synchronized echo effects, particularly dotted eighth-note delays (i.e., intervals of three 16th notes), are common in EDM and dance music productions. The foll...

04/06/2023

Friday Tips in the Real World: the Sequel

This is a follow-up to the Friday Tips in the Real World blog post that appeared in 2020. It was well-received, so I figured it was time for an update. Althoug...

26/05/2023

The Surprising Channel Strip EQ

Announcement: Version 1.4.1 of The Huge Book of Studio One Tips and Tricks is a free update to owners of previous versions. Simply download the book again from ...

19/05/2023

Set Up the Quantum Interface Preamps with One Track

A single Automation track can set up a session's preamp levels and phantom power in the Quantum interface, as well as the older Studio 192. So, you can stop...

12/05/2023

The Drenched Chorus

Studio One's chorus gives the wet sound associated with chorus effects. But I wanted a chorus that went beyond wet to drenched-something that could swirl ...

05/05/2023

Solve Vocal Problems with the De-Esser

Studio One offers several ways to de-ess excessive sibilants ( s sounds). De-essing combines compression and EQ. The EQ focuses on the frequency range where ...

28/04/2023

Authentic 60s Flanger for Artist

In the 60s, flanging was an electro-mechanical process that involved two turntables or two tape recorders. Since then, flanging has evolved into a digitally dri...

21/04/2023

EZ Vocal Plosive Control

No matter how carefully you set up a mic's pop filter, some pops are bound to get through the filter with vocalists who sing close to the mic. But you don&#...

14/04/2023

15 Free Analog Cab IRs for Ampire

This week, I wanted to give y'all a little gift: 15 analog cab IRs that provide alternate User Cabinet sounds for Ampire. Just hit the download link at th...

07/04/2023

Higher-Def Amp Sim Sounds: The Sequel

Many of these tips have their genesis in asking What if? That question led to the Higher-Def Amp Sim Sounds blog post, which people seemed to like. But then I...

01/04/2023

Making Sense of Custom Colors

Over four years ago, the blog post Colorization: It's Not Just about Eye Candy covered the basics of using color. However, v6.1's Custom Colors feature ...

24/03/2023

Mic Your Synth-Virtually

You can mic piano, drums, guitar, voice, and other acoustic sources but you can't mic a synth, unless you put it through a PA or guitar amp, and then mic th...

22/03/2023

Notion Mobile 3.1 Now Available

Notion Mobile v3 took mobile music creation to the next level with support for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS. Now v3.1 adds over 100 enhancements and fixes, l...

10/03/2023

Quick, Perfect S-Shaped Fades

First, some news: the free update to version 1.4 of The Huge Book of Studio One Tips and Tricks is finally available in the PreSonus Shop. If you purchased a pr...

03/03/2023

Acoustic Guitar Simulator

Last week's guitar-oriented tip seemed to go over well, so I figured y'all might like a follow-up. This takes advantage of Version 6's Track Presets...

24/02/2023

Higher-Def Amp Sim Sounds

My sonic holy grail is clean distortion, which is why I like 3- or 4-band multiband presets. Splitting the audio into bands decreases the potential for nasty ...

17/02/2023

How to Focus Effects

There's nothing new about using an FX Channel to add an effect in parallel to a main track. But we can make effects even more effective by tuning them, to...

10/02/2023

Better Autofilter Control

The March 2020 blog post, Taming the Wild Autofilter, never appeared in any of The Huge Book of Studio One Tips & Tricks eBook updates. This is because the tip ...

03/02/2023

Lead Guitar Editing Hack

High-gain distortion is great for lead guitar sustain and tone, but it also brings up that splat of pick noise at the note's beginning. Sometimes, you wan...

27/01/2023

Useful Features I Totally Missed

First, an announcement: version 1.4 of The Huge Book of Studio One Tips and Tricks is a free update to owners of previous versions. It's currently available...

20/01/2023

How to Use Virtual Synths as Signal Processors

Some virtual instruments can accept external audio inputs. This lets you process audio through the synthesizer's various modules like filters, VCAs, effects...

13/01/2023

Import JPG/PNG Files into the Video Track

This builds on last week's tip about splitting and navigating within the Video Track, because one of the main reasons for creating splits is to import addit...

06/01/2023

Basic Video Editing in Studio One

Studio One 6's enhanced video track now includes basic editing. Yes! You can cut out the section of your band's live video where the drunk guy came up a...

29/12/2022

Super-Simple Dim Solo Functionality

Dim solo is a variation on the standard solo function. With dim solo, non-soloed tracks are still audible, but at a lower level than any soloed track or tracks....

16/12/2022

Metal Guitar Attack Pro

In June 2021, the blog post Metal Guitar Attack! described how to create a big sound for guitar power chords using Studio One Artist. Since then, I've ended...