PreSonus Studio One
Studio One is a professional digital audio workstation providing a complete solution for music production, recording, mixing, editing, and mastering within a single intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
Reason Studios
Reason is a powerful digital audio workstation and plugin that gives you a virtual rack of legendary synthesizers, drum machines, and effects to create professional music and sound designs.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | PreSonus Studio One | Reason Studios |
|---|---|---|
| Website | presonus.com | reasonstudios.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting Price | Free | $19.99/month |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 30 days free trial | ✓ 30 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 1995 | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Baton Rouge, USA | Stockholm, Sweden |
Overview
PreSonus Studio One
Studio One is a comprehensive digital audio workstation that streamlines your entire creative process from initial sketch to final master. You can record multi-track audio, compose with advanced virtual instruments, and mix using a console designed by industry veterans. The software eliminates technical hurdles with its signature drag-and-drop workflow, allowing you to move loops, effects, and even entire song sections across your timeline instantly.
You can manage every stage of production without switching applications, thanks to the integrated Project Page for professional mastering and the Show Page for live performances. Whether you are a solo songwriter, a podcast producer, or a film composer, the platform scales to your needs with specialized tools like the Chord Track and Harmonic Editing. It provides a stable environment for high-resolution audio processing and supports all major industry-standard plug-in formats.
Reason Studios
Reason is a versatile music production platform that functions as both a standalone digital audio workstation and a powerful plugin for other software. You can build your own custom dream studio using a virtual rack filled with iconic synthesizers, samplers, drum machines, and professional-grade audio effects. The unique patch-cord interface lets you route audio and control signals manually, giving you total creative freedom over your sound design process.
Whether you are producing electronic music, scoring films, or recording live instruments, you can manage your entire project from initial sketch to final master. The software adapts to your workflow by letting you use its famous instruments inside other DAWs like Ableton Live or Logic Pro via the Reason Rack Plugin. It serves everyone from bedroom producers to professional sound designers who need a tactile, modular approach to digital music creation.
Overview
PreSonus Studio One Features
- Drag-and-Drop Workflow Drag audio loops, virtual instruments, and effect presets directly into your arrangement to build tracks in seconds.
- Chord Track & Harmonic Editing Rearrange song structures and change chord progressions across all tracks simultaneously without manual MIDI or audio editing.
- Integrated Mastering Move your mixed songs into the dedicated Project Page to master your album and publish directly to digital platforms.
- Smart Templates Launch your sessions faster with pre-configured environments for recording, mixing, beat-making, or rehearsing for a live show.
- Impact XT & Sample One Create custom beats and unique synth sounds using built-in professional samplers and drum machines designed for modern production.
- Console Shaper Emulate the sound of classic analog hardware on your digital mixer to add warmth and character to your tracks.
Reason Studios Features
- Reason Rack Plugin. Bring your favorite Reason instruments and effects into any other DAW you use with full VST3, AU, and AAX support.
- Mimic Creative Sampler. Slice, trigger, and manipulate your audio samples quickly with eight different playback modes and built-in granular synthesis tools.
- Combinator 2. Build your own custom instruments by combining multiple devices into a single interface with personalized controls and layout designs.
- Modular Routing. Flip the rack around to route cables manually between devices for complex sound design and experimental signal processing.
- Player MIDI FX. Generate complex chords, scales, and rhythmic patterns instantly to spark new musical ideas even if you lack advanced theory knowledge.
- Vocal Stretch. Correct the timing and pitch of your vocal recordings with high-quality time-stretching that preserves natural audio characteristics.
Pricing Comparison
PreSonus Studio One Pricing
- Unlimited audio and MIDI tracks
- Essential virtual instruments
- Suite of native effects
- Advanced drag-and-drop tools
- Unlimited undo/redo
- Everything in Prime, plus:
- Full Studio One Professional
- Every PreSonus plug-in and loop
- Cloud collaboration tools
- Exclusive masterclasses and videos
- 100GB of cloud storage
Reason Studios Pricing
- Access to Reason 12 DAW
- Reason Rack Plugin included
- All 75+ official Rack Extensions
- Weekly new Sound Packs
- Full library of 30,000+ patches
- Companion app for sound browsing
- One-time purchase ownership
- Reason 12 standalone DAW
- Reason Rack Plugin
- Core library of 30+ devices
- High-resolution graphics
- Vocal pitch editing tools
Pros & Cons
PreSonus Studio One
Pros
- Fastest drag-and-drop workflow in the industry
- Integrated mastering suite saves time and money
- Clean interface reduces visual clutter during mixing
- Excellent stability even with large plugin counts
- Frequent updates with user-requested features
Cons
- Steep learning curve for advanced video features
- Stock plugin interface looks dated to some
- Subscription model is required for cloud features
Reason Studios
Pros
- Unique modular workflow encourages creative experimentation
- Massive library of high-quality internal instruments
- Extremely stable performance with low CPU usage
- Works seamlessly as a plugin inside other software
- Visual interface is highly engaging and fun
Cons
- Steep learning curve for the modular routing system
- Sequencer workflow feels dated compared to modern competitors
- Subscription model is required for all expansion devices