This video features a discussion with Microsoft's Pete Brown and Chris Lewis, alongside Matthias, VP of Software Engineering at Fender/PreSonus, focusing on the successful porting of PreSonus Studio One and Fender Studio to Windows on ARM and Snapdragon platforms. The speakers highlight the benefits of native ARM64 compilation for Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs), including superior performance, extended battery life, and quiet, fanless operation crucial for musicians. Key topics include the six-month development timeline for Studio One's ARM64 version using CMake, challenges with third-party dependencies, and the importance of compilation models like ARM64X for plugins. Additionally, the discussion covers Microsoft's advancements in Windows audio, such as the upcoming inbox ASIO driver, the new multiclient MIDI 2.0 stack with enhanced resolution and discovery features, and the integration of AI/NPU capabilities like Studio One's stem separation for audio unmixing. The overall message emphasizes a collaborative push towards a robust and efficient ARM-based ecosystem for music production on Windows.
Exploring PreSonus Studio One on Snapdragon: A New Era for Music Production on Windows
0:00 - 0:17 Introductions: The live stream features Chris Lewis (Microsoft Aperture team, ARM porting), Pete Brown (Microsoft, MIDI 2.0 & ASIO), and Matthias (VP Software Engineering, Fender/PreSonus), the developer behind the acclaimed digital audio workstation (DAW) Studio One, hosted by PJ from Snapdragon.
0:42 - 1:48 PreSonus Studio One Overview: Matthias introduces PreSonus Studio One, a professional DAW founded in 1995, now at version 7. It integrates "Song," "Project," and "Show" pages for recording/mixing, album creation/mastering, and live performance with backing tracks, offering a comprehensive workflow.
2:36 - 3:18 Microsoft's Role in Music Tech: Pete Brown details his work on MIDI 2.0 and upcoming inbox ASIO drivers, emphasizing Microsoft's commitment to supporting musicians on Windows and helping app developers optimize their software.
4:18 - 5:05 Windows on ARM & Snapdragon Benefits: Chris Lewis, tech lead for Microsoft's Aperture team, explains their role in assisting companies like PreSonus transition to ARM, highlighting benefits such as native app performance, extended battery life, and future capabilities on Snapdragon processors.
5:07 - 12:00 Studio One's ARM Porting Journey: Matthias shares that Studio One's recompilation for Snapdragon took approximately six months using CMake for its 21-year-old C++ codebase. He notes challenges with third-party binary dependencies, such as the Dolby SDK not yet being available for Windows on ARM.
14:42 - 18:41 Fender Studio Launch & Code Reusability: The Fender team simultaneously launched "Fender Studio," a free mobile and desktop application that uses the same Studio One codebase. It features authentic Fender amplifier algorithms (from the Mustang line), showcasing successful code reuse for ARM64 porting.
18:48 - 23:58 Microsoft's Inbox ASIO Driver Initiative: Pete discusses a new partnership with Yamaha to develop an inbox (built-in) ASIO driver for Windows, aiming to provide a "just works" low-latency experience for audio interfaces without requiring separate manufacturer driver downloads. He notes that several manufacturers (RME, Focusrite, Steinberg/Yamaha) already offer native ARM64 drivers.
26:01 - 29:31 Low Latency is Critical for Audio: Pete emphasizes that audio processing requires extremely low latency (milliseconds/sub-milliseconds). Delays in real-time performance or monitoring are highly distracting and can render the experience unusable for musicians.
29:35 - 35:54 Advice for VST Developers & ARM64X: For developers porting VST plugins to native ARM64, Pete recommends using ARM64X compilation. This "fat binary" approach supports both ARM64 Classic and ARM64EC DAWs, maximizing compatibility and reach. Matthias confirms PreSonus is also adopting ARM64X for their upcoming plugins.
36:16 - 39:42 Benefits of Snapdragon Laptops for Musicians: Matthias and Pete praise Snapdragon-based laptops for their quiet, fanless operation, exceptional battery life (lasting entire shows like NAM), and consistent performance even on battery, which are crucial for undisturbed music creation and live performance.
41:19 - 46:34 AI in Music: Stem Separation & NPU: Matthias highlights Studio One's AI-powered "Stem Separation" feature, which uses neural networks to unmix finished audio into separate instrument "stems" (e.g., drums, guitar, vocals). This is useful for rehearsals and remixes. Pete underscores the importance of the NPU for efficient real-time AI processing, aligning with Microsoft's Copilot Plus PC initiative for enhancing creative tasks.
48:46 - 55:54 New Windows MIDI 2.0 Stack: Pete announces the gradual rollout of Windows' new inbox MIDI 2.0 stack. This update offers higher resolution controllers (eliminating stair-stepping), exact pitch, more dynamic controls (MIDI Polyphonic Expression), bi-directional discovery, and custom port names/metadata. It also provides multiclient access for MIDI 1.0 devices via a new settings application.
55:55 - 57:00 Investment in ARM is Worthwhile: Matthias concludes that the collaboration between Qualcomm and Microsoft has made Windows on ARM a "real thing" and an appealing future platform, justifying PreSonus's investment in its development.
57:00 - 58:00 Recommended MIDI 2.0 Instruments: Pete recommends the Yamaha Montage M, Roland A88 Mark II, and Waldorf Iridium as current MIDI 2.0 compatible instruments.