The company that put a guitar in everyone’s hands is sharpening its software side. Fender Studio announced Fender Studio Pro 8.1 today, the latest update to its award-winning DAW, packing in a set of co-production tools built to keep creators in the flow. The headline addition is Studio Assistant, an in-DAW, natural-language guide that delivers real-time answers, creative direction, and technical support, now in public beta for Fender Studio Pro+ users.
The update also marks an industry first with a built-in Moises Studio integration. The partnership brings vocal transformation, the ability to generate stems from existing tracks, and best-in-class stem separation directly into the DAW, with 10 stem separations, 120 stem generations, and 5 voice conversions per month at no extra cost.
A new native Vocal Tune Plug-in rounds out the marquee features, giving creators precise pitch control that runs from subtle correction to stylized tonal transformation with formant shifting. Pitch Curves on Audio Events let producers draw real-time pitch changes straight onto audio for expressive bends and clean fixes.
Under the hood, 8.1 adds scoring and articulation improvements, faster local stem separation, better Audio-to-Note conversion, a customizable browser, Dolby Atmos headphone personalization, and shared virtual instrument sets that cut setup time across sessions.
Max Gutnik, Chief Product Officer of Fender Electronics, framed the company’s approach to AI around the player, saying its value lies in how it helps musicians create, learn, and express themselves rather than in the technology itself. Artist and producer Josh Cumbee echoed the point, praising anything that keeps him working inside the DAW instead of breaking focus for a browser.
The release lands as Fender celebrates 80 years of building instruments, and the Fender Studio brand continues to pair PreSonus hardware and software with Fender’s legacy in tone. It’s a serious, artist-first toolkit that keeps the focus where it belongs, on finishing the music.
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