Fender Studio Motion Quickstart Guide

The Fender Studio Motion controller is a fantastic centerpiece for your beat-production rig, so in this guide, we’ll show you how to register, set up, and use the unit. Follow the sections below to get started.

1. Register the Device
2. Navigating the Fender Studio Motion
3. Using the Motion in Fender Studio Pro

Register the Device

Before using the Motion, you must register the device with Fender. Upon registration, you’ll receive a free copy of Fender Studio Pro with its plugins and virtual instruments. You will also need to download and install Fender Universal Control, the standalone software required for Motion firmware updates.

1. Log in to your MyFender account. If you don’t have an account, then go to the login page, click “Sign Up,” and fill out the required information.
2. On your account home page, click “Register Products,” choose “Recording & Live Sound Hardware,” and enter your Motion’s serial number. If it’s already connected to your computer, then you can click “Detect Serial Number.”
   • Keep your Sweetwater invoice handy; you’ll need to enter the purchase date.
3. Go to the Fender Universal Control page and download the version for your OS.
4. Navigate to your Downloads folder. Locate and install Universal Control.
5. Launch Universal Control, connect the Motion to your computer, and follow the on-screen instructions.
   • If a firmware update is available, then you will receive a prompt when you launch Universal Control.
6. After the Motion has been registered, you can access and download your software from your account home page.

Click the image to register your Fender Studio Motion.

Fender Studio Motion Firmware Update

IMPORTANT! The Fender Studio Motion cannot be used if the firmware is out of date.

When a firmware update is available for your Fender Studio Motion, you will be prompted to install it in Fender Universal Control. If you see the firmware update prompt on the display, then launch Fender Universal Control and follow the on-screen instructions.

Updating the Fender Studio Motion firmware.

Navigating the Fender Studio Motion

NOTE: While Motion 16 and Motion 32 have different layouts, the core functionality remains the same.

There are plenty of features on the Fender Studio Motion to help spark creativity. Learning where the controls are and how they work will speed up your workflow.

Touch Strips

The touch strips on the Motion are used for modulation and pitch shifting in place of traditional mod wheels.

• The Motion 32 has two touch strips. Touch Strip 1 is used for pitch shift, and Touch Strip 2 is for modulation.
• The Motion 16 has one touch strip. Pitch shift is the primary function.
• Hold the Shift button to access the touch strip’s secondary function. The touch strip LED will change from blue to green.
  • The Motion 32’s secondary functions are MIDI expression (Touch Strip 1) and MIDI breath (Touch Strip 2).
  • The Motion 16’s secondary function is modulation.

Control Knobs

The control knobs control various MIDI CC messages with a range of 0–127. They are touch sensitive, so touching the knob displays the current value, position, assignment, MIDI CC number, and bank number.

• Touching two control encoders simultaneously will display the parameters of the most recently used encoder.
• Turn the screen encoder to switch between banks. Bank A is blue; Bank B is green.

16-velocity Button

NOTE: 16-velocity functionality is not available in Scaleand Chord modes.

Pressing the 16 (Velocity) button will turn the 16 pads into one note, for which each pad triggers a different velocity. This is particularly useful for adding dynamics to drums or other rhythmic instruments.

1. Select the bank (A–H) and press the performance pad you wish to work with.
2. Press the 16 button. All 16 performance pads will turn one color.
   • The most dimly lit pad is the quietest sound while the brightest is the loudest.
3. To change the note, press the 16 button to exit Velocity mode then select the bank and the new note.

Fixed Button

When you press the Fixed button, it will illuminate red, and all performance pads will send the same MIDI value (0–127). This is great for a sample or instrument that needs to be the same volume throughout a track.

• Press the Fixed button to turn Fixed mode on and off.
• Press and hold the button then use the screen encoder to change the MIDI value.

Fender Studio Pro Buttons

There are various other buttons on the Motion. However, their functions are exclusive to Fender Studio Pro. If you use the Motion in another DAW, then it becomes a standard MIDI controller. The following pads and buttons are exclusive to Studio Pro.

• Commands written on the performance pads (e.g., Copy, Paste, Quantize, etc.)
• On the Motion 32: Launch, Control Function, Add, Preset Up & Down, and the four Function buttons located beneath the display.
• On the Motion 16: Repeat, Clips, Scenes, Replace, Loop, Add, Control Focus (Song, Plugin, Edit, Mix).

Using the Motion in Fender Studio Pro

The Motion is fully integrated with Fender Studio Pro. As soon as you plug it in, you have virtually full control within the DAW. This guide will get you up and running; make sure to refer to the respective owner’s manual and Studio Pro Integration guides for more information.

1. Press the Add button to add a virtual instrument, audio track, plugin effect, or note FX.
   • On the Motion 16, use the main encoder to navigate to select Instruments, Effects, Audio (creating audio tracks), and Note FX and then press the encoder to select it.
   • On the Motion 32, use the four Function buttons beneath the display then use the main encoder to select what you want to load.
2. Choose the Note Layout you wish to use.
3. Use the eight encoders to adjust the instrument or plugin parameters.
   • If the plugin or instrument has more than eight parameters, then use the main encoder to scroll through the control banks.
   • The parameters are labeled on the display, making it easy to identify what you’re adjusting.
4. Use the Control Focus buttons to switch to the window you want to control. For example, if you want to control the plugin parameters, then press “Plugin,” but if you want to control various parameters in your project, then press “Song.”

Note Layout

There are multiple pad layouts on the Fender Studio Motion. Depending on the style or instrument you’re using, you may want to choose one over another. Some layouts are unavailable depending on the instrument you choose. For example, if you are working with a drum plugin, then all chord modes are unavailable.

Learn more about each note layout in the Motion 16 or Motion 32 Studio Pro Integration manual.

Exploring Fender Motion Controler with Fender Studio

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