Don’t Miss This Powerful MIDI Shortcut in Studio One 7.2

If you work with VSTs in Studio One 7, there’s a new shortcut in version 7.2 that’s going to save you a ton of time, and it’s super easy to miss.

Yes, Studio One 7.2 brought a handful of headline features (some of which I covered in my full breakdown), but there’s one subtle update that’s already changed how I move inside a session: a shortcut called Smart Delete.

Let’s break down what it is, how it works, and why it’s a small but meaningful improvement to your MIDI and audio workflow in Studio One.

The VST Cleanup Problem (and Why It Matters)

Anyone who produces in Studio One 7 knows how fast things can pile up when you’re in a creative flow. You’re adding VSTs, testing out instruments, layering sounds, and switching directions. But when it’s time to clean up, the process hasn’t always been the most intuitive.

Here’s the problem: when you delete a VST track from the arrange window, the instrument itself doesn’t actually go away. It stays active inside your session, quietly taking up CPU and cluttering your instrument list.

If you’ve ever deleted a track, thought it was gone, and then looked inside your mixer or instrument rack only to find that VST still sitting there, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

It’s not a bug. It’s just how Studio One has always handled VSTs.

The Old Way: Menu-Diving and Manual Cleanup

Previously, if you wanted to remove both the track and the VST it was connected to, you had to:

1. Right-click on the track 

2. Choose “Remove Track and Instrument” (instead of just “Remove Track”)

3. Or go into the mixer, open the instrument rack, find the VST, and manually remove it.

Not a huge deal, but also not efficient. Especially if you do this kind of cleanup multiple times per session.

It was just enough friction to break your flow.

The New Way: Smart Delete in Studio One 7.2

Now, with Studio One 7.2, we get a brand-new shortcut called Smart Delete, and it does exactly what we’ve needed.

With a single command, you can now remove a track and its associated instrument at the same time. No more guessing. No more dropdowns. No more hunting through the mixer view.

👉 How to Use It:

1. Select the track (audio or instrument)

2. Press Shift + Delete 

3. Done ✅

Just like that, the track and VST are gone. And yes, it works for both MIDI and audio tracks, so you can select a group of different tracks and remove them all at once.

Why This Shortcut Actually Matters

You might be thinking, “Okay, but how big of a deal is this really?”

Honestly, it’s one of those features that doesn’t look flashy on paper, but makes a real difference when you’re deep in a session.

🎯 Less clicking

🎯 Less thinking about which option to pick

🎯 Less mental load during cleanup

When I’m producing, I don’t want to be thinking about menu trees. I want to stay focused on ideas, not logistics. Smart Delete removes a small but persistent layer of friction, and that adds up over time.

What About My Toolbar?

If you’ve been using my Productivity Toolbar for Studio One, you’ll be happy to know that this shortcut is now built in.

The toolbar used to have a dropdown for removal actions, one for deleting audio tracks, one for instrument tracks, and another combo macro for both. It worked, but it wasn’t clean.

Now that Smart Delete handles everything in one move, I’ve simplified the toolbar button to reflect that. Just one click and it takes care of whatever you’ve selected, whether it’s MIDI, audio, or both. 

You can grab the updated free Productivity Toolbar (with this new shortcut already built in) by clicking this link.

No need to memorize anything. Just install and flow.

Wrapping It Up

To recap:

• Smart Delete is a new shortcut in Studio One 7.2 

• It removes tracks and associated instruments in one clean move

• You can activate it by pressing Shift + Delete 

• It works for both audio and instrument tracks

• It’s already built into my free Productivity Toolbar 

• It saves time, reduces session clutter, and helps you stay in flow

If you’re deep into MIDI or virtual instrument production, this is one of those little things that add up big. Your sessions stay lighter, your brain stays clearer, and your momentum stays intact.