StudioLive VSL-AI Explained

The PreSonus StudioLive AI digital mixer and software package is hands down an industry leading mixing solution. This series by PreSonus master Bill Edstrom focuses on the powerful and way cool VSL-AI software used to control the digital hardware mixer. See and hear all that this winning combination of hardware and software can do!

Get Connected

• Introduction (01:14) - Learn what to expect from this series and an overview of the capabilities of of VSL-AI.

• Installing Universal Control AI on Mac (03:36) - Watch the step by step details of installing UC-AI on OS X.

• Installing Universal Control AI on PC (03:58) - Learn how to install UC-AI and VSL-AI on Windows.

• Connecting StudioLive AI (07:05) - Bill shows how to get your mixer talking to VSL-AI over Firewire, Ethernet, or Wifi.

• Universal Control AI (08:45) - Get an overview of the UC-AI and the VSL-AI mixer. Review all the sections, how to open and close it, how it looks for each mixer

VSL-AI Smaart Wizards

• Output Check (03:38) - Learn how to verify that your stage setup is wired correctly right by sending pink noise to the outputs one by one. Verify the connection of monitors and mains along with correct left and right placement

• System Delay (04:20) - If you are running extra speakers that are a distance away from the mains, you need to delay them to compensate for the speed of sound through air. Here is how to calculate those delays automatically using Smaart and a PRM1 microphone.

• Room Analysis (09:18) - A PreSonus PRM mic along with the VSL-AI Smaart wizards and the Fat Channel, give you an incredible ability to analyse your venue and dial in EQ to compensate. Learn how it’s done step by step.

Mixing with VSL-AI

• Channel Controls (08:50) - Overview, HP Filter, Routing, Copying, Gain Reduction, Meter, Naming, Channel Copy

• Copy Channels (03:31) - Learn how to copy channel settings from one channel to another.

• Fader Locate (02:45) - Learn how sync the hardware faders back to the mix.

• Fat Channel (11:13) - Fat Channel Overview, entering values directly, naming differences, Smaart Specta and RTA

• Fat Fat Channel (11:13) - If you have a big screen you can see the Fat Channel even fatter with the wide view UI. Learn how find it and how it differs from the slim Fat Channel.

• 16.4.2 AI Fat Channel (06:18) - Learn about the differences with the 16.4.2 AI Fat Channel and how to access the full set of controls through VSL-AI - even those that don’t appear on the mixer itself.

• Graphic EQ (08:55) - Learn about using the GEQ tab and the Quickview GEQ. Watch as I demonstrate how to overlay Smart Spectra on the GEQ screen.

VLS-AI Master Section

• Aux Panel (08:16) - Learn how to use the Aux panel controls to mix monitors or external effects. Learn how to link channels for stereo operation, set auxes for Pre or Post operation, add additional sources to the mix.

• FX Panel (07:32) - Learn how to use the FX panel to mix using the four internal FX processors in your StudioLive AI mixer.

• Mute Groups (03:09) - See how to set, clear and work with mute groups. Use mute groups on mixers that don’t even have mute groups buttons!

• Mix Scenes (03:07) - Also called, Quick Scenes, these six buttons allow you to have the next scene ready to go at the click of a button.

The VSL-AI Browser

• Backing Up (04:05) - Learn how to do a full backup your mixer’s memory to your computer. See where backup files are stored and how to restore a mixer from a backup file.

• Working with Scenes (06:13) - Learn how to rename scenes from VSL-AI, how to transfer scenes from the mixer to computer, from computer to mixer, as well as load scenes. Learn about the Scene Recall filters.

• Saving & Loading Fat Channel Presets (04:15) - Discover how to transfer Fat Channel presets back and forth between the mixer and your computer. Learn how to load only certain parts of a preset and where the files are saved on your computer.

• Saving and Loading FX & GEQ Presets (05:29) - Learn how to drag and drop FX and GEQ presets to load them on the fly and how to and save them.

• Locking Out Board Settings (20:36) - You can lockout some of the controls on your mixer to keep curious hands from doing harm. How? With the secret Lockout setup option and clever Select button password.

Tips and Tricks

• Ringing Out Monitors (06:12) - Use the Smaart Spectragraph along with the Fat Channel EQ bands to ring out your monitors and reduce the chance of feedback during the show.

• Setting the Gate Key Filter (04:39) - Use the Smaart Spectragraph to quickly optimize the Key Filter when setting the Fat Channel Gate.

• 2-Track Playback Mac (05:22) - Learn how to playback computer audio through the digital 2 Track In on the mixer using Audio Midi Setup in OS X.

• 2-Track Playback PC (02:15) - Discover how to play back Windows audio through the digital 2 Track In on the mixer using Universal Control WDM Setup.

Studio One & StudioLive Basics

• The Auxiliary Inputs Router (06:58) - Use the Aux inputs router in VSL-AI to choose what to record into Studio One. This feature is a common point of confusion so this video should help clear it up.

• Recording with Studio One (12:15) - If you want to make a multitrack recording directly from your StudioLive AI mixer to Studio One, here is the how to set that up.

• Mixing Down (07:41) - Sure can you mix down in StudioOne, but sometimes you want to mix your tracks through StudioLive channels and use real faders. Learn how to set that up in this video.