Question

Can someone outline the signal path and settings required to use S1's plug-ins in a live setting using a Studio Live III console (i.e., SLIII 16)? I have successfully used S1 with my SLIII for play-back of backing tracks ... Now, I'm trying to use the plug-ins to add FX to live vocals.  I have tried a number of settings without success - hoping someone has a quick and easy way to do this. E.g., (assuming vocals are on Channel 16 on the SLIII) ... set CH 16 send to digital (v. analogue), set S1 channel input to CH16 (from SLIII), arm record, hit monitor, set S1 channel output to CH17 (on SLIII), set CH 17 source as USB, process as normal, season to taste... :-)

By the way, the above is what I have tried and it is not working (S1 registers no audio)... So, I am missing a step or setting.

Any help would be much appreciated.  

Thx.

Answer 1

Ben ... thanks for response. Agree with flow but thinking I may need to go deeper as this was not getting it done for me.  As noted, my set up mirrored your suggestions but I was still not getting audio into S1 (save your suggestion on sending S1 channel to a bus and then return that to another channel on the SLiii - which I plan to try next week - thx for that suggestion - but this point is moot until I get S1 to register the INCOMING audio).  ;-)

For those reading, couple of other details that may need further clarification and important to note. I did have the “Digital Send Source” set to Digital (but this may be a step others may over look).  So, I’m still thinking there is another step missing (or perhaps my flow was not as I thought it was LoL   ... plan to redo experiment next week during rehearsal)...  

As example of going deeper, I assume the track in S1 does not need to be “armed” nor the monitor function “engaged” (but asking as this is something I found I needed to do in Ableton Live before converting to PreSonus).  

Appreciate any other tips/thoughts from the community.  

Thx!

PS>  Follow up note ... Track DOES need to be armed and monitor ENGAGED in order to hear/process audio.

Answer 2

The only way I have found to do this so far is

Analog into a channel on the mixer --> USB out to a channel Studio One --> send that Channel to a bus in Studio One --> set the output of that bus to whatever USB channel you want --> Assign the input of a different channel on the mixer to that USB channel.

I only would do it this way for reverb and delay type effects. You can return the USB to an FX return channel on the SIII consoles, but there isn't a way to route the FX returns to a USB input in UC as of right now so you can't do it that way on a rack mixer.

Answer 3

All:  

Sharing my discovery and solution in case others have a need.... 

For those with more experience, some of this may seem common sense but, for newbies, I thought it might be helpful to share for clarity...

(1)  Basic Signal Path: Mic to Stagebox to SLIII (network source) to Studio Live (Digital Send) to Studio One Input (using matrix selection to assign the incoming SLIII channel to the S1 inputs) to a selected channel in S1 (with the track armed to record and monitor set on) to selected Studio One Plug-ins to Studio One outs (picking between S1's Main or Sub 1 or Sub 2) to a NEW SLIII channel (USB source that is receiving what is being sent to either the Main or Sub 1/Sub 2 within S1) and out to Main (making sure that the newly created/selected SLIII channel's output is properly sent to Main (or sub) .

(2) Detail Notes on Path:

• Recommend starting off a multi-track template in Studio One as this will provide you access to the full matrix 
  • This enables you to have a one for one assignment of SLIII channels to S1 Inputs.   Make sure you keep separate and understand the differences between channels on the board and inputs within Studio One (and the tracks within Studio One - all of which can be numbers similarly but are really separate and distinct ... 
    • E.g,. Ch No. 13 on the board can be mapped to Input No.13 which can serve as the input for Track No.13 .... but these are configurable..   
    • Meaning, Ch No. 2 on the board can be mapped to Input No. 3 which can be assigned to Track No. 4 and then outputted back to the board via Sub 1/2 to Channel No. 5 on the board as the "return" channel with its source set to USB. 
• Make sure to arm the track within Studio One.  Failure to do so results in nothing being heard/processed. 
• Similarly, make sure to assign the new "return" channel on the board to the SLIII Main
• Significantly, you can simultaneously process and return audio using the VST plug-ins in a live setting as well as record the raw audio (which can then be played back through the same S1 plug-ins for a virtual playback of the live FX's audio...
• My Detailed Path (going from memory having left our studio but thinking this is accurate):
  • Mic connected to SLIII24Rack channel 16 ... networked to SLIII 16 Console ... Channel 16 of the SLIII is set to Network as the source using AVB Channel 16 and send to Main and onboard FX... used as the main vocal sound (and set to Digital Send in order to record on SD card and within Studio One) 
  • Channel 17 on the SLIII Console is similarly set to Network as source using AVB Channel 16 (e.g. basically splitting the audio) and set to Digital Send and it is this channel that we then send to Studio Live for processing audio via the VST plug-ins.
  • Within Studio One, we set up the matrix to be one-for-one assignment ...meaning SLIII channel 17 is mapped to S1 Input No. 17.  
  • We select a track within S1, assign Input No. 17 to this channel, arm the channel for recording and set the output of this track to go to sub 1 of S1.
  • Sub 1 is then mapped to Channel No. 18 of the SLIII Console and, then, on the board, we assign the source of Ch No. 18 to USB ... which pulls in the audio be sent out via Sub 1 from S1.
  • Ch18 is then set to out to the main on the SLIII Console. 

I hope this is helpful to others who may be struggling... 

Cheers!