PRESONUS StudioLive CS18AI User manual

English
StudioLive™CS18AI
Ethernet AVB Control Surface
Owner’s Manual
www.presonus.com
®

Table of Contents
1 Overview — 1
1.1 Introduction — 1
1.2 StudioLive CS18AI Control Surface Features — 2
1.3 Active Integration — 2
1.4 What is in the Box — 3
1.5 What You Will Need — 4
1.6 About This Manual — 4
1.7 Technical Support — 5
2 Getting Started — 6
2.1 Minimum System Requirements — 6
2.2 System Setup Overview — 6
2.3 Registering Your CS18AI Control Surface — 7
2.4 Updating CS18AI Firmware — 8
2.5 Powering and Testing the CS18AI — 14
3 Networking the StudioLive CS18AI
Control Surface — 16
3.1 Networking Overview — 16
3.2 Connecting the StudioLive CS18AI to one
StudioLive RM Mixer — 19
3.3 Connecting the CS18AI to an RM Mixer and Studio
One — 23
4 Connecting the CS18AI to Your
Audio System — 25
4.1 Mic and Line Inputs — 25
4.2 Headphone and Monitor Outputs — 26
5 Controlling StudioLive RM-series
Mixers with the CS18AI — 28
5.1 Accessing Channels with Layers and Filter DCA
Groups — 28
5.2 Basic Channel Operation Summary — 30
5.3 Processing Signals with the Fat Channel — 31
5.4 Channel Strip Controls — 48
5.5 Global Mixer Controls — 49
5.6 Master Control and Touchscreen — 55
5.7 System Menu — 64
5.8 Working with Filter DCA Groups — 67
5.9 Aux Mixes and Subgroups — 73
5.10 Internal Effects Mixes — 77
6 Rear Panel — 83
6.1 Physical Connections and Controls — 83
7 Reference — 85
7.1 StudioLive CS18 Technical Specifications — 85
8 Warranty Information — 87
8.1 How Consumer Law Relates To This
Warranty — 87

1 Overview
1.1 Introduction
StudioLive™CS18AI
Owner’s Manual
1
1Overview
1.1 Introduction
Thank you for purchasing a PreSonus®
StudioLive™ CS18AI Ethernet AVB control surface.
PreSonus Audio Electronics has designed the
CS18AI utilizing high-grade components to ensure
optimum performance that will last a lifetime.
The CS18AI provides fast and comprehensive
control with PreSonus’RM32AI and RM16AI digital
mixers and Studio One® DAW software for Mac®
and Windows®. It combines touch-sensitive,
motorized faders, a color touchscreen, a carefully
designed selection of controls, and Ethernet
AVB networking in a rack-mountable package.
The CS18AI’s touch-sensitive motorized faders
let you check information on a channel without
having to move the fader. When used with Studio
One, it lets you write automation using Touch
and Latch modes that depend on Studio One
knowing when you touch or release a fader.
The StudioLive CS18AI Filter DCA groups make
it easy and quick to navigate and control a large
mix using fewer faders than digital mixers that
require paging through numerous layers. No
other mixing system offers the same combination
of compactness, affordability, and ease of use.
The CS18AI’s built-in 4x2 Ethernet AVB audio interface utilizes the
power and flexibility of audio networking to send and receive
audio across long distances over a single Ethernet cable.
The StudioLive CS18AI is perfectly suited for a variety of applications,
including live-sound mixing, fixed installations, theaters,
broadcast, houses of worship, and professional recording.
We encourage you to contact us with questions or comments regarding
this product. PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc., is committed to constant
product improvement, and we value your suggestions highly. We believe
the best way to achieve our goal of constant product improvement is by
listening to the real experts: our valued customers. We appreciate the
support you’ve shown us through the purchase of this product.

1 Overview
1.2 StudioLive CS18AI Control Surface Features
StudioLive™CS18AI
Owner’s Manual
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1.2 StudioLive CS18AI Control Surface Features
• 18 touch-sensitive, motorized faders
• 18 customizable, multi-color Select buttons for easy channel identification
• 16-channel scribble strip display
• 4.3-inch color touchscreen
• Full control of Fat Channel processing
• Ethernet AVB-based control of StudioLive RM-series Mix Systems
• Filter DCA group support
• 4-pin XLR lamp connection
• Footswitch input
• 19" rack mountable
• Internal power supply with no fans
• Supports PreSonus UC Surface software
• Control of PreSonus Studio One DAW software
• Built-in Ethernet AVB audio interface with:
- 2 mic/line inputs with recallable XMAX preamps for
talkback, room mic, or other local inputs
- 2 balanced TRS line inputs
- 2 XLR line outputs
- Stereo headphone output
1.3 Active Integration
PreSonus created Active Integration™ to enable our products to work
cooperatively, connecting them into a powerful system that meets your specific
needs and can take you from studio to stage and back. Active Integration puts
control in the hands of all who need it in live sound environments and makes
it possible to reconfigure a fixed installation to accommodate every event.
The StudioLive CS18AI is an important addition to PreSonus Active
Integration-equipped products, supplying hands-on control of the
RM-series mixers and Studio One DAW. With UC Surface multi-touch
control software for Mac, Windows, and iPad and the StudioLive CS18AI
control surface, you can choose to work the way you want.

1 Overview
1.4 What is in the Box
StudioLive™CS18AI
Owner’s Manual
3
1.4 What is in the Box
Your StudioLive CS18AI package contains the following:
• PreSonus StudioLive CS18AI Ethernet AVB control surface
• 3-foot (1m) Ethernet cable
• IEC power cord
• USB Wi-Fi LAN adapter
• Product registration and software authorization card
• StudioLive CS18AI Quick Start Guide
• PreSonus Health Safety and Compliance Guide
Deutsch EspañolFrançais English
StudioLive™CS18AI
Ethernet/AVB ControlSur face for
StudioLive RM mixers and Studio One®DAW
Visual Quick Start Guide
www.presonus.com

1 Overview
1.5 What You Will Need
StudioLive™CS18AI
Owner’s Manual
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1.5 What You Will Need
You will need a network connection with Internet access or a USB flash
drive (SanDisk brand recommended) for firmware updates.
Depending on your system configuration and intended uses, you may also need
the following items, which are not included with your CS18AI control surface:
• Wireless router. For information on wireless routers we know work
well with the CS18AI control surface, see http://support.presonus.
com/entries/22338274. In our testing, we have also encountered
some wireless routers that can be problematic, which are discussed
here: http://support.presonus.com/entries/22338264.
• AVB-compatible network switch. The latest information on
compatible switches can be found here: http://support.presonus.
com/entries/67281460-Supported-AVB-network-switches.
• A Mac or Windows computer or iPad running UC Surface, with a wired or
wireless connection to a network router that is, in turn, connected to the mixer.
1.6 About This Manual
We suggest that you use this manual to familiarize yourself with the features,
applications, and connection procedures for your StudioLive CS18AI control
surface before trying to connect it to your RM-series mix system or computer.
This will help you avoid problems during installation and setup.
The concept of Active Integration is to tie together system components like
the RM-series mixers, the CS18AI controller, UC Surface control software,
Studio One DAW, and other software and AI hardware products. This creates
a great deal of potential overlap in the manuals for these products.
The StudioLive RM-Series Mixers Owner’s Manual, available at
http://www.presonus.com/products/StudioLive-RM-Series/downloads,
describes the RM-series mixer hardware, including connections, typical
system configurations, audio interface functions, and more. If you need
information on the RM-series mixers that is not in the CS18AI Owner’s
Manual, the RM-Series Mixers Owner’s Manual is the next place to check.
The StudioLive AI Software Library Manual, available at
http://www.presonus.com/products/StudioLive-RM-Series/downloads,
discusses downloading, installing, and using UC Surface touch-control
software, QMix-AI remote control software, Capture™ recording software,
and Studio One Artist DAW software. The StudioLive CS18AI Owner’s
Manual describes how the CS18AI works with these products.
Throughout this manual you will find Power User Tips. These tips provide mixing
tricks, some of which are unique to StudioLive CS18AI control surfaces, and
offer explanations of various audio terms. Thank you, once again, for buying
our product. We are confident that you will enjoy your StudioLive CS18AI!

1 Overview
1.7 Technical Support
StudioLive™CS18AI
Owner’s Manual
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1.7 Technical Support
Many technical issues can arise when using a standard computer as a
digital audio workstation (DAW) and when networking wireless devices.
PreSonus can only provide support for issues that directly relate to the
StudioLive CS18AI control surface and Ethernet AVB interface, RM-series
mixers, UC Surface control software, QMix-AI, Capture, and Studio One.
PreSonus does not provide support for computer hardware, iOS hardware, wireless
networks, operating systems, and non-PreSonus hardware and software, and it may
be necessary to contact the manufacturer of these products for technical support.
Please check our Web site www.presonus.com regularly for
software information and updates, firmware updates, and
support documentation for frequently asked questions.
Online technical support is available to registered users through their My
PreSonus account. Visit my.presonus.com to register. PreSonus telephone
technical support is available to customers in the USA on Monday through
Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time by calling 1-225- 216-7887.
Customers outside of the USA should contact their national or regional
distributor for telephone technical support. A list of international distributors
is provided at www.presonus.com/buy/international_distributors.
Advanced troubleshooting guides can be found at
http://support.presonus.com/forums.

2 Getting Started
2.1 Minimum System Requirements
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Owner’s Manual
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2Getting Started
2.1 Minimum System Requirements
General
• AVB compatible Ethernet connection for control and audio
transport. (If using a non-AVB network connection you’ll still have
control but will not have audio transport over Ethernet.)
• Internet connection for registration and software download.
Mac
• Mac OS X 10.8 (64-bit) or later
• Intel® Core™ i3 processor or better, 4 GB or more RAM (8 GB recommended)
Windows
• Windows 7x 64/x86 SP1, Windows 8x64/x86 or Windows 10
• Intel® Core™ i3 processor or better (Core i5 or faster
recommended), 8 GB or more RAM
iOS
• iOS 7.03 or later
• iPad Air, iPad mini with Retina display, iPad (3rd or 4th generation), iPad mini
2.2 System Setup Overview
It only takes a few steps to get your StudioLive
CS18AI control surface up and running:
1. Register your CS18AI in your My PreSonus account. See Section 2.3
Registering Your CS18AI Control Surface for more information.
2. Update the CS18AI firmware, if necessary. See Section 2.4
Updating CS18AI Firmware for more information.
3. Connect the CS18AI to AC power using the included IEC power
cord. When you power a CS18AI control surface, the touchscreen
indicates the current status of the boot or update process.
4. Connect the CS18AI to your StudioLive RM-series mixer and/
or computer and configure the system. See Chapter 3
Networking the StudioLive CS18AI Control Surface.
5. Connect the CS18AI to your audio system.

2 Getting Started
2.3 Registering Your CS18AI Control Surface
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Owner’s Manual
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2.3 Registering Your CS18AI Control Surface
1. Go to my.presonus.com.
2. Log in or create a new account if you don’t already have one.
3. Once you have logged into your My PreSonus account, click the Register a
Product button at the top of the page. The Register Product dialog appears.

2 Getting Started
2.4 Updating CS18AI Firmware
StudioLive™CS18AI
Owner’s Manual
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4. Select “Hardware” from the drop-down menu in the dialog, enter the
information for your CS18AI controller, and check the box stating
you have read and agree to the license agreement. Click/tap the
Register button when you are done to register your controller.
5. You can now download firmware updates or update the firmware directly
with your StudioLive CS18AI connected to an Internet-connected network.
2.4 Updating CS18AI Firmware
Please be sure to review all instructions before updating your StudioLive CS18AI.
Note: Be sure to confirm that your RM-series mixer is running the
most up-to-date firmware. For more information on updating RM
mixer firmware, see Section 3.8 How to Update StudioLive RM Mixer
Firmware in the StudioLive RM-Series Mixers Owner’s Manual.
If Your CS18AI is Registered and Connected to the Internet
All registered StudioLive CS18AI controllers have the ability to
connect to a My PreSonus account and download firmware updates
over the Internet. To check online for new firmware updates:
• Be sure no USB flash drive is inserted in the USB port.
If a flash drive is in the slot, remove it.
• Connect your registered CS18AI to a network with Internet access.
To Internet

2 Getting Started
2.4 Updating CS18AI Firmware
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• Skip steps 1 through 11 below and follow the
instructions in steps 12 through 17.
If Your CS18AI is Not Connected to the Internet
If your CS18AI is not connected directly to the Internet, follow
all of the instructions below to download the firmware files to a
USB flash (“thumb”) drive and install them from there.
We strongly recommend SanDisk-brand flash drives for firmware
updates. If you have compatibility problems with a SanDisk Cruzer-
series flash drive, please read this Knowledge Base article.
1. Log in to your my.presonus.com account.
2. Once you have logged in, click the My Products button at the top of the page.
3. If the Hardware button on the My Products page is not highlighted,
click the button to select the Hardware section.

2 Getting Started
2.4 Updating CS18AI Firmware
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Owner’s Manual
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4. Find your CS18AI on the page and click the View More Details link.
5. If there is an Update Firmware to v<xxx> button just under the product
name and serial number, click it to download the files to your computer.
6. If there is no Update Firmware button, click the Firmware button in the
Downloads area to access recent firmware updates, then click the Download link
to begin downloading the files. If there is more than one update displayed, be
sure to click the Download link for the one with the highest version number.
IMPORTANT: The StudioLive CS18AI control surface, StudioLive AI console
mixers, and StudioLive AI RM mixers each use different firmware files.
Loading the wrong firmware can cause a device to function improperly and
potentially damage the unit.
7. When the download completes, open your Downloads folder and locate the
StudoLive firmware folder. The folder will be named with your controller’s
model number and the new firmware version (e.g., CS18AI_v1234).

2 Getting Started
2.4 Updating CS18AI Firmware
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8. Depending on your computer’s system preferences, the
firmware .zip archive file might not automatically decompress.
If it doesn’t, double-click the file, and it will decompress.
9. Open the firmware folder; you will find five files inside. You
will need all five files to upgrade your controller.
- Initvars.scr
- Recovery.scr
- Rootfs.img
- uImage
- upgrade.bin
10. Connect a FAT32-formatted USB thumb drive to your computer.
Power User Tip: Most small USB drives (16 GB or less) should be formatted correctly,
but if your controller does not detect your thumb drive at first, we suggest reformatting
it, even if it’s already formatted as FAT32. On Windows, be sure to do a “Full” format
as opposed to a “Quick” format. On Macs, the choice will be listed as MS-DOS (FAT).
Please refer to the list of suggested drives that can be found on our Knowledge Base.

2 Getting Started
2.4 Updating CS18AI Firmware
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11. Select and copy/paste or drag the five firmware files to the root directory of
your thumb drive. If the files are inside a folder, the update will not execute
correctly. Eject the flash drive and disconnect it from your computer.
12. Insert the thumb drive into the USB slot on the rear of your CS18AI
controller and power on the unit if it is not already on.
USB Drive
13. Press the Home button in the Master Control area of your CS18AI.

2 Getting Started
2.4 Updating CS18AI Firmware
StudioLive™CS18AI
Owner’s Manual
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14. From the Home page, click the System button.
15. On the System page, click the Firmware button.
16. The Firmware Version page has a section for the CS18AI and another
for the RM mixer. (The mixer section will be empty if no RM mixer is
connected.) Click the“Check for update” button in the CS18AI section.
17. The update process takes about a minute to complete. When
it finishes, you are prompted to power cycle your unit.
18. Restart the CS18AI, revisit the Firmware Version page from the System page, and
note the firmware version shown. The last four digits of the firmware version
reported there should match the version of the firmware files you downloaded.

2 Getting Started
2.5 Powering and Testing the CS18AI
StudioLive™CS18AI
Owner’s Manual
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2.5 Powering and Testing the CS18AI
CS18AI Startup
Once your CS18AI controller and RM-series mixers are updated to the most
current firmware, connect the CS18AI to a power source and switch it on.
1. The meters will light up in sequence, scanning
left and right across the meter array.
2. The Launch page will appear.
Using Test Modes to Check CS18AI Operation
Your CS18AI features a suite of test modes useful for confirming
basic operation of the front panel controls.
IMPORTANT: The StudioLive CS18AI should be disconnected from your RM
mixer or computer running Studio One while performing these tests. When
testing is complete, power cycle (power off and then on) your unit.
To run the test modes:
1. Press the System button. The Home page appears.
2. Touch the Utilities icon. The Utilities page appears.

2 Getting Started
2.5 Powering and Testing the CS18AI
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3. Touch the icon for the test mode you want to enable. The icon becomes colored
to show the test is active. Multiple tests can be enabled and run simultaneously.
• Mardi Gras: This test runs the Meters, All Buttons, RGB Buttons, and
Faders routines simultaneously. Laissez les bon temps roulez!
• Meters: All meters in the meter array along the top of the
CS18AI go up and down, creating“the wave”effect.
• All Buttons: Buttons flash on and off in pseudo-random groups.
Multi-color buttons change color but never fully light. Any
given button will light every 10 seconds or so, at most.
• RGB Buttons: This tests only multi-color buttons, putting them
through all of their variations of color and brightness.
• Scribble Strip: All scribble strip displays show the same image patterns.
• Screen Test: Cycles the color touchscreen between primary
colors. Touch anywhere on the screen to exit this test.
• Faders: The channel faders sequence through five different routines. Moving
the master fader from the bottom to the top will cycle through all faders
up, all faders down, faders diagonally positioned from down to up, faders
diagonally positioned from up to down, and wave movement cycles.

3 Networking the StudioLive CS18AI Control Surface
3.1 Networking Overview
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Owner’s Manual
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3Networking the StudioLive CS18AI Control Surface
3.1 Networking Overview
Control and Audio Data Connections
Two types of data flow between your CS18AI control surface and your RM mixer
or computer: control and audio. Control connections can be made over standard
Ethernet networks, including wireless connections, but sending or receiving
audio requires an Ethernet AVB connection, which cannot be done wirelessly.
Control: This is the primary connection between the CS18AI controller
and your StudioLive RM-series mixer or your computer. The CS18AI
uses this connection to modify settings. When connected to RM-series
mixers, the CS18AI controls the mixers’functions. When connected to a
computer, the CS18AI can control Studio One or Capture software.
Audio: An Ethernet AVB connection enables routing audio to/from the CS18AI’s
audio inputs and outputs with an RM-series mixer or compatible computer.
Power User Tip: Network connections occasionally require troubleshooting,
especially when a lot of wireless networks are in use. Because of this, it is
always a good idea to get your networked devices and CS18AI control surface
happily communicating before the pressure is on and you have a singer
trying to dial in a monitor mix while you’re trying to mic the drum kit.
About Ethernet AVB
AVB (Audio Video Bridging) is an extension to the Ethernet standard
designed to provide what network geeks call “guaranteed quality of
service,”which simply means a guarantee that audio samples reach
their destinations on time. AVB has been adopted by numerous audio
companies, and more companies are adding it all the time.
Ethernet AVB offers a number of attractive features:
• Long, light cable runs. A single lightweight CAT5e or CAT6 cable can
be run up to 100 meters (300 feet). This makes it easy to have audio
I/O located in different rooms (or even different venues in the same
building) and run multichannel audio between them in real time.
• Low, predictable latency. The Ethernet AVB specification states
latency of no longer than 2 ms sending an audio stream point-
to-point over up to seven “hops”(trips through switches or other
devices) at 1x (less than or equal to 48 kHz) sample rates.
• Scalable, with high channel counts. AVB’s bandwidth is sufficient to carry
hundreds of real-time channels using a single Ethernet cable. This offers the
future possibility of expanding your system with additional devices that contain
different kinds of audio I/O, multiple controllers, and other useful functions.
• Integrated clock signal. In a digital audio system with multiple devices,
having a master clock is absolutely critical. The AVB specification defines
such a clock to be accurately distributed to all devices in the system.
• High sample rates: AVB is capable of operating at high
sample rates for high-resolution recording.
Power User Tip: The most important rule to keep in mind when setting up an
AVB network is that all the devices, routers, and switches between the talker
(device sending audio) and listener (device receiving audio) must be Ethernet
AVB-compatible. Plugging in a standard Ethernet device or switch will not carry
the audio data. In this situation, the CS18AI can readily be used for control
but cannot carry signals from its audio inputs or to its monitor outputs.