SoundCraft ViSi User manual

Soundcraft ViSi Remote User Guide V1.0 Page 1
Soundcraft®ViSi Remote User Guide

Soundcraft ViSi Remote User Guide V1.0 Page 2
Contents
About ViSi Remote...................................................................................................................................... 2
What ViSi Remote does NOT do!................................................................................................................ 3
About this manual....................................................................................................................................... 3
Nomenclature ............................................................................................................................................. 3
Setting up.................................................................................................................................................... 3
Setting IP addresses .................................................................................................................................... 3
Console HiQnet connection point............................................................................................................... 4
Setting HiQnet®device address................................................................................................................... 4
iPad settings for ViSi Remote...................................................................................................................... 4
Devices and Select Device view .................................................................................................................. 5
About view [i].............................................................................................................................................. 5
Info view...................................................................................................................................................... 5
Console control view................................................................................................................................... 6
Hot Channel ................................................................................................................................................ 7
Using ViSi Remote....................................................................................................................................... 8
Setting levels from channels to the main LR & MONO buses................................................................. 8
Controlling bus masters (group, aux or matrix)...................................................................................... 8
Controlling VCA bus masters................................................................................................................... 8
Controlling L, R and C bus masters ......................................................................................................... 8
Controlling engineer monitor ................................................................................................................. 8
Controlling bus GEQ................................................................................................................................ 8
Mixing to any bus type (contributions)................................................................................................... 9
ViSi Remote V1 Notes ................................................................................................................................. 9
Trouble-Shooting ........................................................................................................................................ 9
About ViSi Remote
Soundcraft ViSi Remote is an iOS application for Apple iPad devices; it allows control of Soundcraft Si Compact and Vi
Series consoles wirelessly from your iPad device using no additional hardware other than a wireless access router
connected to the Harman HiQnet®Ethernet port of the console. With ViSi Remote you are free to roam your venue and
adjust mixes and other audio parameters directly from the iPad!
Apple and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc.

Soundcraft ViSi Remote User Guide V1.0 Page 3
What ViSi Remote does NOT do!
ViSi Remote is an on-line controller only and although it can function off-line in a demo or training capacity it cannot be
used as an off-line editor because ViSi Remote synchronizes with the console in one direction only, always receiving the
current settings from the attached host console(s) from the console. For off-line setup we provide a range of console
specific off line editors which can be downloaded from www.soundcraft.com
About this manual
This manual is intended as a guide for users new to the ViSi Remote iPad application; it covers basic setup requirements
on the Vi and Si consoles, ViSi Remote specific settings on the iPad and describes the functionality offered by the ViSi
Remote app. Owing to the vast number of routers and similar devices available it does not cover setup and management
of the wireless router or similar devices used in the network.
This manual assumes familiarity with the Apple iPad and working knowledge of the Soundcraft consoles intended for use
with ViSi Remote.
Examples illustrated in this manual were tested using Apple iOS5.0.1.
Nomenclature
A word in square brackets [function_name] denotes a function of some kind; the term ‘key’ is used for a hardware based
switch or similar such as [MENU] key whilst the term ‘button’ or ‘tab’ denotes an item on a screen such as [SYSTEM]
button. The terms scroll/swipe are considered interchangeable.
Setting up
The most basic typical setup is illustrated below however other combinations are possible including multiple Soundcraft
consoles connected to the same wireless router and multiple iPad devices controlling the same console..
NOTE: It is recommended to use a dedicated wireless router for the ‘console / ViSi Remote’ connection to avoid risk
that other devices sharing the router will consume all the bandwidth.
NOTE: To prevent ‘unauthorized’ connections to your wireless system it is recommend enabling the security on your
router.
NOTE: Significant traffic or interference in the Wi-Fi domain may cause sluggish or unreliable operation; if you
experience such problems we recommend you seek specialist advice from a Wi-Fi IT professional.
Setting IP addresses
Before ViSi Remote can be used on-line a network connection must be established between the iPad and console, the
simplest solution is to set the router as a DHCP server and set the consoles and iPad to use DHCP addressing. Refer to
user guide for your console for details on how to adjust the console IP address settings.
Vi1 HiQnet
Ethernet port
CAT5
console - router
Wireless router
iPad

Soundcraft ViSi Remote User Guide V1.0 Page 4
Console HiQnet connection point
Si Compact: on the rear of the console, green LINK LED indicates electrical connection is established, DATA LED
indicates data flow.
Vi1 on the rear of the console, green LED indicates data flow.
Vi2/4/6: on the rear of control surface, there is no LED indicator for these consoles.
Setting HiQnet®device address
The HiQnet address of a console found on-line is automatically displayed next to the device in the ViSi Remote app;
there are more than 65535 addresses so the chance of a clash is minimal however you should check there are no conflicts
with any other HiQnet device on the network.
If manually adding a device for off-line demo or training use the HiQnet
address may be set from the Select Device menu; this address applies only
to the current setting and affects only the position of the device in the
devices list.
Refer to the user guide for your console for details on how to adjust the
console IP address settings, for other HiQnet devices such as Soundweb
London refer to the appropriate software or support documentation for
managing HiQnet addressing.
IMPORTANT: Multiple devices with the same HiQnet address may
cause erratic or unreliable operation of some or all HiQnet devices on
the network.
iPad settings for ViSi Remote
There are a number of global settings that affect ViSi Remote, these are accessed on the iPad from the main iPad
[SETTINGS] button on the iPad desktop; slide the list view to Apps and select the [ViSi remote] button.
Network:
HiQnet: Sets the HiQnet address of the iPad
device, this must be unique for all Harman
HiQnet devices on the router or LAN; the
valid range is 1-65535. See ‘Setting HiQnet
device address’for notes on the rules
governing HiQnet addressing.
User Interface:
Throttle Slider Updates: Slows update rate
of faders, adjusting this setting will impact
the speed at which faders update between the
console and how smooth the updates are; the
recommended setting is ON.

Soundcraft ViSi Remote User Guide V1.0 Page 5
Devices and Select Device view
The [Devices] button on ViSi Remote opens the Devices view panel, if any consoles were discovered on the network
they will appear in devices the list automatically; to ‘open’any console shown in the devices list touch the console name
and the selected console control view is opened.
Other functions associated with the Devices and Select Device views are:
[+] button: opens the Select Device view and allows
adding an off-line console for use when a real console is
not connected.
[Edit]/[Done] buttons: allows consoles to be removed
from the devices list.
[] button: refreshes the devices list of consoles.
NOTE: any consoles manually removed from the devices
list with the [Edit] button but are still discoverable on the
network will reappear automatically.
Online Offline: Simple count of the number of devices
online or offline.
[i]button: opens the About view.
Device Type field: Opens the picker to select a new
console type.
HiQnet Address field: Allows manual setting of the
console HiQnet address for off-line consoles.
NOTE: It is not possible to edit the HiQnet address of on-
line consoles from the ViSi Remote, this must be set on the
console.
About view [i]
The ‘About’ view is opened with the [i] button on the devices view. It provides non editable information about the
current version of ViSi Remote.
Info view
With a console control view open the [Info] button may be accessed for viewing console specific information:
Locate: Setting locate ON will flash some or all of the console
buttons or screens allowing a specific physical console to be
identified should multiple consoles be connected on the same
LAN. Depending on the console type and software version the
flashing locate function may auto-cancel after a few seconds or
remain on until set OFF.
Device Name: The name of the device in the console control
view.
IP Address: IP address of the device in the console control
view.
Subnet Mask Subnet Mask of the device in the console control
view.
HiQnet Address: HiQnet node address of the device in the console control view.

Soundcraft ViSi Remote User Guide V1.0 Page 6
Console control view
The illustration below is a Vi1 but typical of any console type:
On Line/Off Line Indicator This indicator is lit green if the current active device is on-line, the indicator
will be grey for all virtual devices and any real devices that have gone off-line for any reason.
Channel / Bus / Fader
name.
Tap the name to assign it
to the ‘Hot Channel’
Main fader panel with ON /
SOLO / SEL keys as
appropriate to console
‘Swipe’ to access other
faders
Navigation tabs. Tap to
change type of
fader/function in view.
‘Hot Channel’ – See Hot
Channel for full details

Soundcraft ViSi Remote User Guide V1.0 Page 7
Hot Channel
The ‘Hot Channel’ resides in the far right position, and serves a number of functions:
GEQ; if the hot channel assignment is a
bus master the GEQ button will be
shown; pressing this will open the GEQ
for that bus. The [ON] buttons will light
for any band not set to 0dB gain,
tapping the [ON] button will reset the
band gain to 0dB.
GEQ view
SENDS; tapping this button will open
the ‘SENDS’ view allowing you to
select a bus you wish to mix to;
selecting a bus will put ViSi Remote in
‘CONTRIBution’ (sends on faders)’
mode allowing sources to feed the bus.
Whilst in CONTRIBution mode the
[ON] buttons toggle the sends from the
channels to the bus ON/OFF.
SENDS bus select view
Scroll keys; the left & right scroll keys will scroll the hot channel through all faders
within the group as an example on Vi1, if a VCA master is assigned to the hot channel the scroll
keys will scroll VCA1-8 rolling-round to VCA1.
Faders; any of the faders in the main fader panel can be assigned to the hot channel by tapping the
name of the fader you wish to assign, this feature allows for example ‘holding’ a favorite input
channel in position whilst you swipe to other channels. When ViSi Remote is started the hot channel
assignment will be the LR master fader.
NOTE. When in CONTRIBution (sends on faders mode) changing of the hot channel assignment is
disabled.
Name; the name display of the hot channel has no ‘touch’ related function.

Soundcraft ViSi Remote User Guide V1.0 Page 8
Using ViSi Remote
With a console view open you can begin controlling the console from the iPad:
Setting levels from channels to the main LR & MONO buses
Tap the [INPUTS] tab button:
Faders directly control levels of any channels already routed to LR and MONO/C buses and will affect the post
fade send level from the channel to any buses.
[ON] buttons control the channel on/off function.
[SOLO/SELECT] solos the channel. (Vi consoles only)
Scroll to other channels by swiping left or right across the main fader panel.
Controlling bus masters (group, aux or matrix)
Tap the [BUSSES] tab button:
Faders control bus master levels.
[ON] buttons control the bus on/off function.
[SOLO/SELECT] buttons solos the bus. (Vi consoles only)
Scroll to other buses by swiping left or right across the main fader panel.
Controlling VCA bus masters
Tap the [VCA] tab button (not Si Compact):
Faders control main VCA bus master level.
[ON] buttons control the VCA mute function.
[SOLO/SELECT] buttons solo the VCA channel.
Scroll to other VCA masters by swiping left or right across the main fader panel.
Controlling L, R and C bus masters
Tap the [MAINS] tab button:
Faders control main bus master levels as indicated.
[ON] buttons control the bus on/off function.
Controlling engineer monitor
Tap the [MNTRS] tab button:
Faders control levels of monitor outputs as indicated.
[ON] buttons control monitor and phones on/off function (not Si Compact).
NOTE: Tapping a name field will assign that fader to the hot channel.
Controlling bus GEQ
Tap any bus name field to assign it to the hot channel then tap the [GEQ] button:
Faders control gain of the indicated GEQ band.
[ON] buttons (when lit red) will reset the GEQ band to 0dB.
[SOLO/SELECT] buttons have no function.
Scroll to other GEQ bands by swiping left or right across the main fader panel.

Soundcraft ViSi Remote User Guide V1.0 Page 9
Mixing to any bus type (contributions)
Tap the [SENDS] button and choose the bus you wish to mix to; ViSi Remote will switch to the [CONTRIB] tab and
enter sends mode:
Faders control levels from the indicated source channels (or buses) to the bus you are mixing to. On Vi consoles,
if a Group bus type is selected in contributions mode the fades do not affect the audio in any way.
[ON] buttons control the on/off (routing) function of the source channel (or buses) to the bus you are mixing to.
[SOLO/SELECT] solos the channel.
Hot channel is automatically assigned as the bus master you are mixing to.
Hot channel [SOLO/SELECT] solos the selected bus master.
NOTE: Once in contribution mode you may change the bus you are mixing to using the [SCROLL] buttons.
NOTE: It is not possible to reassign the hot channel whilst mixing to buses.
ViSi Remote V1 Notes
The following should be noted for ViSi Remote V1
The fader glow colour and colours of the BUS SEND buttons do not follow changes to the console fader glow
colour.
The channel names of the Si Compact are not linked to channel names on the console.
The solo button of Si Compact are unused and have no function.
It is not possible to mix to an FX bus on Si Compact.
Trouble-Shooting
ViSi Remote is engineered to be as reliable and stable as possible given the limitations imposed when operating in an
unlicensed wireless environment. In the unlikely event that ViSi Remote is not acting as expected carefully check the
following:
Are you connected to the router used by the consoles? If an iPad ‘knows’ more than 1 network and your ViSi
network is lost or drops out the iPad will automatically switch to another known network; this is a function of
the iPad OS.
Are the IP addresses set correctly? Ensure if setting manual IP addresses the range is valid and there are no
conflicts; this is required for all devices sharing the network used by ViSi Remote including any iPad devices
and any non-HiQnet equipment. If using DHCP double check all devices on the network are set for DHCP as the
method to resolve the IP address and that your router is set as a DHCP server.
NOTE: It is recommended to restart the console following a change to the IP address to ensure this is picked-up
by all devices.
Are the HiQnet addresses set correctly? Ensure all HiQnet devices on the network have their own unique
HiQnet address this includes all iPad devices running ViSi Remote.
NOTE: It is recommended to restart the console following a change to the HiQnet address to ensure this is
picked-up by all devices.
ViSi remote goes off-line regularly, what can I do? It needs specialist equipment to analyze the RF
environment in which you are working but ensuring the wireless router is centrally located, enabling security on
the router, switching to another channel or operating in another band (such as 5.0GHz if your iPad and router
support this) can all help avoid some of the inevitable wireless traffic. Soundcraft recommended to enabling
security on your Wi-Fi router to prevent unwanted connections by mobile devices which could interfere with the
operation of the network.
The system worked yesterday but not today why? A DHCP router connected to a Vi2 Vi4 or Vi6 system may
force the IP address on the control surface to local rack link outside the allowed range of 192.168.1.nnn. This
event is most likely to happen if the system is restarted whist the router is already running and results in no
connection to the Local Rack, and therefore no audio. To avoid this use a manual IP address avoiding the
192.168.1.nnn range, or set the DHCP server in the router to ensure it does not use addresses in this range. (Log
into the router admin using a wired connection to change the address range from the factory defaults; see the
user guide for your router).
Is HiQnet On/Enabled? Certain events and actions will result in the HiQnet setting defaulting to Off/Disabled.
HiQnet must be On/Enabled on all devices you wish to control with ViSi Remote.