Master the Presonus StudioLive Al mixers (FULL FREE COURSE)
@fenderstudio
NOTE: StudioLive AI mixers are legacy products no longer supported by Presonus. They also won't work over Firewire with modern Apple Silicon (M1-M4) or Windows 11. There is more about compatibly & workarounds at the end of this description.
OVERVIEW
This is the ultimate and most comprehensive StudioLive AI course ever offered. While these boards were discontinued years ago, 1000s were made and are still in use in schools, venues, home studios, and churches. This is the fastest way to get up to speed or deepen your understanding of these groundbreaking mixers.
The "AI" suffix in the naming of these boards stands for "Active Integration" not to confuse the term as it's used here in 2025. These videos were produced toward the end of 2013 and if I recall correctly the 3 mixers featured were all pre-production units that were returned to PreSonus afterwards.
There is a 2nd entire series on using StudioLive AI with computers for more control and for recording. Let me know in the comments if you would like to see that here too. I think the software has changed a lot since then but it might still be helpful on some level.
INCLUDED
This mega tutorial covers the operation of StudioLive AI from start to finish. Recorded over 10 years ago, it covers all three boards in the series 32.4.2 AI, 32.4.2 AI, 16.4.2 AI.
There are over four hours of content here, so we have broken these down into chapters so you can focus just the content you need:
00:00 Intro
02:37 Chapter 1 - Introduction
06:25 Chapter 2 - Input to Output
11:11 Chapter 3 - Overview
21:07 Chapter 4 - Input Channels
27:05 Chapter 5 - Stereo Linking
32:24 Chapter 6 - Metering
36:12 Chapter 7 - Solo-In-Place
38:51 Chapter 8 - Headphones & Soloing
45:44 Chapter 9 - Mixing Monitors
53:50 Chapter 10 - Stereo Monitors
58:08 Chapter 11 - Talkback
01:02:15 Chapter 12 - 2-Track In
01:06:50 Chapter 13 - Scribble Strips
01:11:41 Chapter 14 - Intro to Fat Channel
01:17:06 Chapter 15 - Polarity
01:20:12 Chapter 16 - Hi Pass Filter
01:25:23 Chapter 17 - Gate
01:34:20 Chapter 18 - Expander
01:39:26 Chapter 19 - Key Listen
01:43:12 Chapter 20 - Sidechaining
01:48:54 Chapter 21 - Compressor
01:59:24 Chapter 22 - Limiter
02:02:59 Chapter 23 - EQ
02:09:00 Chapter 24 - 16AI Fat Channel
02:16:15 Chapter 25 - Copying Fat Channel
02:19:59 Chapter 26 - Fat Channel Preset
02:28:17 Chapter 27 - Intro to FX
02:33:37 Chapter 28 - Tweaking Reverb FX
02:38:52 Chapter 29 - Tweaking Delay FX
02:48:41 Chapter 30 - Saving FX Presets
02:50:39 Chapter 31 - Adding FX to Monitors
02:53:58 Chapter 32 - Using External FX
02:58:22 Chapter 33 - Submixing
03:04:36 Chapter 34 - Stereo Submixing
03:09:26 Chapter 35 - FX Submixes
03:13:58 Chapter 36 - Parallel Compression
03:17:26 Chapter 37 - Remote Room Levels
03:19:54 Chapter 38 - Delayed Speakers
03:23:08 Chapter 39 - System Menu
03:30:53 Chapter 40 - Scenes
03:36:05 Chapter 41 - Control Room Monitoring
03:42:27 Chapter 42 - Radio Solo Mode
03:44:38 Chapter 43 - Graphic EQs
03:49:44 Chapter 44 - Firmware Update
03:53:27 Chapter 45 - Mute Groups
03:57:30 Chapter 46 - Mix Scenes
04:00:07 Chapter 47 - Clip LEDs
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COMPATABITY
Refer to this PreSonus support article for specific details and version numbers for OS and Universal Control combinations that still work:
https://support.presonus.com/hc/en-us...
While I can't test any of this since I no longer have the hardware, following is what I have learned from research and other subscribers here. Let me know anything needs to be clarified:
Mixer Compatibility Update
PreSonus StudioLive AI mixers (16.4.2AI, 24.4.2AI, 32.4.2AI) originally use FireWire 800 for audio connectivity. Current compatibility facts:
Adapters Needed:
Apple Thunderbolt-to-FireWire Adapter
Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter (for modern Macs)
Official Software Support:
Discontinued on latest Universal Control versions
Compatible only up to macOS Big Sur (11.x) on Intel-based Macs
Unsupported on macOS Monterey (12), Ventura (13), Sonoma (14), or later
Firewire support was available for Windows 10 but not Windows 11 (check the above link for specific builds that work)
Apple Silicon Macs (M1–M4):
FireWire audio not supported due to unavailable drivers
Ethernet/Wi-Fi remote control features do work
Recommended Workarounds:
Use an older Intel-based Mac (running _macOS Big Sur 11.x or earlier_) or Windows 10 PC for audio recording
Install the optional PreSonus Dante networking card for I/O compatibility with modern Macs (requires Dante Virtual Soundcard)
Additional Details:
There was an AVB option but research shows that this was an early version and no longer works.