Soundcraft VI2, VI6, VI4 QUICKSTART GUIDE
V4.0 Software
Quick Start Guide to the New Features
Vi V4.0 Quickstart Guide.doc Page 1
INTRODUCTION TO V4.0
The V4.0 software for the Vi4 and 6 consoles contains some major new functionality.
This guide lists the new functionality and then gives a fast-track guide to using the
new features. The V4.0 software is also pre-loaded on the new Vi2 Control Surface
which starts shipping in November (see the separate guide Introduction to the Vi2).
For full information there is a User Guide appendix available for download via the
soundcraft.com website.
Here is a summary of the new features, and what you can do with them:
Feature
User-Defined Fader pages can now be created for both
Input and Output faders
Benefits
Arrange channels in any order on the surface.
Assign VCA master faders along-side channel faders.
Assign an important channel to the same fader on all 3
User Pages, so that it never disappears from the
surface.
Assign only one half of a paired channel to User pages,
saving faders.
Access more than 8 VCA Masters at a time by assigning up to 8 additional
VCAs to one or more User Page.
Assign Stereo Aux and Group Masters to a single fader in the Output section,
instead of having to use a pair of faders for stereo busses as previously.
Assign VCA Master faders along-side bus master faders in the Output section
Feature
Adjustable Crossfade parameter added to Cue Recall
Benefits
Create smooth transitions between any two
snapshot recalls, with duration of from 0.1- 30
secs.
Create pseudo-dynamic Cues by combining
Crossfades with the automatic chaining of
several snapshots, using the Cue sequencer
introduced on V3.0.
Crossfade most channel strip parameters, not just faders.
Fade time is global for all channels, and includes a control to determine
whether switched parameters change at beginning, middle or end of the fade.
Vi V4.0 Quickstart Guide.doc Page 2
Feature
Preview mode in Snapshot Control section is now implemented
Benefits
Locks the audio where it is, and allows the control
surface to be recalled to any desired Cue, for checking
purposes, or to make updates to future Cues, without
changing any audio. Surface re-synchronises with audio
when Preview mode is switched off.
Feature
Graphic EQ now has a choice of ‘Small’ or ‘Large’ control modes
Benefits
Choose ‘Large’ 30-fader mode for fast access on multiple
faders, at the expense of access to the input faders (as
existing software).
Or choose ‘Small’ (8-fader) mode when access to input
faders must be retained at all times. Frequency bands can
be scrolled in banks of 4 or 8 bands, using the Output Fader
page buttons.
Feature
Console Meters now have adjustable Peak Hold time
Benefits
The hold time of the floating LED that shows the
peak value of the signal can be adjusted to suit
your own preference, or can even be switched off
(using zero hold time).
Feature
‘Mute All Outputs’ button now implemented
Benefits
All console outputs can be muted by the press of
one button, useful if the console needs to be left
unattended.
Vi V4.0 Quickstart Guide.doc Page 3
Feature
Output faders can be assigned in blocks of 8 to far right-hand Fader Bay by
touching the Output Meter touchscreen.
Benefits
Multiple output busses can now be quickly accessed via the far right fader
bay, without switching to the ALL BUSSES page.
Access to bus GEQs for Monitor applications is now easier and independent
of output soloing.
Babysitters can now take control of Output bus control without interrupting the
input mix process.
On Vi4, all 32 busses can now be switched to any bus mode (previously the
last 8 busses were fixed as mono Auxes because they were not accessible
via the All Busses page) – more flexibility for your Vi4.
Feature
Scene recall buttons including Next/Last scene recall buttons can now be
controlled remotely via GPIs.
Benefits
Theatre operators can now have the
scene control buttons relocated to any
convenient external location.
Vi V4.0 Quickstart Guide.doc Page 4
Feature
GEQ Cut/Boost value is now displayed automatically above each fader
Benefits
Interrogate a GEQ band to see its current Cut/Boost amount by just touching
the fader.
See precise Cut or Boost values whilst adjusting the GEQ faders.
GEQ screen showing new dB cut/boost value labels above faders that have been touched
Miscellaneous Additional Features and bug fixes with Version 4.0
• Copy & Paste buttons now flash to give extra warning they are enabled
• Bug where partial selection of bus master parameters in Copy mode
would not copy the bus sends any more – fixed
• Bug with power-fail autobackup fixed
• Bug where switching channels On then Off on channels muted by a Mute
of VCA Group would drop them out of the Mute/VCA group – fixed
• Bug with VCA-muted channels sometimes being unmuted when a new
Show loaded, fixed.
• Bug with audio changing during Apply Changes fixed
• Bug with loss of audio with Insert Points on Isolated channels fixed
• Bug where wrong value was displayed on GEQ ‘Q’ setting fixed
• Bug with VCA solos giving wrong Solo type (PFL/AFL) fixed
•
Bug with Blackout event not switching off console top-illumination fixed
Vi V4.0 Quickstart Guide.doc Page 5
THE NEW FEATURES IN MORE DEPTH
User-defined Fader Pages
What is the difference between ‘Fixed’ and ‘User-defined’ Input Fader Pages on
the Vi6?
‘Fader Pages’ are defined as arrangements of channel strips on your console. Up
until Version 4.0 software, only ‘Fixed’ Fader Pages (A,B & C) were available on Vi
consoles. These fixed pages are simply the input channels 1-32 (for example on
Page A of a Vi6) arranged in sequential order in the same way as channels would be
on an analogue desk.
With User Defined Fader Pages, nothing changes as far as the Fixed Fader Pages
go, but what we add is the ability to take the channels that exist on those fixed pages,
and have them available again on three special pages but in an order that can be
chosen by the user. Changing the order here does not affect the signals patched into
them or any of the processing or labels that might already have been applied –
everything moves with the channels. Re-arranging the channels on User-defined
pages also does not affect the positions of those channels in the Fixed Fader Pages
– you can always go back to the Fixed Pages at any time and find the channels in
their original sequential positions.
There are three User Defined pages User 1, 2 & 3 that can be created, and each of
these can contain any combination of the channels that appear on the three Fixed
layers. It is also possible to arrange VCA Master faders within the User-defined
Fader pages, along side input channels. There are no restrictions on how many times
you can use a particular channel, so for example it is possible to assign a vocal
channel to the same fader in all three User Pages, meaning that it will appear to
remain in the same place on the surface regardless of which User Page is selected.
1
2
3
Vi V4.0 Quickstart Guide.doc Page 6
1
2
3
Creating User Defined Input Fader Pages
USER
3 layer
USER
2 layer
USER 1 layer
Step 1 – Open the Setup screens
Press the Setup button in the Input Fader Page control section.
This opens up identical Setup screens across all of the
console’s input Vistonics screens – see the picture below.
Each Setup screen contains three rows of buttons,
corresponding to the User Pages 1, 2 and 3 for that bank of 8
fader strips. If you load a Default Show, all of the faders in all of
the layers will have a default setting of NONE, which means that
no channels are yet assigned to any of the faders in the three User Pages
(the exception to this is the Vi2 – this has channels 25-32, 33-40 and 40-48 pre-assigned to
the User Pages 1-3).
Hint: A User Layer which has all the fader strips set to ‘NONE’ will result in black
screens across the whole console if you select this User page by pressing its Fader
Page button after switching off the Setup mode. This is the normal state of the User
1-3 pages in the console’s Default shows, the idea being to provide a ‘blank canvas’
on which can be assigned your required channel layout.
If you load a show that has had User Layers already programmed, then you will see
these User Layers when you press their Fader Page buttons, because the User layer
setup is stored with each Show file.
Vi V4.0 Quickstart Guide.doc Page 7
Input Fader Page USER 1, Strip 1
Step 2 – Open the Channel Select screen
To start assigning channels to the fader Strips, touch any of the buttons labeled
‘NONE’ in the previous screenshot, corresponding to the position and layer of the
fader you want to assign something to. Normally you would start at the top left and
work across each layer, assigning the faders in order.
Touching any of the ‘NONE’ buttons opens up the ‘Channel Select’ screen that then
allows you to choose any of the input channels on the desk to be assigned to your
chosen fader:
The tabs on the right side of the screen allow all available input channels to be
accessed (the last tab 65-96 will only be shown if you have a Vi4 or 6 that has the
72ch/96ch DSP upgrade fitted).
Each channel select button shows the channel’s ‘short label’ name in the centre of
the button, and the channel’s number, corresponding to its position on the fixed
layers A/B/C, in the bottom left corner.
In the case shown above, the channel ‘ROB AC’ is being chosen to be the
assignment for Strip 1 on User Layer 1. As soon as you select your channel, the
select screen will automatically close and return to the Setup page, and you will be
able to see your assigned channel on the first strip of User layer 1, like this:
Vi V4.0 Quickstart Guide.doc Page 8
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