Configuration

Most station configuration is managed from Options and Settings. Only trusted administrators should have access to this screen, because changes can affect playout, scheduling, audio routing, plugins and other users.

Use these pages as a tab-by-tab reference. They explain what each setting does, when it is normally used, and what to check after changing it.

Change settings in a controlled way. Adjust one area at a time, save the change, restart Power Studio when the screen tells you to, and test the result on the intended computer before changing other rooms or workstations.

Who Should Change Settings

Treat Options and Settings as an administrator area. A presenter may need to know what a setting does, but not every presenter should be able to change routing, scheduler defaults, plugin behavior or traffic synchronization.

In most stations, configuration ownership is split between a few roles:

• Studio engineer or technical administrator: audio routing, advanced audio settings, hardware plugins, multi-studio coordination and live sources.
• Music director or scheduler: track categories, Static Items, Day Format defaults and playlist generation behavior.
• Traffic or commercial administrator: Power Traffic settings, commercial block checks and traffic macro timing.
• Power users: workflow-specific settings such as startup windows, cache behavior or recording locations for their workstation.

Recommended Setup Order

For a new workstation or studio, configure Power Studio in a predictable order:

1. Confirm the database connection, user login and license are correct.
2. Configure audio devices, main outputs, Playout Player PFL and preview routing.
3. Configure recording and voice track locations.
4. Set the startup windows and player behavior for the room.
5. Configure live sources, plugins and external control systems.
6. Test playout, Playout Player PFL, preview routes, carts, recording and automation with a known playlist.
7. Only then enable scheduled automation, traffic sync or unattended workflows.

Local And Shared Settings

Some settings describe the whole station. Examples are track categories, scheduler rules, traffic settings, static items and plugin settings that are stored in the shared database.

Other settings are specific to one computer. Examples are audio routing, local recording devices, startup windows, local cache behavior, process settings and the role of a computer in a multi-studio setup.

Before changing a setting, decide whether it should apply to one computer or to the full station. For example, changing a mixer output on a production workstation should not accidentally change the on-air studio, while changing a content category name affects scheduling everywhere.

When in doubt, assume that anything related to audio devices, windows, local cache, process behavior or local multi-studio role is computer-specific. Assume that track metadata lists, scheduler defaults, traffic behavior and many plugin settings can affect the station more broadly.

Restart-Sensitive Settings

Some settings are only fully applied after Power Studio is restarted. This is especially important for plugin changes, advanced audio settings, application settings, audio hardware changes and driver changes.

Plan those changes outside live operation. If the station has multiple computers, restart and test one computer first.

Restart-sensitive changes should not be made while presenters are preparing the next live item. Even if the current screen accepts the change immediately, connected devices, plugins and audio drivers may not all use the new value until the next application start.

Safe Change Workflow

1. Write down the current value or take a screenshot before changing it.
2. Make the change on the intended computer or in the intended shared settings page.
3. Save the settings.
4. Restart Power Studio if required.
5. Load a known playlist and check the affected workflow.
6. Confirm logs, output devices and user permissions still behave as expected.
7. Document the change for other administrators.

Do not change several unrelated settings at once. If something behaves differently afterward, a small change set is much easier to diagnose.

When To Be Extra Careful

Plan a maintenance window for changes to advanced audio settings, plugin configuration for mixers or GPIO devices, Power Traffic sync timing, multi-studio coordination, database-related settings or anything that changes unattended automation behavior.

If a change affects the on-air studio, test it first on a production workstation or a spare instance whenever possible.