Just move the mouse cursor over the channel/track meter while the music plays and leave it there.  A numeric readout appears. 

Is that so, if so great. I will check. Thanks for the help.
 

Pre fader metering is achieved by inserting either the free Presonus VU meter in the inserts. And then open the meter as per this video:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3G6YP5TZ_A&t=57s
 
Or you can also insert the level meter there too and when you expand it you get just the numeric readout. Double click on it and you see the whole meter.
 
Remember you can select multiple tracks and insert the same plugin on all of them at once.
 
The mixer can be set so sends and inserts can be seen all at once i.e. vertically. This is great on a second screen too. Buses can be set so they can be moved around anywhere or they all go down to the right automatically.
 
The shift key method of selecting multiple tracks is fine. Or Press number 2 (not on the numeric keypad) in order get the range tool. The in the arrange window just select over all the tracks you are interested in one quick swipe. All the corresponding tracks will be selected at once. Press number 1 (not on numeric) to get back  to the pointer tool or select tool.
 
This is all 101 stuff and you are just not putting the work in order to find all this out.

The shift key method of selecting multiple tracks is fine. Or Press number 2 (not on the numeric keypad) in order get the range tool. The in the arrange window just select over all the tracks you are interested in one quick swipe. All the corresponding tracks will be selected at once. Press number 1 (not on numeric) to get back  to the pointer tool or select tool.
 
This is all 101 stuff and you are just not putting the work in order to find all this out.

Rather the makers of studio one are not putting the work to have the smart tool automatically change to range tool in certain places atleast in the track list. Or even better implemented in Sonar where you can swipe in certain region in the tracks and channels to select the tracks in both track view and console view. This should be present in S1 atleast in the track list of arranger and mixer, but it doesn't. Even to select just 2 tracks you gotta get your hands on the keyboard or in someother way by changing the tools. Can be done in a fraction of a sec in Sonar. Forget abt the sec, its rather smooth in Sonar. May be I'm just bragging abt sonar, but there are things to brag about.   

I agree a full smart tool would be good but there is another option.  Look top left to the tools and check out the select tool or arrow tool. Note the little triangle bottom right. You can select an alternate tool there. So on PC when you hold down the CtrL button your arrow tool changes quickly into the alternate tool selected e.g. range tool. It only stays that way while you hold CtrL down. So it is a quick way to go from arrow tool to select tool. Select something or a range or a group of tracks. (even if there is no audio on them) then let go and you back to the arrow tool.
 
Not as good as a full smart tool but damn handy though. So if you want to do a lot of cutting say you can go from the arrow tool to the knife etc. and back. Just select the knife tool as the alternate instead.
 
Remember Sonar is 30 years old and Studio One about 7 years old.  Sonar was nothing like this at 7! Imagine it at 30! 
 
Smart tool may be in future  update.  When they do a smart tool it will be good I am sure of it.  Just out of interest the tool does change according to its position automatically when editing automation. i.e. it does different things depending on it being in the top or bottom half.
 
Another little thing too. If your mouse has a mouse wheel if you hold it down the tool box will pop up too. Very easy to slide over to the tool of interest and let it go. New tool selected. 

sonarman1

Just move the mouse cursor over the channel/track meter while the music plays and leave it there.  A numeric readout appears. 

Is that so, if so great. I will check. Thanks for the help.
 

Also, right-clicking on the channel meter (console view) will display the options to enable "VU Hold" and a choice of hold times.  This adds a small marker line at the peaks on the meter.  I believe the default setting doesn't do a hold.  Perhaps "Peak Hold" would be more accurate wording for the menu.  No big deal as it gives the peak value as expected. 

VU hold has to be selected as well in order for my above post to work e.g. putting the mouse cursor over the meter and getting a reading.

Yes, I just checked with VU hold enabled I could see both Left and Right peak values. Sufficient enough for me 

Great!  When you have two screens connected you can put the entire mixer on one screen e.g. the left one in my case.  Then switch the mixer into full vertical mode with the inserts at the top and the sends underneath. Note you can alter the height of the faders and also set the borders between inserts and sends anywhere.
 
When you do this you can pop the Presonus VU meter in the inserts etc and open the meter (expand) Then you can actually see the meters which is rather cool.  This only works with Presonus plugins for the moment. 
 
I am not a big fan of the single screen with the mixer below. You can also put the mixer into vertical mode but then you are loosing screen real estate for the arrange window above.  If you make the mixer small again then you have to click on the triangle to expose the inserts and sends to the right.  I find then things can get a little cluttered if you have many of them open at once.
 
There is a little trick for those who like the Pro Tools approach to switching screens.
 
* Set up a normal arrange window with the mixer below (not extended vertically) i.e. you are not seeing inserts and sends at  all.
 
* Undock the mixer now. (by clicking on that arrow pointing to 2 o clock at top left of the mixer window only) Mixer will now pop out.
 
* Click on the maximise icon top right of the popped out mixer window. Mixer will now fill the screen.
 
* Pressing F3 now alternates between a full mixer in vertical mode and the arrange window. Just like in Pro Tools
 
* To go back to normal while the mixer window is visible just re-dock it again. (by clicking the attach icon top right that is pointing to 8 o clock.
 
All goes back to before.
 
This is good for the single screen users who want to see a full mixer window in full vertical mode. And who don't mind only seeing either of these windows at a time.
 
These are the types of tips that are very common in Studio One Expert. They are putting little videos and things up there all the time. Well worth while just keeping an eye on that site.  I have picked up some real gems from there.  Many of the videos are still available to see.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Jeff Evans
I am not a big fan of the single screen with the mixer below. You can also put the mixer into vertical mode but then you are loosing screen real estate for the arrange window above.

i find my self grab/dragging the top of the mixer a fair bit (lovely gui scaling!) as well as hitting F3 to toggle it

Making the faders quite tall is great for very fine and detailed adjustments.  
 
I also use the Faderport 1 which also makes tweaking things super easy.  It actually provides a lot of control for such a small footprint thing.
 
The new Faderport 8 /16 are quite excellent and allow for some pretty deep integration into Studio One.  There are now 4 Presonus hardware controllers now which can now control Studio One. 
 
Don't forget the free app for iOS and also Windows tablets that are great also for remote control. I can record myself playing drums from a completely separate room to the control room computer running Studio One.  All from an iPad. It looks great and allows you to pretty well do everything. And if you have got one of their new Presonus interfaces (such as the Quantum) you can remote control the Mic Pres too.