@timtrace Are you mixing the same show every single time or are you doing PA hire’s / engineering different bands each time?
Once soundchecked and the settings saved i would be happy working on laptop however if i had to load a load of gear into a new venue, set it up and then soundcheck a NEW band with the added pressure of doing it all on laptop i would not be as confident as i would with a surface.
In fact a few weeks ago i did a theatre show with 46 inputs and they had sold all the seats out front so i either had to setup the board sidestage and mix on headphones or carry the desk into a theatre control room and move their console… which would have been a lot of hassle.
I setup side stage with the surface and sorted all the monitor mixes out (12mixes + 2stereo IEM’s !!)
I then took my Macbook out front, setup another stereo IEM system for my PFL and took a radio mic so i could talk to my collegue (who effectively did monitors off the surface) we had setup a small 2way shout system so i could talk to him… He could talk to me by routing the TB mic through the PFL system so i could hear him permanently through my InEars. (a bit annoying when he started singing along with the band to me [
] )
I just sat behind the audience all night and mixed (minimal mixing, zero scene changes) the whole show via wireless. I could see when he was changing something on the board, and he could tell when i was changing something.
It worked very well and the band where very impressed, as was the house crew.
The iLive system is flexible and you should find a way that you work with confidently.
Good luck
Graham
