IP8 Controller: add the ability to use the faders for monito mixes

[Mfk0815]

At the moment the Faders can only be fixed assigned to a specific mixbus. This is not helpful in situations when you do not have a surface and you want to run the monitor mix as well. Ok, you can use the director faders or the Mixpad app. But both are far away from a suitable replacement of physical faders.
I am thinking of using the mix buttons, either on director or on the ip8 itself, to switch the faders from the main mix to any other mixes. In other words, it should work as the faders on the standard surfaces.

[lightingman117]

+1

I was quite surprised we couldn’t do this. Much faster than using the director’s soft keys or mix buttons.

[Nicola A&H]

@Mfk0815 see my post here: https://community.allen-heath.com/forums/topic/pafl-on-ip8-and-sel-fol-pafl-not-working/#post-63362
The workaround many came up with is to assign some of the IP8 SoftKeys to Scene Recalls which recall different IP8 assignments.
I wrote an article a while ago on this – should still be relevant: https://community.allen-heath.com/archives/57895

[RS]

@mfk0815 that’s exactly the way I am using my surface-less setup. I have two IP8s and provide 7 Monitor mixes on 23 inputs for one band I am working with. Plus the mix to the PA of course…
This takes some careful programming of the IP8s, but then it is working great!
Not a system to run on festivals with unknown bands, but surface-less setups are actually not meant to be used in such situations, I believe.

[Mfk0815]

Thank you for that Information Nicola and RS. That would be a workaround but, frankly spoken, not a full replacement of that great Mix functionality A&H provide for so much mixers.
I had last week a temperature related problem with my C2500 (my fault) and that brought me to the plan to create a fallback system based on the IP8 and a laptop. But probably 70% of my jobs are not with a fix band so the final solution should be more flexible.
I just tried it out right now and I found also one disadvantage to the mentioned solution. when you switch the mix channel type to some aux bus, you have no visual feedback on the IP8. And this is, in my opinion, dangerous. And furthermore it is not reasonable possible to run the mix mode on some input channels so adjust the mix levels of all aux buses for that input channels.

@Nicola In the article you wrote

there is no ‘sends on faders’ flip on IP remotes – at the moment of writing (firmware V1.3) all faders / rotaries are statically assigned to a function.

does that mean that in some firmware version it would be possible or is it not possible for architecture reasons?

[dcongdon]

+1 This would make the IP8 so much more useful. We have tried the scene recall approach with limited success. Even our most experienced Dlive users have made mistakes when setting recall filters, which resulted in significant issues. At the end of the day, the risk is too high for us to use this in the field.

The preferred method would be to assign Mix buttons to Bus strips on the IP8. By selecting the Bus’ Mix button, all Input channels on the IP8 should be routed to the desired bus.

Even more useful would be to link Director software with the IP8 so that the software and hardware mirror each other.

[Wolfgang]

+1
i would like to join you: the workaround is a good idea to minimize this functional limitation of IP8. But if the control of IP8 would work as Mfk0815 described it, IP8 would be much more flexible to use.
I missed this functionality in the beginning, but I got used to the fact that it doesn’t work. It’s good that my colleagues take it up again, it would really be an improvement.

[syber_jedi]

I was about to purchase an IP8 for the ability to use it as a mix control. We have a broadcast mix where a bunch of groups, and a few inputs, are run to a matrix mix. It was only last night that I sat down and tried to program it, only to realize it’s not going to do what I need it to. Very disappointing. I can’t justify the cost until this feature has been added. :-/

What I imagined was either that a set of faders could be set to control to a pre-determined mix, or that I would hit a softkey on the IP8 and all the faders would become “sends on fader”

[RRS]

+1

[syber_jedi]

Bump. 😀

But seriously, we were able to acquire an IP8 and can find other uses, but I still would love to be able to use it as a dedicated controller for adjusting a mix to our broadcast matrix out.

[biscuit2000]

when you connect an ip8 to a surface you have the ability to choose function mix buttons, when you connect it to the mixrack you dont have that option anymore in the functions menu, why ?

[MJCElectronics]

When you press the mix button on an IP8 in surface mode the surface faders switch to that mix just like if a surface mix had been pressed.
It doesn’t work the other way as discussed above, mix buttons never make IP8 faders change function (would be nice if they did).
Mix buttons don’t make sense without some faders to control so in Mixrack mode that option isn’t there.
Don’t forget Director is effectively a surface so you don’t need a physical surface to have an IP8 in surface mode.
It doesn’t matter where the IP8 is plugged in either, you can connect an IP8 to the mixrack sockets and still run it in surface mode.
I think the Mixrack option was more in mind for install type uses where an IP unit might be on a wall or behind a bar for controlling background music and maybe a mic or 2 with an actual surface being rolled out for shows.

[Stix]

https://community.allen-heath.com/forums/topic/check-out-my-ip8-controller-custom-config-video

Check out my set up of the IP8 controller in the DLive general discussions. I’ve included a video and dLive show file of the set up free for download to save you lots of programming! With this set up The IP8 can access inputs,Aux’s,Fx,DCA’S,matrices and mains with Mute/Sel/mix/PAFL, PLUS sends on faders for 8 Aux’s and 8 effects! Also has surface softkeys assigned to select mixes so you Can have IP8 faders show sends on fader levels for the 8 aux and 8 effects mixes.

[Wolfgang]

Hello Stix, these are very good ideas!
Many thanks for the suggestions

[RS]

Thanks Stix for demonstrating this workaround to everyone interested.

Although this feature request asked for a native support, as far as I understood.

[Author]

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