Mixing on iPad, yes or no?

[lbertinelliParticipant]

Hello all,

Anyone mix shows entirely from the iPad? Do you find it easy and quick to do it or do you prefer real faders? For gigs where there are multiple bands and multiple players changing constantly is it easy to do everything from iPad?

Thanks

[gravyfaceParticipant]

I mix on an iPad Mini, but that’s just rehearsals and setting up “more me” for everyone. It’s pretty solid; I know a few FOH engineers that do and they’ve been happy with it.

I would go with a larger sized iPad if I was actually working with it on a daily basis for hours at a time. Would get a ruggedized case too.

[[XAP]BobParticipant]

I have mixed with just iPads, but I much prefer faders.

I’d have thought that there was room for a QU16d with the brain of an SB but none of the analogue connections at the rear… (so just ADC for st3 and DAC for phones), reliant on dSnake connectivity…

[GCumbeeParticipant]

I do it a lot. Obviously old school. Prefer faders but I’m not opposed to it. Lots of advantages. I have a lot of installs where they have bad FOH locations. Can’t hear well so it works great for that or in a temporary situation where there is not a good place to locate the mixer for the show. Also good for rehearsals and monitor setup.

[MarkPAmanParticipant]

I do it a lot these days. Nothing beats real faders to allow me to watch the act for visual cues and keep fingers on the controls, but most other things, I can do just as quickly on the iPad.

[GaryWParticipant]

I’ve gone iPad-only for over a year now, wouldn’t go back.
Mostly do smaller events and small/medium venue bands.
Yes, I do like the tactile feedback of faders and knobs etc, but I have NO desire to go back to snakes, bulky consoles or being tied to one location most of the time.

I use a mix of ME-1’s and iPhone Qu-You apps for performers to control their own mixes – most welcome it and adapt quickly. Those with stereo IEM’s love it, but usually I will help them with panning the different channels they want to hear.

For larger events, I have a monitor mixer on their own iPad on stage tweaking wedge EQ, watching for feedback (if any) and assisting performers set up their own monitor mixes.

The only thing I miss is being able to easily ‘solo’ a channel to troubleshoot any issues.

That said, I’ve recently got a nice little Bluetooth transmitter that I plug into the headphone out. Lag isn’t an issue for trouble shooting, so have a couple of bluetooth IEM’s to try out.

[DoctorGParticipant]

In my opinion – it depends.

I haven’t used an iPad that much, but I don’t think it can access all functions of the mixer.

Perhaps if you have set all of your parameters at the console and then use the iPad to “tweak” some settings and the overall mix, it should work fine. Just be sure you have a strong and secure, preferably dedicated, WiFi signal.

[GigaParticipant]

Coming from the analog beasts and now on a Qu-SB. I have adapted real quick. I usually use 2 Ipads to have 2 customlayers open all the time. Smaller gigs obviously.
As far as I know all options are approachable via Ipad but I have no indepth knowledge of the apps that go with the physical mixers so I might be wrong.
I’m using wireless headphones for monitoring.

The only real advantage from “real” fadres I can think of is the feel and the fact that you can have more eye-contact with the stage…

Giga

[lbertinelliParticipant]

Thank you for the replies guys!
I have an opportunity to buy a qu-pac and a ar2412 for a very little price but I never mixed with iPad only and was scared. I will give it a try. The major thing that i like about the qu pac and ar2412 is the portability, because i need to travel between italy and USA very often and I can fit everything in a 4U rack case

[GCumbeeParticipant]

A QUPAC and 2412 won’t fit in a 4U case

[lbertinelliParticipant]

Yes. One in the front and one in the back

[MarkPAmanParticipant]

Since the Qu-SB came out, just about every function has been available on iPad.

The only things missing that I remember are:
Spectrograph, which I can live without, having not had one in the last 30 years!
Setting the (effects) delay time by any means other than tap, which I find is a pain.
And as mentioned above, if you want headphones for PFL you need to sort out a wireless solution (or be next to the mixer, which again has alway been the case).

[Anonymous]

I’m using wireless headphones for monitoring
What sort of wireless headphones are you using Giga?

And does any one else have a prefered model to transmit from the desk direct into heaphones?

Cheers
NZdave

[Dick ReesParticipant]

I use a Sennheiser IEM rig.

[[XAP]BobParticipant]

I use a UHF IEM from Thomann.de (T75?)

[Author]

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