For those who use tablets to manage mixing - Apple or Android ?

[pfschim]

I've been edging towards a new PA using a digital mixer with powered tops and sub(s).
I more or less understand that there are a few variations on how the mixer presents its user interface ... i.e. Soundcraft is an HTML based approach where the tablet connects to the mixer and gets served a local web for control ... and others (Harbinger, QSC, Allen & Heath, Yamaha) generally require an app to be loaded on the tablet. Ok, so far.

I do have an iPad (Mini ver. 4) for general uses. But it seems like it might be a bit small for mixing more than just a few inputs. It seems like I can get a 10.2" Android based tablet for quite a bit less than a similar 10.2" Apple iPad.

Any thoughts or experience using the smaller iPad as a mixing surface, and does anyone have any thoughts/experience to share about iPad OS vs Android ? are they basically the same, or are there major/notable differences ?

thanks

 

[drpepper]

No comments on iOS vs Android, but I've done basic mixing on the Mackie and Allen & Heath apps on an iPad mini..."basic" meaning that I'm not a sound guy but have been pressed into service a number of times where I was working with already saved settings (shows/scenes), so not doing anything from the ground up or going deep.

A bigger screen is better, but an iPad mini can work; you have to scroll more. Since you already have one, you might try it before doing anything.

As a matter of fact, I think you should be able to run various apps in demo/training mode without having a mixer.

 

[KLINCOLNS]

I've been edging towards a new PA using a digital mixer with powered tops and sub(s).
I more or less understand that there are a few variations on how the mixer presents its user interface ... i.e. Soundcraft is an HTML based approach where the tablet connects to the mixer and gets served a local web for control ... and others (Harbinger, QSC, Allen & Heath, Yamaha) generally require an app to be loaded on the tablet. Ok, so far.

I do have an iPad (Mini ver. 4) for general uses. But it seems like it might be a bit small for mixing more than just a few inputs. It seems like I can get a 10.2" Android based tablet for quite a bit less than a similar 10.2" Apple iPad.

Any thoughts or experience using the smaller iPad as a mixing surface, and does anyone have any thoughts/experience to share about iPad OS vs Android ? are they basically the same, or are there major/notable differences ?

thanks

I have used both IOS and Android mixing an XR18 Air and Midas M32. Either work well enough.

 

[Geri O]

I’m using iPads because I’m already pretty invested in the Apple eco-world.

But I’ve grabbed a friend’s Android pad thingie and dialed up a monitor system and the actual operation with the app was pretty much identical.

Also, once, I saw an Android pad with an app called Mix Station that was really cool. It’s not free, but not very expensive and it’s very customizable.

I’d say go with whatever system you are invested in, if there is one.

 

[Supadope]

I'm a Soundcraft UI24 user. I like it because you can connect anything to it. Apple, Android, Windows, doesn't matter. The interface is laid out really well. The preamps are quiet and the effects, dynamics, and EQ are all easy to use and good quality.

I always gig with an iPad Air because I keep the setlist in a PowerPoint. And when I play the dual role of bass player and soundman, I use the iPad connected to the Soundcraft. I also have a touchscreen monitor connected direct.

Personally I think the Mini would be too small. It certainly works, but it's not ideal.

 

[s0c9]

One thing to keep in mind here.. in many things.. SIZE matters.. but NOT for most of the console apps that run on iOS or Andy.

I have [and use] both tablet formats and the interface is [mostly] the same on both platforms. Most vendors chunk the layout into 8 channel sections, then have separate [selectable] sections for FX, AUX busses, etc. Some of those are across the top of the app, some down the right side. Varies by vendor.

You get the same "view" on an iPad Mini as you do on an iPad Pro 12.9" or a 10" Andy tablet - the only benefit being wider faders on the 8 channels in the display.
Some thing are better on the larger displays.. like adjusting EQ, but for the most part, the only difference is size.
The Mackie app DOES display more channels on large devices, but it's the only one I can recall that does!

As far as Mixing Station goes.. it's totally customizable, multi-platform, etc. It has the same behavior as the other apps above, so it doesn't scale based on screen size.. you get bigger faders on larger screens.. not more channels. I'm also not a huge fan of the "simple" graphics in the app (but understand the need). It DOES support multiple consoles and runs on iOS and Android. It's also an app you need to purcha$e!

And.. I'm disappointed that more vendors haven't gone the Soundcraft HTML5 route and freed themselves from device specific console apps! I haven't used one in a while so don't recall if large devices allow more channels or everything is just "bigger"? Maybe someone else can verify? SC still has apps for other consoles that are device specific for their larger consoles - and behave the same as the apps above. Larger screen = larger faders on the 8 channels displayed!

For sure, some activities will be easier on a larger display but for the most part you don't get "more", you just get "bigger".
I'd focus more on device specs such as network speed!
I had to upgrade my iPad 2nd Gen because the network interface was unable to support real-time refresh of meter levels. Worked fine on a Gen 6.


My $0.02.

 

[bwildt]

IOS .vs. Android? I think it mostly depends on whether you already have a device or if you need to buy something. If you already have an ipad used for other stuff, or if you have an old ipad laying around, use it. If you are buying a dedicated device, I would go Android because they are less expensive. These control apps really don't use a lot of processing power, so you don't need the latest, fastest devices.

When our church moved to a Behringer XR18, I bought a couple of cheapie Android tablets for $30 each. They are very limited on storage, so I can't load many other apps. Their version of Android has also been retired, so although the Mixing Station app will update, the Android OS no longer gets updates. So what. They are devices dedicated to just running X-AIR Edit or Mixing Station. They still work for that job.

 

[SoCal80s]

It doesn't matter much, either can run these apps fine. I use an iPad because I'm already an Apple guy. A 10" screen should be fine unless you have really bad eyesight and need the bigger screen. A bigger screen can block views on stage, so that could be a drawback. By the way, don't overlook the Presonus mixers!

 

[Ryan in PDX]

In an acoustic trio, I controlled my Soundcraft Ui24r from the stage with my android phone. I also have a 10" android tablet, which is more enjoyable to use, but requires a dedicated mounting solution unless you have really big pockets. For higher input counts, I will put the 10" tablet on a music stand, or the floor if I know I won't need to make a lot of changes. I find the "tablet mounted to the mic stand" look distracting (as an audience member). Mini tablets are less obnoxious visually, but I have never used one. Literally anything is preferable to leaning over the side of the stage to control a physical board, though.

I also have an old phone and old tablet, both quite long in the tooth, which can still run the soundcraft web app just fine (with a slight lag), so they find use for metering, running the recorder, or mixing someone else's monitor feed if needed. No need to get the latest and greatest just for mixing.

I've never owned an apple product, so I can't compare. At the time I was shopping for mixers, Allen & Heath were apple-only, and some brands had different apps for apple/android, so that's something to be aware of. With the soundcraft, I teach all my band mates the same interface, regardless of the device they use.

And.. I'm disappointed that more vendors haven't gone the Soundcraft HTML5 route and freed themselves from device specific console apps! I haven't used one in a while so don't recall if large devices allow more channels or everything is just "bigger"? Maybe someone else can verify?

Either/both, depending on your browser settings. My phone has higher resolution than my tablet, and displays more channels. At default settings, I can fit 13 channels plus the main LR fader on my phone (tablet fits 10+main). If you're beyond 1080p resolution, you can enable "big desktop" mode, which gives you a full width mixer below a selectable sub screen, bringing you closer to the feature set of a physical desk without changing screens (one option puts channel eq and dynamics on the sub screen, one has aux/FX sends, etc). I only use that on a bigger monitor, though, and stick with the standard display on phones or tablets.

 

[s0c9]

Either/both, depending on your browser settings. My phone has higher resolution than my tablet, and displays more channels. At default settings, I can fit 13 channels plus the main LR fader on my phone (tablet fits 10+main). If you're beyond 1080p resolution, you can enable "big desktop" mode, which gives you a full width mixer below a selectable sub screen, bringing you closer to the feature set of a physical desk without changing screens (one option puts channel eq and dynamics on the sub screen, one has aux/FX sends, etc). I only use that on a bigger monitor, though, and stick with the standard display on phones or tablets.

So much like the Mackie then...
The UI24R was my console of choice when looking to buy one... but I went with the X32R due to mature expansion capability that the X32 series has.. P16M's, SD and S stage boxes, etc.
The SC had none of that.

I now have the X32R + SD8 w/ an external router + wireless IEM xmitters in the same rack.
But.. I run/use quite a few of the other consoles for bands I run FOH for, or sub with!

 

[sharpiemarker]

Apple vs android really makes little difference. Apple with a little advantage as far as apps but I don’t know for sure. I’d Stay with the mini and if you really think you want the extra two inches of screen after using your new sounds system a few times then make the investment.

my favourite app to use as far as quick and easy workflow has been the Allen and heath.

I would start downloading the apps and play with demo mode

 

[Geri O]

A little off-topic, but I’m warming up to the Peavey Aureus digital mixer for a smaller mixer with knobs. One big reason is that its control app is HTML5-based that runs in a browser. The D&B power amps are remote-accessible that way and I’ve wondered why more manufacturers don’t go that route.

Back to the topic at hand….

 

[Holdsg]

I own an Allen & Heath Q-16 digital desk. The app for it works very well on IOS, I have had no issues.
I've also used apps for other brand desks (QSC, for example, from other sound guys at venues we play) on my phone or tablet IOS, without issues. So for me, the Apple stuff just plain works. that's my experience. I have no experience with android anything.

 

[sawzalot]

I use an iPad but with Mixing Station Pro (awesome app worth every penny, no affiliation) it presents a unified interface on either platform.

 

[FunkyFlashFive]

Either work just fine, but I'm cheap so I just use an old 7" Kindle Fire. Had to jailbreak it to get Mixing Station, but I'm in a total investment of $40.

 

[4Mal]

Also a UI-24r user. Mine is racked up with a driverack pa-2 and both are network accessible through a tplink external router. I personally run Apple. mostly iPad air 2's Craigslist has been a decent source for those for me. For sound gigs I cable a 21.5" Dell All in One Win 10 Touch Screen PC. There is a feature ... I think it is called local fader follow. It is in the local features settings. By local in this case means the device. On the big display I setup 4 or 5 windows into different sections of the mixer. Faders, compressor, Gate, EQ, Efx Sends, Contribution to Auxes... selecting say the kick causes all those windows which are different browser instances to shift their focus to the kick or lead vocal or bass guitar or ? It is a really happening setup.

 

[El Spearo]

We use a Soundcraft UI24 as well. On some gigs we have a dedicated soundguy and he uses an Alienware gaming laptop connected to a touchscreen. If the soundguy is not there, we mix from the stage. Singer/lead guitar controls the PA mix from his iPad and I control the individual in-ears mixes from my Samsung tablet. All three work fine.

I think as long as the iPad/tablet is recent enough you should be OK

 

[pfschim]

hey thanks! lots of great experience here. I'm not personally invested in either iOS or Android ... I happen to have one of each, but both are relatively small screens (right around 8") which is why I asked the "small vs large" question. Good to know that the apps generally operate the same on either platform, and of course with HTML5 based systems, no app is even needed. Interesting to know that, besides SoundCraft, the Peavey Aureus also uses the HTML5 approach.

I'm not exactly cheap, but I hate spending money just to do it, so I will likely try the two smaller footprint tablets I already have before going out and buying a bigger one on top of all the PA gear (which is what I'd rather spend the $$ on).

 

[BAG]

m a Soundcraft UI24 user. I like it because you can connect anything to it. Apple, Android, Windows, doesn't matter. The interface is laid out really well. The preamps are quiet and the effects, dynamics, and EQ are all easy to use and good quality

I had a Soundcraft Ui12 and upgraded to a Ui24.
I could have gotten a Midas or A&H for similar money or Behringer for much less but having used the interfaces for them decided to stick with Soundcraft. While there are apps for Android for those other options some of them are not supported by the mixer manufacturer and operate better on iPad than on Android.

In the end the Soundcraft interface decided it for me as it looks and works more like an old school real mixing desk than any of the others. The fact that any type of device can hook up to it wirelessly is a bonus.

 

[4Mal]

@pfschim ui24r is very hard to beat. The concept of web server inside the mixer is just next level...