Choosing a digital mixer

I've been working with some guys that run an X-Air 18 with an Ipad II and an external router. The iPad would continuously drop connection no matter how close I was to the router (always line of sight). The touch interface just wasn't ideal for me but made it work. We tried different routers, different channels and it was always the same. No matter if it was a very rural gig or a downtown gig.

The guy who owns the system showed up with a Windows based laptop on the last gig and had me try it. Not one single issue the entire gig. Maybe the iPad II couldn't keep up? I mean the PC proves it wasn't the routers. We have a couple of gigs over the weekend. We'll see how the PC does.

Have you guys seen anything like that with your ipad? Which iPad are you running?
I haven’t had any trouble connecting. And we use it with both an iPad Pro and a cheep Kindle Fire that I rooted. It’s more the UI on the Behringer app that’s the problem.

We’re using the built in AP too.
 
Another vote for the x32 here.
A lot of mixer with a bunch of features. Amazing stuff.
Thanks
Pauly
 
I've been working with some guys that run an X-Air 18 with an Ipad II and an external router. The iPad would continuously drop connection no matter how close I was to the router (always line of sight).
Sounds like a router problem. The inbuilt router is known to do that, and it sounds like your external router is doing the same.

We run an external router. Apart from better connection it also allows us to configure security, set channels, and hide the network.
 
I have a small sound company. I started with Mackie stuff, went digital with Presonus then Allen & Heath GLD boards and now am on Behringer and love everything about it. The board, the peripherals - stage boxes, monitor hubs, personal monitor mixers, expansion cards, Waves SG compatibility, etc. it’s the iPhone of mixers. And, like the XR series, can be run via iPad.

My son is a Nashville guy. He trained at Blackbird Studios (awesome - highly recommend) and then worked at Clair. He now runs sound at a couple of really nice venues here in Colorado. Just this season he’s worked with Cold War Kids, Jerry Douglas, Grieves, Bruce Hornsby and a bunch of people that are famous to everyone but me...

Trust me (and my son) Go with the Behringer X32 or one of the variants -Compact, Producer or Rack. The Behringer / Midas Venue boards are so common now. The chances of going in to a venue or festival and finding one of those boards is probably 90%. The ability to load your show from a USB thumb drive is the biggest time saver in the world, not to mention the confidence by having your effects and channels all set up the way you like them. I’m confident in the fact that Behringer / Midas will be the standard for at least the next five years.

On that note, if anyone wants a A&H GLD80 for 1/4 of the $8K it cost originally, shoot me a message. Very nice board - better quality than the Behringer but the GLD’s never caught on probably because the Behringer debuted right after and was 1/3 the cost for 95% of the functionality....
 
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Sounds like a router problem. The inbuilt router is known to do that, and it sounds like your external router is doing the same.

We run an external router. Apart from better connection it also allows us to configure security, set channels, and hide the network.

Make your network private - hide it!! Great advice.
When a few dozen cell phones ping your router hoping for free WiFi, you’re probably done for a bit.
 
Are you using 5 gig or 2.4 gig wireless? If you're using 2.4, you might try the 5 gig range. There's less chance of interference, although it sounds like that might not be the problem if it's also happening at rural gigs.

Sounds like a router problem. The inbuilt router is known to do that, and it sounds like your external router is doing the same. We run an external router. Apart from better connection it also allows us to configure security, set channels, and hide the network.

In this case I think we've ruled out a router issue. As I said above, we've tried two different routers. Each latest firmware, high channel, hidden, and pw protected. Exact same results. To answer TG3K we never tried 5ghz. Both routers were set to 2.4ghz. Happens in really rural areas as well as busy downtown areas. 10' from the router or 100'. Makes no difference. It will connect with no problem initially. But while you're using the app, it randomly drops connection. Sometimes I have to forget the network on the ipad and join again to regain connection. All of that went away when we tried to the laptop.

I'm guessing it has something to do with the older iPad II. We have two gigs this weekend. I'll see how the laptop does on two full shows.
 
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