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The new Mackie DL32R features a total of 32 inputs. All the inputs run on Mackie’s new Onyx+ series of preamps which offer higher headroom and fuller sound, according to the company. Mackie’s Master Fader iPad app (and a scaled-back version called My Fader App for iPhone and iPod) is well designed and easy to use.
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Roland’s M200i was among the first mixers designed from the ground up to be controlled by an iPad. It offers the ability to mix 32 channels from a total of 64 inputs and features 16 on-board, recallable mic preamps, eight aux sends, plus four fully addressable matrix mixes and four built-in effects engines.
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PreSonus’ new StudioLive RM Mixer features the UC Surface control software interface for mixing live and studio environments. This remote-control software runs on Mac and Windows computers, as well as iPad, so you only need to learn one piece of software regardless of platform.
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The new Soundcraft UI12 and UI16 each feature an integrated on-board Wi-Fi router and can be controlled by a tablet, PC or smart phone running iOS, Android, Windows, Mac OS or Linux. Mixers also feature Harman signal processing from dbx, DigiTech and Lexicon.
There are probably few things that have impacted the way audio engineers work as much as the digital audio mixer coming of age. And over the past few years, digital audio mixers themselves have had their own radical technology shift, with the ability to be controlled remotely and wirelessly from computers, tablets and smart phones. This has revolutionized how audio engineers conduct sound checks and set mixes for their rooms by eliminating the need for someone to be at the console to make adjustments. Here, CPM takes a look at the wireless remote features currently offered by various manufacturers.
General Setup
The wireless features of mixers generally work through a user-supplied Wi-Fi router that you connect to the mixer via an Ethernet cable. Best practices are to set up a dedicated Wi-Fi network for your audio mixing for two reasons: First, not all mixers have any sort of access control built into the mixer. With some, if you can get on the network, then you have access to control the mixer. Secondly, you don't want to suddenly have poor response to your remote control actions because the group of kids who just got out of youth group is all streaming YouTube videos while they wait for their parents to pick them up.
Pay attention to Wi-Fi channel allocation, as well, to ensure the best performance possible. If multiple Wi-Fi networks are on channels that are too close together, the performance of both networks can suffer greatly. If you don't have an IT department that can help with this, there are apps available that scan the Wi-Fi environment and show you the channel utilization. (The Wi-Fi Analyzer app for Android is excellent and helped this freelance writer optimize his home network.)
FOH Mixing
The more pervasive capability of mixer remote control is to control the FOH mix. The mobile device interface usually replicates, as much as possible, the control surface of the mixer, placing different areas of functionality on different screens due to the limited screen real estate. Most digital mixers have flying faders (faders that can be repositioned by motors), and you'll see them respond as you move the faders in the virtual control surface of the app.
"If you’re mixing wedges, you can stand next to the performers as you help set their mix."
Connected wirelessly, you are free to “move about the cabin,” so to speak. Many churches are designed so that the mix position is in an acoustically terrible location. Using the app with your mixer lets you move about the room and adjust your mix without having to return to a fixed mix position. While there are often limits to its utility that would likely prevent you from wanting to mix an actual event using the app, it's an excellent way to get your base mix set where you can actually hear what the room sounds like.
Monitor Mixing for the FOH Engineer
Most digital consoles also offer the ability to control the aux sends through the app, as well, which would enable you to be up on stage with the performers as you set monitor mixes. If you're mixing wedges, you can stand next to the performers as you get their mix set, and be able to determine yourself whether they really need more of what they are asking for, or if they actually just need less of something else and, thus, keep the stage volume lower. While you can also do this using headphones, standing next to them is even better. And it also can have the side effect of helping to build relationships with the musicians, since you can be on the stage with them.
Monitor Mixing for Performers
Last but not least, the latest addition to remote mixer control is apps that enable the musician to control their own aux send. These apps typically let you assign control of a specific aux send to a particular device/app, limiting what that performer can change via their phone or tablet to just their mix. As most people have smart phones these days, this is an extremely cost-effective way of getting personal monitor mixes without investing in controllers.
If you're using wireless in-ear monitors, you need no extra equipment to let a performer control the aux send that feeds their wireless transmitter (or wedge, if you are brave enough to let them have control over the stage volume).
Connected wirelessly, you are free to "move about the cabin," so to speak.
When the Rubber Hits the Road
In actual practice, CPM wanted to look at how various readers are using their remote mix capabilities. We sent out an informal survey and found that most are using their mixers with an iPad, with Android smart phones and Windows computers tied for second place. Most use the remote capabilities for the entire feature sets as described earlier, but monitor adjustments came in second, sound check third, and mixing during rehearsals fourth.
When asked what tasks the remote capabilities work the best for, most indicate that working with the monitors is by far the best advantage. Several people use the tablet control of the mixer to have a second person working as a monitor engineer without the cost associated with having a second monitor mixing console. One respondent says that each performer gets a far better mix when a second audio engineer mixes monitors via the iPad, and it also results in less frustration on the musician's part. Interestingly, only 40% of the respondents have mixers that allow the musicians to mix their own monitors via controlling an aux send remotely. Of those that can, it was a pretty even spread between musicians liking the capability and those that do not, but it was biased more toward musicians liking the capability.
Despite the utility of being able to mix monitors via a tablet or smart phone, a little more than half of the respondents said they would prefer a dedicated monitor mixing console over the remote control capabilities if they could afford and staff it.
When asked what the remote control capabilities are not good for, many commented that they would not mix a live event/service using the remote capabilities because the ability to get accurate, fine control isn't there like you have with the actual physical faders on the console. Also, should the remote link to the console be interrupted, you would have to scramble to get back to the console to continue to mix.
Probably the best statistic, however, is that 100% of the respondents indicated that the remote capabilities were beneficial to their ministry.
