# Android apps for remote controlling digital mixing consoles



## editor (Apr 26, 2018)

Since I'm touring again I've been surprised to see the amount of reasonably high end mixers being controlled by Android apps. 

I always assumed that Apple ruled the roost in the professional audio world but the engineers I've spoken to using apps like Mix Station Pro and Mixing Station have been raving about how good they are. 

I also learnt that if I installed the same app on my phone I could control my monitor mix from my drums which is pretty amazing. 

Anyone here using this tech? 







https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.davidgiga1993.mixingstation&hl=en_GB

dev-core

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.behringer.android.control.app.xair


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## beesonthewhatnow (Apr 26, 2018)

Pretty much any digital mixer out there will have remote control apps, but you only seem to get Android apps for the lower end of the market - the top end is still dominated by iOS. Yamaha and Midas Pro desks are still Apple only for example.

There is however a few “unofficial” apps I’ve seen done for Android, I’m just not sure I’d trust them for a show. Setup/soundcheck yeah, but nothing crucial.

As for the phone/monitor apps, there’s 2 types. The basic ones just connect to the desk, the more advanced ones work with a dedicated personal monitor mixer that will give you a far greater degree of control.


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## editor (Apr 26, 2018)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> Pretty much any digital mixer out there will have remote control apps, but you only seem to get Android apps for the lower end of the market - the top end is still dominated by iOS. Yamaha and Midas Pro desks are still Apple only for example.
> 
> There is however a few “unofficial” apps I’ve seen done for Android, I’m just not sure I’d trust them for a show. Setup/soundcheck yeah, but nothing crucial.
> 
> As for the phone/monitor apps, there’s 2 types. The basic ones just connect to the desk, the more advanced ones work with a dedicated personal monitor mixer that will give you a far greater degree of control.


I've now seen loads of venues with reasonably decent set ups using Android tablets - particularly in Europe -  and, as I said, they've been delighted with them.  In fact, I don't think I've seen a venue using iPads yet, but I may have missed that.

The guy in the last show told me that I would be able to fine tune the monitor mix from my phone which would be good for the more critical shows (when you're a non-singing drummer it's often hard to attract the attention of the sound guy without attracting the attention of everyone!).

Yamaha have an Android app too MonitorMix | Applications | Peripherals | Products |  Yamaha
So do Midas: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.midas.android.control.app.air&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.behringer.android.control.app.mairq&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.behringer.android.control.app.m32q


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## beesonthewhatnow (Apr 26, 2018)

The Yamaha app is for limited personal mix control only, and the Midas app is for the M-Air mixer, which is one of those rackmount boxes with no surface, and far from what I’d call pro... Like I said, for smaller venue type setups there’s the ubiquitous Behringer X32 and QU series from Allen & Heath (both being great for their target market), but once you get to the mid/high end it’s almost all Apple, unless you go down the 3rd party app route.

The rise of the personal monitor control is a good thing, up to a point. It makes it horribly easy for everyone on stage to turn up the lot and you just end up with a loud mess. Where they work very well is for people on IEM’s, although they’re still no substitute for a good engineer, but I appreciate one of them can often be somewhat hard to find


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## editor (Apr 26, 2018)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> The Yamaha app is for limited personal mix control only, and the Midas app is for the M-Air mixer, which is one of those rackmount boxes with no surface, and far from what I’d call pro... Like I said, for smaller venue type setups there’s the ubiquitous Behringer X32 and QU series from Allen & Heath (both being great for their target market), but once you get to the mid/high end it’s almost all Apple, unless you go down the 3rd party app route.
> 
> The rise of the personal monitor control is a good thing, up to a point. It makes it horribly easy for everyone on stage to turn up the lot and you just end up with a loud mess. Where they work very well is for people on IEM’s, although they’re still no substitute for a good engineer, but I appreciate one of them can often be somewhat hard to find


Anyway, the point I was making that given that I'm not playing mega-gigs and enormo-domes I'm surprised how popular the Android mixer controllers have become in fairly high quality venues. I'm not sure why those uses can't be categorised as 'pro' to be honest.

The engineer was quick to point out that he wouldn't like to unleash a personal monitor mix on, say, the singer as they'd invariably whap up their own volume to feedback inducing levels, but they'd be fine for drummers.

Doesnt thia app control the M32 Midas? 
Setting up the M32-Q app – SHM-Production – Medium


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## beesonthewhatnow (Apr 26, 2018)

IIRC that’s the app for controling on of the P16 personal monitor boxes. I think the M32 does has an Android app, but again that’s what I’d call a lower end digital desk - they’re great for the market they’re aimed at, but have limitations for larger shows, 32 input channels max being the main one.

What is great is how much the top end tech has tricked down over the last few years - even small pub venues really don’t have any excuse not to have an affordable, digital desk with good processing for every channel and nice effects etc. The days of crappy analogue boards with a just a few channels and non working outboard should now be a thing of the past!


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## editor (Apr 26, 2018)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> IIRC that’s the app for controling on of the P16 personal monitor boxes. I think the M32 does has an Android app, but again that’s what I’d call a lower end digital desk - they’re great for the market they’re aimed at, but have limitations for larger shows, 32 input channels max being the main one.
> 
> What is great is how much the top end tech has tricked down over the last few years - even small pub venues really don’t have any excuse not to have an affordable, digital desk with good processing for every channel and nice effects etc. The days of crappy analogue boards with a just a few channels and non working outboard should now be a thing of the past!


The Albert bought a digital desk that I was looking forward to using. And then they stopped putting on live music nights before it could be installed.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Apr 26, 2018)

editor said:


> The Albert bought a digital desk that I was looking forward to using. And then they stopped putting on live music nights before it could be installed.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Apr 26, 2018)

What’s it like there now, after they managed to fuckup what I fixed?


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## editor (Apr 27, 2018)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> What’s it like there now, after they managed to fuckup what I fixed?


I've given up DJing there but it's usually so quiet that you often don;t notice there's a DJ playing behind the bullet-proof bunker of a booth.


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## sim667 (May 9, 2018)

We use dp4remote on our speaker managment systems, its great.

Funktion-One | Settings | DP4 Remote


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## beesonthewhatnow (May 9, 2018)

sim667 said:


> We use dp4remote on our speaker managment systems, its great.
> 
> Funktion-One | Settings | DP4 Remote


It's the bane of my life that D&B Audiotechnik don't do a version of R1 for iOS


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