Master/My Fader V4.5 Wants and Speculation

[pytchley]

Hi Pytchley,

For the channel naming box, this works properly for me every time.
Are you running the most current IOS on your Ipad(s)?
Is this on a DL1608 or DL32R?  Both?

Anybody else seeing this bug?

Thanks and good health,  Weogo

IOS8 on an ipad3, don't want to update, it's slow enough as it is. DL1608.

[RoadRanger]

iOS 9 didn't slow down my ancient iPad 2 as far as I can see.

[Wynnd]

I'm also using ios 9 and Master Fader 4.x on my ipad 2.  It's doing it for me.

[nedorama]

Here’s my wish list for MF 5:
 
1: Completely backward compatible and operable with older iOS devices.
2: Multi-platform for all OSes.
3: No worries about any updates (MF or iOS) maybe rendering “anything” useless in the middle of a gig.
4: Keep the GUI as easy and comfortable to use as it always was and is.

Don’t think this to too much to ask for? 

Multi-Platform is a lot to ask for.

As someone who works with iOS and Android on app-enabled hardware, I strongly hope Mackie never bothers with Android. Google is a PITA when it comes to app-connected devices, since they are so lax in enforcing the standards on chipsets, etc. Each tablet from each manufacturer has to be individually qualified, and a lot of the cheap crap android tablets out there are just that - cheap crap. I would much rather Mackie stay focused on building a better iOS version than getting sidetracked trying to see if the Asus or HTC tablet might work if they did significant coding additions. App-connected or app-enabled devices (where the phone/tablet has to work with external hardware) is very difficult. iOS makes it a lot easier, and contrary to thought, you can port some of the code, but the "I'll do what I want" attitude of Android makes this a mess.

One of the best things a startup or a company with limited resources can learn is to say no. In this case no to Android.

[RoadRanger]

Just a note that the Windows, iOS, and Android apps for Behringer's X-Air are completely different and the iOS app in particular doesn't support all the functionality of the mixers .

[nedorama]

Just a note that the Windows, iOS, and Android apps for Behringer's X-Air are completely different and the iOS app in particular doesn't support all the functionality of the mixers .

Yep, this stuff isn't easy.

[Jkowtko]

* Different fader knob for sends.   Changing color isn't enough ... the aux send faders look just like the input channel faders ... easy to accidentally move the send fader when you meant to move the main channel fader, and then not discover the incorrect position of the send fader because of all the layering and scrolling.  Having a different look for the send fader knobs would help.

* recording dongle for DL1608/806.   Allow a USB drive to be (via adapter cord) plugged into the docking port instead of an iPad, and then control the recordings from the wireless iPads.  Having the recording available only on a docked iPad is a waste of an iPad.  Don't know if this can be done with the DL1608 hardware though.

Thanks.  John

[sam.spoons]

You can record to an iPhone or an iPad Touch, I don't think you even need MF installed if you use a third party recording app so anything with the appropriate dock connector should work. I'll test it next time I get the DL out (but that may be a couple of weeks).

+1 for a more obvious distinction between the Main and aux fader layers.

[Jkowtko]

You can record to an iPhone or an iPad Touch, I don't think you even need MF installed if you use a third party recording app so anything with the appropriate dock connector should work. I'll test it next time I get the DL out (but that may be a couple of weeks).

So is there a constant live feed coming from the board through the docking connector? 

[Michael Welter]

* Different fader knob for sends.   Changing color isn't enough ... the aux send faders look just like the input channel faders ... easy to accidentally move the send fader when you meant to move the main channel fader, and then not discover the incorrect position of the send fader because of all the layering and scrolling.  Having a different look for the send fader knobs would help.

Interesting idea, but I have to disagree. I've worked on physical digital boards, and have made this same mistake. But I haven't made this mistake with MF, due to the colors. I can see an issue if the person using the app is color blind (which would probably make them extra careful), but otherwise, I like have the same faders, always, for volume. Consistency makes the app easier to use.

[sam.spoons]

As far as I know yes, as I said I'll have to check and I use MF2/Classic and my DL is a 30 pin dock so it may not apply to MF3 or 4 or Lightning Docks (though I can't see why not). You can certainly use a third party app to record via the 30 pin dock and it is not the analogue signal you are accessing.

If you can test it that would be cool but I will try to get to it at the next opportunity as it's piqued my interest

[Jkowtko]

* Different fader knob for sends.   Changing color isn't enough ... the aux send faders look just like the input channel faders ... easy to accidentally move the send fader when you meant to move the main channel fader, and then not discover the incorrect position of the send fader because of all the layering and scrolling.  Having a different look for the send fader knobs would help.

Interesting idea, but I have to disagree. I've worked on physical digital boards, and have made this same mistake. But I haven't made this mistake with MF, due to the colors. I can see an issue if the person using the app is color blind (which would probably make them extra careful), but otherwise, I like have the same faders, always, for volume. Consistency makes the app easier to use.

I am not concerned for myself as I am well familiar with the UI ... I have people helping me periodically, and if one is not familiar with the UI it helps to have the layers be presented as distinctly as possible.  On an analog board the aux sends would be pots above the pan control -- no confusion there.  One idea for an analogous (NPI) control on the digital UI would be a pot for a knob that shows it's radial position as you raise or lower it.

Thanks.  John

[sam.spoons]

* Different fader knob for sends.   Changing color isn't enough ... the aux send faders look just like the input channel faders ... easy to accidentally move the send fader when you meant to move the main channel fader, and then not discover the incorrect position of the send fader because of all the layering and scrolling.  Having a different look for the send fader knobs would help.

Interesting idea, but I have to disagree. I've worked on physical digital boards, and have made this same mistake. But I haven't made this mistake with MF, due to the colors. I can see an issue if the person using the app is color blind (which would probably make them extra careful), but otherwise, I like have the same faders, always, for volume. Consistency makes the app easier to use.

I use MF2/Classic and the colours are not distinct enough to guarantee recognition of different aux/main layers. They are significantly better in MF3 and 4 though (having just reappraised them) so I think you are probably right.

[Weogo]

Hi Folks,

As noted in some past threads I regularly double-assign many channels, with XLR-Y cables on the DL1608 and digitally on the DL32R.
House channels are one color, and are on one View Group,  Monitor channels are a different color and on a different View Group.

All the Monitor channels are un-assigned from the house mix and groups, so even if one of their faders is raised in the L/R mix, no audio goes there.
For the House channels, I do have to be careful not to raise the fader in a Monitor view.
This provides a House mixer and a Monitor mixer, with only channel input gains shared.
The old Yamaha 01V96 with layers 1~16 and 17~32 made this really easy; I did this for over a decade.
Before that it was a split snake and separate House and Monitor mixers.

This approach obviously cuts the channel count available, and requires some extra View Group switching, but works well for me.
Biggest benefit is not having any compression on the Monitor channels, while still being able to compress the House channels.
Sometimes having different Monitor and House EQ is also helpful.

For various reasons, occasionally I still use one channel for House and Monitors, and certainly appreciate the simplicity!

Thanks and good health,  Weogo

[nedorama]

* Different fader knob for sends.   Changing color isn't enough ... the aux send faders look just like the input channel faders ... easy to accidentally move the send fader when you meant to move the main channel fader, and then not discover the incorrect position of the send fader because of all the layering and scrolling.  Having a different look for the send fader knobs would help.

* recording dongle for DL1608/806.   Allow a USB drive to be (via adapter cord) plugged into the docking port instead of an iPad, and then control the recordings from the wireless iPads.  Having the recording available only on a docked iPad is a waste of an iPad.  Don't know if this can be done with the DL1608 hardware though.

Thanks.  John

The 1608 mixer is dumb, so this isn't even possible. It records to the iPad. Not the same as its bigger brother.