Ipad 2 Battery Life Where did it go?

[WhatsThatSound]

I have been a long time user of the DL1608 and it seems to me that with every update with new features is ruining my battery life. I used to be able to do a whole 9-2 5-set gig without even getting close to a low battery level. Not anymore, I have tried closing all other apps short of an Airplay DJ app I use for break music and I can't even make it through half the gig. I have resorted to docking the Ipad 2 as soon as I get around 20% and mix with iPhone and then doing break music from docked Ipad 2. I realize I am using an older Ipad 2 but it never was an issue before recent updates. I just checked Mackie website and they still seem to support an Ipad 2.
Is anyone else experiencing this?

[JohnMHoyt]

I have been a long time user of the DL1608 and it seems to me that with every update with new features is ruining my battery life. I used to be able to do a whole 9-2 5-set gig without even getting close to a low battery level. Not anymore, I have tried closing all other apps short of an Airplay DJ app I use for break music and I can't even make it through half the gig. I have resorted to docking the Ipad 2 as soon as I get around 20% and mix with iPhone and then doing break music from docked Ipad 2. I realize I am using an older Ipad 2 but it never was an issue before recent updates. I just checked Mackie website and they still seem to support an Ipad 2.
Is anyone else experiencing this?

My iPad pro was getting less battery life starting about 2 or 3 iOS updates back.  To the point where it was getting scary for our FOH audio tech when we had 30 minutes to go and the iPad was down to 30%....  20% by the time we shut everything down.  In the past it had been no less than 50% for a show of the same length.

To help I have turned the brightness down - way down...
I make sure every app is closed except Tango Remote (plays songs during breaks through my Airport Express and two inputs on the DL32R) and Mackie MF.
(Double click home, slide everything upward so nothing is running).
I've disabled all graphics fun things like parallax and keep it very simple.
I've turned off background updates for everything and I started turning off unneeded services like GPS and cellular.   

Now when I start the night off with a full charge, I'm down to about 40-50% at the end of the night.
That helps tremendously, but you are correct in your observations - battery life has been impacted recently.

My iPad Air 2 only runs tango and MF - and it also used to be at 50+% at the end of the night - it gets down to 30-40% now - not as big of a change as my iPad pro, but enough to notice for sure.

The old iPad 2 that the keyboard player uses is all but dead at the end of the night - 10% remaining.  It has had everything disabled except MF forever.  It used to be about 20% at the end of the night.
I expect that its battery is just dying - it's old and there have been no updates to it.

[Weogo]

Hi Folks,

I have a little USB power supply with a built-in battery that has enough power to fully charge two Ipads, and
another one that runs on four AA batteries(usually rechargeables, but alkalines from anywhere work fine).
 
I always take two Ipads to a gig.
Also there's usually two routers, and a spare mixer.

Battery life does seem shorter these days, but I don't know if it is the Ipad firmware, MF, or just batteries aging.

Thanks and good health,  Weogo

[JohnMHoyt]

Hi Folks,

I have a little USB power supply with a built-in battery that has enough power to fully charge two Ipads, and
another one that runs on four AA batteries(usually rechargeables, but alkalines from anywhere work fine).
 
I always take two Ipads to a gig.
Also there's usually two routers, and a spare mixer.

Battery life does seem shorter these days, but I don't know if it is the Ipad firmware, MF, or just batteries aging.

Thanks and good health,  Weogo

I bought a 10 port USB charger/power supply and keep that on stage loaded with usb and lightning cables for our various devices.   I have 4 iPads to maintain, and then other band members also have iThings they have to keep up. But it's just darn unhandy in a show to be wired or to have other battery packs. We have them, but the fear of having to use them still bugs me.   I miss the good old days when everything was running longer and I had more wiggle room to run brighter screens.

[stevegarris]

I have been a long time user of the DL1608 and it seems to me that with every update with new features is ruining my battery life. I used to be able to do a whole 9-2 5-set gig without even getting close to a low battery level. Not anymore, I have tried closing all other apps short of an Airplay DJ app I use for break music and I can't even make it through half the gig. I have resorted to docking the Ipad 2 as soon as I get around 20% and mix with iPhone and then doing break music from docked Ipad 2. I realize I am using an older Ipad 2 but it never was an issue before recent updates. I just checked Mackie website and they still seem to support an Ipad 2.
Is anyone else experiencing this?

Sounds terrible. That's one more reason why I've avoided updates. I'm running my iPad on ver 7.1, and it uses 15 - 20% battery power for a typical night of mixing. I do use the lowest screen brightness inside, but for daytime shows I run it full brightness. I did a 5 hour outside show this summer without running too low.

[JohnMHoyt]

Sounds terrible. That's one more reason why I've avoided updates. I'm running my iPad on ver 7.1, and it uses 15 - 20% battery power for a typical night of mixing. I do use the lowest screen brightness inside, but for daytime shows I run it full brightness. I did a 5 hour outside show this summer without running too low.

These are always on once the show starts - even through the breaks.   I run tango, streaming music to the airport express from my personal ipad (used for my in-ear mix), that is controlled out front by the iPad Pro.
We record everything from the first set to the last song....   Which goes to a USB HD, not the iPad, but still, we don't want sleeping iPads.
Brightness cannot be at the lowest setting because of stage lights, and sometimes outdoor daylight gigs...

We also make use of the real time analyzer quite a bit too, as some of the venues we play have drastically changing EQ throughout the show, as doors open, people come and go, the crowd moves from the seating areas to the dance floor....   The RTA is one reason why people say our crappy sound system sounds so good - because we keep it very consistent, fixing any issues as they arise and sometimes before.  We almost never have feedback, maybe twice in two years.

The battery budget is probably impacted by the iOS update more than MF, but either way, I don't know what to do about it other than watch it deplete and worry as it drops. hehe

[WK154]

So John why not use one of these?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12000mAh-Dual-USB-Power-Bank-External-Battery-Portable-Charger-For-Cell-Phone/252530083399?_trksid=p2060778.c100275.m3474&_trkparms=aid%3D333008%26algo%3DRIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140723144412%26meid%3D1ff0c251cb6d440897c74da584221dbd%26pid%3D100275%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D151671391791

Tape it to the iPad

[JohnMHoyt]

So John why not use one of these?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12000mAh-Dual-USB-Power-Bank-External-Battery-Portable-Charger-For-Cell-Phone/252530083399?_trksid=p2060778.c100275.m3474&_trkparms=aid%3D333008%26algo%3DRIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140723144412%26meid%3D1ff0c251cb6d440897c74da584221dbd%26pid%3D100275%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D151671391791

Tape it to the iPad

I have those, and chargers....  just in case.   

[WK154]

A handy tool to answer all those nagging questions. I have two older units that are always there to verify those specs.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-Volt-Current-Voltage-Doctor-Charger-Capacity-Tester-Meter-Power-Bank-FCC1-/322118709721?var=&hash=item4affc571d9:m:mMGQnbxqrOL2e4Ur2005mrQ
Check the required charge to get the battery to max. Remember that you are charging at 5 Volts and the batteries are rated at 3.6-3.7 Volts. The charger has some minor losses but in all it should be close. Remember your starting point as well (ie. 10%) and compensate. Not complicated.

[JohnMHoyt]

Be warned - I've sold a bunch of these import testers (i run an IT company) and they vary wildly...  one even had a direct short and when the client plugged it into his ecig which doubles as a power bank, it caused the battery to burst into flames within a few seconds. So many of these power banks have no fuse protection at all.

[WK154]

Be warned - I've sold a bunch of these import testers (i run an IT company) and they vary wildly...  one even had a direct short and when the client plugged it into his ecig which doubles as a power bank, it caused the battery to burst into flames within a few seconds. So many of these power banks have no fuse protection at all.

So quit selling junk  . Mine have none of the  a-fore  mentioned problems and are quite consistent and accurate. Checked with meter.

[JohnMHoyt]

So quit selling junk  . Mine have none of the  a-fore  mentioned problems and are quite consistent and accurate. Checked with meter.

I have sold the same product linked.... They are made by one company and sold under several different names.   The majority of them are with 5% correct. 
Not checked with meter, checked with lab equipment.

[WK154]

In my book quality meters are lab equipment 

[JohnMHoyt]

In my book quality meters are lab equipment 

Amen..  calibrated meters