iOS DL16S experience

[Wynnd]

I will add it.  Early MicroSoft products got me used to not expecting perfection.  I was setting up a show without the mixer itself anywhere near.  Something I’ve gotten used to doing.  It was on my iPad Pro and that tablet hasn’t hiccuped to my recollection. 

[Boatman]

This may sound boringly simple but the MF5.0 reference manual is not that helpful. The issue, playing music during a break in the performance. With the 1608 this was easy as I could set up music on my iPad and merely play the channel. However, for the DL16S I am totally confused by the "USB" assignment and how to actually introduce music  via this method. I see only one USB port but this requires a physical connection and I do not see any bearing on USB channel assignment.
I need a primer on how to use both the USB channel option and how to connect to the mixer to make it happen.
If, for example, I have music on my iPad and want to play it through the mixer, how do I make that happen? What connections do I make and are they physical or wireless?

Thanks for any help you can provide. I WILL CONTINUE TO SEARCH THE MANUAL....

[dpdan]

Hi Boatman,
May I suggest using this simple connection...



or, purchase an Apple Airport Express router, and one of these cables even though Apple no longer makes the routers, there are plenty to choose from on eBay.



The Airport Express (not) Airport Extreme allows you to wirelessly send stereo audio from your iPad, iPhone etc.
The router has a stereo 3.5mm output that would physically connect with a cable to two channels on the mixer.
If you did this, you would not use the built-in router on the DL16S.

It is known that the 5.0 manual has many mistakes and it will be corrected.
The information above is just my advise, the nice thing about advise is that you can take it or leave it 
   
LOCKED 3 is the name of my router

[Boatman]

Thank you, Dan, for your helpful advice. I have used your 1608 videos as key learning tools but now find the latest version DL series to be painful.

I already have a powerful router so buying another is not a solution for me. I take it that the microphone connector is going to take up two of the 16 channels - am I correct in this assumption?

How can I use the USB interface on the DL16S and how can I control it? In addition, although the manual describes a driver for the PC at the Mackie location, I cannot find it. I do not want to use a DAW at this time either. Is the USB port a "lost cause" right now?

[Wynnd]

The USB channel is a USB connection from a computer.  I haven’t used it that way, but the assumption would be using the USB out connected to the USB in on the mixer and maybe the audio out directed that way?  I’m going to try it someday, but not soon. 

[Boatman]

Well, based on Dan's idea, I purchased an Apple Lightning to USB Camera adapter and hooked it to my iPad (located at the mixer, of course). I plugged the USB cable to the USB port and went to my MF5.0.... Success. Return Channels 1&2 lit up and I adjusted the trim to avoid clipping. Now have all 16 channels for use and Return channels are assigned to USB 1 &2, currently playing Alison Balsom.

As I am not using the Return Channels for any other assignment at the moment, this now works for me.

Thanks for the prompt responses - Great support!
Still need to know where to find the mentioned PC drivers, though. Any ideas?

[Boatman]

Back to the drawing board. This is regarding attaching iPad to DL16S and playing music through the mixer.
I have no idea how I was successful, but when I tried to do it again... nadaTools: iPad playing MF5, start iTunes and begin playing music (heard through iPad speakers). Attached Lightning to USB Camera adapter and plugged into DL16S. iPad recognizes in iTunes the DL16S and checks off successful connection. Go to MF 5 and can find nothing on any channel to confirm signal transfer despite trying USB selection on all cnannels.
So, I do not know how I was initially successful and will crawl back into my little hovel to sulk....

[dpdan]

look at the routing page and make sure that USB-1 is assigned to Return-1, and USB-2 is assigned to Return 2.
You can see the routing of this by clicking on the USB tab in Master Fader's routing page.

I have never used Apple's camera kit like you bought but when you are playing music from iTunes,
click in the small area at the bottom of iTunes... you will see a small, red, antenna looking icon thingy,
clicking that will allow you to route the sound to anywhere it can go.



LOCKED 3 is the name of my router
   

[Boatman]

Thank you. Will do. I will reply once done

[dpdan]

Still need to know where to find the mentioned PC drivers, though. Any ideas?

Drivers for computers is not yet available, that is supposed to be sometime in July according to the Mackie website info.

[ToH2002]

Drivers for computers is not yet available, that is supposed to be sometime in July according to the Mackie website info.

Hey Dan, I believe boatman is referring to the PC ASIO drivers that are needed to record and play back multi-track audio from a PC. These drivers are available for download on the DL32S/DL16s product page (need to scroll far down to "Specs & Downloads"). Direct link is here

Cheers,

Torsten

[Boatman]

Thank you. That is the PC USB driver I have been looking for. There was no easy way to find it and I would not have searched the DL32R documents.

[Boatman]

Thanks to all of you for your help. I will summarize for the benefit of others who might encounter the same challenges.

First, the issue was to be able to play music via the USB port on the DL16S from an iPad or similar device. As the iPad connects to the DL806/1608 via the lightning attachment, I felt that it might be the medium of transfer for the DL16S. I decided to purchase the Lightning to USB camera adapter and attached it to the USB port once the DL16S was up and running. Following Dan's advice, I assigned Return 1 and Return 2 to USB 1 & 2 respectively (this was crucial). I then played iTunes, first on the iPad running the show (this tied me to the mixer though) and then on another iPad/iPod device. Both were successful. I did not try wireless or Airplay communication as I could not conceive of a method to attach the USB input to a wireless device (the iPad router notwithstanding).

I can now play music during intermission without disconnecting things and can also run things remotely as long as my music supply is operational. This for me has been a huge success.

Now to figure out talkback and how to silently communicate with band members on their Aux channels.... I hope Mackie is taking the many experiences listed on the forum and putting them into the next revision of the manual.


 

[dpdan]

Thanks for helping Torsten!

Hi Boatman,
I'm glad you got it working!
As far as I know, Apple's Airport Express router is the only router ever made that can receive stereo digital audio from an Apple device using "Airplay".
So, without it, you are not going to be able to conveniently play music to the DL16S wirelessly, unless of course you strap two wireless microphone belt-packs to the iPad for stereo.
Apple Airport Express routers are not expensive and I highly suggest you get one, YOU WILL LOVE IT! 

Speaking of a wireless belt-pack..., that is exactly what you will need in order to talk discretely to band members as you roam the venue mixing the sound with the iPad.

 

[ToH2002]

So, without it, you are not going to be able to conveniently play music to the DL16S wirelessly, unless of course you strap two wireless microphone belt-packs to the iPad for stereo.

Since I use an Airport Extreme, I concocted my own solution: I used a Raspberry Pi with a DAC expansion board as a media player, loaded up with an SD card full of break music, hooked up to the mixing desk and the router on-stage and remote controlled it via a web interface on my iPad. Worked nicely, but of course it used an input channel on my mixer (summed it to mono first, so it only cost me one channel, but still). But the same would apply to the Airport Express or your microphone belt pack solution.

These days, there is even a Raspberry Pi solution that acts as an AirPlay receiver, so you could replicate the Airport Express solution: have the break music on your iPad and stream it wirelessly to the Raspberry Pi on stage. If you want to find out more, this is the website: https://www.max2play.com/en/

Cheers,

Torsten