First gig with DL32R did not go smooth

[MarkDMcBride]

New DL32R. Master Fader 3.0.2.

Since the DL1608 Shows do not convert to DL32R, I had to recreate the show for my main client. No problem.

Since I've been using the 1608, I've wanted a Chorus. Figured that since the DL32R had Auxs to space, I could use a Lexicon MX100 for my Chorus! I set it up as Aux 14 with the output going out the Left Monitor jack. Since the MX100 only has unbalanced 1/4 jacks. Returned back to Channels 31 and 32 linked. Tested it out and it worked. Had to adjust the gains separately, but it worked.

Time for the show!

Hooked all cables up. Powered up the network (Amped route set for 5.0 GHz). Powered up the DL32R. Powered up 1st iPad. No connection!

Powered off and then on the DL32R. Connection!

Powered up the rest of the iPads (4 more of them, 3 for the musicians). No connections except the first one! Not good.

Lots of sweating and cursing and diagnostics. New procedure till I get home and figure this out.

Leave iPads in Master Fader. Power off then on DL32R. All iPads reconnect! Do not use the iPads for anything else, because if you home button the Master Fader and then select it again, no connection and you are dead in the water with that iPad duing the gig. The only way to reconnect, is to power cycle the DL32R.

Got through the gig.

Come home and work on the set up. Seems that my re-routing the Aux 14 to the Left Monitor was causing the problem. Reverting the route let the iPad reconnect after using the home button and re-selecting Master Fader.

Seems the internal routing still has some issues.

[Soundbyte]

I don't think that the re patching was the problem. This happens with mine as well, without anything connected to any ins or outs, and it shouldn't. At first I started doing what you're doing ON/OFF. Then I discovered that all I needed to do was unplug the Ethernet cable and at least it would reconnect without having to reset the mixer. I have since found a solution.

The problem is that for some reason the iPad does not see the mixers IP address. I don't know why but it doesn't. Routers fault, mixers fault, iPads fault??? It doesn't really matter if your in the middle of a set and it looses connection. So what you need to do is let the iPad know what address your mixer is using. Here's how!

Connect the iPad to the mixer as you normally do. Now, on the bottom of the device list where the mixer is listed, you'll find an "i" inside a circle on the right side of the page. Tap the "i" and make a note of the IP address. The back out of the page to the device page and select "EDIT" just above the"i". Enter the IP address and your good to go. Test it out by patching the mx100 back in and see if it works.

[MarkDMcBride]

Hard coding the IP address is counter to having DHCP. But I will try unplugging the ethernet cable and plugging it back in.

I never had this problem with the DL1608 with the same router and the same iPads.

[Soundbyte]

I'm not suggesting that you turn off DHCP. In fact, if your router is dedicated to your DL32R rig, DHCP will keep assigning it the same address. I have a dLink router and my LAN gateway addy is 192.168.0.1, the DHCP server issues addresses 100 to 200 on the same subnet 192.168.0.#. So my first iPad is on 100 simply because it was the first addy that DHCP assigned. My mixer is on 102 because it was assigned next. And finally 103 for my iPad mini. DHCP will keep assigning the same numbers.

What I'm suggesting is that you simply let your iOS devices know the address of the mixer. It will show up as another item in the device list. Do yourself a favour and give it a try. You've nothing to loose and everything to gain. The changes you make are not carved in stone. After doing this on my system I actually decided to change the mixer to a static IP and leave the iPads on DHCP. Now, my iPads connect to the mixer as soon as I open master fader. I don't even need to select them from the list anymore. If I wander out of range at a gig. They connect as soon as there back in range.

[MarkDMcBride]

Both of SoundByte's suggestions worked in my testing. Unplugging the network cable and re-plugging reset the connection when lost. Setting the IP Addresses to static IPs also allowed the iPads to reestablish connections with the DL32R.

I do not have a gig for next weekend, but I will the next. It will be more of a test.

Thanks for the suggestions, I wish it was not necessary.

[musicdan]

I have found that anytime either app is updated (my fader or master fader) each iOS device needs a power cycle. After update, the devices often won't  recognize the mixer. Restart all iPads/iPhones and one by one any connectivity issue will go away.

[MarkDMcBride]

My situation was not app update. I updated to 3.0.2 before I even acquired a DL32R.

I power down my iPads after every gig to save battery. These iPads are only for sound work. The only time they are on the internet it behind my home router/firewall and to update IOS and Master Fader.

I took a week or so creating the show on the DL32R before the gig. So it was a big surprise when I could not reconnect. I may have had connection problems at home, but it was not a major problem because I was not at a gig!

[musicdan]

Interesting.

Maybe your router wasn't fully up and running before the mixer got its power or Ethernet. I'm sure you had the router turned on first but it may have had a little hang up long enough to miss the mixerl's IP this working fine on power cycle.

[MarkDMcBride]

The router was up long enough for the 1st iPad to connect. Problems started happening when attempting to re-connect to the DL32R.

[musicdan]

Yes, the iPad will connect to the router but if the router doesn't catch the mixer's IP when it starts up you'll have no connection. The router has to be turned on and booted before the mixer gets power. Even if you do everything perfectly, you're bound to have the odd time where something goes a little wonky and misses the IP. If it happens only once during setup, no big deal. If it drops out during a show and doesn't reconnect, you have bigger issues. If this is one time occurrence, it sounds like everything is working perfectly fine but the millions of 1's and 0's being send on that particular day simply had a brain fart and the router didn't see the mixer's IP when it came online. At each show, I always power up the router and go run a few more cables somewhere else for a minute or two. Very excessive but I give the router loads of time to boot up and get everything in order before putting it to work. There's always other things to do in the meantime. Even if in a rush I always wait a minimum of 15-20 seconds before powering up the board, and I've never had a problem during startup.
If this is an isolated incident, I wouldn't sweat it too much. But be mindful of startup times and get into a routine of waiting to turn the board on. At least then you're sure it isn't the cause should future problem arise.

One time about a year ago I had to power cycle the mixer during a show in between songs because the old router I had at the time had an error and I lost connection to the mixer. After power cycling the router, I had to turn down all amps and powered speakers (the time consuming part) and then after a quick flick of the mixer's power switch off and back on everything worked great for the rest of the night.  That scared me into buying a fancy new 5GHz router

[Michael Welter]

I got a Furmann Power Sequencer for the rack where I keep my mixer. So, when I power it on, the router comes on first, then the mixer 10 seconds later. So far, I've had no issues with connections.

[beno]

Hey Guys, those having issues like this, can you provide the make and model of your router. Can you also try testing with another router and report back if the behavior is the same?
Thanks,

[Soundbyte]

I tried with a dLink DIR825 and a linksys EA6100 with the same results. I contacted tech support and they told me that it was most likely an issue with the router. I had to laugh to myself because they asked me if I had tried another router, even though, in my first email I told them I had. Then they asked me to make sure I was plugged into a LAN port and not the WAN port, in spite of me telling them my system was functioning fine once connected. I swear they don't read your emails completely at all before asking you to supply info that You've already gave.

So I switched to a static IP and haven't looked back. The way I see it is, if all your equipment is dedicated then static IP is the way to go. It won't screw up half as much as DHCP does. And it doesn't matter what order the equipment is turned on. You can turn the router on last and it will still work.

[Wynnd]

I've never had this issue, but I'm pretty sure that the router is powered up no less than 5 minutes before I get around to docking the ipad and firing up the mixer.

[RoadRanger]

Use static IPs and yous guys won't have all these connection problems .