Setting up tablet for mixer control

[richardash1981]

As I'm using my Behringer XR12 mixer more, I decided the prehistoric Android 4.0.4 tablet needed an upgrade, not least so I can get the current Pro version of Mixing Station onto it.

So I have a new Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite as a dedicated tablet for doing sound control. Before I start setting it up and buy the Mixing Station license, is there any advice on what to do / not to do? The Mixing Station facebook group suggested creating a new google account for the tablet (but then sign into the same mixing station account), and how to turn the screen lock off. Any other advice / suggestions?

Edited April 4, 2023 by richardash1981
make clear which license.

[timsabre]

I use an ancient Lenovo tablet with XR16 + Mixing station and it works fine with little change from standard Android settings. Mixing station has its own settings for screen timeout etc so you don't need to change any of that in Android.
Creating a google account for it is a good idea otherwise you can get notifications from your normal google account (even after you spend ages trying to switch them all off).

Make sure you remember to charge it up before you need it... have Mixing Station installed on a backup device just in case - I had a few bad days where I found out too late that it has failed to charge and had to mix on my phone.

How are you doing the wifi for the XR12? The unit's inbuilt wifi can struggle in a room with a lot of people, an external wireless access point can be better. Hide the SSID on the AP so that everyone's phones aren't polling it all the time.

[richardash1981]

7 hours ago, timsabre said:

How are you doing the wifi for the XR12? The unit's inbuilt wifi can struggle in a room with a lot of people, an external wireless access point can be better. Hide the SSID on the AP so that everyone's phones aren't polling it all the time.

Definitely outboard router and Ethernet to the XR12. Apart from the built in access point only doing WEP encryption, and having seen lots of advice to do this, it also gives me a wired Ethernet port for my laptop as a backup control surface (i.e. an all-wired path). So far this has been a BT Home Hub 5 re-flashed with OpenWRT. I'm probably going to try a Fritx!box 7530 re-flashed the same way because it's a more practical physical form factor (Ethernet on a short side rather than sticking out of one of the big flat ones).

A lot of the time the current tablet does the job plugged in to mains power, although it's battery does last very well. Maybe I should start packing a USB power bank?

[timsabre]

Sounds like a good plan. I've never needed wired backup in the 5yrs we've been using a tablet for control. Had a couple of mysterious "loss of connection" incidents both of which fortunately happened before the church service started. 

[Alec]

On 4/5/2023 at 11:47 AM, timsabre said:

The unit's inbuilt wifi can struggle in a room with a lot of people, an external wireless access point can be better.

As said before, there's no optionality, just use an external router/AP.  Otherwise, it's only a matter of time before things will go badly for you.  Thankfully, it sounds like you're on top of this already.

On 4/5/2023 at 7:33 PM, richardash1981 said:

A lot of the time the current tablet does the job plugged in to mains power, although it's battery does last very well. Maybe I should start packing a USB power bank?

I use the bigger/faster Tab A8.  It, and the A7 Lite, have battery enough to take you through any show with bucketloads to spare.  You'd be daft not to carry a USB PSU, though - much better that, than to bring a USB power bank that you might forget to have charged.

I'd echo the view to get Mixing Station on your phone.  Can be a real problem solver in a pinch - including a flat batter.

[richardash1981]

Thank you all. Mixing station licensing covers three devices (of the same OS variety) so I'm expecting to set up on my phone as well. This was one reason for wondering about Google accounts, because the phone will be on my main Google account, but it seems David has this covered in Mixing Station.

I was thinking of the USB charger for the tablet as a given to go to gigs - one will likely go in the bag with the mixer, router, and tablet, alongside the section of USB leads for charging whatever tech the musicians have forgotten to charge (mini-USB, lightning, micro-USB, USB-C ...)

[timsabre]

My android tablet runs down faster than it can charge when running mixing station so a charger / usb power bank is no help if it's got low battery. I think it's time to get on ebay for a more recent tablet maybe!

[richardash1981]

If you go down the second hand route (as I just have), make sure the previous owner has fully signed out and disabled screen locks before sending it to you - I've just had to get the seller's former PIN number from them in order to unlock mine, despite a factory reset of the device (it's designed to make using stolen devices hard, which makes sense, but is also frustrating!).

[richardash1981]

First job done, so update back:

• Signing in to Mixing Station with different Google account on device - no problem
• Purchased license on Mixing Station website, instantly available on device - no problem
• Enabled App-link in Mixing Station and the faders move in sync on laptop and tablet - great!

I ran for ~ 1.5 hours setup + rehearsal then 2 hours service (not doing hardly any control as XR12 was acting as speaker controller only, but screen and meters on), battery dropped from 95% ish to 70% - great.

Thanks for all the help - it will get a more thorough use next Sunday when I am mixing on the XR12 itself.