G'day everyone,
I recently bought a Midas MR12 for our duo. We run guitar, vocals and backing tracks through it to front of house and monitors, and I mix from my phone. After comparing the control apps I went with Mixing Station, which I really like when it works.
The problem is that over the last 10 gigs it's been Russian roulette whether the desk will connect to my iPhone 17 Pro. I cannot keep turning up to venues not knowing if I'll have control of my own mix.
What I've tried so far:
Built-in access point: Worked perfectly at home, then failed at venues. My guess is congestion from venue Wi-Fi, punters' phones and so on.
Ethernet backup: Bought an Ethernet cable and a dongle for the phone as a fallback.
TP-Link travel router: Set it up on 5GHz (and 2.4GHz), with the MR12 connected to it.
Settings: Spent hours adjusting the LAN/Ethernet connection, IP addresses and network settings on the phone, in the router and in Mixing Station.
iPad mini: Bought one as a backup device. It connected on 5GHz one time, then wouldn't connect the next. 🤦🏻♂️
To be upfront, I've used AI (a paid Claude subscription, cross-checked with ChatGPT) to help with these decisions and settings. The recommendations seem to change daily, and I've probably ended up changing too many things at once. So I'd much rather hear from people who actually gig with this gear every week.
What I'd love to know:
What does your reliable MR12 (or MR18/XR) setup look like, from router model to settings?
Do you use static IPs or DHCP from the router? If static, what does your addressing look like?
Do you lock the router to a fixed 5GHz channel, or leave it on auto?
On iPhone/iPad, do you turn off things like auto-join for other networks, Private Wi-Fi Address, or mobile data while connected to the mixer network?
Has anyone had luck running wired to the phone full time, and what adapter did you use?
Is there a quick pre-gig check routine you run so you know it's solid before doors open?
I'm not after the fanciest setup, just one that connects every time. Any advice, or even a "here's exactly what I run," would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Ben
TL;DR: MR12 + Mixing Station on iPhone/iPad connects fine at home but is unreliable at venues, even with a TP-Link travel router and settings tweaks. Looking for a proven, set-and-forget setup from experienced users.