I just got a new CQ-20B (latest firmware) and started setting it up with an iPad Air with (latest iPadOS). I’ve had a lot of dropped connections to the CQ MixPad app while going into a different app, like Settings or Apple Music. When I switch back and forth quickly, the connection isn’t lost, but when I switch apps for 30-60 seconds or more it will typically be dropped.
My goal is to have this setup during gigs… a single iPad controlling the mixer and playing audio via Bluetooth using the built-in wifi. Seems like this should be a normal use case. But if I lose the connection when I switch to my music app for background music at a gig, that worries me.
Is there a way to mitigate the dropped connection issue when switching between apps?
My setup is:
iPad Air 3rd gen running iPadOS v18.3.1
CQ-20B firmware v1.2.1 r4213, wifi using the 5Ghz frequency
Sadly, this is part of the way that iOS works and isn’t something that we’re able to change. The operating system doesn’t allow the connection to remain active for an app that isn’t in the foreground. This is for power saving and security reasons - but it’s not possible for the mixer to tell the difference between a connection being dropped by the OS and a connection being lost for any other reason (such as walking out of range)
If you need to be using a music app during gigs and maintain connection to the mixer, we would recommend using a second device.
To set your mind at rest, though - even if the connection is lost, the mixer will just continue doing what it’s doing and no mixer function will be interrupted by the disconnection - it’s just a control interface.
Sorry that there’s no easy solution - this is just part of the way that the operating system on the tablet is designed.
Thanks @MarkF… I wonder if the MixPad app could be better about saving which mixer you were previously connected to so that it could automatically re-connect when switching back to the MixPad app. I just posted a reply here that draws a similarity with a email client app: CQ Mixpad Loses Connection - #10 by jpguitar