I have a 24 and a 16 I use them and love them a lot the wireless feature is great for adjusting monitors but I have some bigger gigs I need to run seperate side stage monitor and I know the wireless range will not be good enough to leave a guy with an Ipad onthe side of stage.
You just need to set up a better wireless network or use some kind of split to a designated monitor desk. There’s no reason why side-stage wireless shouldn’t work if you have a good set of directional antennae at height.
I run both dSNAKE and network back to stage, that’s where my router lives.
There is no reason to limit yourself to a single access point.
Set a second WAP with the same SSID/Passphrase, but a different channel (be aware of the overlaps) and you can roam freely between them. Then put one WAP at FOH, and one stage side.
This can be done by:
VLAN capable switches using the one run of cat5 for dSnake and network
Running splitters to used the unused pairs of cat5 (untested with dSnake)
Run a second cat5
Use power line adapters
Have a WAP extender/repeater, maybe halfway down the audience space?
I’m planning to test the splitter option for musicians to use the QuYou controls
My weakness is networking
Can someone draw ? sketch up a simple schematic of this with the required settings to place a second Airport Extreme at the stage end?
Can I simply take a link (Cat 5 or 6) out of an AirPort Extreme at the desk end and run a second unit at the stage?
Is this called extender?
I have interest in this topic too. I use an Apple Airport Express and an Apple Airport Extreme Base Station model A1521 router as a “booster” for the Express. I have not tried it on a job yet though.
It’s extremely simple, but does take a bit of poking around on the units.
Only one should run DHCP
They should have different IP addresses themselves (same network)
They should have the same SSID and security setup
Force them to be channel 1 at FOH and channel 6 on stage (these are far enough apart to reduce interference between each other)
Then a single cat5 between lan ports will connect them.
Any device will roam between them according to signal strength, and there is one big wireless network.
Well,
Many ways to accomplish this…
I use ubuquiti access points and products…but most brands have these devices these days…
Wired…
Use a small switch (Layer 2) to connect the devices…
One connection to the qu…
One connection to each access point…
Configure each access point with a different ip address…but on same subnet…ex. 192.169.1.10 and 192.168.1.11 etc.
Configure each access point with same SSID (wifi name) but a different channel to not interfere with each other…depending on your country you may have 3 or 4 non overlapping channels on the 2.4Ghz band and more on the 5Ghz band
Note…you can get access points with both bands or just one of either…
You can put up as many access points as you need to cover the area…just get a cat5 line there (and power if not a Poe access point)
Wireless is a bit more setup…bit not much…
You setup everything like wired…but the Ethernet cable will be replaced with a wireless bridge…
So, you will have another radio at each end of where your cables would have plugged in…
Note…use a different channel or better yet radio band for the bridge to avoid interference…
I’ve installed networks for over 20 years for a living, so if you need exact or more info, let me know…
Not an apple airport fan…too limited for my taste…but they do work…
Thanks for the detail Bret
THis is a learning curve for myself however I kind of understand.
Cheers
I was preparing to go and get another Airport Extreme (and a second iPad) fist thing this morning to hard wire them as ‘Roaming’… only because of ease of setting up where I didnt have to think too much!?
You have me thinking now…
Not read this but…https://kenrockwell.com/apple/how-to-create-a-large-wireless-network.htm
ya but I have a few gigs they want a separate monitor mix on the side of stage, AKA dedicated mixer. I know I can run a long cat 5 back to the stage and put a guy in charge of monitors via Ipad but some of these clowns think its it toy. Dont get me wrong I love setting monitors with a Ipad.
Another case for a BCF2000?
?
How would you use a BCF2000 in this scenario?
I’ve just spent the weekend at a festival where we had the QU side stage for monitors & mixed FOH from an iPad. Worked pretty well, though there were a few times when the shared gain got turned up by the FOH person & caused problems in the monitor world.
ya but I have a few gigs they want a separate monitor mix on the side of stage, AKA dedicated mixer.
There is no built in way to use two desks for FOH & Mons. The only solution is a good old analogue splitter box.
I have a three day event coming up where we do as Mark described:
Qu stage side, FOH from an iPad. Saves on cabling and keeps walkway clear thus reducing liability. Line checks are done at the desk. After that it’s just tweaking the mix out front.
I’ve run a number of gigs that way, it’s fine if it’s a band you know, but I’m not sure I’d like it for the merry go round of a festival…
We were not allowed a FOH mixing position (we were officially a stall-holder, not a stage!) so didn’t really have a choice. To be honest, with a good tech on the monitor desk taking responsibility for getting a sensible gain setting and channel naming it was relatively pain free.
Main problems we found were the visibility of the iPad screen in bright sunlight - if anybody has a good solution to this, do tell. Then there’s battery life over a long day. This was easily sorted by having 2 iPads - one stays at the desk charging (and being used) and we swapped them every couple of bands.
I’ve done “one desk and an iPad” with the desk at FOH and iPad for mons in the past and found that more tricky. iPad for only L&R is much easier than for 4 or 5 stage mixes.
Oh - and mix sends are all set to pre-eq so FOH bod can adjust eq as required. Apart from one acoustic guitar which I suspect had a faulty pickup, lack of individual eq on channels for mons was not a problem.
Mark…
I use an iPad cover with a magnetic strip that puts the Pad in “nap” mode when you close the cover. Open it frequently and you’re still connected. After a longer pause it may take a second or two to re-connect, but it’s not a problem…especially if you’re out in the open and the only “real” network going. I can easily do 8 hours on a single charge.
Linkie:
https://www.microcenter.com/product/378849/Smart_Cover_for_iPad_2_-_Dark_Gray
Mine is another brand and cost $20 less.
I just purchased a AR2412. Is their a solution for a monitor board out of the monitor port?