Best way to connect iPad as Setlist controller

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therealthing89
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2021 3:05 pm

Best way to connect iPad as Setlist controller

Post by therealthing89 » Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:49 pm

Hi! I'm in the process of putting my first Ableton-based playback rig together to be used in a live band context. I plan on using Strange Electronics Setlist (M4L) to organize/select each song in the set while on stage. However, instead of selecting the songs from my show laptop on stage, I'd like to use an iPad instead. (I eventually plan on having a redundant rig, so I'd like this one iPad to be able to trigger two computers at once.) Of course, a WiFi connection would be fancy, but I really think I'd prefer a wired option to run into my interface (iConnectivity PlayAUDIO12) for a more dependable connection. Which iPad app would be best (most reliable and easiest to use) to control Setlist?

I see some of the options for this are Mira, Lemur (appears to be abandoned), TouchOSC, TouchAble...although, from what I see, I think a couple of those are only good for custom-mapping Ableton MIDI-controllable functions and not good for the Setlist visual interface.

Strange Electronic recommends Mira, but I wanted to see if there are any other apps I should be considering for this task. I only need this iPad to be used for song selection; I may get another simple MIDI controller to use for previous locator/next locator control.

Thanks in advance for your insight!

chapelier fou
Posts: 6003
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 12:15 pm

Re: Best way to connect iPad as Setlist controller

Post by chapelier fou » Fri Apr 16, 2021 8:25 pm

I unfortunately found Mira to be extremely poorly reliable when hosted in M4L devices. Disconnecting. Too bad cause it’s so cool.

Maybe use Mira in plain Max to send OSC messages to M4L ? But not granted it’s stable either.
MacBook Pro 13" Retina i7 2.8 GHz OS 10.13, L10.0.1, M4L.
MacStudio M1Max 32Go OS 12.3.1

therealthing89
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2021 3:05 pm

Re: Best way to connect iPad as Setlist controller

Post by therealthing89 » Fri Apr 16, 2021 11:13 pm

Hey, thanks so much for your reply; it's unfortunate that Mira is so unreliable.
Is there a remote desktop/VNC app that would work well in this setup? Or Is Strange Electronics Setlist not even the way I should go for this function? I'm trying to have an easily editable song list available on stage for a band member to cue up as needed, and that's the only solution I've read about so far.

chapelier fou
Posts: 6003
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 12:15 pm

Re: Best way to connect iPad as Setlist controller

Post by chapelier fou » Sat Apr 17, 2021 6:57 am

I personally developed my own set list manager as a stand-alone max app, I planned to share it for years. It may fit your workflow, or not.
MacBook Pro 13" Retina i7 2.8 GHz OS 10.13, L10.0.1, M4L.
MacStudio M1Max 32Go OS 12.3.1

chapelier fou
Posts: 6003
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 12:15 pm

Re: Best way to connect iPad as Setlist controller

Post by chapelier fou » Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:06 am

I should add that my philosophy is quite different as I use one liveset per song.
Also I don’t use an iPad but a midi message for “next song”.
MacBook Pro 13" Retina i7 2.8 GHz OS 10.13, L10.0.1, M4L.
MacStudio M1Max 32Go OS 12.3.1

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