Don't do this!

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sawdust123

sawdust123

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Nov 10, 2006
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If you are using a digital mixer, make sure you secure your mixer's Wi-Fi with a password. If not, anyone can access your mixer during a show.

Yesterday, a large group of us went to see a band we like at a local park. They didn't do much of a soundcheck because they were using their digital mixer (Behringer XR18) and everything is already dialed in. Their soundcheck was nothing more than checking the lines and doing a little output EQ. The guitarist doubles as their sound guy so basically, once they are set up, he doesn't change a thing. Unfortunately, his vocals were set too low. He sang lead in the third or fourth song of the first set and you could barely hear him. My friends start looking at me to see what the problem is. I opened up the Mixing Station app on my phone and lo and behold, I could log into the band's mixer. I very discreetly boosted the guitarist's vocals and all was good. During the break, I approached him and let him know he needs to secure his mixer. I showed him Mixing Station running on my phone and he was a bit freaked. I assured him I wasn't going to mess things up but I warned him to turn on his network security otherwise anyone could do what I had just done. And, some may be more maliciously minded.
 
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Don't do this! (Connect to other people's WiFi uninvited, that is.) Malicious intent isn't the threshold here. Not all of our neighbors lock their doors. That's not an invitation to enter. Undisclosed good intentions have their own share of unfortunate outcomes.

This is really an issue for independent small bands and musicians, as anyone doing this commercially knows enough to use secure connections. If you're someone like Rick for example, playing out repeatedly in the same venues - it may only be a matter of time before some drunk IT guy notices what you're using and starts showing off for his mischievous friends.

Even you had to go the extra mile of not only looking for a WiFi connection to the mixer, but to also have a cross-brand mix app ready to go on your own device. That's a pretty high bar and low risk for a local band at a local park. It's even less likely to find someone in WiFi range at a private wedding ceremony who would do that, let alone maliciously.

I suspect the bands risks didn't warrant a secure Wifi connection at this event. Simplicity usually dictates people's choices. It would be more problematic if one of them secured the connection and then forgot the password. We can easily dump a saved configuration right back into the mixer UNLESS a malicious hacker loads an erroneous version of the Firmware. That too, requires a pretty high bar with respect to knowledge and intent.
 
Great advice! I haven't found a sound guy that hasn't use a secure connection.
Just for fun, I check.
I have a midas MR 18 and password protected & my own router.
I be waiting for Mixxy to jump in on your thread and give us all his pro knowledge on a topic .
 
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sonic-vision said:
I have a midas MR 18 and password protected & my own router.
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Yeah, I don't know many people that use a mixer's built in WiFi. These devices are usually mediocre at best. Also, the mixer is often put in a place not conducive for coverage. The only time I use the built-in WiFI is when mixing karaoke in my living room. If my mixer leaves my living room, I use an external Wi-Fi router.
 
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