From Tablet Add-On to Full iPad Live Production Hub
Mavis Studio is an iPad live production app that combines multi-camera switching, graphics, audio mixing, recording and streaming, turning a portable tablet into a self-contained control room for professional events, venues and content creators. The latest Mavis Studio update, announced at InfoComm, is important because it treats the iPad not as a companion screen but as the central brain of a live production workflow. Where tablets once handled basic monitoring or control, they can now manage camera feeds, media playback and show outputs with broadcast-style precision. For AV teams, systems integrators, educators and houses of worship, this changes how control rooms are planned: fewer fixed racks and more portable broadcast tools that can be deployed in classrooms, corporate spaces or temporary venues. Mavis is clearly positioning the iPad as a credible alternative to traditional vision mixers and dedicated production hardware.
NDI Preview and PTZ: Bridging iPad and Broadcast Workflows
A standout part of the Mavis Studio update is deeper support for NDI, the IP video standard that dominates many modern broadcast and AV networks. Mavis Studio already accepted NDI inputs and could send NDI outputs, but the new NDI Preview mode gives users five minutes of full access to NDI features so they can verify camera sources, tally and NDI camera control before subscribing. This lowers the barrier for teams testing iPad live production inside existing networked video setups. The addition of PTZ control for supported NDI cameras further closes the gap with traditional control rooms. Operators can pan, tilt, zoom and focus directly in the app through a context-aware control wheel that switches between PTZ, media and 3D layout functions. For compact multi-camera installations where separate hardware panels are hard to justify, this kind of NDI camera control on a tablet consolidates gear and simplifies workflows.
USB Audio and 3D Layouts for Complex Portable Broadcast Tools
The update does more than connect cameras; it strengthens audio and visual design so the iPad can carry more of the live production load. USB audio interface support brings professional microphones, mixers or external preamps directly into Mavis Studio, with up to four channels feeding the built-in audio desk and the same interface handling headphone monitoring. This means an iPad rig can meet professional AV standards for sound without extra converters or recorders. On the visual side, expanded 3D layouts let operators position and angle layers in three-dimensional space, creating dynamic compositions for interviews, presentations or branded streams without a separate graphics system. These features make multi-camera shows with polished overlays, picture-in-picture and animated looks possible on portable hardware, pushing Mavis Studio beyond simple switching into a more complete portable broadcast tool for small crews and mobile setups.
Cost, Footprint and Integration: iPad as a Control Room Alternative
By consolidating switching, graphics, audio and streaming into one iPad app, Mavis Studio reduces the physical footprint and complexity of live production rigs. Instead of racks of mixers, controllers and dedicated encoders, teams can build a compact kit around a tablet, NDI-ready cameras and a USB audio interface. “Mavis Studio is about giving people the tools of a professional live production system in a format that is far more portable and accessible,” said Patrick Holroyd, CEO of Mavis. The app is a free download, with watermark removal priced at USD 24.99 (approx. RM120) per month or USD 79.99 (approx. RM380) per year, and watermark removal plus NDI activation at USD 39.99 (approx. RM190) per month or USD 129.99 (approx. RM620) per year. With integration into NDI-based networks and professional audio hardware, tablets move from being secondary tools to realistic alternatives to small control rooms, especially in education, corporate spaces and houses of worship.
