An iPad App That Wants to Replace the Control Room
Mavis Studio is an iPad live production app that combines multi-camera switching, NDI video streaming, graphics, audio mixing, recording, and streaming into a single touch-first interface aimed at professional live event production software users who want a portable AV production workflow. The latest update to Mavis Studio is not a minor quality-of-life patch; it is a statement that the iPad is ready to sit at the center of professional live event workflows. By adding NDI Preview, PTZ camera control, USB audio support, and 3D layouts, Mavis is arguing that mobile does not have to mean compromised. Instead of treating the tablet as a companion to a fixed switcher, this release tries to make the iPad the room where everything happens, from camera control to graphics composition.
NDI Preview: Testing the Network Before the Show Goes Live
The headline move is NDI Preview, and it directly tackles the biggest weakness of any IP-based, portable AV production: trust in the network. Mavis Studio already supported NDI input and output, but asking teams to subscribe before they could see how their cameras and switches behaved over NDI video streaming was a needless gamble. Now, operators get five minutes of full NDI access – camera sources, tally, and even PTZ camera control – before paying. That window is short, but strategically it is long enough to verify whether your wired or wireless setup can carry a multi-camera show without tears. According to Mavis, this is about making it easier to confirm network performance and compatibility, not about dangling a teaser. For live event producers, that shift from blind commitment to test-first is the difference between experimentation and adoption.
PTZ Control on a Touchscreen: Fewer Boxes, More Control
Adding PTZ camera control inside the app is where Mavis Studio starts to look like a credible replacement for a traditional control surface. Operators can pan, tilt, zoom, and focus supported NDI cameras directly from the iPad, driven by a redesigned control wheel that changes personality depending on what is selected: PTZ moves when a camera is active, media control for playback, and 3D layout adjustment when you are shaping graphics. That adaptive wheel, paired with on-screen buttons, means a single operator can steer cameras and manage cues without a dedicated PTZ controller cluttering the table. It is a clear nod to real-world constraints in portable AV production, where space and crew are both limited. If your show hinges on a few NDI PTZs, the appeal of carrying an iPad instead of a rack of hardware is obvious – and this update makes that scenario less of a compromise and more of a plan.
USB Audio and 3D Layouts: Filling the Remaining Gaps
The new USB audio interface support might look like a footnote, but it is the bridge that audio-focused crews have been waiting for. Being able to route up to four channels from a familiar USB interface straight into Mavis Studio’s internal desk – while using the same box for headphone monitoring – keeps the audio chain grounded in the gear people already own. Pairing an iPad with a compact interface becomes a legitimate front-of-house alternative, not a demo rig. Meanwhile, the addition of 3D layouts is a visual upgrade with practical consequences: being able to angle layers in space, build depth, and tweak compositions via the same control wheel that runs PTZ moves means fewer external graphics systems and fewer operators. For branded events, worship services, and educational streams, that consolidation is key; it frees producers to focus on storytelling instead of wiring diagrams.
Why This Update Matters for Mobile Live Event Producers
Taken together, these features show a clear thesis: professional live event production software does not have to live in a rack to be serious. By launching this update at InfoComm 2026, Mavis is deliberately pitching Mavis Studio at AV teams and integrators who are tired of choosing between fixed infrastructure and underpowered tablet apps. NDI Preview lowers the barrier to trying IP-based workflows, PTZ camera control pulls more hardware into the iPad, USB audio support keeps existing audio workflows relevant, and 3D layouts give shows a visual polish that used to demand a separate system. Patrick Holroyd’s claim that Mavis Studio puts “the tools of a professional live production system” into a more portable format is not marketing fluff anymore; this release shows a coherent, operator-first design. If you are planning your next mobile or flypack rig, ignoring the iPad at the center of it now looks like the conservative, not the safe, choice.
