An iPad that behaves like a live control room
Mavis Studio is an iPad live production app that combines multi‑camera switching, NDI networking, graphics, audio mixing, recording and streaming into a single touch‑first control surface aimed at replacing traditional fixed production systems for AV teams and creators.
The latest update, announced at InfoComm 2026, is not a minor tweak. With NDI Preview, PTZ camera control, USB audio input and 3D layouts, Mavis is openly arguing that a tablet can sit where a rack of broadcast gear used to be. That claim lands in a context where InfoComm drew 28,132 verified attendees and 807 exhibitors, so this is not a niche hobbyist tool sneaking in through the side door. It is a statement aimed at the center of professional AV. The real question is whether these new Mavis Studio features make iPad live production a reliable choice or just a flashy backup.
NDI Preview turns IP video from theory into something testable
The most important change is NDI Preview, which gives users five minutes of full NDI access on the iPad before they commit to a subscription. In practice, that means you can bring networked cameras and sources into the app, verify tally, exercise PTZ camera control, and watch how your network behaves under load, all from a handheld screen. This matters because iPad live production lives or dies on network discipline; NDI HX3 might be bandwidth‑friendly, but a multi‑camera show on a sloppy network is a crash waiting to happen.
By limiting the trial to five minutes, Mavis forces teams to do what they should have been doing all along: simulate real‑world conditions before the event day. For AV departments scoping portable rigs, the ability to test compatibility and performance without paying upfront turns NDI on iPad from an experiment into a sane planning step. In effect, the iPad becomes a network probe, not just another sink for video.
PTZ camera control on glass changes who can run the room
Adding PTZ camera control directly inside the app is where Mavis Studio stops being a fancy switcher and starts looking like a control system. Operators can pan, tilt, zoom and focus supported NDI cameras through a redesigned control wheel that adapts to whatever is selected: cameras, media, or 3D layouts. Customizable buttons ride alongside that wheel for quick access to common actions.
This is a clear shot at environments where PTZ cameras are everywhere but space, budget or crew size do not justify a dedicated hardware controller. Instead of a separate joystick panel, the same iPad that switches cameras and runs graphics now steers your shots. That makes PTZ camera control accessible to smaller teams and volunteers who would be intimidated by a traditional surface. The trade‑off is tactile feel: glass will never give you the muscle memory of a hardware joystick, but the payoff is a lighter, cheaper, mobile AV production rig that one person can carry under an arm.
USB audio and 3D layouts make composition and sound less of a compromise
On audio, Mavis Studio now treats the iPad as a credible front‑end for serious microphones and mixers. USB audio interface support means up to four channels can be routed into the app’s audio desk, with the same interface used for headphone monitoring. In plain terms, that Focusrite or similar box already sitting in many rigs suddenly plugs straight into your tablet instead of forcing you through kludgy adapters or consumer‑grade inputs.
Visuals get a parallel upgrade with 3D layouts. Operators can angle layers in 3D space, stack picture‑in‑picture compositions, and create on‑brand frames without a separate graphics system. Because the same control wheel can switch into 3D layout adjustment, a single operator can tweak motion and depth on the fly while still riding audio and managing cameras. That consolidates what used to be three roles—TD, graphics op, and audio tech—into one screen and one pair of hands, which is both empowering and dangerous. For lean teams, it is a gift. For overloaded operators, it is another reason to rehearse.
From portable backup to primary switcher: are we there yet?
Mavis has been on a steady path from iPhone camera app to iPad‑as‑production‑room, layering camera‑to‑cloud, NDI HX3 streaming, LUT workflows and more before launching Studio at NAB. This update is the first real proof that the iPad is not an afterthought in live production but a platform Mavis expects crews to depend on. As the company puts it, “Mavis Studio is about giving people the tools of a professional live production system in a format that is far more portable and accessible.”
For AV teams, systems integrators, venues, educators, houses of worship and content creators, the pitch is simple: one device, fewer boxes, lower friction. With multi‑camera switching, NDI I/O, PTZ control, USB audio, 3D layouts, recording and streaming wrapped into a single app, the iPad is now a viable alternative to fixed live production systems—provided your IP network is solid and your expectations are grounded. The smart move is to treat Mavis Studio not as a toy or emergency backup, but as a primary system you qualify rigorously, using that five‑minute NDI Preview window to discover whether your infrastructure is ready for a control room that fits in a backpack.
