Gamepad Control
pMix.studio supports gamepads (MFi controllers, PlayStation, Xbox controllers connected via Bluetooth) for physical control of cameras and switching.
Connecting a gamepad
- Put your gamepad in pairing mode
- On the iPad, go to Settings → Bluetooth
- Connect the gamepad
- pMix.studio automatically detects the connected gamepad
Camera control
When a PTZ-capable source is selected in preview:
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Left stick | Pan and tilt the camera |
| Right stick or triggers | Zoom in/out |
| D-pad | Fine-grained directional movement |
The stick deflection maps to speed — a small deflection moves slowly, full deflection moves at maximum speed. Full deflection reaches exactly the same camera speed as a full drag on the on-screen joystick, including on controllers whose sticks stop just short of the corner.
There’s a dead zone around centre so a resting stick doesn’t creep, and it’s the dead zone the app actually uses rather than a nominal one.
Speed
The SPEED slider on the PTZ panel scales the gamepad as well as the on-screen controls, zoom included. Turn it down for a slow reveal, up for a fast repoint between shots.
Seeing what the stick is doing
While you’re driving with a gamepad, the on-screen PTZ controls mirror the stick. You can see the move you’re making on the panel, which makes it much easier to learn a rig’s feel.
Switching control
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| D-pad left/right | Navigate between sources in the grid |
| A button | Set the selected source as preview |
| B button | Execute the configured transition (preview → program) |
D-pad focus is visible on screen as you move, and each region has a dismissible on-screen guide showing what the buttons do there. Grid tiles are remappable too — bind a tile to any controller input in the mapper. An input you haven’t bound shows a Tap to assign hint rather than doing nothing.
Audio mixer control
The gamepad can also drive the audio mixer while the audio panel has focus — ride faders, mute channels, and adjust the master without touching the screen.
The channel cursor walks the mixer in the order you’re looking at, so hidden strips and collapsed groups aren’t positions you have to step through.
Every control is remappable: open Settings → Game Controller → Mixer Controls to assign sticks, triggers, and buttons to mixer actions. The mapper shows your controller visually, includes a Button Check tester so you can verify inputs, and Reset to Defaults if a mapping experiment goes sideways.
Why use a gamepad?
- Physical control — Joystick control feels more natural for camera movement than touch
- Simultaneous pan/tilt/zoom — Move on two axes plus zoom at the same time
- No screen interaction — Keep your eyes on the monitors, not on the touch controls
- Speed and precision — Proportional stick control gives smooth, variable-speed camera moves
Tips
- Low sensitivity — Start with gentle stick movements. Full-speed pan/tilt looks jarring on camera
- Practice — Smooth camera moves take practice. Rehearse before your production
- Combine with presets — Use the gamepad for fine adjustments and OSC/preset recall for major position changes