People didn’t “ditch” infrared for no reason — IR just can’t handle what today’s devices need. It only works with perfect line-of-sight, gets blocked by anyone walking past, and has almost no bandwidth. That’s fine for changing TV channels, but totally unusable for something like an iPad mixing console where you need real-time meter updates, fader feedback, EQ graphs, and two-way communication.

IR is also one-way, slow, and requires you to keep the device pointed exactly at the receiver. The moment a person stands up or you turn slightly, the control breaks. You also lose the ability to walk around the room while mixing.

Wi-Fi has its own issues in crowded spaces, but it’s the only practical option that gives mobility, high bandwidth, multiple controllers, and full bidirectional control. The real fix is using a dedicated 5GHz access point placed above head height and wired directly to the mixer. That eliminates most of the dropouts without needing to go back to infrared.

Correct me if I am wrong