Does QLab Run on iPad?
QLab has shipped on Mac since 2008 and has no iOS or iPadOS counterpart from Figure 53. Searches for "QLab iPad" or "QLab on iPad" reach a dead end on the official site because the product simply does not exist on that platform. The App Store returns unrelated apps for the same query.
That gap is what LitPads fills. LitPads is a universal Apple app, which means a single $14.99 one time purchase covers Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Sound operators who need cue list playback on iPad can run shows from the iPad without a Mac in the chain. The same setlist syncs across all three devices via iCloud, so a show built on Mac plays back on iPad with no manual transfer.
LitPads is a custom soundboard app with cue list mode that combines a pad grid for individual sounds with an ordered cue list for live show playback.
Why Is There No QLab for iPad?
QLab's feature set, multi output routing, AudioUnit effects chains, video compositing, DMX over USB to Ethernet adapters, depends on macOS frameworks that either do not exist on iPadOS or work differently enough to require a separate app from scratch. Building that on iPadOS is a multi year engineering project for a market that already has Mac hardware in place.
The practical result for a sound operator is the same regardless of the reason. There is no QLab iPad app to download. The official QLab website lists macOS as the only supported platform. For an operator who specifically needs the iPad form factor, an alternative is the only path forward.
How Does LitPads on iPad Compare to QLab on Mac?
- Native iPad app, runs without a Mac
- GO button with customizable shortcut
- Manual, auto, timed advance (0.5 to 30s)
- Per cue fade in and fade out (0 to 10s)
- Crossfade between adjacent cues
- MIDI note triggering for GO, STOP, Reset
- Waveform display per cue
- Per cue notes for the operator
- Universal: Mac, iPad, iPhone
- macOS only, no iPad version
- Audio, video, lighting, MIDI cues
- Multi output routing per cue
- DMX and sACN lighting control
- OSC messaging
- Fade curves and timeline editor
- MIDI Show Control
LitPads on iPad is not a like for like QLab replacement. It is an audio cue list app that covers what most sound operators actually press during a show. Productions that need video projection, lighting triggers, or multi zone speaker routing cannot replace QLab with LitPads on iPad or anywhere else.
Mac users facing the same QLab decision get a parallel breakdown in the QLab alternative for Mac with cue list comparison, which lays out per pad EQ and pitch shifting features that QLab Free does not include.
What Does the iPad Cue List Look Like?
Each cue displays a name, optional notes, fade in and fade out indicators, and a waveform of the longest audio item in the cue. The fade in zone is shaded green and the fade out zone is shaded orange so the operator can see the envelope at a glance. Auto scroll keeps the current cue in focus throughout the show without manual scrolling.
Tapping the GO button advances the cue. The default key binding on an iPad with a connected keyboard is the spacebar, the same as on Mac, and the binding is customizable per setlist. STOP and Reset have their own buttons and key bindings. The full pad grid layout for the iPad sits behind the cue list view and is covered in the soundboard app for iPad with pad grid and setlist mode.
Which Advance Modes Does LitPads Support on iPad?
This matches the typical theatre workflow where some cues fire on stage action (manual), some chain off the previous cue (auto), and some need a fixed gap such as a 3 second pause before house music fades in (timed). A single show can mix all three within the same cue list.
Worship services, school productions, and corporate events apply the same three modes with different timing. The full pattern catalog with example cue sequences is laid out in the sound cue software for theatre and live events, which compares LitPads alongside QLab and other show control options.
What QLab Features Are Missing in LitPads on iPad?
Multi output routing is the most common reason a production cannot move off QLab. Routing dialogue to a center cluster, music to mains, and effects to surround speakers requires per cue audio device assignment. LitPads plays through the global audio output selected in app settings, not per cue.
Fade curves are the second most common gap. LitPads fades are linear ramps from 0 to volume or volume to 0. QLab supports ease in, ease out, and custom curves. For most cues a linear ramp is fine. For long ambient transitions where the audience can hear the math, curves matter.
Video, DMX, and OSC are absent because LitPads is an audio focused soundboard app, not full show control. A production that needs a unified cue list across audio, video, lighting, and network triggers should stay on QLab and run it on Mac.
Who Should Use LitPads on iPad Instead of Looking for QLab?
If the goal is to run an audio cue list from an iPad backstage, in the booth, or from the audience, LitPads is the practical answer because QLab does not exist on iPad and shows no sign of arriving there.
Sound operators who must have multi output routing, video, DMX, OSC, or fade curves should keep using QLab on a Mac. Adding an iPad to that setup is a layout choice, not a replacement choice. For everyone else, LitPads on iPad covers the cue list workflow without a Mac in the chain.
The free tier includes all play modes and basic pad functionality. Cue list mode requires the $14.99 Pro upgrade. The upgrade is one time with no subscription, no ads, and no account required.
Marcel Iseli is an indie developer, DJ, and music producer with over 20 years behind the decks and in the studio. Rooted in hip hop culture, he collects drum machines, samplers, and vintage audio gear. LitPads grew out of that obsession: decades of triggering samples on hardware led him to build the software equivalent he always wanted.