With the ability to provide hard light, soft light, and RGB colors and effects, the Nanlite MixPad II 27C is a powerful LED panel that provides lots of output and capability for an attractive price, and we're happy to announce that it's now supported by the NANLINK app for iOS and Android. New firmware will let you directly control the MixPad II 27C wirelessly with a mobile device. This post carefully explains how to update the firmware so you can start controlling your MixPad II 27C with the app.

How to Update the Firmware of the Nanlite MixPad II 27C

In order to update the firmware of the MixPad II 27C, you're going to need a few things:

1. A MixPad II 27C
2. A USB-C flash drive
3. A computer

You're also going to need the AC power supply that comes with the MixPad II 27C or some charged NP-F batteries. If you don't already have a USB-C flash drive, the specific model we recommend is the Verbatim USB-C Store 'n' Go Dual USB Flash Drive. 

You need a computer because you need to download the new firmware, and load it onto the flash drive. But before you do that, you should reformat the flash drive to FAT or FAT32. How do you do that? Clearly written instructions for how to format a flash drive to FAT or FAT32 are provided here.

Before you get started, you first need to download the new firmware. You can download the new firmware for the MixPad II 27C here. Now you're ready to do the update. Let's go...

1. Plug your USB-C flash drive into a computer.
2. Format the flash drive to FAT or FAT32.
3. Load the firmware onto the flash drive and eject it from the computer.
4. Turn the MixPad II 27C on, to make sure it's working, and turn it off again.
5. Plug the flash drive into the USB-C port on the back of the MixPad II 27C.
6. Turn the MixPad II 27C on.
7. The screen on the MixPad II 27C will say: "Found firmware _V1.00.08"
8. Press the MODE button on the MixPad II 27C, then press MENU.
9. The screen will say "Updating....." for a few seconds.
10. The MixPad II 27C will resume normal operation when the firmware update is complete.

How to control the MixPad II 27C with the NANLINK mobile app

If you don't have the NANLINK app on your phone yet, you need to get it. If you have an iPhone, this is what you need. If you're on Android, this is what you're looking for. When you have NANLINK running, you may not see the MixPad II 27C and an available Bluetooth device to connect to. You may need to reset the Bluetooth on the MixPad II 27C. This is how to do it:

1. With the MixPad II 27C powered on, press the MENU button.
2. Then turn the right dial on the MixPad II 27C once to highlight BT:RESET on the screen.
3. Next, turn the blue left dial to active the BT RESET screen. 
4. Turn the right dial once to highlight RESET, then press MODE.
5. You are done with this part, the Bluetooth has been reset.

Now it's time to pair the NANLINK app with the MixPad II 27C. This is how to do it: 

1. Launch the NANLINK app and tap the hamburger menu, then select "+ New Scene."
2. Name your new scene, then press the big "+" button to add a new fixture.
3. On the next screen select "Via Bluetooth."
4. You should see "MixPad II 27C" on the next screen. Tap on it to select it, then tap Done.

You should now be able to control the MixPad II 27C with the NANLINLK app! Not only can you easily control every setting on the light, you can now deeply tweak the settings of of each mode and effect. If you create a look that you like, you can quickly and easily save it as a recallable preset. Just tap the "heart+" icon in the upper right corner, give your preset a name, and save it.

We hope this post has been helpful! If you have any further questions about the MixPad II 27C, please contact us and we'll respond as quickly as possible.