Snapshot Generator (Pro)

The Snapshot Generator creates Behringer WING snapshot files (.snap) from Excel or PDF channel lists -- or from a channel list you type directly in the browser. Upload a spreadsheet or PDF with your channel names (or enter them manually), configure source patching and monitors, and download a console-ready snapshot -- all without touching a physical mixer.

Overview

The Snapshot Generator walks you through a 4-step wizard:

1. Upload -- Import a channel list and optionally a template snapshot
2. Channels -- Map columns, set source patching, reorder and configure channels
3. Monitors -- Configure monitor buses (IEM, wedge, aux)
4. Generate -- Review your configuration and download the .snap file

You can optionally provide a template snapshot so the generator overlays your channel configuration onto an existing show file, preserving EQ, dynamics, bus routing, and FX settings. With a template, the channel table becomes WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) -- the layout you see in the table is exactly what ends up in the generated snapshot.

Common Use Cases

• Advance preparation: Build show files from a production manager's Excel channel list before arriving at the venue
• Standardized setups: Convert a master spreadsheet into consistent WING snapshots across multiple shows
• Template-based workflows: Start from a template snapshot with known-good processing (EQ, dynamics, FX) and overlay new channel assignments
• Paper-to-digital conversion: Turn printed PDF channel lists into WING-ready snapshot files

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• A Wing Tools account with Pro-tier access
• An Excel (.xlsx, .xls) or PDF file containing your channel list, or type your channels directly in the browser (see Entering Channels Manually)
• Optionally, an existing .snap file to use as a template base

Basic Workflow

1. Navigate to Snapshot Generator in the sidebar
2. Upload your Excel or PDF channel list (and optionally a template snapshot), or click Enter channels manually to type your channels directly
3. Map columns, configure sources, and arrange your channels
4. Set up monitor buses
5. Review the summary and click Generate

Step 1: Upload

The upload step uses a side-by-side layout with two drop zones:

Channel List Upload

The generator accepts:

After upload, a data preview shows the first 10 rows. Verify that columns and rows look correct before proceeding.

Multi-Sheet Excel Files

If your workbook contains multiple sheets, a sheet selector dropdown appears above the preview. Select the sheet that contains your channel list.

PDF AI Extraction

When you upload a PDF, the generator attempts automatic table detection. If the extracted data does not look right -- columns are merged, rows are split incorrectly, or data is missing -- click the Re-parse with AI button.

AI extraction uses a language model to intelligently parse the PDF layout. This handles complex formatting, merged cells, and non-standard table layouts that basic detection misses.

Entering Channels Manually

If you do not have an Excel or PDF file, you can type your channel list directly in the browser. On the Upload step, click Enter channels manually below the file drop zone to open the manual entry modal.

Two Sections

The modal is divided into two independent sections:

Per-Row Controls

Each row contains:

• Name -- Free-text channel name (e.g., "Kick In", "Vox Lead")
• Link mode -- Mono, Stereo, or M-S (Mid-Side). Defaults to Mono
• +48V -- Phantom power toggle. Enable for condenser microphones

Important: On the WING, a Stereo or Mid-Side channel is one channel -- it does not consume a second channel slot. Selecting Stereo or M-S simply changes how that single channel processes audio.

Row Operations

Each row offers four actions via the buttons on the right:

Auto-Grow

A new empty row appears automatically as you fill the last one, so you never need to manually add rows at the bottom -- just keep typing.

Draft Saved in the Browser

The manual entry draft is saved to your browser's local storage and survives page reloads and browser restarts. Your channel list is waiting for you exactly as you left it the next time you open the Snapshot Generator.

Using the Channels

Click Use these channels to close the modal and carry the channel list into the Configure step (Step 2). From there, the workflow is identical to uploading a file -- you can still set source patching, reorder channels, and configure monitors.

Note: The order you enter channels in is only indicative. If you use a template, the template defines the proposed channel order -- you can adjust it later on the Configure step.

Template Snapshot

The template snapshot section is prominently featured on the upload page because using a template is the recommended workflow. When you provide a template, the generator preserves your EQ, dynamics, FX, compression, and bus routing from an existing show file -- you only need to update the channel names and source patching.

You can provide a template in two ways:

1. Upload a .snap file: Drag and drop or browse for a snapshot file
2. Select from Files library: Click Browse Library to choose a snapshot from your My Files collection

Automatic Layout Resolution

When you upload a template, the generator automatically matches your rider channels to the template's channel layout using a 3-pass matching algorithm (exact name match, instrument sub-type, then tag category). The channel table updates to show:

• Matched channels: Placed at their template slot positions, inheriting the template's processing (EQ, gate, comp, color, DCA, bus sends)
• Unmatched channels: Inserted into nearby empty slots, receiving generic defaults

This resolved layout is immediately visible in the channel table's Slot column. What you see is exactly what gets generated -- no hidden rearrangement happens during generation.

Tip: If you skip the template, the generated snapshot starts from WING factory defaults -- flat EQ, no dynamics, no FX, no bus routing. For most shows, starting from a template saves significant setup time at the console.

Step 2: Channels

This is the main configuration step. It combines column mapping, source patching, and channel editing into a single streamlined view.

Column Mapping (Collapsible)

At the top of the step, the column mapper lets you assign a type to each detected column. After you have set your mappings, this section collapses into a summary bar showing the mapped columns (e.g., Mapped: Name, Mic, DCA Group | Rows 2-42). Click Edit Mapping to expand it again.

Column Types Reference

Important: You must assign exactly one column as channel_name. Without it, the generator cannot proceed.

Row Selection

Below the column mapper, the Row Selector lets you include or exclude individual rows. Deselect header rows, blank rows, or channels you do not need. The parsed preview updates live as you adjust.

Main Source Group and Auto-Fill

Above the channel table, a source defaults toolbar sets the default source patching for all channels:

Main Source: [AES50-A v] starting at [1]   [Auto-fill All]

• Main Source: Choose the I/O group (AES50-A, AES50-B, AES50-C, StageConnect, AUX In, AES3, LCL, USB, Card)
• Starting at: Set the starting slot number within that group
• Auto-fill All: Assigns sequential source numbers from the selected group, respecting stereo alignment (odd-number starts for linked pairs)

Auto-fill runs automatically when you first enter this step and whenever you change the main source group. This covers the 80% case where all channels come from a single AES50 port.

Channel Table

The channel table is where you fine-tune each channel. It shows all parsed channels with their slot positions (WING channel 1-40) and properties:

| Drag | Use | Slot | Tpl | Name        | Tag    | Mic   | DCA    | Link | Source | Color |
|  ===  | [x] |   1  |  ✓  | Kick In     | Drums  | B91A  | Drums  | Mono | A 1    |  ●    |
|  ===  | [x] |   2  |     | Kick Out    | Drums  | D112  | Drums  | Mono | A 2    |  ●    |
|  ===  | [x] |   3  |  ✓  | Snare Top   | Drums  | SM57  | Drums  | Mono | A 3    |  ●    |
|  ===  | [x] |   5  |  ✓  | OH L        | Drums  | KM184 | Drums  | ST   | A 5-6  |  ●    |
|       |     |   6  |     | -- OH R     |        |       |        | ST(R)|        |       |
|                    — slots 7–16 empty —                                                   |
|  ===  | [x] |  17  |  ✓  | Bass DI     | Bass   |       | Bass   | Mono | A 7    |  ●    |

Slot Column

The Slot column shows each channel's actual WING channel position (1-40). Without a template, channels get sequential slots (1, 2, 3...). With a template, slots are assigned based on the template matching result.

Spacer Rows

When there are gaps between channel slots, grey spacer rows appear showing "slots X–Y empty". These make the layout easy to understand at a glance -- you can see exactly where your channels sit on the WING's 40-channel strip.

Template Inheritance (Tpl Column)

When a template is loaded, the Tpl column appears. A checkmark indicates the channel inherits processing (EQ, gate, compressor, color, DCA assignments, bus sends) from the template. Below the channel name, a "from: ..." label shows which template channel provides the processing.

"Take Over" -- Inheriting from Any Template Channel

Click the Tpl column button to open a picker showing all template channels. Select a template channel to take over its processing. This is useful when:

• Your rider has "Kick In" and "Kick Out" but the template only has "Kick" -- you can have both rider channels inherit the template's "Kick" processing
• An unmatched channel should use a specific template channel's EQ/dynamics
• You want to reassign which template slot a channel inherits from

Select Clear inheritance to remove the link and use generic defaults instead.

Per-Channel Source Editing

Each channel shows its assigned source in a compact format like A 1, B 3, or A 5-6 (stereo pair). Click the source label to open a popover where you can override the source group and input number for that specific channel.

This lets you mix sources from different I/O groups in a single snapshot -- for example, drums from AES50-A and guitars from AES50-B -- without switching back and forth.

Reordering Channels

Riders rarely match stagebox order. The generator provides two ways to reorder channels:

• Drag and drop: Grab the drag handle on the left side of any row and move it to a new position
• Arrow buttons: Hover over a row to reveal up/down arrows for single-position moves

After reordering:

• Channel numbers auto-renumber
• Source assignments recalculate if auto-fill is active
• Stereo pairs move as a unit (dragging the L channel moves the R channel with it)

Stereo Pair Visualization

Stereo pairs are visually grouped:

• The right channel row is indented and shown at reduced opacity
• The left channel's source column shows a range (e.g., A 5-6)
• A light background band groups the L+R channels together
• Right channel fields are not individually editable -- edit the left channel to change the pair

Tags and Colors

• Tag: Auto-detected category based on channel name (Drums, Vocals, Keys, etc.). Click the badge to cycle through tag options.
• Color: WING console color shown as a color swatch. Click to open a palette picker with all 18 WING colors. Default is Blue (matching the WING default).

Warnings

The channel table displays warning triangles (⚠) next to the slot number when issues are detected. Hover over the triangle to see details:

• Source conflict: Two or more channels use the same source input (e.g., both "Kick" and "Snare" assigned to AES50-A input 1)
• Stereo slot: A stereo channel starts on an even-numbered slot (WING requires stereo pairs to start on odd slots)
• Slot conflict: Two channels occupy the same slot position

Include/Exclude Channels

The Use checkbox lets you exclude channels from the generated snapshot without deleting them from your list. Unchecked channels are grayed out and skipped during generation.

40-Channel Limit

The WING console supports up to 40 input channels. A counter in the table header shows your current usage:

• 28 / 40 channels -- normal display
• Yellow warning at 38+ channels
• Red error at 41+ channels (generate button disabled)

If your uploaded file has more than 40 usable rows, uncheck channels you do not need using the Use checkbox.

Step 3: Monitors

The monitor setup uses a table-first layout -- you see an editable bus table immediately, with no strategy selection blocking the view.

Auto-Detection

When you enter the monitor step, the generator auto-populates buses from two sources:

1. Template snapshot: If provided, bus names and types are extracted from the template
2. Channel name matching: The generator pattern-matches your channel names for monitor keywords (IEM, wedge, fill, mon, ears) and adds any detected buses not already present from the template

If no template is provided and no buses are detected from channel names, the table starts empty with a prominent Add Bus button and preset shortcuts.

Quick Presets

Three preset buttons appear above the monitor table for common configurations:

Presets replace the current table contents (with a confirmation prompt if you have made edits).

Bus Types

Each monitor bus has a type that determines how it is configured in the snapshot:

Table Features

• Drag-and-drop reordering: Same drag handle pattern as the channel table
• Arrow button reordering: Hover to reveal up/down buttons
• Inline editing: Edit bus name and type directly in the table
• Add Bus: Add new buses (up to 16 total)
• Remove: Delete individual buses
• Bus counter: 6 / 16 buses shown in the table header

Step 4: Generate

The final step shows a generation summary for review before creating the snapshot.

Summary Contents

The summary displays:

• Channel count: Total channels to be written
• Source assignment overview: Per-channel source mapping (showing mixed source groups if applicable)
• Monitor buses: Configured bus names and types
• Template: Template snapshot name, or "Factory Default" if no template was provided
• Channel list: Full list with assigned sources

Generate and Download

Click Generate to create and download your .snap file. The file is ready to load onto your WING console via USB or the WING app.

After generation completes, a Download Log button appears. The log is a text file detailing every action the generator performed:

• Which channels were created and their source assignments
• Stereo pair linkages
• Color assignments
• Monitor bus routing
• Any warnings or skipped entries

Tip: Keep the generation log alongside your snapshot file for documentation. It provides a complete audit trail of how the snapshot was built.

Template Snapshots

Why Use a Template?

When you generate without a template, the snapshot starts from WING factory defaults -- flat EQ, no dynamics, no FX, no bus routing. A template preserves:

• EQ settings: High-pass filters, parametric EQ curves
• Dynamics: Compressor and gate settings
• FX: Reverb, delay, and other effect configurations
• Bus routing: Existing send levels and bus assignments
• DCA assignments: Group fader configurations

This is valuable when you have a "house template" with known-good processing that you reuse across shows.

What Gets Overlaid

The generator places channels at their assigned slot positions (shown in the Slot column). For channels that inherit from a template slot:

Channels without a template inheritance (no Tpl checkmark) receive generic defaults: HPF at 80Hz, no gate, no compressor, no bus sends.

Tip: Use the "take over" feature to assign template processing to channels that were not automatically matched. This is especially useful when your rider uses different names than the template.

Channel Naming and Customization Link

Generated snapshots write channel names to both the channel and the connected source for clarity:

• Customization Link Disabled: All generated channels have clink=false, meaning the channel name is authoritative
• Dual Write Strategy: Names are written to both:
  • ch[N].name - The channel's name (primary)
  • io.in[group][source].name - The connected source's name (for consistency)
• Why This Matters:
  • Prevents confusion when viewing the snapshot file directly
  • Simplifies snapshot structure (name is directly on the channel)
  • Makes generated snapshots portable and easier to understand
  • Allows generated snapshots to be uploaded as templates without source resolution complexity
• On the Console: You can still enable customization link manually after loading if needed, but most users won't need to

Quality-of-Life Features

Undo (Ctrl+Z)

Channel table edits support undo via Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac). The undo stack covers:

• Name and property edits
• Reordering
• Source assignment changes
• Include/exclude toggles
• Bulk operations

A small Undo button in the channel table toolbar shows the last action (e.g., "Undo: moved Kick In"). The stack holds up to 50 operations.

Session Recovery

The wizard automatically saves your progress to browser session storage. If you accidentally close the tab or refresh the page:

• Your current step, column mappings, channel edits, source assignments, and monitor configuration are preserved
• A toast notification appears: "Recovered unsaved progress"
• You will need to re-upload your file (file objects cannot be saved to session storage), but all your configuration is intact

Session data is cleared after a successful generation.

Channel Color Reference

The WING supports 18 channel colors. These match the actual console colors:

Stereo Pair Detection

The generator automatically detects stereo pairs from channel names:

When a stereo pair is detected, the generator links the two channels and enforces odd/even source alignment -- the left channel maps to an odd-numbered slot, the right to the next even slot.

You can also explicitly set link mode via a stereo_mono column:

Tips and Best Practices

Prepare Your Spreadsheet

• Put channel names in a single column with one channel per row
• Use consistent naming conventions (see Audio Engineer Guide for recommendations)
• Include a header row so you can easily skip it during mapping
• Add a color column if you want console color coding

Use Templates for Consistency

If you regularly mix similar acts, create a master template snapshot with your preferred EQ, dynamics, and FX settings. Upload it as your template each time you generate a new show file. This gives you a head start on processing while still getting fresh channel names and patching from each show's channel list.

Mix Source Groups When Needed

Most shows patch everything from one AES50 port. But if you have a split setup -- say drums on AES50-A and band on AES50-B -- use the main source group for the majority and click individual source labels to reassign the exceptions.

Verify Before Loading

Always review the generation summary before clicking Generate. Confirm:

• Channel count matches your expectation
• Source assignments are correct (especially if you mixed source groups)
• Stereo pairs are detected properly
• Monitor buses make sense for your show

Keep Generation Logs

Download and archive the generation log with your snapshot. If something sounds wrong at soundcheck, the log tells you exactly what the generator wrote to each channel -- saving valuable troubleshooting time.

Understanding Customization Link (clink)

The Snapshot Generator intentionally disables the WING's "Link Customization to Source" feature (clink=false) for all generated channels:

• What is clink?: A WING feature that stores channel names/settings in the I/O source rather than the channel itself
• Why disabled?: Generated snapshots have explicit channel configurations that should remain independent of source routing
• Impact: None for most users. Channel names and settings work exactly as expected
• Manual override: If you need to enable customization link on the console, you can do so after loading the snapshot

Troubleshooting

Upload fails with an error

Column mapping issues

Channel table issues

Generation issues

Console loading issues

If the generated snapshot does not load on your WING console:

1. Verify the .snap file downloaded completely (check file size is not 0 bytes)
2. Copy the file to the root of a USB drive formatted as FAT32
3. On the console, go to Snapshots > Load and select the file
4. If the console reports a version mismatch, update your firmware or regenerate with a template from the same firmware version

Next Steps

• Signal Flow: Upload your generated snapshot to visualize and verify the routing
• My Files: Save generated snapshots to your cloud library for easy access
• Routing Generator: Create PDF documentation from your generated snapshot
• Source Management: Remap sources if you need to move channels between I/O groups after generation
• Audio Engineer Guide: Review naming conventions and best practices for WING workflows

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Questions? Check the Reference section for troubleshooting tips.