Live Mixer Connection
Several Wing Tools features can talk to a real WING console on your network — linting a live desk, generating a routing PDF from what's actually patched, comparing a saved show against the live state, and more. They all connect the same way: through the small WingBridge helper app and the Connect to Mixer dialog.
Note: The connection itself is free, but the live features it powers each have their own tier — for example, live linting is Pro. You'll see an upgrade prompt if a live feature isn't included in your plan.
Overview
Your browser can't open a raw network socket to a mixing console, so Wing Tools uses a tiny local helper — WingBridge — that runs on your computer and relays between the browser and the console. Everything you read this way is a live, partial view: it is never saved and never overwrites your stored files.
The typical flow is:
- Start the WingBridge helper on the same network as the console.
- In Wing Tools, open Connect to Mixer (from a live-capable feature).
- Pair the helper once (a one-time security confirmation).
- Choose your connection protocol (Native or OSC).
- Discover or add your console, select it, and read.
Getting Started
Requirements
- The WingBridge helper installed and running on your computer. If it isn't running, the dialog shows a download hint with a link.
- Your computer and the WING on the same network.
- A plan that includes the live feature you want to use.
Pairing the helper (one time)
The first time your browser talks to the helper, you'll see a short list of pairing words. Confirm that the same words appear in both places, then click confirm. This protects the connection and only happens once per browser/helper pair.
Connecting and reading
- Click Connect helper. The status badge turns to connected.
- Click Discover on LAN to find consoles automatically, or add one by IP (for example
192.168.1.8). - Select a console with its radio button.
- Click the read button (its label depends on the feature, e.g. Lint or Generate routing PDF).
Choosing the Connection Protocol
In the Connect to Mixer dialog you choose how Wing Tools talks to the console. This choice is made in Wing Tools (not in the helper) and is remembered between sessions.
| Protocol | Simultaneous apps | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| OSC (UDP) (default) | One at a time — the console serves a single OSC client | Works on every WING model; the reliable default |
| Native (TCP) | Multiple — Wing Tools coexists with other apps | You want WING‑Edit or Mixing Station connected at the same time (currently WING Compact and Rack) |
The WING's OSC server accepts only one client at a time, so connecting Wing Tools over OSC can bump another OSC app off the console (and vice versa). The native protocol allows several clients at once, so you can read your desk in Wing Tools while WING‑Edit or Mixing Station stays connected.
Note: OSC is the default because it reconstructs every WING model. Native (TCP) currently supports the WING Compact and WING Rack (which share the same routable I/O) — on other models a native read reports an error and you switch back to OSC. Support for more models is coming.
Tip: Choose Native when you need to work alongside other WING software on a WING Compact or Rack; otherwise the default OSC is the simplest choice.
Important: There is no automatic fallback between protocols. If the selected protocol can't reach the console, Wing Tools shows an error and stays on your choice — switch protocols manually and try again. This keeps the behavior predictable rather than silently changing how Wing Tools connects.
Reading and writing
- Reading (lint, routing PDF, signal flow, diff, source parse) works over either protocol and produces the same result.
- Writing to the console (for example, applying linter fixes or source remaps) currently uses OSC, regardless of the read protocol you picked. You don't need to do anything — the write path handles this for you. Native write support is planned.
Read-Only and Write Mode
The connection is read-only by default. Reading never changes the console.
To make changes (such as applying fixes to the desk), switch to Write Mode using the read-only/write toggle in the connection panel or the bridge menu in the top bar, and pick a scope:
| Scope | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Once | The next single write, then back to read-only automatically |
| For the session | Until you disconnect |
| As default | Remembered across sessions |
Warning: Write Mode lets Wing Tools change a live, connected console — it can alter what your musicians and audience hear. Every write still shows a confirmation of old value → new value before anything is sent. Apply changes only when it's safe (not mid‑song).
Multiple Mixers
You can register more than one console (discovered or added by IP). The active selection is remembered. Each console gets its own connection, so switching the active mixer reads the right desk.
Troubleshooting
"Connect helper" does nothing / helper not found
The WingBridge helper isn't running, or your browser can't reach it. Start the helper and try again; the dialog's download hint links to the installer. On Safari, the helper is reached over a secure local address that the installer sets up for you.
Native read fails but OSC works (or vice versa)
There is no automatic fallback by design. Switch the connection protocol in the dialog and read again. If only one protocol reaches the console, check that nothing else is monopolizing the console's OSC client when using OSC.
Another app gets disconnected when I connect
That's the single-client limit of OSC. Switch to Native (TCP) so Wing Tools and the other app can share the console.
Next Steps
- Snapshot Linter: Lint and fix a live console.
- Routing Generator: Generate routing documents — including from a live desk.
- Source Management: Read and remap sources from a live console.
Questions? Check the Reference section for troubleshooting tips.