Behringer WING Source and Channel Setup

Getting started

In this guide, we will show you how to set up a channel and start mixing on the Behringer WING digital mixer. This information also applies to the WING Black, WING Compact, and WING Rack. If you haven’t done so yet, follow our WING Setup, Connections, and Routing guide to get set up. Follow each of the sections below to get started. Once done, continue to our WING User Layers and Custom Mixing guide. 

1. Assign Sources to Channels
   • Alt Input Sources
   • WING Channel Processing
2. Headphones, Monitors, and Talkback
3. Adjust Bus and Bus Send levels
   • Create a Bus mix (Sends On Fader)
   • Create a Matrix mix (Sends On Fader)
4. DCA and Mute Groups
5. Save and recall WING Snapshots
6. Behringer WING Rack and WING Compact Tutorial Videos

Assign Sources to Channels

WING has multiple ways to connect audio signals, any of which can be sent to the 48 WING channels (each mono, stereo, and mid-side compatible!). Once an I/O peripheral is connected, all you need to do is select and configure each channel’s signal source. WING’s eight local preamps are selectable within the local inputs menu while all other sources are selectable within their respective connection type’s sub-menu.

Alt Input Sources

In addition to its main input source, each WING channel also has an alternate input. You can assign the alternate input source to a backup microphone, second guitar amp, or even W-Live or USB sound sources for a virtual soundcheck. You can even use the global Alternate Source feature to switch all enabled channels to their alternate source. This makes switching channels between their live and ‘virtual’ inputs fast and convenient.

• Assign a backup microphone (just in case). 
• Assign a second guitar amplifier for alternating back and forth. 
• Assign a computer/USB/W-Live source to perform virtual soundchecks from pre-recorded audio.
• Use the global Alternative Source feature to switch all enabled channels to their alt source.

WING Channel Processing

Each WING channel has a dedicated Channel Strip for signal processing. Adjust the Channel Strip settings from either the Main Screen or Channel Processing section. Since the two are independent, you always have channel strip control available, regardless of what’s being done on the main screen. The control knobs are touch-sensitive and can also be used to alternate (tap) and adjust (turn) your parameters. Not all processing menus are the same, and not all input sources are processed the same way. Save your Snapshot or Channel settings for easy recall the next time you have a similar input source.

• Input: adjust the input trim level. Hold to turn the input on/off.
• Filter: remove unusable high or low frequencies from your input source.
• Gate: automatically mute a signal when its level is below the adjustable threshold. 
• EQ: adjust frequency levels.
  • Touch the Band Solo icon to solo the selected frequency band in the monitor bus.
  • Touch the Freeze icon to stop the graphic equalizer meters.
• Comp: automatically reduce and smooth out signal levels which surpass the adjustable threshold.
• Insert/FX: send the channel’s signal to and back from a built-in FX processor or external effect processing device.
  • Touch the Dry Signal icon to adjust the FX level’s mix with the dry signal.
• Main: adjust the channel’s output level and pan position within each Main mix bus. 

Additional channel routing

• Insert: the second insert point can be used for effects but is also configurable with the Auto-X and Auto-Y auto mixes.
• Bus Sends: adjust the channels send level and pan position to each mix bus.
  • Touch the PRE TAP icon to select where the channel’s bus send is tapped from.
  • Touch the PRE FDR EQ icon to access the channel’s three-band equalizer for pre-fader sends.

Headphones, Monitors, and Talkback

There are two stereo ‘monitor’ mixes on the wing: Monitor A and Monitor B. Monitor mixes are for listening to your stereo mix, individual channels, monitor mixes, or any soloed source signal. Monitor A is the default stereo stream routed to both the headphones and aux outputs. Monitor B is a second monitor mix that can have a different source, level, and routing configuration. 

• Both WING headphone outputs always receive the signal routed to local Aux output 7-8.

Adjust Bus and Bus Send levels

WING makes it easy to create bus mixes for group mixing, personal monitoring, and more. Each fader section has Channel, Bus Master, and Main Matrix layers for adjusting levels, and the SOF Flip feature lets you use faders to mix each bus. We’ll show you how to do that further below, but let’s start by adjusting bus send levels from the screen. 

• All Channels have independent send levels to each of the 4 ‘Main’ busses and 16 ‘Bus’ busses.
• Only ‘Main’ and ‘Bus’ busses can be sent to a ‘Matrix’ bus (channels cannot be sent directly to a Matrix).
• Main and Bus channels cannot be sent to other ‘Main’ or ‘Bus’ busses, but can be sent to a Matrix bus.

Create a Bus mix (Sends On Fader)

You can control each channel’s bus send level from their respective channel strip controls. The Sends On Fader feature lets you use channel faders to mix bus sends levels to a bus. This makes it easy to select a bus, press the SOF Flip button, and then create a mix on the Left fader section. Just make sure to disengage Sends On Fader by pressing the SOF Flip button again to return the Left layer faders where they were last set.

IMPORTANT! If you select a Bus on any of the fader sections and engage the SOF Flip feature, only the Channel and Aux In layers will respond and control each channel’s respective Bus send level.

Create a Matrix bus mix (Sends on Fader)

A Matrix is a type of a mix bus, but instead of mixing individual channels together, you can mix both ‘Bus mixes’ and ‘Main mixes” together. Matrixes are used to accommodate mixing and routing that would otherwise not be available on your typical analog mixer. While the WING’s 4 Main busses and 16 ‘Bus’ busses provide a lot of flexibility, the additional Matrix busses make it possible to manage larger or more complex configurations.

• Create an alternate mix from ‘Main’ and ‘Bus’ mix busses.
• Send to a live stream or video recorder
• Route a unique or duplicate mix to a zone in your building

IMPORTANT! If you select a Matrix on the Center or Right fader sections and engage the SOF Flip feature, only the Bus Master and Main layers will respond and control each bus’ respective Matrix send level.

IMPORTANT! When sending a ‘Matrix’ bus to speakers which are not in the same room or are farther away, you may need to increase the Matrix’s delay time. Doing so will better align the ‘Mains’ acoustics with the room/area’s ‘Matrix’ mix.

DCA and Mute Groups

Wing has 8 DCA Groups for level control and 8 Mute Groups for mute control. DCAs (Digitally Controlled Amplifiers) allow a single fader to control multiple channels’ output levels (all at once and with the same level proportions). Channels are assigned to a DCA via Tags, which create the group and do the behind the scenes work. For example, a drum set would benefit from a DCA controlling the overall level. Create a mix from the individual drum channels and then tag them all to the same DCA. While each channel’s physical faders will remain where they are, the DCA fader proportionally adjusts all tagged channels’ levels.

Mute Groups are also tags, but only control each channel’s Mute status. Accessed from any Layer view, the Mute group icon displays each Mute Groups’ settings and status. Mute Groups are useful for muting certain channels within the signal chain. For example, you could mute all the personal monitoring on stage by assigning each monitor’s bus to the same mute group.

Configure a DCA 

Configure a Mute Group

Save and recall WING Snapshots

You can save your WING settings as Snapshots. Accessible from the Library, Snapshots are saved configurations that can be recalled to program the entire console or just certain sections, like source setups, layers, etc.. That makes it easy to save mix and stage monitor settings for each performance. Saving your settings is always a good thing to do, but WING makes it easy to recall whatever you need whenever you need it.

Behringer WING Rack and WING Compact Tutorial Videos

Behringer provides these videos that cover the Behringer Wing ecosystem.

Related Articles

Knowledge Base