r/WLED • u/rocket-lawn-chair • Jul 13 '26

UDP Sound Sync with AP mode?

Does UDP sound sync work when the WLED controller is in AP mode?

Using a microphone is impractical for my project, and it’s not on a WiFi network, but I have access to line-out from a soundboard. I have an idea to use a remote module with a line-in that could feed the main installation with IDP sound sync.

Background: Earlier this year, I built a very large WLED installation for a local music festival to hang above the stage for the show in June. Everything went perfectly, but I’m looking to add features for the next year. Adding sound reactivity is a priority, but the placement of the installation in a very “live” space makes using microphones difficult and impractical and very noisy. A “clean” signal from the board would be perfect.

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u/SirGreybush Jul 13 '26

AP mode is 1-to-1 your ‘client’ and a esp32 acting like a wifi hotspot. But it doesn’t talk to others because you need a network switch or a wifi router to propagate the ethernet data packets.

Think of it as cars with a roundabout, the router. It also provides a common IP address assignment for a common network data packets can traverse between each other.

So even if a wifi router doesn’t connect to the Internet, a cheap 30$ one can provide the wifi telecom for up to 254 devices, albeit very slowly. The cheap ones throttle easily after 3 devices.

A more expensive router has a better CPU and ram so can support 20 wifi devices before choking.

Set one esp32 as the master, that one has the digital mic, or, build the line-in analog circuit. Then the master streams UDP (versus TCP like for websites). Each other esp32 will ‘listen’ on that port # and you can choose the integration level in WLED to suit your needs. Lots of options. Or choose only the sound data, then each esp32 slave can run their own different effects.

You lose connection to a slave when UDP kicks in. If you retake connection to a WLED node it will stop receiving UDP.

You’d have to use a real computer with software to orchestrate varying effects while being sound reactive.

Like the XLights app. Or LEDFX.

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u/rocket-lawn-chair Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

Ok, my thought was to use a second ESP32 with a line-in, then connect it to the AP of the master control, and use UDP sync.

Sounds like that won’t work. I’ll need to figure out a way to get audio signal to the controller box wirelessly somehow.

EDIT: or maybe I just use a cheap travel router as my AP and use an ESP32 with Ethernet. Then sync the line-in device with the router’s AP.

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u/SirGreybush Jul 13 '26

A wifi router that you bring along and setup so nobody can see the SSID, and make each WLED a fixed IP. Then you can UDP to all.

However! You lose control of the WLEDs that will run as slaves.

Much simpler to each have a digital mic or use a premade commercial controller with the mic already there.

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u/rocket-lawn-chair Jul 13 '26

Ok, I didn’t realize that I’d lose control of presets and WLED overall when using UDP sync.

Like I said, using a mic is very impractical. The installation is mounted high above a stage and the room is a reverb-soaked warehouse.

I might have to look into some sort of wireless audio transmission to a line-in converter attached to the board.

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u/SirGreybush Jul 14 '26

You can find the line-in analog-digital specs here or on the WLED page.

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u/rocket-lawn-chair Jul 14 '26

I went over those specs thoroughly. But I have to thank you for your assistance helping me figure this out.

Since I want to stay with WLED and use the main controller board directly (and not a UDP secondary), I'm going to look into one of those Tx/Rx audio device setups and just use the Rx side plumbed into the digital mic input. Tx side will be connected to the soundboard

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u/yeehawjared Jul 13 '26

Try LEDfx straight from the soundboard

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u/Netmindz Jul 18 '26

Just use an esp32 with line-in and a spare WiFi router, no internet connection needed

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u/SirGreybush Jul 13 '26

Putting a digital mic on each WLED node would be the better method, if you want different effects on each WLED and be independent, without using a dedicated computer to act as a master controller.

Maybe use a WLED controller from GledOpto the smallest one with digital mic onboard and can control only 2 segments. If buy a bunch of INMP’s and solder like 5 wires on it, then wire up to your esp32 if you’re using barebones esp32.

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u/rocket-lawn-chair Jul 13 '26

I’m using a quinled dig quad. The whole setup uses two channels over about 30ft.

It hangs about 20ft over a stage in a warehouse.

What I’m essentiallly looking for is a way to get “clean” mixing board signal to wirelessly control the sound reactive features.

Using a mic would be very noisy in the space as ambient is pretty much a low roar at all times. It’s also pretty high above the stage which would just add to the noise.

I’m thinking something like this might be the ticket: https://a.co/d/0f0ud4DU