Your lights follow
the video mix
When a scene goes live in OBS, or a camera goes to program in vMix, MyStrow sends the matching light. The director leads, the lighting follows — with nobody behind the console.
One video event, one lighting action
OBS or vMix, the principle is the same — and MyStrow connects to both in the same way. Your video mixer constantly reports what is on air: the active scene in OBS, the input on program in vMix. MyStrow listens to that signal and triggers the action you have assigned to that source.
In practice: the wide shot goes live → the front light comes up. You cut to the drummer's camera → the backlights turn blue. The credits start → the “end of set” cart plays by itself. Nothing to click during the show.
The link is one-way: the video mixer drives MyStrow, never the other way round. That's a design choice. The director runs the show, and a two-way link would open a feedback loop — MyStrow changes a memory, the mixer sends back an event, MyStrow replays the action — that you would then have to tame.
Everything goes over the network. If your video mixer and MyStrow run on the same computer, there is absolutely nothing to plug in.
Three types of action
A memory
A complete lighting state, stored on a MEM pad. It's the most common choice: each camera gets its own look. The memory is recalled exactly as if you had pressed the pad.
An effect
One of the effects on your E1 to E9 buttons: chase, strobe, rainbow, moving-head movement. Handy for a mood shot or a highlight that comes back every time.
A cart
A sound, played at the same time as the shot. Opening jingle, sound sting, ambient bed — triggered by the video, without taking your eyes off the lights.
Nothing
A source can have no action at all. Transition scenes, test patterns, technical shots: leave them on “Nothing” and the current lighting won't move.
Triggering happens on the rising edge. The action only fires at the moment the source becomes active. As long as it stays on air, nothing is replayed — so you can take over on the console during the shot without MyStrow overwriting you a second later.
Linking OBS to MyStrow
Since version 28, OBS includes an obs-websocket server, with no plugin to install. It's built in, but disabled by default: that's what blocks almost every first-time setup.
Enable the server in OBS
In OBS: Tools → WebSocket Server Settings. Tick “Enable WebSocket server”, then Apply. Note the port, 4455 by default. Without this box ticked, MyStrow can't reach anything.
Get the password
In the same window, click “Show Connect Info”. OBS shows an automatically generated password. Copy it. If you'd rather do without, untick “Enable Authentication” — on a closed production network, that's a reasonable choice.
Open MyStrow's OBS window
In MyStrow: Connection → 🎮 Control → 🎬 OBS Studio. Leave the host on 127.0.0.1 if OBS runs on the same computer, and paste the password. The Detect button finds the address by itself if your video mixer is on another machine on the network.
Test the connection
Click Test connection. The table fills up with the list of your OBS scenes, in the same order as in OBS. If nothing appears, check the troubleshooting table below — the message shown points to the cause.
Map scenes to actions
For each scene, choose the action type and then its target: memory 3.2, effect E4, cart 1… Scenes you don't want to trigger anything stay on “— Nothing —”.
Tick “Enable the OBS link”
At the bottom of the window, then Save. This box is what switches the link on: the settings alone trigger nothing. MyStrow will reconnect by itself the next time it starts.
💡 The address shown by OBS is not the one to copy. The connect info window shows an address like 192.168.1.x: it's meant for another device, a phone or a second machine. From the same computer, 127.0.0.1 leads to the same OBS — and that address won't change when your router hands out new ones.
Linking vMix to MyStrow
With vMix, it's quicker: MyStrow uses the TCP API on port 8099, which is always on. There is no server to enable and no password to enter.
This port was chosen over the web API (8088) for exactly that reason: the Web Controller may have been disabled, port 8099 can't be. One less thing to check on show night.
Open MyStrow's vMix window
In MyStrow: Connection → 🎮 Control → 🎥 vMix. The host is 127.0.0.1 if vMix runs on the same PC, the port is 8099. The Detect button looks for vMix on the local network if your video mixer is elsewhere.
Test the connection
Click Test connection: MyStrow reads the list of your vMix inputs and fills the table. Each row shows the input's number and name, as vMix reports them.
Map inputs to actions
Same principle as with OBS: for each input, an action type and a target. MyStrow follows the program tally — the action fires when the input goes live, not when it reaches preview.
Tick “Enable the vMix link”
Then Save. The link restores itself at every startup, and reconnects by itself if vMix is restarted during setup.
Preview or program? Only going to program triggers the action. An input in preview changes nothing in the lighting: you can prepare your next shot calmly, the audience won't see a thing coming.
A difference that matters
The two video mixers don't identify their sources the same way, and that has a very concrete effect on your mappings.
OBS — identified by its NAME
Reordering your scenes breaks nothing: move them around as you like. However, renaming a scene breaks the mapping — the action won't fire any more. Simply redo the assignment in the table.
vMix — identified by its NUMBER
It's the opposite: rename your inputs freely. But changing their order shifts the mappings, and the wide-shot lighting will fire on camera 2. Check the table after any change to the set.
The habit that avoids nasty surprises: after changing the order or names of your sources, reopen the link window and run “Test connection” again. The list refreshes and you immediately see the rows that no longer point anywhere.
It won't connect
MyStrow shows a specific message under the connection fields. In the app these messages are in French — here is what each one means.
| Message | What's happening | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Rien n'écoute sur 127.0.0.1:4455 (nothing is listening on 127.0.0.1:4455) |
Nothing answers on this port. By far the most common case. | Is OBS running? Is the WebSocket server ticked in Tools → WebSocket Server Settings? |
| Aucune réponse de… (no response from…) |
The machine doesn't answer at all, the connection times out. | Video mixer on another machine: check the address, and the firewall blocking the port. |
| Mot de passe refusé par OBS (password rejected by OBS) |
The connection goes through, but OBS rejects the authentication. | Copy the password again from “Show Connect Info”, with no trailing space in the selection. If you've just changed it, click Apply in OBS. |
| OBS demande un mot de passe (OBS requires a password) |
Authentication is enabled in OBS, but MyStrow's field is empty. | Enter the password, or untick authentication in OBS. |
| Hôte introuvable (host not found) |
The name entered doesn't match any machine. | Enter an IP address rather than a computer name, or use the Detect button. |
It connects, but nothing triggers
- Is the “Enable the link” box ticked? The mappings are saved, but they do nothing until the link is switched on.
- Did you click Save? Closing the window any other way discards the changes.
- Do the rows still point somewhere? A scene renamed in OBS, vMix inputs reordered: run “Test connection” again to refresh the list.
- Does the target memory still exist? An action pointing to a deleted memory does nothing.
- Are you expecting a trigger on preview? Only going to program has an effect.
Still stuck? Write to us via contact with the exact message shown by MyStrow, your OBS or vMix version, and whether both programs run on the same machine. Those three details are almost always enough to sort it out.
Lighting that serves the picture
Download MyStrow and let your video mixer lead the dance. Your shots change, the lighting follows.