X32 / M32 Male Vocal starting point
Beginner Skill level for the five steps below. Optional intermediate and advanced tips are in Going further.
Dial these in, then adjust by ear in the full mix. Ring out the vocal mic at gig volume before doors; if a singer cups the mic, watch for feedback around 1.6 kHz.
1High-pass filter
~100 Hz
Illustration in the style of the X32 / M32 low cut / HPF, not a screenshot. Drawn at 12 dB/oct; the shaded area is what gets cut.
Start around 100 Hz to clear stage rumble and low-end bleed; raise it for higher voices.
On the X32 / M32: Config/Preamp section of the channel strip: press LOW CUT and turn FREQUENCY (M32 label) to set it, 20-400 Hz. Screen: VIEW > Home > config, encoder 2 (also Home > eq, page 1). Need a cut above 400 Hz? Set EQ band LOW to LCUT mode with the MODE button.
2Gate
- Use
- No
Gating a vocal risks cutting off soft words; use mutes between songs instead.
On the X32 / M32: GATE section: press GATE to engage and turn THRESHOLD (-80 to 0 dB). Press VIEW for Home > gate: Range 3-60 dB, Attack 0-120 ms (1 ms steps), Hold 0.02-2000 ms, Release 5-4000 ms. Page 2 has the key filter (20 Hz-20 kHz) and key source. The protocol lists the modes EXP2, EXP3, EXP4 (expander 2:1-4:1), GATE and DUCK; check the names on your firmware's screen.
3EQ
- LC 100 Hz, 12 dB/oct
- 1 Bell 250 Hz, -2.0 dB, Q 0.9
- 2 Bell 600 Hz, -1.5 dB, Q 0.9
- 3 Bell 3.5 kHz, +1.0 dB, Q 1.5
Illustration in the style of the X32 / M32 EQ screen, not a screenshot. Curve shows the midpoint of the suggested ranges; HPF drawn at 12 dB/oct.
| Frequency | Gain | Q / width | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200-300 Hz | -1 to -3 dB | Wide | Proximity-effect muddiness when the singer is close on the mic. |
| 400-800 Hz | -1 to -2 dB | Wide | A small scoop smooths the voice. Too much and it gets buried. |
| 2-5 kHz | 0 to +2 dB | Medium | Intelligibility; careful, it gets harsh and fatiguing at high level. |
On the X32 / M32: EQUALISER section (EQUALIZER on the X32): pick the band (LOW, LO MID, HI MID, HIGH), then GAIN (+/-15 dB), FREQUENCY (20 Hz-20 kHz) and WIDTH (labelled Q on the X32; Q 10 narrow to 0.3 wide). The MODE button, or VIEW > Home > eq, sets the band type: LOW = LCUT, LSHV, PEQ or VEQ; LO MID and HI MID = PEQ or VEQ; HIGH = HCUT, HSHV, PEQ or VEQ. There is no separate low-pass filter on input channels: for a high cut, set the HIGH band to HCUT.
4Compression
Attack ~10-40 ms · Release ~300 ms (timing, not shown on graph)
Illustration in the style of the X32 / M32 compressor screen, not a screenshot. The card gives a ratio range (3:1 (go to 4:1 if needed)); the graph shows the first value, 3:1. The threshold is an example only: it is set so a −6 dB peak gets about 5 dB of gain reduction, the middle of the card's target. Set yours by ear while watching the gain reduction (GR) meter. Drawn hard-knee with no makeup gain. Attack and release shape timing and don't change this curve.
- Ratio
- 3:1 (go to 4:1 if needed)
- Attack
- ~10-40 ms
- Release
- ~300 ms
- Gain reduction
- 4-6 dB
A moderate starting point: 3:1 (4:1 for a dynamic singer), 10-40 ms attack, ~300 ms release, 4-6 dB gain reduction.
On the X32 / M32: DYNAMICS section: press COMP to engage and turn THRESHOLD (-60 to 0 dB); the LED meter shows gain reduction. VIEW > Home > dyn: Ratio (1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 20, 100), Attack 0-120 ms, Hold, Release 5-4000 ms, makeup Gain 0-24 dB, Knee 0-5, Peak/RMS and LIN/LOG. Page 2: pre/post EQ position, key filter and key source.
5FX send
Modest send to a vocal plate (~1.2 s decay, short pre-delay)
Vocal plate, about 1.2 s decay, send around -15 to -10 dB.
Illustration in the style of the X32 / M32 sends view, not a screenshot. Bus numbering depends on how the venue file is patched; set the level by ear.
A little reverb helps the vocal sit; keep it sparing in small rooms.
On the X32 / M32: Common practice is to feed FX from mix buses (e.g. Bus 13-16, set to pre/post as needed) patched to FX1-4 in the Effects rack, and return them on FX Return channels. Only FX1-4 can be fed this way; FX5-8 are insert-only and can't run reverbs. Check how your venue file is patched before assuming.
🎧 What to listen for
Ring out the vocal mic at gig volume before doors; if a singer cups the mic, watch for feedback around 1.6 kHz.
Going further (3 optional tips)
Not needed to get a good start. Try these once the basics above sound right.
- IntermediateUse a de-esser instead of a static EQ cut for 's' sounds
It only turns down sibilance when it happens, so the voice keeps its brightness the rest of the time.
On the M32: load Dual DeEsser (or Stereo DeEsser) into an FX slot (Effects > home; slots 5-8 are insert-only, which suits this), then on the channel go VIEW > Home > config and pick that FX as the Insert, insert on.
- AdvancedParallel compression for a fuller, steadier sound
Blend a heavily compressed copy under the dry sound: more weight, punch stays.
On the M32: VIEW > Home > dyn and use the compressor's Mix control (0-100 %) to blend dry and compressed. Or send to a bus with heavy compression and blend the bus in.
- AdvancedTwo-stage compression
A gentle first stage handles long-term level changes, a faster second stage adds density.
On the M32: keep the channel dyn as stage one (around 2:1) and insert a Fair Comp or Leisure Comp from FX slots 5-8 as stage two (VIEW > Home > config > Insert).
Common gear for Male Vocal
- Shure SM58 · Dynamic vocal mic
- Shure Beta 58A · Dynamic vocal mic
- Sennheiser e935 · Dynamic vocal mic
Scene / preset file
Coming later: downloadable X32 / M32 channel preset for this card.
Sources
- Mix: Start At the Source: Miking Vocals Onstage (1 July 2011)
- Sweetwater InSync: EQ Frequencies of Musical Instruments Explained (Music Instrument Frequency Cheatsheet)
- Sweetwater InSync: 8 Essential EQ Tips for Live Sound
- Behringer X32 User Manual (PDF, channel strip: Low Cut, Gate, EQ, Dynamics)
- Midas M32 User Manual (PDF; official download on the Midas M32 product page)
- Unofficial X32/M32 OSC Remote Protocol (P.-G. Maillot), parameter ranges, pp.24-26 (not a manufacturer document)
- Sound On Sound: Techniques For Vocal De-essing
- Sound On Sound: Parallel Compression
- Sound On Sound: Vocal Production (parallel compression, de-essing)
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