X32 / M32 Bass DI 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. Walk the room: bass that sounds fine at FOH can boom in corners. Watch for one or two notes jumping out; that's a room mode, a narrow cut fixes it.
1High-pass filter
30-40 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. Drawn at 35 Hz, the middle of the card's 30-40 Hz.
Removes sub-sonic energy that eats amp power without adding audible note.
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
Not needed on a DI'd bass.
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 35 Hz, 12 dB/oct
- 1 Bell 90 Hz, +1.0 dB, Q 0.9
- 2 Bell 250 Hz, -3.0 dB, Q 1.5
- 3 Bell 850 Hz, +1.5 dB, Q 1.5
- 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80-100 Hz | 0 to +2 dB | Wide | Fundamental/punch; coordinate with the kick. |
| 200-300 Hz | -2 to -4 dB | Medium | Muddy build-up that clouds the low mids in small rooms. |
| 700 Hz-1 kHz | +1 to +2 dB | Medium | Growl/definition so notes are audible on small speakers. |
| 2-5 kHz | 0 to +2 dB | Medium | String snap/finger noise; adjust to taste. |
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 20-30 ms · Release 250-500 ms (shorter for fast notes) (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 4.5 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
- 20-30 ms
- Release
- 250-500 ms (shorter for fast notes)
- Gain reduction
- 3-6 dB
Bass players vary a lot note to note; compression keeps the low end steady.
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
None
Keep dry: no FX send.
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.
Keep bass dry.
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
Walk the room: bass that sounds fine at FOH can boom in corners. Watch for one or two notes jumping out; that's a room mode, a narrow cut fixes it.
Going further (3 optional tips)
Not needed to get a good start. Try these once the basics above sound right.
- AdvancedDuck the bass under the kick (sidechain)
The bass dips for a split second on each kick hit, so the two stop fighting in the lows.
On the M32: on the bass channel, VIEW > Home > dyn page 2: Key Source = the kick channel; set a fast attack, short release and only 1-3 dB of reduction.
- 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.
- AdvancedAdd grit with a tube stage
A little drive helps a clean DI read on small speakers.
On the M32: insert Dual Tube Stage from FX 5-8 (VIEW > Home > config > Insert); keep it subtle.
Common gear for Bass DI
- Radial ProDI · Passive DI box
- Countryman Type 85 · Active DI box
Scene / preset file
Coming later: downloadable X32 / M32 channel preset for this card.
Sources
- Sweetwater InSync: How to EQ (Almost) Anything
- Sweetwater InSync: Making your kick drum and bass line sit nicely together in the mix
- Sweetwater InSync: EQ Frequencies of Musical Instruments Explained (Music Instrument Frequency Cheatsheet)
- 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: Mix Tips For Kick & Bass
- Sound On Sound: Parallel Compression
- Sound On Sound: Vocal Production (parallel compression, de-essing)
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