X32 / M32 Kick 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. Solo it briefly, then judge it in the full mix. If the kick and bass are fighting, decide which one owns 50-70 Hz and cut that range slightly on the other. Headroom: drum hits peak much higher than they look, so keep the loudest peaks on the main LR a few dB below clipping.
X32 / M32 note: Tip: X32 channel presets (Library) let you store this kick setup and recall it at the next gig.
1High-pass filter
30-50 Hz (start at 40)
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 40 Hz, the middle of the card's 30-50 Hz.
Clears sub-rumble and stage thump below what the PA usefully reproduces, without touching the 50-80 Hz 'weight'.
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
Attack Fastest (0-1 ms, back off if it clicks) · Hold ~50 ms · Release 150-400 ms (shorter for a tighter kick)
Illustration in the style of the X32 / M32 gate screen, not a screenshot. The gate is optional here; the graph shows it in case you use it. Range drawn at 15 dB, the middle of the card's 10-20 dB. The threshold is an example only; set it by ear.
- Use
- Optional
- Threshold
- Just above the bleed from snare/toms
- Attack
- Fastest (0-1 ms, back off if it clicks)
- Hold
- ~50 ms
- Release
- 150-400 ms (shorter for a tighter kick)
- Range
- 10-20 dB (don't fully close)
A partial-range gate tightens the kick and cuts bleed without the unnatural 'chopped' sound of a full close.
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 40 Hz, 12 dB/oct
- 1 Bell 60 Hz, +2.5 dB, Q 1.0
- 2 Bell 325 Hz, -6.0 dB, Q 1.8
- 3 Bell 3.75 kHz, +2.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50-70 Hz | +2 to +3 dB | Wide (~1) | Body/weight. Small boost; the PA and room usually supply plenty. |
| 250-400 Hz | -4 to -8 dB | Medium (~1.5-2) | The 'boxy', cardboard tone lives here. Cutting is usually more effective than boosting lows. |
| 2.5-5 kHz | +1 to +3 dB | Medium | Beater click so the kick reads in a dense mix and on small speakers. |
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 10-20 ms · Release ~100 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 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
- 10-20 ms
- Release
- ~100 ms
- Gain reduction
- 3-6 dB
A slower attack lets the beater transient through, then evens out hit-to-hit level.
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 / dry
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.
Kick reverb muddies the low end in most clubs.
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
Solo it briefly, then judge it in the full mix. If the kick and bass are fighting, decide which one owns 50-70 Hz and cut that range slightly on the other. Headroom: drum hits peak much higher than they look, so keep the loudest peaks on the main LR a few dB below clipping.
Going further (3 optional tips)
Not needed to get a good start. Try these once the basics above sound right.
- IntermediateUse the gate's key filter
Lets the gate listen only to the beater so snare hits don't open it.
On the M32: VIEW > Home > gate page 2: key filter on, high-cut type (HC6/HC12), around 1-1.5 kHz; tap Key Solo to hear what the gate hears.
- AdvancedShape the attack with a transient tool
Adds or softens beater punch without EQ.
On the M32: insert Wave Designer from an FX slot (Effects > home), then select it as the channel Insert (VIEW > Home > config).
- IntermediateSave and copy channel settings
Recall the same starting point next week or on the next mic.
On the M32: VIEW the LIBRARY screen's channel tab to save/load a channel preset; use it to load the same setup onto the next channel.
Common gear for Kick
- Shure Beta 52A · Kick mic
- AKG D112 MKII · Kick mic
- Audix D6 · Kick mic
Scene / preset file
Coming later: downloadable X32 / M32 channel preset for this card.
Sources
- Sweetwater InSync: Making your kick drum and bass line sit nicely together in the mix
- Sweetwater InSync: How to EQ (Almost) Anything
- Sweetwater InSync: EQ Frequencies of Musical Instruments Explained (Music Instrument Frequency Cheatsheet)
- Shure: Microphone Techniques for Live Sound Reinforcement (PDF)
- 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
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