X32 / M32 Overheads starting point
Beginner Skill level for both modes below. Optional intermediate and advanced tips are in Going further.
Two starting points for this source: pick the mode that matches your room, dial it in, then adjust by ear in the full mix.
Which mode?
Small room with a loud kit: use A (cymbals only). Big room, quiet stage or a livestream: use B (full kit).
Mode A Small room: cymbals only (default)
Use when: Small club or room where the kit is loud on its own and you only need a little cymbal clarity.
1High-pass (EQ 1 LOW set to LCUT, channel Low Cut off)
300-700 Hz (start ~400; up to ~700 in a small loud room) (EQ 1 LOW in LCUT mode)
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 400 Hz, the card's suggested starting point.
The kick, snare and toms have their own mics and the room is already full of drum low end; the overheads only need to add cymbal detail. The channel Low Cut only goes up to 400 Hz, so leave it off and use EQ 1 (LOW) in LCUT mode instead, starting around 400 Hz and going up to about 700 Hz in a small loud room. Set by ear: if the cymbals start to sound thin, bring it down.
On the X32 / M32: Leave the channel Low Cut (Config/Preamp LOW CUT button) off: it only goes up to 400 Hz. Instead, in the EQUALISER section select the LOW band, press MODE until it shows LCUT, and turn FREQUENCY to about 400 Hz (up to ~700 Hz in a small loud room) (that band sweeps 20 Hz-20 kHz). EQ 1 is now your high-pass, which leaves LO MID, HI MID and HIGH for the cymbals. (X32: same controls.)
2Gate
- Use
- No
Gating cymbals sounds choppy and unnatural.
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
- 1 LCUT 400 Hz, 12 dB/oct
- 2 Bell 3 kHz, -2.0 dB, Q 1.5
- 4 High shelf 11 kHz, +1.5 dB
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-4 kHz | -1 to -3 dB (only if harsh) | Q ~1.0-2.0 (LO MID band) | Cymbals get piercing in a small loud room. |
| 10-12 kHz | +1 to +2 dB (only if dull) | Shelf (HIGH band, MODE = HSHV) | A gentle lift for shimmer. Leave it flat if the cymbals are already bright. |
On the X32 / M32: With EQ 1 (LOW) used as the high-pass, use LO MID for the 2-4 kHz harshness cut and set HIGH to HSHV (high shelf) with the MODE button for the 10-12 kHz lift. GAIN +/-15 dB, FREQUENCY 20 Hz-20 kHz, WIDTH (Q on the X32) 0.3-10.
4Compression
Attack 15-30 ms · Release 100-200 ms (timing, not shown on graph)
Illustration in the style of the X32 / M32 compressor screen, not a screenshot. Compression is optional here (Off, or 2:1); the graph shows 2:1 in case you use it. The threshold is an example only: it is set so a −6 dB peak gets about 1 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
- Off, or 2:1
- Attack
- 15-30 ms
- Release
- 100-200 ms
- Gain reduction
- 0-2 dB
Cymbals rarely need compression; heavy settings bring up the wash.
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
Little or 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.
A small room already adds plenty of ambience.
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
Bring the overheads up until the cymbals sound just a little clearer than they do acoustically, then back off a touch. If you notice them in the mix, they're probably too loud.
Mode B Full kit: big room or stream
Use when: Bigger room, quiet stage, or a livestream/recording where the overheads carry the whole kit picture.
1High-pass filter
80-150 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 115 Hz, the middle of the card's 80-150 Hz.
Keeps the kit's body in the overheads while removing rumble and stand noise.
On the X32 / M32: Use the channel Low Cut as normal: Config/Preamp section, press LOW CUT and turn FREQUENCY to 80-150 Hz (range 20-400 Hz).
2Gate
- Use
- No
Gating cymbals sounds choppy and unnatural.
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 115 Hz, 12 dB/oct
- 1 Bell 400 Hz, -3.0 dB, Q 1.2
- 2 Bell 4 kHz, +1.0 dB, Q 1.0
- 3 High shelf 10 kHz, +2.0 dB
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300-500 Hz | -2 to -4 dB | Q ~1.0-1.5 | Mud and boxy room tone. |
| 3-5 kHz | 0 to +2 dB | Q ~0.8-1.2 | Light presence so stick attack and cymbal definition come through. |
| 10 kHz and up | +1 to +3 dB | Shelf (HIGH band, MODE = HSHV) | Air and shimmer. |
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 10-30 ms · Release 100-200 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 (2:1 to 4:1 (M32 steps: 2, 2.5, 3, 4)); the graph shows the first value, 2:1. The threshold is an example only: it is set so a −6 dB peak gets about 3 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
- 2:1 to 4:1 (M32 steps: 2, 2.5, 3, 4)
- Attack
- 10-30 ms
- Release
- 100-200 ms
- Gain reduction
- 2-4 dB
Light control evens out the kit without squashing the cymbals.
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
Small send to the drum reverb, or none if the room is live
Drum reverb (plate / room), about 1 s decay, send around -18 to -12 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 shared drum reverb can glue the kit for a stream; a big room adds its own.
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
Start with only the overheads up and get a balanced picture of the whole kit, then add the close mics to fill in.
Phase and time alignment
Phase and time alignment: keep the two overheads the same distance from the centre of the snare (measure with a tape or a mic cable). Then flip polarity on the kick and snare mics one at a time with the overheads up; keep whichever setting sounds fuller. If the snare still sounds thin, try a small delay (a few ms) on the snare and kick mics so they line up with the overheads, and judge by ear.
A snare that reaches one overhead about 1.5 ms earlier than the other can sound like it's fully to one side; mics fighting each other in time make the kit thin.
On the M32: channel delay is on VIEW > Home > config, encoder 4 (tap to switch it in), range 0.3-500 ms. Polarity is the Ø button in the Config/Preamp section (also Home tab page 2, tap encoder 2).
Going further (4 optional tips)
Not needed to get a good start. Try these once the basics above sound right.
- IntermediateSpaced pair vs XY vs ORTF
Spaced pair: two mics apart over the kit, widest stereo, but keep them equidistant from the snare to avoid a thin sound. XY: two cardioids with capsules together at about 90°, narrower image but very little phase trouble, good for mono and streams. ORTF: cardioids 17 cm apart at 110°, wider than XY with low phase risk.
No console setting: this is mic placement. On the console, pan a spaced pair or ORTF pair left/right and check the kit in mono (solo both overheads) for a thin or hollow sound.
- AdvancedMinimal-mic method (one over the snare, one beside the floor tom)
A well-known minimal setup: one mic about 4-6 feet above the snare pointing down, a second low beside the floor tom looking across toward the snare and hi-hat, both the same distance from the centre of the snare, plus a kick mic. It gives a balanced kit picture with few channels, which suits Mode B and streams.
Pan the high mic slightly to one side and the floor-tom mic wider; set both channels like Mode B. Check polarity against the kick mic.
- IntermediateLink the pair
Both sides get the same settings and stay balanced.
On the M32: VIEW > Home > config, tap encoder 1 to link the channel with its odd/even neighbour.
- AdvancedCompare modes in mono for the stream
Streams are often heard on phones and small speakers. A spaced pair that sounds wide in the room can go thin in mono.
On the M32: use the Monitor screen's mono option, or solo both overheads, and listen for a hollow sound; adjust placement or delay.
Common gear for Overheads
- Rode M5 (pair) · Small-diaphragm condenser
- Shure SM81 · Small-diaphragm condenser
Scene / preset file
Coming later: downloadable X32 / M32 channel preset for this card.
Sources
- Sweetwater InSync: EQ Frequencies of Musical Instruments Explained (Music Instrument Frequency Cheatsheet)
- Sweetwater InSync: 8 Essential EQ Tips for Live Sound
- Shure: Microphone Techniques for Live Sound Reinforcement (PDF)
- Sound On Sound: Engineering Drums Live, Part Two
- Audio-Technica: 3 Basic Techniques for Overhead Drum Mic Setup (spaced, XY, ORTF)
- 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)
- ProSoundWeb: Cut 'Em Off At The Pass, Effective Uses Of High-Pass Filtering
- Sound On Sound: Q. What time delay between stereo overhead mics is acceptable? (equal distance to the snare)
- Sound On Sound: Q. Where should I put my overhead mics?
- Sound On Sound: Recording Drum Kits With Only Two Mics
- Behringer X32 User Manual (PDF, channel strip: Low Cut, Gate, EQ, Dynamics)
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