How to use the Midas M32 and M32R Live

M32 is your “mind-to-sound” interface – the intersection of creativity and production. Whether you’re accustomed to digital mixers or not, the M32’s intuitive user interface offers a fluid mixing experience that instantly feels like home. From the first moments of use, the workflow unfolds in a way that strips away obstacles, distractions, and hesitation.

The M32 Channel Strip puts the most important channel processing parameters into one section so that no matter which channel you are working on, the controls are always the same. This highly-efficient layout stems from MIDAS, decades of console design and input from users.

Optimized control illumination ensures a clear indication of levels or status from any viewing angle. Illuminated rotary encoders and switches give you control of preamp settings, frequency shelving, dual dynamics sections, as well as multi-mode fully parametric EQ, bus sends, main, mono and stereo panning.

M32’s 7″ day-viewable color TFT (Thin-Film Transistor) display shows the setting parameters you need when you need them.

Selected for its high-contrast performance and outdoor visibility, TFT is ideal for concert and open air festival venues. Flanked by high-precision, context-sensitive tactile encoders, the screen comes to life and immediately reports in high definition all adjustments applied to a wide range of parameters. Intelligent design puts control of vital functions such as Effects, Metering, Routing and much more 1 or 2 button presses away.

M32 brings the convenience of digital mixing to your Aux and output bus mixes too, thanks to its integrated Sends on Fader feature. This incredible function allows you to build powerful, dedicated sub-mixes for monitor, secondary zone feeds, and much more – all without affecting the front of house mix or levels.

The M32 allows you to send your choice of signals to any Aux or output bus and then dial in the perfect mix via the channel faders.  The console remembers where you set the faders and instantly recalls them when you select a bus for quick adjustments.

DCA (Digitally Controlled Amplifier) groups allow control over several signals at once without actually mixing them into a subgroup bus. M32’s 8 DCA groups let you control multiple signals via a single fader, such as the entire drum mix, the horn section, or the backup vocalists, etc.

DCA control affects the FOH mix, while allowing the individual buses to remain unchanged. The result is a customizable workflow that provides maximum flexibility, but still allows individual buses and subgroups to serve the purpose they were intended for, such as zone sends, broadcast feeds, etc.

Across the M32 you’ll find 11 strategically placed View buttons associated with various functions. These buttons enable immediate access to information about that specific function. For instance, if you press the View button in the Equaliser section, information for that channel’s EQ is instantly shown on the main display, providing in-depth editing of all related parameters. This direct access to visual fine-tuning gives the engineer a level of control previously available only on consoles costing exponentially more. 

While some digital consoles offer a few user-definable controls, M32’s Assign section sets a new standard by providing a total of 36 fully customizable controls on three separate layers.

As with channels and buses, individual Scribble Strips are provided for immediate identification. Buttons can be defined to toggle parameters on/off , adjust timing of effects by tapping, or jump to specific screen views. Rotary encoders with LED collars can be assigned to specific channel parameters, or to additional parameters in the Dynamics section relevant to the current channel selection.

Legendary 40-year old British company TURBOSOUND, famous for producing some of the world’s best speaker systems, have teamed up with MIDAS to seamlessly integrate mixer and speaker systems. Calling it “Acoustic Integration”. The M32’s ULTRANET bus allows streaming up to 16 channels of pristine digital audio to an array of TURBOSOUND iQ speakers – all on a single CAT5 cable, along with control data to set sound presets remotely.

Furthermore, the iQ Series features “True Physical Modeling” of some of the most popular speakers which can be easily remote controlled via the M32, allowing the sound engineer to apply different speaker models in real time from the comfort of the mixing desk. “Acoustic Integration” is the next live sound revolution.

The M32 includes a 100-band Real Time Analyser (RTA) with full bar and spectrograph views on the M32-EDIT control application. This high-resolution RTA displays the audio energy distribution in 100 frequency bands over time – capturing a sonogram window of a full 10 seconds.

You can switch between the large RTA view to display any available signal at full screen resolution, or the combined view, which displays the RTA view above each of the channel and bus EQ curves. This feature lets you see the results of your filtering choices in the audio spectrum directly. Additionally, the RTA can be displayed on top of the 31-band graphic EQs in the FX rack. Monitoring and controlling frequencies has never been easier!

Adding 16 breath-taking FX “Plug-Ins” to the M32, gives you access to a total of 50+ effects that would otherwise cost tens of thousands of dollars in hardware.

This new generation of high-end FX “Plug-Ins” is based on True Physical Modelling of classic audio hardware. Essentially they “rebuilt” the classic analogue gear in the digital domain and included models of legendary processors such as Urei’s 1176*, Teletronix LA-2A* and Fairchild 670* compressors as well as the legendary Pultec* EQP-1a and EQ5 equalisers etc. Also adding a cutting-edge 5-band multiband compressor.

Last but not least, the M32 can now run 4 studio-quality stereo reverbs together with 8 channels of 31-band graphic EQ. This allows you to replace your old outboard gear with a fully recallable onboard solution.

A new Gain Split mode separates channel gain (trim) from the head amp gain, allowing both the FOH and/or the monitor engineer to adjust local trim digitally – and independently of the preamp gain. Additionally, the new HA Gain Remote option allows console gains to be remotely controlled by an external console, such as when using the M32 as a stage box.

The M32’s routing becomes even more flexible with this recent firmware upgrade. Output signals and XLR outputs are now treated separately, allowing signals from AES50 sources or expansion cards to be routed directly to the M32’s analogue outputs. For example, now you can use the outputs from an M32 for directly routing back PA or monitoring signals from a main or FOH console. New output tap points can be set as pre- or post-mute for greater usability with your P16 personal monitoring mixers. This is very useful in situations where you don’t want mute groups to interrupt your signal flow.

Introducing the Cue List, an innovative way to automate the loading of scenes and new “Snippets” at different points during a show. Each of the 500 Cue entries can load any of the 100 Scenes or Snippets separately or at the same time. This gives you an amazing total of 500 Cues x 100 Scenes x 100 Snippets! For example, store your favourite EQ settings for drums on channels 1 – 8 as a Snippet, recallable in an instant as its own preset, completely independent of the console’s overall scene. It’s like taking a snapshot of a parameter on an input, return, FX slot, bus, Matrix, Main or DCA group – and saving it for quick access whenever you need it.

In the pursuit to lead the industry in every possible aspect, Midas decided to design the world’s most reliable motor fader. Diving deep into materials science, employing semi-precious metals that offered the durability they desired. They took painstaking care to design a motorised fader that would provide continuous performance night after night, year after year.

After spending a great deal of time working with metal vendors, they developed precision components that offer high linearity, robustness, and smooth feel during operation. They needed ultra-straight high-grade steel guide rods with smooth polished surfaces – and they got them. Working closely with their manufacturing partners to maintain the tolerance of their parts, always choosing the most suitable materials and controlling the processes to ensure consistent moulding quality and eliminating the warping and deformation caused by shrinking as the parts cool.

True, none of this was easy – they spent many long hours developing the MIDAS PRO FADER design. However the results speak for themselves. MIDAS PRO FADERS are rated for up to 1,000,000 cycles – three times that of other leading manufacturers.

A total of 29 programmable LCD Scribble Strips offer channel/bus identification that mirrors what is being controlled. Use them to enter input/output tags, plus add icons you recognize at-a-glance. Then assign colours to create visual groups for immediate, on-the-fly recognition of similar inputs. Simple, elegant and effective – plus you’ll never need masking tape again.

M32 includes an extensive array of onboard effects, rendering outboard processing racks a thing of the past. The Virtual FX rack features 8 true-stereo, studio-grade effects engines each assignable to any input, group or output mix bus. Choose from high-end FX modules including a range of reverbs, delays, EQs, dynamics and much more.

Each FX algorithm has been completely re-imagined for stunning performance – typically costing several times the price of the M32.

Custom-designed, and physically modeled after some of the most iconic and sought-after processors, all effects run inside the low-latency environment of the M32 mix engine, ensuring flawless performance, flexible routing and the end of cable faults forever!

Each M32 comes loaded with all of the connectivity, I/O and functionality you need, right out of the box – but it doesn’t end there. Onboard USB 2.0 connectivity delivers a full 32 x 32 channels of audio and MIDI to your DAW. Integrated multi-channel digital audio interfaces connect to remote stage boxes and/or the P16 Personal Monitor System. Native Ethernet control enables remote operation by computer, iPad or iPhone over a wired or wireless network, across the room – or across the planet!

Dual AES50 network ports featuring KLARK TEKNIK SuperMAC technology support up to 96 inputs and 96 outputs over shielded (STP) CAT5 cable, allowing remote stage boxes and sharing signals among several connected M32s and other MIDAS, KLARK TEKNIK and AES50-equipped products.

On-board ULTRANET provides a 16-channel digital mix direct to P16 Personal Monitor Mixers, without added hardware, cost or latency.

Ethernet, USB and MIDI are all standard features on M32.

A versatile powerhouse of a live console, the M32 LIVE also provides robust studio functionality. Record and play back up to 32 tracks which run on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 operating systems or Mac computers via integrated USB 2.0 connectivity. M32 LIVE supports a variety of sample rates, allowing you to record up to 32 tracks of live audio directly to your computer for mixing down later. Take advantage of M32 LIVE’s built-in FX engines to augment your DAW’s plug-in collection, or to free up valuable computer resources.

M32 LIVE’s recall capability makes it easy for both project and professional studio engineers to stay organised by storing projects as scenes, either internally or externally on a USB stick.

The M32 LIVE’s expansion slot provides flexible and expandable connectivity for many different applications. A wide array of Klark Teknik expansion cards can easily be used in place of the pre-installed DN32-USB card to release the power of M32 LIVE into existing MADI*, Dante* and ADAT networks. Fully compatible with these widely available audio protocols, the M32 LIVE delivers a seamless integration in digital live sound, recording and broadcast environments.