X32 / M32 Female 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. Check the loudest belt and the quietest verse; if the quiet verse disappears, add compression or ride the fader rather than adding more EQ.
1High-pass filter
120-150 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 135 Hz, the middle of the card's 120-150 Hz.
Higher-register voices let you move the HPF up from 100 Hz, even to 250 Hz for very high 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.
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 135 Hz, 12 dB/oct
- 1 Bell 300 Hz, -2.0 dB, Q 0.9
- 2 Bell 3.5 kHz, +0.0 dB, Q 1.5
- 3 Bell 6.5 kHz, -2.0 dB, Q 4.0
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; a band whose range runs from cut to boost sits at 0 dB.
| Frequency | Gain | Q / width | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200-400 Hz | -1 to -3 dB | Wide | Proximity muddiness/boxiness. |
| 2-5 kHz | -2 to +2 dB | Medium | Intelligibility vs harshness; listen at loud passages. |
| 5-8 kHz | -1 to -3 dB (or de-esser) | Narrow | Sibilance. A de-esser or dynamic EQ is better than a static cut if available. |
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
Same moderate starting point as the male vocal; adjust for dynamic singers.
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)
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.
Helps the voice sit in the mix.
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
Check the loudest belt and the quietest verse; if the quiet verse disappears, add compression or ride the fader rather than adding more EQ.
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.
- AdvancedDynamic control of 2-4 kHz
A fixed cut can thin the sound; a dynamic tool only acts when it builds up.
On the M32: there is no dynamic EQ in the 2018 M32 effect list. Options: the Combinator (multiband compressor) as an insert, or ride a narrow EQ cut at 2-4 kHz. Check your firmware's FX list for newer options.
Common gear for Female Vocal
- Shure Beta 87A · Handheld condenser
- Sennheiser e935 · Dynamic vocal mic
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)
- 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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