This quick guide will work for Behringer X32 and Midas M32 digital mixing consoles with USB interface card.
It’s simple!
🟦 1. Prepare software and hardware:
⚪ For important live recordings, consider using a uninterruptible power supply – UPS, to keep your rig powered, when a power accident should happen.
1.1. Download and install audio software.
1.2. For Windows computers, install an X-USB driver or X-LIVE driver.
1.3. Connect the X32 to a computer via USB cable.
1.4. Connect your microphone cable(s) to XLR input(s) on X32.
1.5. If you are using a notebook computer, connect it to the charger now.
1.6. Make sure you have enough disk space.
🔵 1.7. Prepare your new session in Reaper:
1.7.1. Go to “REAPER / Preferences…”, or press “Cmd+,” (comma).
1.7.2. Set the audio device to “X-USB” and press “OK”.
1.7.3. Go to “File / Save project as…”.
1.7.4. The recommended project name format is: “23mmdd-session-name.RPP”.
1.7.5. Select “Create subdirectory for project”.
1.7.6. Click “Save”.
🟦 2. Set the routing:
⚪ On the console, you need to set “Card out” routing, to send the audio signals to the consoles USB interface.
🔵 2.1. “Card out” routing:
2.1.1. Press “ROUTING” and click the “PAGE SELECT right arrow” until you are on the tab “card out”. If you wish to use XLR connectors on the back of the console, the screen should look like this:
2.1.2. “Local 1-8” refers to the console’s XLR inputs 1-8.
2.1.3. If “Local 1-8” is highlighted orange, this means it’s “Connected”.
2.1.4. Similarly, go to “SETUP / CARD” and verify that “CONFIGURATION” is set to “32in/32out”.
❗photo needed
🔵 2.2. “Channel source” routing:
⚪ On the console, you need to set “Channel source” routing to be able to control the desired preamplifier(s).
🟡 2.2.1. The easiest way: If you CAN clear all the parameters of your current session AND it’s routing to the default state, click here:
2.2.1.1. Make sure you save your current session, in case you will need it later.
2.2.1.2. Next step will clear all the parameters of your current session AND it’s routing to the default state. No sound will pass throught the console and all sound settings will be lost.
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2.2.1.3. On the console, press “SETUP” and click the “Initialize Settings Mixer”.
🟡 2.2.2. If you CAN NOT clear your current session, click here:
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Find free channels, set their sources to be able to control the preamps.
🔵 2.3. Input routing for one track:
⚪ In Reaper, you need to set track input routing, to receive audio from the appropriate channel.
2.3.1. In Reaper, create a new track by pressing “Cmd+T”.
2.3.2. On the new track, click the red “Record Arm” button.
2.3.3. In the track’s dropdown menu, select the appropriate input.
⚪ 2.4. Input routing for multiple tracks:
⚪ In Reaper, it’s easy to create multiple tracks at once and to assign their inputs sequentially.
2.4.1. ❗photo missing
right click, insert multiple tracks, “Cmd+A” select them all, click red button arms all
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on track’s 1 drop down, select assign inputs sequentially from 1
🟧 3. Setting preamplifiers and do a test recording:
⚪ Steps you MUST do before ANY recording.
🔵 3.1. Set the preamplifiers:
⚪ Usually it is good, when peaks hit somewhere around -12dB on the meters.
3.1.1. Select the appropriate channel.
3.1.2. If required, turn on +48V power.
3.1.3. Set the appropriate GAIN.
🔴 3.2. Verify the signal routing:
⚪ NOTHING WORSE THAN STOPPING A NICE RECORDING, REALIZING THERE IS MISSING AUDIO, OR THAT ALL TRACKS CONTAIN THE SAME SIGNAL.
3.2.1. Start the recording by pressing “Cmd+R”.
3.2.2. Go to scratch microphones to verify, that signal from each microphone appears ONLY in the appropriate track in Reaper.
3.2.3. Stop the recording by pressing “Space”.
3.2.4. Click “Save All”.
3.2.5. Check that all signals appear as expected.
🟠 3.3. Other things to check:
⚪ Does each microphone signal appears only where it should?
3.3.1. Double verify your input signals when:
– using other inputs than “Local” XLRs
– using a custom routing
– not using inputs in sequence, for example 1-4 and 11-16
3.3.2. Is your notebook computer connected to the charger?
3.3.3. Do you have enough disk space?
3.3.4. Are you using UPS?
🟥 4. Record, edit and export:
⚪ Make sure step 3 is completed without a failure.
🔴 4.1. Now record something important! 🙂
⚪ Even though Reaper can recover should some crash happen, it is a good practice to save the session by pressing “Cmd+S” after every recording.
4.1.1. Start recording by pressing “Cmd+R”.
4.1.2. Stop recording by pressing “Space”.
4.1.3. Click “Save All”, if you wish to keep what you just recorded.
4.1.4. Click “Delete All”, if you want to delete what you just recorded.
⚪ 4.2. Useful shortcuts for editing:
4.2.1. to undo the last action, press “Cmd+Z”
4.2.2. to redo the last undone action, press “Cmd+Shift+Z”
4.2.3. to enable / disable “stick cursor to grid”, press “Opt+S”
4.2.4. to cut the file into two pieces, left click on the desired position on the file and press “S”
4.2.5. to save your session press “Cmd+S”
🔵 4.3. To export your creation:
4.3.1. Adjust the “Time selection”. Left click and drag on the project’s time ruler OR anywhere outside the audio objects.
4.3.2. Go to “File / Render”.
4.3.3. Select “Master mix” and “Time selection”.
4.3.4. Set the desired “File name”. Leaving “Directory” empty will save the newly rendered file into the project directory.
4.3.5. Select the desired sample rate. The most commonly used rate is “48000”.
4.3.6. Select the format “WAV” and “24 bit PCM”.
4.3.7. Click “Render 1 file”.
🟧 5. Backup:
⚪ You absolutely MUST backup your work immediatelly after saving the session file.
🔴 Just copy that damn folder onto another physical media or into the cloud right now.
❗a link to the guide with the best backup practices is missing, don’t have your work missing too
✅ And you’re done!
If you found a mistake, or something is not clear enough, let me know!