The Midas M32C is a rack-mountable (1U) digital mixer with 40 input channels. This compact mixer is ideal for use on tour and on the go, although it's equipped with the same Midas PRO microphone preamplifiers found in the more expensive Midas consoles – renowned for their transparency, warmth, and detail. Its powerful DSP offers virtually unlimited dynamics with extremely low latency, ensuring that audio processing is both precise and free of delays, which is particularly important when mixing live events. The M32C can be easily connected to digital stage boxes such as the Midas DL32 via its AES50 ports, further expanding the number of inputs and outputs significantly. Combining the mixer with a router also enables wireless control via the M32 Edit desktop software or the M32 Mix app for mobile devices.
The Midas M32C has been designed to do entirely without physical faders, and with minimal controls in general. It is controlled entirely via software and apps, so working with it is a flexible and user-friendly experience. The accompanying software allows users to view and adjust all of the M32C's channels and buses, including gain, EQ, dynamics processors, routing, and effects. The desktop software (for Windows and macOS) also allows scenes to be saved and loaded, which is particularly useful for quickly accessing different setups and mixes. The app (for Android and iOS) has a user-friendly interface designed specifically for touchscreens. Musicians can also use their mobile device on stage to adjust their own monitor mixes. In addition, the M32C is compatible with a variety of MIDI and hardware controllers, as well as having a USB interface to make multitrack recordings directly via a DAW.
Despite its compact dimensions, the Midas M32C boasts a great range of connections that guarantee versatile usability: There are two AES50 ports for connecting digital stage boxes, thus enabling up to 96 inputs and outputs as well as the use of redundancy setups. The mixer can be integrated into a network via Ethernet for remote control using the M32 Edit software or the M32 Mix app. An ULTRANET connection can be used to send up to 16 channels with all the relevant control data to compatible personal monitoring systems (e.g. the Behringer P16) or loudspeakers (e.g. Turbosound iQ) via a single CAT5 cable. In addition, the M32C can be upgraded with optional expansion cards, which are simply inserted into the expansion slot to enable integration into DANTE or MADI audio networks or create a connection to ADAT-compatible devices.
With its flexibility, compact size, and high-quality audio performance, the Midas M32C is primarily aimed at users working professionally with live audio. The mixer's compact design means it's easy to transport and quick to set up – a major advantage for tours and other mobile events. The excellent sound quality and remote control options ensure pristine sound mixes in a variety of environments. In addition, the M32C is equipped with high-quality microphone preamps and a wide range of expansion options for multi-track recording and complex studio productions. Running the M32C on a DAW means sound engineers can move seamlessly to recording and editing their audio data, with the proprietary software and app also guaranteeing intuitive and user-friendly operation. The mixer's housing is robust and durable, making it more than able to withstand the rigours of everyday touring.
Founded in London in 1970, the company initially produced guitar amplifiers and speaker cabinets, but then specialised in the development and manufacture of audio mixing consoles and is now one of the leading suppliers in this field. In the late 1970s, Midas made giant custom consoles for Pink Floyd's tours, and Frank Zappa also used a custom-made Midas recording console for his 1980 world tour. Legendary product series such as PRO40, XL, and HERITAGE have become the industry standard. The Midas flagship XL4 toured the globe with legends such as Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Metallica, and the Rolling Stones and is still considered to this day to be the ultimate analogue live mixer. In 2009, Midas was acquired by Music Tribe. The development team, now based in Manchester, remained in place, while production was moved to the Music Tribe plant in Zhongshan, China.
From festivals to corporate events and from mobile studios to permanent installations, the Midas M32C is ideally suited to all kinds of live events and audio productions. One immensely functional set up, for instance, is an M32C used in combination with a stage box such as the Midas DL32 and a powerful WLAN router: At concerts, the mixing console can be controlled wirelessly via tablet or laptop, allowing the FOH engineer to move freely around the venue and check the sound from a variety of different positions. The mixer can also be used to build a band's monitor mixes and send them to the DL32, which can then deliver them to the musicians on stage. A similar combination of devices can also be used for mobile recording, with microphones and instruments connected to the stage box and multi-track recordings made on a computer via the M32C's USB interface.
The AES50, also known as "SuperMac" among sound engineers, is an open-source, royalty-free Audio over Ethernet protocol that allows 48 bi-directional channels to be transmitted at a sample rate of 48kHz and with low latency via a CAT5 cable over a distance of up to 100m. The AES50 ports on the M32 Live can be used with the Midas DL16 digital stagebox, for example, to accommodate 16 remote-controllable, high-quality Midas preamps and eight analogue XLR returns directly on stage. Using a single AES50 port, it is possible to daisy-chain up to three DL16 units for a total of 48 input channels and 24 return paths without an additional router.