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How to Mix Faster and Better Using Presets on Your Behringer X32 and Midas M32 Mixing Consoles at Your Church.

In the fast paced world of live sound mixing in church, every detail and every moment matters, especially when it comes to the listening experience of your congregation both in person and online. By using X32 presets on your church’s Behringer X32 or Midas M32 mixing consoles, you can unlock the full potential of these mixing boards and significantly enhance your sound quality and streamline your mixing process. 

Whether you’re a seasoned sound engineer or a volunteer just stepping into the role, understanding how to effectively use presets and show file templates can transform your mixing sessions from tedious and difficult to exciting and easy. 

By harnessing these powerful tools, you can achieve a polished, professional sound in a fraction of the time, allowing your team to focus on mixing rather than the mechanics. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore practical tips and techniques for maximizing your sound by leveraging presets and templates on your Behringer X32 or Midas M32, ensuring that each service you mix not only sounds amazing, but also sounds exactly like YOU want it to. Not just some generic, lifeless copycat mix, but a dynamic, exciting mix that works great for you band, your church, and your mixing style. Join us as we dive into the art of mixing faster and better, enhancing your mixing experience for everyone in your church.

1. Understanding X32 Presets and Templates: What They Are and Why They Matter

A lot of times presets get a bad reputation in live sound mixing. They can be perceived as cheating, or “taking the easy way”, but when it comes to mixing sound effectively, having a great library of presets and templates can dramatically improve your mixing speed, consistency, and the quality of your mix. 

The part that makes all the difference… is knowing exactly how to use them.

Presets are pre-configured settings on your Behringer X32 or Midas M32 mixing console that allow you to quickly access a desired sound without having to adjust every individual parameter from scratch. Essentially, they are your go-to configurations for various instruments, vocals, or overall mixes, saving you valuable time during rehearsals and services.


Templates or show files, on the other hand, are broader frameworks that encompass multiple presets, and contain a full layout for your mixing console. Often show file templates are tailored to specific mixing situation. For instance, you might have a template designed mixing front of house, or monitors, or a livestream that includes specific microphone placements, EQ, compression, and effects settings for the band that are specific to those mixing scenarios.

Why do presets and templates matter? First, they streamline your workflow, allowing you to mix faster and more efficiently. This is particularly beneficial in a church environment where time is often limited and the pressure to deliver a seamless sound experience is high. When you have reliable presets at your disposal, (especially presets that are specifically designed for mixing in church) you can adapt to changes quickly, whether it’s a last-minute soloist or other changes. Furthermore, they help maintain consistency across different services and events, ensuring that your congregation enjoys a cohesive mix experience every time they walk through the doors.

By investing the time to create and understand your presets and templates on the Behringer X32 or Midas M32, you empower yourself and your team to focus more on the message and the worship experience, rather than getting bogged down in the technical details of sound mixing. Ultimately, this leads to a more engaged congregation and a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Before we talk about exactly how to set up your X32 or M32 with presets and templates, it’s worth mentioned that we’ve already done the hard work for you!

We’ve created an entire library of presets, templates, and show files for the X32 and M32 (as well as other digital consoles) that you can check out right here.

This library of presets and templates is specifically designed for mixing in church and it’ll make your mix sound amazing right away!

>>Click here to check out the X32/M32 Worship Preset Library

2. Setting Up Your X32 or M32 Console for Success With Templates and Presets

Setting up your Behringer X32 or Midas M32 console for success is a crucial step that can dramatically enhance your mixing experience, especially in a church setting where sound quality can significantly impact the worship atmosphere. Utilizing templates and presets is not only a time-saver but also a game changer for achieving professional-sounding mixes with ease.

For instance, you can find vocal presets that enhance clarity and warmth, ideal for sermons/speaking mics and worship leaders, while instrument presets can optimize the sound for guitars, keyboards, and drums. By selecting a preset that matches each input source, you can dramatically reduce the time spent tweaking individual settings. 

Being able to to pull from a great library of presets allows you to get to a great staring point quickly and easily and will allow more time for you to focus on the detail on your mix. The presets will take care of the broad strokes and get you around 90% of the way to a final mix, so you can focus on the last 10% rather than the full 100%.

Next, it’s extremely beneficial to create custom templates tailored to your church’s specific needs. Start by setting up a standard channel layout that aligns with your typical service setup. This could include dedicated channels for the pastor’s microphone, vocalists, instruments, and other audio sources. Once you’ve established your layout, save it as a template. This way, whenever you switch between different services or events, you can easily recall your preferred configuration, ensuring consistency and efficiency.

Additionally, take advantage of the scene-saving feature available on both the X32 and M32. After you have dialed in the perfect mix for a particular service, save the entire session as a scene. This allows you to quickly switch back to that setup in future services, saving you the hassle of starting from scratch each time. You can also create multiple scenes for different services, such as a more subdued mix for reflective worship or a more dynamic setup for lively congregational songs.

Incorporating these strategies into your mixing routine not only helps streamline your workflow but also allows you to focus on the spiritual experience rather than getting caught up in technicalities. With a well-organized setup and reliable presets at your fingertips, you can maximize your sound and enhance the worship experience for your congregation.

Our preset pack contains a full library with over 200 presets and multiple show files created specifically for mixing worship. 

It’s a super easy way to get to a nearly finished mix so you don’t have work as hard to dial in a great mix every Sunday.

>>Click here to check out the X32/M32 Worship Preset Library

3. Creating Custom Presets for Your Church’s Unique Sound

Creating custom presets for your church’s unique sound can significantly enhance your mixing experience on the Behringer X32 and Midas M32 consoles. These powerful tools are designed to accommodate a variety of audio environments, but personalizing them to suit your church’s acoustics and musical style takes your sound quality to the next level.

Start by analyzing the characteristics of your worship space. Pay attention to elements like room dimensions, surface materials, and the tone of your PA system, as these factors will influence how you set up your preset library on your X32 or M32. Once you have a clear understanding of your space, you can begin crafting presets that enhance clarity, depth, and richness in your audio.

Begin with the console’s built-in factory presets as a foundation. These provide a great starting point, but tweaking them will allow you to tailor the sound to your church’s needs. Adjust EQ settings to highlight specific instruments or vocals, ensuring that every voice is heard with clarity and every instrument is positioned perfectly in the mix. For example, if your church has a strong choir presence, you might boost the midrange frequencies to ensure the vocal harmonies shine through without overwhelming other elements.

Don’t forget to experiment with the effects and dynamics processors available on your console. Adding reverb can create a warm, immersive experience, while compression can help manage the dynamic range of your performances, ensuring that soft passages are audible and louder moments don’t overwhelm the congregation. Save these settings as custom presets, labelled according to the specific event or type of service, such as “Full Band Sunday” or “Contemporary Worship,” making it easy for sound engineers and other volunteers to switch between them on the fly.

Finally, involve your worship team in the process. Gather feedback from musicians and vocalists about how they feel about the sound during rehearsal. Their insights can guide your adjustments, leading to a more cohesive sound that supports the overall worship experience.

By investing the time to create and refine your presets, your church can maximize its sound potential, ensuring that every service resonates deeply with the congregation and enhances the worship atmosphere. Whether you are mixing live for a small gathering or a large congregation, the right presets can transform your audio setup into an engaging sonic environment that uplifts and inspires.

4. Utilizing Show File Templates for Easy and Efficient Mixing

One of the most powerful features of the Behringer X32 and Midas M32 mixing consoles is the ability to utilize show file templates, which can significantly streamline your mixing process and enhance your overall sound quality. By creating or downloading templates tailored to your specific church events, you can save invaluable time during setup and ensure consistency across different services.

To start, consider the types of events your church hosts—whether it’s weekly services, special performances, or community gatherings. Develop a show file template for each type, laying out the channel assignments, input settings, and effects that work best for your sound. For instance, if you have a standard setup for your worship band, you might include presets for individual instruments, vocal microphones, and ambient mics in your mix. By doing this, you create a solid foundation that can be easily called up before each event.

When it comes to efficiency, having a reliable template means that your sound engineer can focus more on the nuances of the mix rather than spending precious minutes on initial setups. Instead of adjusting gain levels, EQ settings, and effects from scratch, you can simply load your show file and make minor tweaks to fit the specific needs of that day’s performance. This approach not only reduces the risk of errors during busy service preparations but also allows for a more polished and professional sound.

Moreover, as you become more familiar with your templates, you can continually refine and improve them based on feedback and experiences. Take note of what works and what doesn’t during various services and make adjustments accordingly. By regularly updating your show file templates, you ensure that they evolve alongside your church’s musical style and technical requirements, ultimately leading to a better auditory experience for your congregation.

Utilizing show file templates on the Behringer X32 and Midas M32 is about more than just efficiency; it’s about maximizing your sound by providing a stable, customizable starting point that allows you to focus on creative mixing. This not only enhances the worship experience but also instills a sense of confidence in your sound team, ensuring that every service resonates beautifully with your audience.

If this all sounds awesome to you, we’ve created something to make it a LOT easier for you: it’s a huge library of presets and templates for your X32 or M32. 

>>Check out the X32 preset and template library here!  

We’ve developed these presets specifically for mixing in church and every preset and template is designed with the goal of helping you get a professional, incredible sounding worship mix quickly and easily.

We have thousands of churches using these presets every single Sunday and I hope you’ll check them out too!

Additionally, if you want to learn more about live sound, I’d encourage you to check out our online courses including Sound Guy Essentials, the X32 Masterclass, and the EQ Secrets Masterclass to help you learn everything about running sound in church!


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