Behringer X32 Digital Mixer: Still the Best Value Digital Console?
The Behringer X32 has been the default digital console for small venues for over a decade. We look at why it lasted, which model to choose, and whether the WING Rack is now the better buy.
The Behringer X32 has been the default digital console for small and mid-sized venues for over a decade. That is a long life for any digital product, and it is worth understanding why it has lasted - and whether it is still the right console to buy.
Why the X32 lasted
The X32 gives you 40 input channels, 16 mix buses, a full effects rack, and a motorised fader surface for a fraction of what a comparable console used to cost. That was remarkable when it launched. It is still remarkable now, because the things that made it useful have not gone away.
- 40 channels of processing in one desk
- Motorised faders with scene recall, so a whole show can be stored and recalled
- A full effects rack built in, including reverbs, delays, compressors and EQs
- AES50 networking, so you can add stage boxes and digital snakes on a single cable
- iPad and computer control, so you can walk the room and mix
- USB recording, plus the option of a card for multi-channel recording
Scene recall is the killer feature
If you run a venue or a church, the ability to store a whole show and recall it exactly - night after night, with a different operator - is worth more than any single specification. The X32 made that kind of repeatability affordable, and it is the main reason so many venues still have one.
Which X32?
The range has grown well beyond the original desk:
| Model | Format | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| X32 | Full-size desk | FOH in a venue, 32 faders |
| X32 Producer | Rack-mountable desk | Smaller venues and studio use |
| X32 Rack | 3U rack unit | Installed systems, control from a tablet |
| WING Rack | 48-channel rack | Modern replacement with far more processing |
The X32 Rack is a favourite for installations, because there is no fader surface to break and everything is controlled wirelessly. The X32 Producer is the one to buy if you want real faders but do not have the space or budget for the full desk.
Adding recording
The X-LIVE expansion card adds 32-channel recording to SD and USB, which turns the console into a multitrack recorder for live capture. If you record shows, this is the single best upgrade for an X32.
Is the WING the better buy now?
The Behringer WING Rack is a 48-channel mixer that picks up where the X32 left off, with substantially more processing power and a more modern architecture. If you are buying new for a venue that expects to grow, the WING Rack is worth the extra. If budget is the deciding factor, the X32 is still an enormous amount of console for the money.
Shop Behringer digital mixers at OneStopMusic
- Behringer X32 40-channel Digital Mixer
- Behringer X32 Producer 40-channel Rack Mountable Mixer
- Behringer X32 Rack 40-channel Rackmount Digital Mixer
- Behringer WING Rack 48-channel Digital Mixer
- Behringer X-LIVE X32 Expansion Card
Browse the full range of Behringer products.
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