Initial shipments of the M32 have been released, but pre-orders have absorbed the bulk of them.
We are now looking at January 2015 for new orders.
Call us when you are ready to place an order at (503) 941-0907!
News Flash:
The Midas DL16 is finally out for $1,299!!!!
The Behringer S16 is $899.
Will the DL16 work with an X32?
Let's compare the cost of the original and flagship X32 versus the M32. The M32-IP has a street price of $4,999.00 and the X32 is currently $2,799.00. Both have more local I/O than a Midas Pro1.
This means that you do not need to purchase a digital snake in order to have 32 stage inputs.
The current firmware is 2.0.8 and there is a PC, Mac and Linux editor and a remote control apps for both iPhone and iPad iOS devices.
Ever since the Midas designed X32 family was announced a few years ago, people have been lauding it's power and cursing it's name. I must admit that I am also torn between the specs on paper and the build quality. MUSIC Group must have been listening, or maybe it was their plan all along. Without further ado (well maybe...the current ship date was April 15th) we have the new M32 Digital Console. FYI, there is no PDF instruction manual, PC/Mac drivers or even iOS/Android apps to download yet.
You can view a few videos on YouTube shot at Winter NAMM, but none of them go into any detail and a noisy showroom floor, shot in real-time footage is not the most pleasant way to introduce a new product family. We all want to know what the internal sample rate will be upgraded to in a future update. It currently is running version 2 of the operating system. It can share project files between both families. Does the M32 have a new, faster processor? More ram? Will the X32 also get upgraded algorithms to support 96khz or even 192khz internal processing?
The design looks a lot better with an angled top, upgraded faders and better all around build quality with high end materials including aluminum and carbon fiber. It supports up to 8 stereo onboard effects units and the same TFT non touch sensitive 7" screen is the X32. There still is no mirroring option with an external monitor.
Many are asking why they did not increase the channel count in order to further differentiate the two brands. Others are wondering why putting the Midas badge really makes a difference. Auto manufacturer's have been doing this for decades. Toyota/Lexus and Nissan/Infinity, VW/Audi/Porsche. There is also a big difference between designed by Midas and actually using Midas specifications. Finally, Midas is accepted in most band riders, while Behringer is to be avoided like the plague. This attitude was brought on by years of negative brand image coupled with poor part availability. Behringer became a brand that was a FRU or Field Replaceable Unit. If the internal power supply died, you simply bought another one. It was still cheaper than buying another brand. Things have changed. Behringer now handles their own support channel in Las Vegas. They have redesigned their logo and even started to pave the way rather than simply copy the competition. Besides, almost all Pro sound and lighting Companies are manufacturing in Asia now.
PreSonus pioneered the Active Integration model where the speaker system is configurable without the need of an external signal processor. Between a powerful digital console with parametric and graphic equalization, delay compensation and now internally modifiable speaker dsp, we are at the dawn of a new era. Behringer has copied the AI, but it stands for Acoustic Integration. See the difference? MUSIC Group's TURBOSOUND iQ line of speakers can be both fed and controlled with their Ultranet protocol. How wonderful it will be to connect speakers in a home or building using internal Ethernet wiring instead of having to run speaker wire or Cat 5/6 cable.
Unlike the Pro series or even Yamaha or Allen & Heaths bigger consoles, you can multitrack record and return audio streams via USB/Firewire.
How much does the M32 cost? $5,000 and the latest February 1st Midas price guide has the part listed as M32-IP, but no availability. They also have a new digital stage box called the DL-16 compared to the Behringer S-16. They may release an M48 or possibly a new DL32 - 32 channel stage box at NEUTRON on March 12th -15th in Frankfurt Germany. Remember, you heard it here first. I will keep you posted.
Now, you may wonder what is the difference between the M32 and the Pro series? Apples to Oranges my friend, except for the preamps. I will cover the Pro series more in-depth in a future post as their is a lot of information to cover.
All Pro series consoles feature 96khz end to end A/D and D/A converters.
They also feature unique, touch sensitive controls, easy to navigate Population groups and a unique to Midas layout.
The Pro series is divided up into three categories with both installation and touring versions.
Here are the starting MAP pricing on each family which have dramatically come down in price:
Pro 1 and Pro 2 = $7,999 and $10,999
Pro 3/6/9 = $12,859
XL8 = $57,999 - Their first and flagship console with 112 inputs.
The Pro 1 and 2 are the entry level Pro Series and the Pro 1 doesn't require an external digital stage box because it has 24 preamps.
The Pro 2 comes in both a compact and non-compact version and has more physical controls.
The Pro 3/6/9 all share the same layout, but processing power is dictated by upgradeable System Engines via DSP cards.
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