showstack / hardware / behringer-x32
Behringer X32
32-channel digital console that reset the price of digital mixing, with 40 input channels, motorised faders, AES50 stage box support and a large ecosystem of remote-control apps. Ubiquitous in schools, clubs, houses of worship and small touring.
Protocols it speaks
| Protocol | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| aes50 | bidirectional | Two AES50 ports for S16 / S32 stage boxes. |
| dante | bidirectional needs licence |
Via optional expansion card. |
| madi | bidirectional | Via optional expansion card. |
| word-clock | in | Word clock input. |
| midi | bidirectional | MIDI in and out over DIN. |
| osc | bidirectional | Undocumented-but-stable OSC protocol that a whole generation of third-party apps and QLab workflows is built on. |
Connectors
- 32x XLR in
- 16x XLR out
- 2x AES50
- Expansion card slot
- MIDI in/out
- AES3 out
- USB
- Ethernet
What to watch for
The X32 OSC implementation is the reason it appears in so many show-control rigs, and it is not formally published by the vendor. Community documentation is what everyone actually uses, so treat behaviour as reported, not guaranteed.
X32 and M32 are near-identical hardware with different preamps and branding. Show files largely interchange, which is convenient and occasionally surprising.
AES50 needs shielded Cat5e and a direct run. The single most common X32 fault call is an unshielded cable to the stage box.
Sources
- Behringer — Behringer primary
Understand the mechanism
Something wrong, or missing?
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