New Midas M32 Console

re: New Midas M32 Console

Shane Presley said:
Why, did you have a door that needs to be held open? :p
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I had one years ago, 01V96VCM, cool little mixer. This one is a birthday present for my 13-years old, he wants to have his own "real" mixer. Hell, for a grand, better see him playing with this thing than stupid video games. Cost me less than his previous toy, Korg Kronos @ $3K.

Dennis Semagin -- Somebody To Love - YouTube
 
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re: New Midas M32 Console

Misja Hoen said:
Well the X32 is a very capable mixer in it's own right. I think the M32 should be compared with a Venice or Verona. Better Pre's higher sample rate. Full AES50 support. I would say... Don't shoot me. Smart product!
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If you read the data spec you quickly find the contradictions. I bet it is nothing other then a X32 in a different box. Do you really believe the Preamp story after three years of them milking that one?
There is Midas Preamps in everything they make ( Behringer included ).
Someone here called it an x32 in disguise. Its exactly that and nothing else. I am waiting on the guy who says the faders sound better!:lol:
I won't buy it until I see indisputable evidence of it actually being a better desk.
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

Motorized faders - same as pro series
Preamps - same as pro series
Nicer looking encoders (presumably better)
Better ergonomics with sloped control surface
New 192k A/D and D/A converters
96k ready
Presumably more DSP horsepower
More "pro" looking chassis, possibly more rugged
Chassis = carbon fiber, aluminum, steel = lighter weight
More rider friendliness than B

This is not a clone of an X32, as stated above. Like I guessed: $1000 in upgrades and $1000 for the name. Many will pay $1000 for the Midas name just do they don't have to buy a B. Why would they not do this.
That's part of the reason B bought the Brand Names - products are worth more money, just with the Midas name on it.
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

Brent Handy said:
I think the 192k convertors are a moot point, aren't they?
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Not if they are better (sounding / quality). Almost everything in digital audio starts at a higher sample rate which is then /2 or /4 to get to 96k or 48k.
One may presume that the new 192k convertors are better than what is used in the X32.
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

Steve Payne said:
Implying? I thought the situation was self evident. This is like no Midas ever built before. The name Midas, in our industry's historical sense, has been rendered absolutely meaningless. It is what it is.
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Oh - so the "Midas name has been ruined because of the M32". I really wasn't sure what you meant.

I'm sure some will agree with you, but many won't.
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

Steve Payne said:
Implying? I thought the situation was self evident. This is like no Midas ever built before. The name Midas, in our industry's historical sense, has been rendered absolutely meaningless. It is what it is.
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Midas used to be unobtainable to the common man. Not so much anymore. Does this make the Midas Pro series less of a console? Probably not.
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

Steve Payne said:
Implying? I thought the situation was self evident. This is like no Midas ever built before. The name Midas, in our industry's historical sense, has been rendered absolutely meaningless. It is what it is.
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Of course, one must assume that high end Midas customers are absolute idiots that will use the M32 as a gauge for the quality of the high end consoles, just like the SiExpression tells the Soundcraft customers what to expect from a Vi6.
While it is obvious that the M32 is essentially a re-branded X32 with a couple of improvements, this is fairly common and sound business-practice.
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

Kemper Watson said:
Midas used to be unobtainable to the common man. Not so much anymore. Does this make the Midas Pro series less of a console? Probably not.
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I agree. It probably makes guys mad that Midas is entering the low end market - but they did that many years ago. I bought my first Midas 10 years ago, a Venice 320. The new versions are even cheaper.

It's like saying that Chevrolet can't offer a Corvette for $80,000 and at the same time offer a Spark for $9,000. It's just business and market share.
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

I think its a shame that, for the mean time at least, Midas seemed to have abandoned the top end market a bit.

The XL8 is not really a competitive product (it was hardly when it was released!) and the Pro3/6/9 are becoming increasingly scarce in the circles I'm in. They are too expensive, don't have enough channels per $ and are physically big (both surface and number of ru required for a typical system).

Thats a big departure from the XL3/4 and H1/2/3k which dominated the top of the market for a long time...

When your up at the top, these days the SD7 has that market pretty much all to itself...
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

Chris Johnson said:
I think its a shame that, for the mean time at least, Midas seemed to have abandoned the top end market a bit.

The XL8 is not really a competitive product (it was hardly when it was released!) and the Pro3/6/9 are becoming increasingly scarce in the circles I'm in. They are too expensive, don't have enough channels per $ and are physically big (both surface and number of ru required for a typical system).

Thats a big departure from the XL3/4 and H1/2/3k which dominated the top of the market for a long time...

When your up at the top, these days the SD7 has that market pretty much all to itself...
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I agree on these sentiments. It's quite saddening, in fact, because they are all really solid consoles, just not competitive (as said above). The Pro series sounds fantastic, but at least those have the Pro1/2/2c to help them compete with. I personally find those to be solid competitors for boards like the SC48s. Very good business decision.
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

Brent Handy said:
Again...why the marketing about 192kHz? You prove my point. The chips in the X32 support sample rates up to 216kHz. There was no marketing touting that. I think the marketing is misleading the uninitiated to think the console's internals are 48/96/192kHz. It appears to be working at gearslutz.
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Exactly! It's all marketing, 192KHz and higher rates are the same as high megapixel count in digital cameras, people need to see the reason to pay more.

I agree that MIDAS Pro line are far more capable desks than X32/M32, but..... how many users do really need it and willing to pay premium price? Some do, but for most at our price segment, mean clubs, churches (not the big ones), weekend bands X32/M32 will do the job just fine. It's like buying Bentley or Mazerati to do grocery shopping. Besides, bad PA will mess up your sound more than bad desk.

Most requested on rigers console, the Profile, is 48KHz desk. As are Yamahas, M7 and CL5.
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

Sean Thomas said:
While this is probably true..... what are you implying specifically?
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Not true. Uli played it smart by acquiring a range of brands: those who care only about the sound quality will stay with X32, those who want brand name will pay for M32. Same as Toyota/Lexus or Volkswagen/Audi. Product for everyone at their price range, even if they sounds and functionally the same. MIDAS will be welcomed with open hands in this price segment (sub-$5K), I'll get M32 in a heartbeat once it's available (and will keep my X32 too).

MIDAS seems to be having more trouble competing at higher end, with AVID and Yamaha desks, at least looking at number of units sold, and frequency on riders.
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

Arik Semagin said:
Exactly! It's all marketing, 192KHz and higher rates are the same as high megapixel count in digital cameras, people need to see the reason to pay more.
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The difference is that there are still substantial gains to be made in image digitization. We have essentially "solved" audio conversion.

"192K capable converters" as a feature is marketing bullshit.

Still looking forward to driving an M32 in the field. I am curious as to how it will play with the various stage boxes that Midas puts out.
 
re: New Midas M32 Console

Arik Semagin said:
Exactly! It's all marketing, 192KHz and higher rates are the same as high megapixel count in digital cameras, people need to see the reason to pay more.

I agree that MIDAS Pro line are far more capable desks than X32/M32, but..... how many users do really need it and willing to pay premium price? Some do, but for most at our price segment, mean clubs, churches (not the big ones), weekend bands X32/M32 will do the job just fine. It's like buying Bentley or Mazerati to do grocery shopping. Besides, bad PA will mess up your sound more than bad desk.

Most requested on rigers console, the Profile, is 48KHz desk. As are Yamahas, M7 and CL5.
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Are you kidding me? There is a valid reason for higher megapixel counts over the (excessive) 192kHz capacities.

Not to mention, since you bring it up, there are so many other parts of a digital camera that make a difference, such as the quality of the lens, the storage medium, compression algorithms, dynamic range, iris size… my point is that there are so many other parts of quality of a A/D conversion such as jitter, aliasing, noise floor from analog components, and many others, just like in digital cameras. In the end, sample rates above 96kHz and arguably 48kHz are superfluous. The quality of the rest of the specs is going to make a bigger difference.
 
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