Church Streaming & Recording Setup

Signal Chains

Live Stream

X2442USB → Sub 3/4 outputs → UMC202HD → OBS (5 filters) → YouTube Live

Weekly Recording

X2442USB → Sub 3/4 outputs → UMC202HD → Cakewalk Next → Export MP3 → YouTube upload

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Audio Workflow Diagram

flowchart TD
    A1[Ch 1 Talking] --> BEH
    A2[Ch 2 Lead Vocal] --> BEH
    A3[Ch 3-5 Backups] --> BEH
    A4[Ch 6 Saxophone] --> BEH
    A5[Ch 15/16 Keyboard via DI] --> BEH

    DRUM1[CH1 Snare + Hihat] --> ALTO
    DRUM2[CH2 Tom 2] --> ALTO
    DRUM3[CH3 Kick] --> ALTO
    DRUM4[CH4 Electronic Pads] --> ALTO

    ALTO[Alto TrueMix 600\nDrum Sub-mixer\nAUX reverb applied] -->|Main out stereo| BEH

    BEH[Behringer X2442USB\nMain Mixer]

    BEH -->|Sub 1/2 SUB TO MAIN on| PA[PA / House Speakers\nHouse Mix]
    BEH -->|Aux 1| IEM1[Xvive U4 Ch A\nVocals IEM]
    BEH -->|Aux 2| IEM2[Xvive U4 Ch B\nDrums IEM]
    BEH -->|Aux 4| IEM3[Xvive U4 Ch C\nKeys IEM]
    BEH -->|Sub 3/4 SUB TO MAIN off| UMC[UMC202HD\nUSB Audio Interface]

    UMC -->|USB| PC[Streaming PC]

    PC -->|Audio source| OBS[OBS Studio\n1 Noise Gate\n2 Expander\n3 ReaEQ VST\n4 ReaComp VST\n5 Limiter]
    PC -->|Audio input| CW[Cakewalk Next\nWeekly Recording]

    OBS -->|YouTube RTMPS| YT[YouTube Live]
    CW -->|Export 320kbps MP3| YTU[YouTube Upload]

    IEM1 --> EARS1[Vocalist In-ears]
    IEM2 --> EARS2[Drummer In-ears]
    IEM3 --> EARS3[Keyboard In-ears]

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Mixer Channels

Channel	Source	Routing
Ch 1	Talking	Sub 1/2 + Sub 3/4
Ch 2	Lead vocal	Sub 1/2 + Sub 3/4
Ch 3–5	Backup vocals	Pan L/C/R · Sub 1/2 + Sub 3/4
Ch 6	Saxophone	Sub 1/2 + Sub 3/4
Ch 7–12	Unused	Muted · faders down
Ch 13/14	Drums (from Alto TrueMix 600)	Sub 1/2 + Sub 3/4
Ch 15/16	Keyboard (via DI box)	Sub 1/2 + Sub 3/4

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Behringer X2442USB — Baseline Gain Staging

Set gain correctly before touching EQ or faders. Use this as your starting point every service:

Channel	Gain Position	Meter Target
Ch 1 Talking	9–11 o'clock	-18dB when speaking normally
Ch 2 Lead vocal	10–12 o'clock	-12dB on loud notes
Ch 3–5 Backups	10–12 o'clock	-18dB when singing
Ch 6 Saxophone	9–10 o'clock	-12dB on loud notes
Ch 13/14 Drums	9–10 o'clock	-12dB on loud hits — reduce if clipping
Ch 15/16 Keys	7–9 o'clock	-14dB average — line level is hot

Golden rule: Get gain right first, then set faders at unity (0dB mark), then adjust faders for balance. Never compensate for bad gain with faders.

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Behringer X2442USB — Channel EQ Settings

Note: The LOW CUT button next to the GAIN knob on each mono channel is the High Pass Filter (HPF). Press it in to activate. This is confirmed in the X2442USB manual.

Ch 1 — Talking / Speech

Control	Setting	Reason
LOW CUT button	Press in — ON	HPF removes handling noise and stand rumble
Low	Cut to 9 o'clock	Extra low end reduction for speech clarity
Low mid	-2dB @ 200Hz	Reduces boominess
High mid	Neutral	No adjustment needed for speech
High	Neutral	No adjustment needed
COMP	9 o'clock	Light compression evens out speech dynamics
Gain	-18dB on meter when speaking	Clear speech level

Ch 2 — Lead Vocal

Control	Setting	Reason
LOW CUT button	Press in — ON	HPF removes low end rumble from mic handling
Low	Cut to 9 o'clock	Removes mud without thinning the voice
Low mid	-2dB @ 300Hz	Clears muddiness
High mid	+2dB @ 3kHz	Presence and intelligibility
High	+1dB	Adds air and brightness
COMP	10–11 o'clock	More compression — lead vocal has widest dynamics
Fader	3–6dB above backup vocals	Lead must sit above everything

Ch 3–5 — Backup Vocals

Control	Setting	Reason
LOW CUT button	Press in — ON	HPF on all vocal channels
Low	Cut to 9–10 o'clock	Keeps low end clean across three mics
Low mid	-2dB @ 300Hz	Prevents buildup with 3 mics active
High mid	+1dB @ 3kHz	Presence — slightly less than lead
High	Neutral	No extra boost needed
COMP	9–10 o'clock	Moderate compression — keeps backups consistent
Pan	Ch3 left · Ch4 slight left · Ch5 right	Creates width without clutter
Fader	6–10dB below Ch2	Backups must never compete with lead

Ch 6 — Saxophone

Control	Setting	Reason
LOW CUT button	Press in — ON	HPF removes stand and key noise rumble
Low	Cut to 9–10 o'clock	Removes boominess from sax body resonance
Low mid	-2dB @ 400Hz	Cuts the honky midrange frequency
High mid	+2dB @ 3kHz	Brings out bite and presence on stream
High	+1dB	Adds brightness and definition
COMP	10 o'clock	Saxophone has wide dynamic range — needs more compression
Fader	Slightly below lead vocal	Sax fills the space but doesn't dominate

Ch 13/14 — Drums (from Alto TrueMix 600)

Control	Setting	Reason
LOW CUT button	Press in — ON	HPF removes floor rumble from kit
Low	Cut to 9 o'clock	Extra low end control on drum sub-mix
Low mid	-3dB @ 200–250Hz	Cuts boom from kick and tom bleed
High mid	-2dB @ 500Hz	Reduces boxy drum sound
High	-1dB	Tames hi-hat harshness from snare mic bleed
COMP	Off — leave at minimum	Compression already managed at Alto stage
Gain	Reduce to 9 o'clock	Fixes near-clip moments detected in recording

Ch 15/16 — Keyboard

Control	Setting	Reason
LOW CUT button	Leave off	Keys need the full low end — do not activate
Low	Neutral at 12 o'clock	Keys need the full low end
Low mid	-2dB @ 250Hz	Prevents keys clashing with kick drum
High mid	Neutral	Keys sit naturally in this range
High	Neutral	No adjustment needed
COMP	Off — leave at minimum	Keys from DI are already very consistent level
BAL knob	Centred	Ensures even stereo spread

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Behringer X2442USB — Compression Guide

The X2442USB has a one-knob COMP compressor on every mono channel (Ch 1–16) located below the GAIN knob. This is confirmed in the manual — the board is described as having XENYX Mic Preamps with Compressors built in.

How the COMP knob works:

• Fully counter-clockwise = compressor off
• Turning clockwise increases compression gradually
• There is no separate threshold, ratio or attack — the one knob handles everything automatically

Recommended COMP settings per channel:

Channel	COMP Setting	Reason
Ch 1 Talking	9 o'clock	Light — evens speech without squashing it
Ch 2 Lead vocal	10–11 o'clock	More compression — widest dynamic range
Ch 3–5 Backups	9–10 o'clock	Moderate — keeps backups consistent
Ch 6 Saxophone	10 o'clock	Sax has wide dynamic range — needs control
Ch 13/14 Drums	Minimum — off	Compression handled at Alto stage
Ch 15/16 Keys	Minimum — off	DI signal is already consistent

Note: The COMP on the Behringer is a simple one-knob design — don't over-compress. If the sound starts to feel flat or lifeless, back it off slightly. Less is more with this type of compressor.

Future upgrade: For more precise compression on the vocal subgroup, a dedicated stereo compressor such as the Behringer MDX1600 (~$60) on the Sub 1/2 insert would give independent house mix compression.

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Behringer X2442USB — Internal FX Reverb Settings

The X2442USB has a built-in multi-FX processor. Use the FX SEND knob on each channel to control how much signal goes to the internal reverb.

Recommended Reverb Type

Select Small Hall or Room preset on the FX processor display — avoid Large Hall or Cathedral for live worship as these create a washy sound.

FX Send Levels Per Channel

Channel	FX Send Level	Reason
Ch 1 Talking	Zero — fully off	Speech should never have reverb
Ch 2 Lead vocal	9–10 o'clock	Subtle reverb glues the vocal into the mix
Ch 3–5 Backups	10–11 o'clock	Slightly more reverb than lead to push them back in mix
Ch 6 Saxophone	9–10 o'clock	Light reverb adds warmth
Ch 13/14 Drums	Zero	Drum reverb handled at Alto stage
Ch 15/16 Keys	8–9 o'clock	Very subtle — keys already have natural sustain

Reverb Settings on FX Processor

Setting	Value	Reason
Type	Small hall or room	Natural — suits live worship
Decay / time	1.0–1.5 seconds	Long enough to be musical, short enough to stay clear
Pre-delay	20–30ms	Keeps attack clear before reverb kicks in
Mix / wet level	20–30% on return fader	Subtle — should enhance not dominate

Critical: Keep the FX Return Aux 3 knob at zero on all channels. This prevents reverb bleeding into the stream mix via Aux 3. Reverb should only be heard in the house and IEM mixes, not on the stream.

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Subgroup Routing

Subgroup	Purpose	SUB TO MAIN	Notes
Sub 1/2	House / FOH mix	On	Vocals Ch 1–6 assigned · controls PA independently
Sub 3/4	Stream mix	Off	All channels assigned · feeds UMC202HD only

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IEM Sends — Xvive U4

Aux Send	Monitor Mix	Xvive Channel
Aux 1	Vocals IEM	Ch A
Aux 2	Drums IEM	Ch B
Aux 4	Keys IEM	Ch C
Aux 3	Unused	—

Important: FX return Aux 3 knob must be at zero on all channels to prevent reverb bleeding into stream.

Xvive tip: Keep each unit on a different channel (A/B/C/D), physically at least 1 metre apart, and use balanced TRS cables from Aux outputs to transmitters.

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Hardware

Device	Role
Behringer X2442USB	Main mixer
Alto TrueMix 600	Drum sub-mixer (feeds Ch 13/14)
Behringer UMC202HD	USB audio interface (Sub 3/4 → PC)
Xvive U4 (x3)	Wireless IEM transmitters

UMC202HD Connection

Sub 3/4 Left output  → UMC202HD Input 1 (TRS)
Sub 3/4 Right output → UMC202HD Input 2 (TRS)
UMC202HD USB         → Streaming PC

Set LINE/INST switch to LINE on both inputs.

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OBS Setup

Audio Source

• Settings → Audio → Mic/Auxiliary → UMC202HD Input 1/2

Output Settings

• Settings → Output → Recording → Audio bitrate: 192kbps minimum
• Settings → Video → 1920×1080 base · 1280×720 output · 30fps
• Settings → Stream → YouTube RTMPS · paste stream key

Filters — Add in This Exact Order

1. Noise Gate

Setting	Value
Close threshold	-48dB
Open threshold	-44dB
Attack	25ms
Hold	200ms
Release	150ms

Why -44dB open threshold: When no instruments are playing, the speaking mic alone may fall near or below -38dB causing the gate to partially cut. Lowering the open threshold to -44dB ensures speech opens the gate consistently whether instruments are playing or not. Also ensure Ch1 COMP knob on the Behringer is at 9–10 o'clock to raise average speech level.

2. Expander

Setting	Value
Ratio	2:1
Threshold	-45dB
Attack	5ms
Release	60ms

3. VST 2.x — ReaEQ (64-bit)

Install from reaper.fm/reaplugs — must match OBS 64-bit version

Band	Frequency	Type	Value
1	80Hz	High pass	Cut
2	200Hz	Bell	-3dB
3	450Hz	Bell	-2dB
4	3kHz	Bell	+2dB
5	8kHz	High shelf	+1.5dB

4. VST 2.x — ReaComp (64-bit)

Setting	Value	Notes
Threshold	-24dB	Working well — do not change
Ratio	5:1	Updated from 4:1 — tightens dynamic range
Attack	6ms	Unchanged
Release	60ms	Unchanged
Output gain	0dB	Confirmed correct — recording hit -14.5 LUFS on target
Knee size	6dB	Unchanged
Auto release	Off	Unchanged
Classic attack	Off	Unchanged
Wet	+0.0 (fully up)	Unchanged
Dry	-inf (fully down)	Unchanged

Output gain explained: This is the makeup gain applied after compression. When compression reduces peaks it also lowers average level — output gain brings it back. At 0dB the 12 Apr recording achieved -14.5 LUFS which is essentially on the -14 LUFS YouTube target. Only adjust if future recordings consistently show LUFS above -16 (add +2dB) or below -13 (reduce slightly).

Why these changes: Recording analysis (05 Apr 2026) showed integrated loudness of -6.7 LUFS. YouTube normalises to -14 LUFS so the stream was being automatically turned down by 7dB causing quality loss. Reducing output gain to 0dB and increasing ratio to 5:1 brought the 12 Apr recording to -14.5 LUFS with LRA of 7.2 LU — both on target.

5. Limiter

Setting	Value
Threshold	-4dB
Release	60ms

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Cakewalk Next — Weekly Recording

Project Setup

• Create a new project each Sunday
• Name format: Worship-YYYY-MM-DD
• Add one stereo audio track
• Set input to UMC202HD Input 1/2

Folder Structure

C:\Church Recordings\
    2026-04-05\
        Worship-2026-04-05.cwp
        Worship-2026-04-05.mp3
    2026-04-12\
        Worship-2026-04-12.cwp
        Worship-2026-04-12.mp3

During the Service

• Press M to drop a marker at the start of each song
• Press R to arm the track
• Hit Record at the start of each song — stop and restart for each new song
• Hit Stop at the end of each song
• File → Save after each song

Record per song not per session — a full 27-minute worship session at 44100Hz/16-bit = 275MB which exceeds the 220MB limit. Recording each 4–5 minute song individually keeps each file under 45MB and well within limits.

Cakewalk Next Recording Quality Settings

• Go to Edit → Preferences → Audio
• Set sample rate to 44100 Hz
• Set bit depth to 16-bit
• This keeps each song file around 40–45MB while maintaining significantly better quality than MP3

Export Settings

• File → Export → Audio
• Format: MP3
• Bitrate: 320kbps
• Export each song individually using the markers

Important: Always keep the original Cakewalk Next project file (.cwp) and uncompressed WAV audio as your master. Only export to MP3 for sharing or uploading. Analysing a compressed MP3 will show slightly different levels than the original — always use the uncompressed source for final quality checks.

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Target Audio Levels

Moment	Target Level
Between songs / silence	Near silence — gate working
Speaking / announcements	-18dB to -12dB
Singing peaks	-12dB to -6dB
Absolute maximum	Never touch 0dB
Sub 3/4 fader average	-14dB to -16dB into OBS
Integrated loudness (LUFS)	-14 LUFS — YouTube target
Loudness range (LRA)	7–9 LU target

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ReaComp Gain Reduction Guide

Watch the gain reduction meter in ReaComp during the service:

• Moving -3dB to -8dB during singing = working correctly
• Barely moving = threshold too high, lower it
• Constantly hitting -12dB or more = threshold too low, raise it

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Pre-Service Checklist

• [ ] Plug in UMC202HD — check PC recognises it
• [ ] Open OBS — check audio meter moving from UMC202HD
• [ ] Open Cakewalk Next — create new dated project — arm track
• [ ] Check Xvive U4 units on separate channels A / B / C
• [ ] Unused channels 7–12 muted and faders down
• [ ] FX return Aux 3 knob at zero on all channels
• [ ] Sub 3/4 fader set — OBS meter hitting -14 to -16dB average
• [ ] Go Live on YouTube Studio — paste stream key into OBS
• [ ] Click Start Streaming in OBS
• [ ] Hit Record in Cakewalk Next when worship starts

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Alto TrueMix 600 — Drum Channel Settings

Channel Assignment

Channel	Source	Notes
CH1	Snare + Hi-hats	Single mic picks up both sources
CH2	Tom 2	No floor tom currently
CH3	Kick
CH4	Electronic drum pads	Line level source — not mic level

Recommended EQ & Gain Settings

CH1 — Snare + Hi-hats

Control	Setting	Reason
GAIN	9–10 o'clock	Two sound sources — reduce to avoid overload
HI	8–9 o'clock (cut)	Reduces hi-hat harshness without killing snare crack
LOW	10 o'clock (cut)	Removes stand vibration and rumble
PAN	Centre	Snare always centre in live sound

CH2 — Tom 2

Control	Setting	Reason
GAIN	11–12 o'clock	Standard mic level for tom
HI	10 o'clock (cut)	Toms don't need high frequency
LOW	12 o'clock (neutral)	Keep natural body
PAN	Slight right	Gives stereo placement in mix

CH3 — Kick

Control	Setting	Reason
GAIN	9 o'clock	Kick mics pick up a lot of level
HI	9 o'clock (cut)	Removes unwanted click/attack harshness
LOW	1–2 o'clock (boost)	Adds punch and body — this is why kick sounds flat if not boosted
PAN	Centre	Kick must always be dead centre

CH4 — Electronic Drum Pads

Control	Setting	Reason
GAIN	7–8 o'clock	Line level is much hotter than mic — keep low
HI	12 o'clock (neutral)	No adjustment needed
LOW	10 o'clock (cut)	Electronic pads often have artificial bass boost built in
PAN	Slight right	Stereo separation from tom

Snare + Hi-hat on Same Channel — Management Tips

• Position snare mic pointing directly at snare head angled away from hi-hat as much as possible
• Use a cardioid mic so rear rejection helps reduce hi-hat bleed
• The HI cut on CH1 is the main tool to manage hi-hat dominance
• Accept some hi-hat bleed is unavoidable — focus on getting snare level right

Alto TrueMix 600 MAIN OUT Level

The MAIN OUT knob controls the overall level sent to Ch13/14 on the Behringer. If instruments sound too low on the stream:

• Bring MAIN OUT up to 12–1 o'clock
• Then reduce GAIN on Ch13/14 of the Behringer to compensate and avoid clipping
• This approach gives the Alto more headroom and a cleaner signal

FX processor presets (confirmed from X2442USB manual): The built-in effects processor has 16 presets. For worship use the best options are 01 Hall (larger warmer reverb on vocals) or 02 Room (natural smaller reverb — the current setting and a good choice). Presets 10 and 11 are Chorus and Flanger modulation effects — not suitable for live worship vocals. Do not use presets 04 Gated or 05 Reverse on vocals.

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Yes — reverb on drums is absolutely fine and recommended for a polished worship sound. Use the Alto's AUX Send/Return to add reverb:

Recommended drum reverb settings:

Setting	Value	Reason
Type	Small room or plate	Natural sounding — suits live worship
Decay / time	0.6–1.0 seconds	Short enough to stay tight
Pre-delay	15–25ms	Keeps attack punchy before reverb kicks in
Mix / wet level	15–20%	Subtle enhancement — not obvious

Important: Apply reverb at the Alto sub-mixer stage only — not on Ch13/14 of the Behringer. This keeps reverb contained to the drum mix and prevents it washing over the entire stream mix.

Avoid: Hall or cathedral reverb on drums in a live church setting — it creates a washy sound that fights with the natural room acoustics.

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Behringer X2442USB — FX Processor Preset Reference

The X2442USB has 16 built-in presets confirmed from the manual:

Preset	Name	Category	Use for Worship
01	Hall	Reverb	✅ Good — larger warmer reverb on vocals
02	Room	Reverb	✅ Current setting — natural small reverb, good choice
03	Plate	Reverb	✅ Good — smooth bright reverb on vocals
04	Gated	Reverb	❌ Avoid — cuts reverb abruptly, unnatural
05	Reverse	Reverb	❌ Avoid — not suitable for live
06	Early Reflections	Ambience/Delay	⚠️ Subtle — adds room feel only
07	Ambience	Ambience/Delay	⚠️ Very subtle space
08	Delay	Ambience/Delay	⚠️ Echo effect — not for all vocals
09	Echo	Ambience/Delay	❌ Too obvious for worship
10	Chorus	Modulation	❌ Not suitable for live vocals
11	Flanger	Modulation	❌ Not suitable for live vocals
12	Phaser	Modulation	❌ Not suitable for live vocals
13	Detune	Detune/Pitch	❌ Avoid
14	Pitch Shifter	Detune/Pitch	❌ Avoid
15	Delay + Reverb	Combination	⚠️ Can work on lead vocal only
16	Chorus + Reverb	Combination	❌ Too processed for worship

Best choices for your setup: Preset 01 Hall or 02 Room. Preset 02 Room is already selected and is a good choice.

Critical: The FX send on the Behringer uses STEREO AUX RETURN 3 jacks. If nothing is plugged into these jacks the internal FX processor output routes automatically to the main mix. Keep nothing plugged into the AUX RETURN 3 jacks unless using an external effects device, and keep the FX return Aux 3 knob on all channels at zero to prevent reverb reaching the stream.

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Apply these settings on Ch13/14 as a final shaping step after the Alto blends all drum sources:

Band	Frequency	Adjustment	Reason
Low	80Hz	High pass cut	Removes floor rumble
Low mid	200–250Hz	-3dB	Cuts boom from kick and tom bleed
Mid	500Hz	-2dB	Reduces boxy drum sound
High	8kHz	-1dB	Tames hi-hat harshness from CH1 bleed

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Alto TrueMix 600 — Adding Reverb to Drums (Step by Step)

The Alto TrueMix 600 manual confirms reverb is added via the AUX Send/Return loop:

1. Connect a cable from the AUX SEND output on the rear of the Alto to the input of your reverb unit
2. Connect a cable from the output of the reverb unit back to the AUX RETURN input on the rear of the Alto
3. Turn up the RETURN VOL knob on the Alto to control how much reverb comes back into the mix
4. On each drum channel that should have reverb (CH1 snare, CH2 tom, CH3 kick) turn up the AUX knob to send that channel to the reverb unit
5. Keep the CH4 electronic pads AUX knob low — electronic percussion usually sounds unnatural with reverb
6. Start with the RETURN VOL at 9 o'clock and adjust to taste — subtle is better than obvious

Reverb unit recommendation: If you don't have a dedicated reverb unit, the Behringer FX2000 (~$80) or the Zoom MS-70CDR (~$100) both work well as an external effects unit connected to the Alto AUX loop.

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Xvive U4 — Correct Input Mode Setting

The Xvive U4 transmitter has an AUX/LINE mode switch on the side of the transmitter unit.

Set to AUX mode for your setup — the Aux sends on the Behringer X2442USB output at a lower signal level than a full line output. Using LINE mode with an Aux send would result in a weak signal in the IEMs.

Mixer Output Type	U4 Transmitter Switch
Aux send (your setup)	AUX
Line output / direct output	LINE

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Notes

• ReaEQ and ReaComp must be the 64-bit version to match OBS 64-bit
• ReaPlugs VST files must be installed to C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins for OBS to find them
• OBS filters save automatically with the scene — set up once and they persist
• Cakewalk Next does not require ASIO driver — detects UMC202HD via standard Windows drivers
• Alto TrueMix 600 only has 2-band EQ — shape individual drum sounds there before they hit Ch 13/14
• Slightly reduce gain knob on Ch 13/14 on X2442USB to fix two near-clip moments on drums
• YouTube normalises all streams to -14 LUFS — always aim to deliver at that level from source

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