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mixer recommendation - home/casual use

Your comments, questions, or opinions on any karaoke related hardware.
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mageus
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mixer recommendation - home/casual use

Post by mageus »

I need a mixer for a home 'laptop' system. Kids have fair pitch sense and rhythm, so I want something with decent quality.

What I have:
- medium sized family room
- htpc running some sort of software on either Windows or linux
- Onkyo receiver with hdmi inputs
- bookshelf speakers (can upgrade later if need be)
- LCD TV

What I want:
- a decent mic, but I may settle for non-condenser to start
- 2 mic input
- vocal effects; figure the kids will love it
- reasonable $



These are the mixers I'm considering

- Vocopro DA-1000 - no XLR. Echo is an on-off switch. Seems like poor features for the price.

- Behringer - 802 is the smallest with 2 mic inputs. 1002FX is the smallest with FX. QX1002USB nets USB in/out. I presume the Xenyx and Eurobeat are identical other than the color?

- Mackie - too $$$

- Acesonic KM112 - Has rear XLR connectors (not sure if they are powered). USB enabled. Echo is a single dial. Good price for what you get.

- Alesis Multimix 4 USB FX - 2x powered XLR, USB, DSP effects.

- Yamaha MG06X - 2x powered XLR. No USB. Limited effects



Other thoughts/questions:

- It's a shame one has to get a multichannel mixer just to get the dual mic input and FX. I'd be fine with a 4-ch unit with effects, but the Alesis is as expensive as the Behringer 10-ch.

- Why does everyone recommend the Behringer 1202 and not the 1002? Is there something special with the 1202?

- Should I get USB in/out? I presume the mixer shows up in windows as a standard audio device, and is not dependent on specific software (aside from drivers).

- Will the D/A converter on the mixer be better than the one on the computer?

- Does USB have simultaneous I/O? It would be great to send the music out to the mixer, have the mixer send the music+vocals back to the computer, and outpt the mixed signal via HDMI to the TV. Though I'm not sure if Windows allows such flow control. I think linux does.


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wiseguy
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Post by wiseguy »

You are really over thinking this. You also seem to be doing some extreme penny pinching. You can't have "decent quality" without decent equipment. To that end you're pretty much sunk from the start with the bookshelf speakers. Those are just not going to cut it with the live vocals of karaoke. You need PA speakers designed to reproduce live and recorded sound, not stereo speakers designed to reproduce only recorded sound.

Condenser mics are great for recording but not needed, nor typically recommended, for performing karaoke. Get a couple good quality corded dynamic mics for about $50 apiece.

Let your laptop be the player only. Don't use it to adjust the sound in any way... that's the job of the mixer. With karaoke software that supports extended desktop you can output the karaoke graphics from the laptop's HDMI output. You want to only output a video signal to the TV (no audio).

Get a mixer like the Behringer XENYX 1002FX, connect it to the receiver, and run the audio out from the laptop and the microphones through it. You didn't mention what type of power your amp is pushing but I would imagine it would handle a pair of smaller PA speakers.
mageus
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Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2014 2:03 pm

Post by mageus »

Wiseguy, thanx for the advice.

I'm familiar with the limitations of consumer grade audio equipment, especially speakers. However, I'd like to future-proof the equipment in my path, in case I upgrade speakers, or switch to my main AV room. I'm guessing that preamps on the level of Behringer and the such would be more than ample.

Just wanted opinions on mixers other than Behringer.

Wouldn't it be cleaner to output a digital signal via USB, let the mixer D/A chip do all the work, and output via RCA cables? Rather than have analog through an 1/8" jack to the mixer?

Of course, if mixers had S/PDIF or HDMI . . .

Which mics do you recommend? I was never planning on going cordless.
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wiseguy
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Post by wiseguy »

There are consumer grade PA speakers available as well. Since you know the limitations of speakers then I trust you will not destroy your stereo speakers by using them for karaoke.

I could give you opinions on other mixers, Yamaha being my preference, but they would all far exceed the price range you appear to be targeting.

You would gain nothing by outputting a digital signal rather than analog in this instance.

The best mic for the buck hands down is the Shure SM58. They also offer a cheaper version which is still good quality the Shure SM48.
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