Karaoke Forums

Hi folks,

I just do home karaoke with friends, not pro stuff. I run karaoke .AVI's from my networked storage, via a Popcorn Hour network player, to my receiver, and thence to my TV. As for microphones....well, that's the issue.

I want a new way of doing the mic stuff (the old way was too clunky, rather not get into it now as it's irrelevant). I also want to add a fourth mic to my setup (was using three previously).

I just saw this, the Acesonic KM-112. It has two front 1/4" mic inputs, 2 rear XLR inputs, and is cheap cheap cheap at around $90. My question: is it TOO cheap? Does anyone have any firsthand experience with Acesonic stuff? I have no idea if this would be sufficient for home use or not. I'm also a little confused because I see gain controls for the two front mics but not the back XLR mic inputs...

http://www.loudkaraoke.com/equip_details.asp?id=KM-112

Thanks
Dave

This is just a budget mixer with a bit of clever karaoke marketing. You can get a good pro-level live sound mixer with 4 XLR inputs and far superior mic preamps for pretty close to the same price. Aesonic makes pretty good CDG players, but most of their other stuff is junk.

Check out these pro mixers. The first one has USB capability (i.e., built in sound card for computer playback) if that's important to you. $150.00 for 4 channel XLR with USB, about $100.00 for 4 channel XLR without USB. All three of these are going to sound far superior to the Aesonic. If you don't need the USB, I recommend the Yamaha.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i- ... USBFX-LIST

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i- ... X1202-LIST

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-PEV-PV6-LIST

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-YAM-MG102C-LIST

I have the Alesis Multimix 8 USB mixer that I used for a recording project that I'll sell you for $75.00 plus shipping if you want it (I paid $129.99 new, plus $29.99 for rack ears). Literally used once, perfect condition, with Lexicon effects, recording software (Cubase and Ableton), and extra rack ears. Good little mixer for home use! PM me if you are interested. Again, this mixer would be far and away better then the Aesonic!

http://www.alesis.com/multimix8usb

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Hi, thanks very much for your reply. And thanks for clarifying the role of the Acesonic.

Actually, I'd looked at most of the mixers you listed. The only thing that's keeping me from buying one (thanks very much for your offer btw, but there's a couple of mixers I can buy used locally) is that I have three mics with 1/4" connectors. That's what attracted me to the Acesonic, is the fact that two of the mic connectors are 1/4".

But I guess I could just get 1/4" to XLR converters fairly cheaply, right? Would the mic quality suffer discernably with those adapters introduced into the signal chain, I wonder?

I doubt it. I have adapters from 1/4 to xlr connecting my AKG's to my mixer and I get rave reviews on the sound.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

The mics have connectors permantly attached to them? I would suggest getting some better mics if you want better sound.

But even so, all the mixers mentioned have 1/4" connectors as well as XLR for all channels.


If you are worried about mic quality, don't. The cables are not the weak link there.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Again, this is just for home use with a bunch of 50-something amateurs, not pro use (if it were pro, I'd have much better mics). We've always used dollar store mics with no issues before (I had them running through my Behringer P.A. system).

Aren't the 1/4" connectors on all these mixers for line-level inputs, not mic-level inputs? I thought that if I put the 1/4" mic into one of those 1/4" inputs, it wouldn't be loud enough, even if I were to turn my receiver all the way up?

I'm perfectly prepared to admit I might be wrong though. Just an amateur at all this

The 1/4" inputs on the 4 mic channels would route to the same pot as the XLR and use the same pre and the same gain, so they would be identical in gain range to the XLRs, meaning they would be properly HOT for a mic signal.

The 1/4" inputs that do not have a gain knob are the line-level inputs on these boards.

You will be fine using one of these mixers with your 1/4" mic cables.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

I'm not sure I follow there. Each of these mixers, below the XLR mic inputs, has 1/4" inputs that are marked "LINE". There are no 1/4" mic inputs

As long as there is a GAIN knob on the channel, the 1/4" channels have the exact same decibal voltage range as the XLR, and are suitable for a MIC level input.

On channels without a GAIN knob, the LINE inputs are a static +4 dBu output (-10 dBV on some mixers for RCA inputs). On channels that have the GAIN knob, the output decibal unloaded voltage can be adjusted far above +4dBu to suit the low level input of a microphone.

For example, on the Alesis unit I own, the XLR and Line inputs on channels 1-4 have a max output gain of +60dBu. A typical microphone has an input level around -50 dBV. So you are going to start registering an audible signal from a standard mic with the fader at unity (0db) and the gain at about 20%. For typical karaoke, you'll probably have the faders at unity and the gain at about 40% to get a LOUD microphone signal. You will never get anywhere close to using the full gain on channels 1-4 for any mic you plug into the 1/4" or XLRs.

According to the needs you list above, you need 4 channels with variable gain to run your 4 mics. All of the suggestions I gave you do just that.

I PROMISE that the mixer recommendations I gave you will do exactly what you are trying to accomplish and will be FAR superior in sonic quality to the Aesonic.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Topher, your statement is somewhat misleading. The Mic and Line inputs on a console do go through the same input attenuator (gain pot) but their path to that point is different. It's all a matter of input impedance. A mic input is usually in the neighborhood of 3kohms whereas a line input is usually higher, anywhere between 10-40 kohms depending on the manufacturer. At the board level it's a matter of different resistors between the two jacks and the gain pot (look at the block diagram of any console and you'll see that).

Now canadave, to your point, the lower impedance mic input will generally handle an input source with impedances anywhere from 50-600ohms. Meanwhile the higher impedance line input is going to be looking for a 600ohm source. If your mics have a molded on 1/4" cord, they're almost assuredly going to be a 600ohm source so you'd be fine plugging them into the line input.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Thanks everybody.

I wound up finding someone local to me who's selling a mixer for cheap (a Samson MDR8), and I'm going to try to use that. If it doesn't work with my existing mics, I can get some cheapo ones at my local Zellers store that have detachable cords, and I can just buy XLR cables if needed.

Thanks again everyone!

You can always just get a couple Behringer XM8500 mics that will work with all mixers.
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=270490

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