Karaoke Forums

Thank you all in advance for helping me make some choices for a x-mas gift for my daughter (a songbird). Her voice coach today recommended I upgrade her karaoke machine (bought at a toy store- it doesn't all the ability to control the mic volume independent of the music).

His suggestion was the vocopro twister RV- obviously a very good quality piece of equipment, but at $1600, most impractical for a teenager that we are restraining from moving into a professional environment. Any suggestions for a good quality piece with a lesser price tag?

Also, many have the ability to record to a cassette (who has them anymore?)- any options that allow you to record to a recordable cd?

I would recommend a small mixer with a decent mic. A USB interface (some mixers have this built in) & record to the computer! You could probably get it all for under $500 for everything.

Here is a USB mixer that will take your mic & music & combine them to one mix, built in vocal effects, ability to tailor the vocal with eq & effects.
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=500316
Decent mic
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=270105
Now you just need a source for the music - which actually if the 'toy' has audio outputs, you could still use this for the music. Run the audio to the mixer along with the mic in the mixer. Run the video from the karaoke player to the tv like you normally would. Then you get a free recording program like Audacity & you are set. Once on the computer you can burn to cd or send the files via email (if they are small enough). You don't really want the VocoPro, it would work, but very pricey for what it actually is & the quality isn't going to be the best.

All for about $300 plus cost of a couple misc cords adding maybe another $30-40. If you need a new music source, up that cost up a couple hundred or convert the computer into a karaoke player!

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Thank you, Lonman... more questions if you don't mind (and I'm sure they are "duh" questions to those who are more saavy than I).

1. Does the USB mixer allow the ability to adjust the vocal key on karaoke recordings? Allow the ability to back out recorded vocals? Or does that happen after recording with the software (I was told that the "Ferarri" of Karaoke systems does both; which seems like necessary functions to have)?

2. Can the mixer and the karaoke machine be used independent of the computer to just practice w/out recording? Or will everything need to be hooked up around the laptop?

3. Will the mixer will improve the overall quality of vocals sound out of the karaoke machine, even though the speakers are still the same?

4. She also has an electronic keyboard- can the mixer be used to record from that as well? Vocals & music (w/ the mic)?

5. Software- she has Acoustica Mixcraft 4 on her holiday "wishlist" (it's $65)- does Audacity work similarly? She also has a 'Sabrent SBT-SP6C 6-Channel 5.1 Surround Sound 3D PCI Sound Card'- what the hell is that?

Very grateful for your guidance- will follow your advice.
Blessings, CZ

No this mixer does not have a key changer or vocal eliminator. The "Ferrari" of karaoke system is really overpriced & is not a great unit. If your current player has a key changer then you wouldn't need it on the mixer. If it doesn't, then you can change your computer. There is software that you can get that has built in key changers & you can get vocal eliminators as well - however 7 out of 10 times you aren't going to get a satisfactory result trying to devocalize a song. It's all dependant on the original recordings on whether they will work good, ok or not at all. So this is just a feature that is not that big of a deal to have.



Well you would need to have some kind of PA system to hook the mixer to, but yes you do not need the computer to use it - unless of course your computer is also your karaoke player.



It will be night & day difference between using the mixer & the built in jack on the karaoke machine.



Yes. Plug the keyboard into the mixer along with the mics & send to the recording system.

5. Software- she has Acoustica Mixcraft 4 on her holiday "wishlist" (it's $65)- does Audacity work similarly? She also has a 'Sabrent SBT-SP6C 6-Channel 5.1 Surround Sound 3D PCI Sound Card'- what the hell is that?[/quote]

The software she is looking at also supports MIDI which sounds like she wants to record her keyboard via hooked up to the computer.
Audacity is just a free multitrack recorder. Not sure if it has midi capable or not, but if she records track by track, then she could still use Audacity with the keyboard & mixer, it just wouldn't have any midi control from the keyboard.
The Sabrent is just a real basic sound card.

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