Karaoke Forums

What sub $400 karaoke mixer do you recommend for home? Thanks.

hi Tony welcome to ks, you might find you get a quicker response to a tech question by posting it in the tech forum

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Hi Tony -

Vicki is right Tech forum will get you more responses and maybe some links - I just want to welcome you to the site.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

I don't recommend a "karaoke mixer" at all. I recommend a regular live sound mixer. The Yamaha MG124CX or MG82CX is my personal choice. It has built in compression, and decent effects, and excellent clean sound.

A lot is going to depend on what your player is. If you are using a computer as your music source, that eliminates any need for a key changer or video switcher, which are the only functions that a "karaoke mixer" has compared to a live sound mixer.

I bought two "karaoke mixers" before I found out that they were garbage. They collect dust in my garage. They have zero resale value. On the other hand, I could resell my Yamaha mixer for a significant percentage of it's new purchase price.

I agree completely! only I prefer mackie mixers. they have several models that will work for you, but a couple have no mid control EQ on the mic chanels..to me thats a huge oversight and I can't inderstand why, other than having less to confuse novice operators.most also have great effects. either Yamaha or Mackie are a great quality. some here really like some of the other brands (Beringer for one). those are fine for home use but they have about the same resale as mckyj57's old karaoke mixers. they will work better than made for karaoke mixers, but if you ever start to do mobile stuff Ive heard from several others that they arent that dependable when they get bounced around.

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

there's nothing wrong for a karaoke type mixer for those that don't want to deal with all the bells and whistles. I've used one for a VERY long time, and enjoyed it immensely, and had zero complaints for using it for a small venue as well.

It's a AKG7000 I think. Been soo long since I looked at it, I can't remember! !

If I were to rebuy it nowadays, I'd go for the 7050 model, as it has a cooling fan on the back. The ONLY complaint I ever had about the 7000 model is it ran hot! I put a ten dollar cooling fan on it, and never had a issue after that.

I own a Mackie FX12 mixer as well, too!

What is the advantage to them? They cost more and sound worse. Why would anyone select them? They have terrible preamps, no midrange channel EQ, have lousy effects, have no ability to add external effects or compression, and cannot run a monitor speaker channel.

If you don't ever aspire to pro sound, get a karaoke mixer. But if you someday want to sound truly professional, use a real live sound mixer.

Have to agree. If your going to spend $400; spend another $75 and get a Mackie CFX-12. Good all around mixer for karaoke and can be used professionally if you get the bug .

Kelly

mckyj57, Kellyoke, knightshow,

Now, admittedly, I'm not as "learned" as you all, but I see no problem with using the "karaoke" mixer, depending on which one you get. I'm "fairly" familiar with the AKG that knightshow mentioned, actually know 2 kj's that still use them....no problems..and the sound is very good. I myself still use the Gemini KM 707. (I've got 3..in pristine condition, had 4, but sold one to a kj in the business for 10 + years ..absolutely loves it) which serve my purposes very well. In all fairness, yes, there were some manu's that pushed out some very bad boards, and tagged them "karaoke mixing board" to make the quick buck, but there were others, that tagged them as such, and they did/do provide exceptional performance. Not trying to get into a " I know better than you scenario", just trying to be fair across the "board". (excuse the play on words) Also, the OP stated this was for HOME use, ( welcome to the forum tony098 ) so buying a "used" one would be a viable option for that purpose. Just my

Donny "B"

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It's a wonderful life!!

Will some "karaoke mixer" types work? Absolutely. Will they sound as good? Not in my opinion.

Again, if all you ever want is home use with no aspirations for pro sound, go for a karaoke mixer. Have at it. But recognize you won't have any of the features I mentioned, i.e. midrange eq (which is the important knob in mixing vocals, mind you), compression insert, decent effects, monitor send, or pro-level mic preamps.

I have used a VocoPro KJ-6000. The sound is awful. Same for the SYM-600. Now if you tell me that those are two lemons, and that most others are great, fine. Please excuse me if I am skeptical.

mckyj57,

As far as Vocopro....tried one mixer....that turned into a nightmare...will NEVER buy from them again. I'm not familiar with the SYM-600...know nothing about it. I only commented on the one I use, and the AKG because those units are probably the only two "karaoke" boards that deliver what is "basically" needed for home use, and for the professional aspect as well. I fully understand the difference concerning the mackie's and the other "larger" boards, but I was just basing my response to the OP's inquiry regarding home use, taking into consideration ( like you did ) that he may want to "venture" out, and still be able to supply the basics. Granted, if one needs the bigger and more accessory friendly boards, and you can afford them, most definitely, grab the best deal you can in that regard. Again, no problem with what you and the others posted, just felt other options would assist when it came time to go shopping and deciding upon that purchase, whether it be new or used.
I'm sure tony098 has a few more options to consider now, and that, IMO, is the most important aspect of his inquiry.

Donny "B"

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It's a wonderful life!!

mckyj57

your opinion is duly noted.

i had more compliments on my sound over the years than many of the places that ran karaoke. And they had graet mixers and the hosts (some of them) knew how to make them sound good.

MY system sounds GREAT. Tig helped me over the years and I became very adept an using what I had. As I said, I HAVE a Mackie mixer, and have used both it and the Behrenger that we used to have. I kept going back to the crappy karaoke mixer you so despise. Why? It was simple, and sounded good.

Now I don't have to defend that position to you or anybody else. I like the Mackie. I like the AKG. You can take your high vaulted opinoin and stick it!

Just trying to help the poster not make the same mistake I did, which was to buy a karaoke mixer. Several hundred dollars wasted, since I progressed on to better sound.

I know a good operator can make marginal equipment sound good. But it is difficult to impossible make it sound great, since you can't have compression or good reverb. Without those, your mix simply won't sound top-notch.

For the money, you can always get more in a live sound mixer. If you are buying the $129 model, get the Behringer 1002FX for less. If you are buying the $250 model, get the Yamaha MG82CX for less (includes compression!). If you are buying the $400 model, get the Yamaha MG124CX for less. Etc, etc.

When I first started I made the mistake of getting a Pioneer "karaoke mixer/amp" & while yes it worked, just wasn't powerful enough. Later bought a AKG (can't remember model, think it was the 7000) and again, didn't feel it was powerful enough, but didn't really realize until I hit these forums that if it says "karaoke" in it's designation, it's probably overpriced & underfeatured. I eventually got a real nice Mackie board & separate amp & the sound difference was HUGE! And the kicker is I spent less on the separate mixer & amp than I did on the "karaoke" mixer/amp.

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[shadow=deepskyblue]I'm impressed, I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before.[/shadow]

one last time, (sigh)

mckyj57 & TT, all that was asked concerned a home system. Why would anyone need all the bells and whistles ( gotta have compression, gotta have that "mid" eq knob for the vocals, etc....not) which most professional systems require. ( marginal is your opinion '57..not necessarily shared by others ) I replied as I did to offer viable options, other than those initially presented, to assist the OP in realizing that you don't have to get the boards you mentioned to attain his goal. I never mentioned a combination mixer/amp....unless the AKG is one, and I've confused that with another board. ( been known to do that ) Just for the sake of this post, if one could find a good, used, Gemini KM 707 mixer/pre-amp, on ebay or elsewhere, grab it. Check out the specs and the "toys" that are built in. If not used for your main..it's one heck of a back-up, home or for gigs. Once again, keep in mind that this is a discussion concerning budget & a home system. BTW...the Gemini..when new...averaged about $289 - $349..depending on where you bought it.
Definitely NOT a "marginal" addition. ( unless you're rich and have extra to blow )
The OP mentioned $400....no more. Why recommend over that...didn't make sense to me. Last time I'm replying...not in the mood to go back and forth...there's no need.
So tony098, aside from the obviuos distractions presented here, you've also been "treated" to watching people who agree to disagree, and at the same time, been offered a wide range of options to help you realize your quest for "at home karaoke'. Once again, welcome to KS, and keep us posted regarding what your final decision is, and how it works out.

Donny "B"

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It's a wonderful life!!

For home use; try a small power mixer. This is what those 'karaoke mixer' really is. In most case the power mixer have more feature than the karaoke mixer at any given price range.

I'd have to agree with Jian. A small powered mixer would be the way to go. Even a Behringer PMP 3000 is way overkill for a home system and it's $399 brand new. That way you get the mixer and amp all in one. Simple solution, powerful and full of features. ebay might be a good way to go to find an inexpensive powered mixer but there are so many choices it could be confusing. It might be good for him to do some more research and decide on one or two models and then start looking around to see where they are available.

I really can not comment on the made for karaoke mixers too much as I have never used one, but have heard others who do.
I can say that a couple years ago I bought a small 4 chanel Peavey powered mixer that would work great for home karaoke off ebay for about $100. Im not a huge fan of peavey , but there are a lot of small powered mixers avalible used on there in the $100 range. IMO they will not sound nearly as good as my mackie, but will easly get the job done for home karaoke. they are also really simple to use , and most have at least reverb on them.

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

While everyone who has replied has made valid points I have a tendency to agree with Matt and DonnyB. I see no problem with using a karaoke mixer/amp, especially for home use and, as Matt stated, even using it for a small club as some of em sound dayum fine as long as ya don't have chit speakers hooked up. I'm sure since Tony is wanting this for home use he has no need to blow out the neighborhood and have the cops called everytime he wants to sing a few songs or have some friends over for a sing.

Tony, I too had a karaoke amp I used for small clubs and again, like Matt, the sound was very good (and it still works 12+ years later!). Besides that, they're very simple to use without all the bells and whistles to confuse the home/occasional user.

My suggestion would be to look on eBay or Craigslist to see what might be available then go from there. If you decide not to use a karaoke mixer/amp (and there are some good ones out there folks) look for a small mixer/amp with built in digital fx--I'd look for something around 150 Watts but no larger than 200 else you start running into the disturbing your neighbors scenario; you can find some fairly reasonably priced models in that range.

Good luck and Welcome to KS

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[shadow=white][scroll]Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.....It's about learning to dance in the rain[/scroll][/shadow]

One thing I love about the audio2000 akj7000 amp...

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/ ... 181918.jpg

Three video ins... and three video outs. If you use just one vid in, you still have three separate vid outs without hooking any other device up to it.