Karaoke Forums

What compact mixers have great sounding reverb?

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Soundcraft-EFX-8-Channel-Mixer?sku=630344


for the money, I think this will be your best FX board, but I am not 100% sure. The new Mackie FX8 coming out is cheaper and it is supposed to have decent reverb, but it won't be as good as this one, since it has the AudioDna by Lexicon. There is also an EFX-12.

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[glow=red]Yo sucka, we need this hea CHOPTER, and we need it now![/glow]

Do you use a PC?

http://www.zzounds.com/item--EMU1616

I have the desktop version of the EMU card. The reverb is just yummy.

I'd have to agree with hamsamich. That's the board I want to get when I grow up and get big, but if $399 is a little more than you want to spend you might want to consider the Alesis Multimix 8 that I use. New it's around $150. You might be able to find a gently used one on ebay or craig's list for around $100. It's an excellent little mixer with really good vocal effects. I'm thrilled with it.

I have a 2006 version of the Yamaha 16/6FX (now called the MG166CX), and I think the effects are perfect for the karaoke application. Simple to use, and has all of the major effects one would use in a vocal application.

I've looked into an external vocal effects unit many, many times, but when it come down to it, who needs 200 vocal effects when 95% of the time you are just going to use reverb, vocal echo, and maybe delay.

I also have the Yamaha 12/4FX on my mobile rig, and it certainly also has enough inputs for a karaoke application, at a much lower price. The new MG series of these mixers also have built-in compressors on the mic channels and updated FX algorythms. There are even USB-enabled versions.

For my money, I LOVEEEEE the Yamaha boards.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Hi

I agree with TopherM - Yamaha boards are good value.

I also have the older 16/6 which my son uses for his band and duo with my wife and it also works great for karaoke. Easy to use and Good Effects.
I think we got ours from ebay for around £140 UK.

Good luck

I use the Mackie DFX 6. I like it...put it this way...its a bargain at £100 gbp....

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-8INPUT-STEREO-MIXER-WITH-DIGITAL-EFFECTS?sku=630139


found this too. this one looks good for the money. wish it has USB/FW I'd buy it on the spot.

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[glow=red]Yo sucka, we need this hea CHOPTER, and we need it now![/glow]

That's my practice mixer -- I like it a lot. It has compression too.

There is a USB version but ironically it has no effects (the MW10C).

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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.

Honestly, I think most of the suggestions in this thread are probably "great for the budget" but none really sound "great." It's all relative to what your expectations really are, and with karaoke that could vary between a home setup for having fun with your family and guests, or a really pro installation like Lonman's (check out his pictures in a recent thread.)

The degree to which built-in FX engines varies as widely as opinions about what is "great," too. The Yamaha O1V FX are very usable, while IMO, the Yamaha MG-series FX are kinda crappy. But there is a big difference in price and indeed the whole format of the mixer offerings (one being entry-level digital; the other budget analog.)

I choose to separate my FX and mixer because I thought it would be a lot smarter in the long run. I use a Lexicon MX400 for reverb/delay and I am very happy with it. I am buying a second one pretty soon.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

I happen to agree with Jeff (which is why I've been absent from this thread up until now). Until you get into the digital realm, the onboard FX units on most compact consoles are pretty cheesey. The controls are simple and they're very effective yes, but if your question is about which compact board has the highest quality effects, well it's almost an irrelevant question. The digital world is a little different because that's where they start including the EFX engines from some of the more popular outboard units. For instance, Jeff mentioned the O1V. The multi-effects on board (at least the verbs) are straight from Yamaha's SPX series, one of the most popular reverb units of the 80's and 90's for recording. Unfortunately the price of digital boards is pretty steep.

Of the compact analog boards with built in EFX that I've had experience with (which includes the Yamaha MG, Alesis Multimix, Mackie CFX and 808, and Allen Heath Zed), the Mackie's are probably my preference as far as the audible quality of the effects. I also like the ease of the controls on the Mackies, they're pretty simple and available for quick tweaking. One feature I do like on both the Yamaha MG's and the Zed FX series is that the effects return is given it's own fader. This mimics how I typically use outboard units (the returns come in on stereo channels rather than the EFX returns). I prefer the fader to the rotary knob that the Alesis and Mackies use.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Funny thing my home system is just the built in effects on the CFX 12. I don't have extra funds for something actually good. My good processors are being used in shows.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

One of the reasons I love my EMU is I can precision beat match delay. If I know the BPM of a song, I use this reference to find out the Millisecond of delay needed for a proper beat match.

http://www.wiseguysynth.com/larry/convert/bpm_table.htm

A great example is white wedding, billy idol. It's BPM is around 160. Looking at that chart I know that the proper ms to match that is 750 ms.

Instead of twiddling with a knob.



I just type it in.

Tony I agree with you, I'd never go back to non-digi.

Clearly, Lonman, you are not charging yourself enough for your services.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

I use my CFX12 for my home rig now, ever since I bought the digital console. I use the onboard effects but also have my outboard equipment (since everything is built into the digital board, I don't need outboard stuff at gigs). Like I said, the Mackies are probably the best of the group.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

mackie dfx 6 gaining support...(see other thread)......bear in mind we are on about COMPACT mixers boys

ZED12FX this is the one I will probably get. It is the smallest board I can find with USB out, supposedly good EFX, and just a good board for it's compact size. Not loving the price but gotta do what you gotta do.

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[glow=red]Yo sucka, we need this hea CHOPTER, and we need it now![/glow]

I haven't seen one board mentioned in this thread yet that isn't a compact mixer. I curious what your definition of compact is.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Anymore whwn an EFX discussion comes up wonder for karaoke or playing odies for dance music? There is a vast difference and the amount of EFX for different genres is different also. I use the CFX12 and externals (a bunch)...

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AandH ZEDFX12 versus Soundcraft EFX8. Does anybody have experience with BOTH of these mixers? The Soundcraft has no USB out, but it is a bit smaller and cheaper than the ZED and probably has better EFX. If I knew the EFX on the ZED were almost as good as the Soundcraft, I would probably just get it. Anybody know?

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[glow=red]Yo sucka, we need this hea CHOPTER, and we need it now![/glow]