Hi all, I am trying to setup a home karaoke system. I have a laptop which has many Mpeg files in there, these files are all Music Video with Human voice on the one channel and Music on the other channel(how they do it in Asia Karaoke). Normally, I will just plug the laptop to amplifier (by using Stereo Jack to 2 RCA connectors, like what people use for Ipod to amp), connect Mic to my laptop and just sing. Of course the quality is not so great, because I will have all voice come from one channel, and all the music from the other channel, even with the home theater amp (6.1), it doesn't really make it better. I am now thinking about buying a Mixer and keychanger to connect with my Amplifier and use a real microphone. Now i have several questions, but please bare with me. By reading through the forum article, I also understand that most of people hear don't like the Word "karaoke mixer/amp" But please hear me out, cuz i have some technical questions i would like to know.
Amplifer: Yamaha HTR-5650
http://www.yamaha.ca/av/Receivers/HTR_5650.jsp#specs
Speakers: Yamaha NS-AP3400 with Sub YST-SW015
http://www.4electronicwarehouse.com/pro ... p3400.html
These come from those Bestbuy Home theater package.
1. By buying a mixer/key changer, will I be able to solve the problem, fusion the two channel together by using a mixer and then send it to my amplifier? or what's the equipment i can buy to make it sound better? Also, will I be better off buying two more floor speaker so I don't blow up my tiny satelite speakers?
http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/r300/
these speakers sell for $50 dollars each at Fry's Online, will it be good enough and will my amp able to drive these? Or maybe i can just get away with a Bookshelf speaker? My living room is about 20x15. My Total budget is around $300 to $500 for the whole setup.
2. There are several Key & Echo Mixer on the market, but how come you can change in 1/4 keys? Is there really a 1/2 key and quarter key? What about half increment? I might not need all the sonic detail on how it's done, but I thought it's always just up/down one step to match the voice of the singer by using a key changer.
For example:
http://www.audio2000s.com/products/mixe ... kj7045.htm
In this one, You can change Music key control in 8 steps up/down but you can do it in 1/4key/step increment? doesn't that mean I can change music key in 32 steps up/down?
Another example:
http://www.audio2000s.com/products/mixe ... kj7050.htm
This one says 13 steps, +/- 3 tones, what does the +/- 3 tones means?
Yet another example
http://www.audio2000s.com/products/mixe ... kj7615.htm
In this one, you can have Microphone Key control in any step imaginable (±5steps (±10cents, ±20cents, ±2keys,±3 ½ keys, ±1octave), and THEN you can still change Music Key ± 12 Steps(±1/4 Keys/Step), don't you just change the key of music to match your own voice?
3. with the limit amount of budget ($400) and just for home use, what is really the bad thing about buying a Karaoke Mixer/key changer? such as this one
http://www.vocopro.com/p_mxr.html#da5800
I mean what other products out there can get these jobs done (key change/echo, delay, repeat) done in less than $300 dollars? I know there are people on the forum will tell me to get things like "Behringer PMH660M Europower Powered Mixer" but I want to put it at home with my home theater package, these mixer has too many buttons that I don't know will i ever touch or how to adjust, and it doesn't have those simple function like echo, delay, repeat, which I normally encounter in the asian side of karaoke amp. I do realize there is a huge application different between KJ and home karaoke singing, and I respect all the Pros here know what they are talking about, but is there better/simple way than buying a simple machine like karaoke mixer? If I want to make it expandable, does it necessary means that I have to buy several machines seperately?
4. Right now, I am just using my laptop to output the sound, so you guys might just say it's not worth any of these trouble, because the output from laptop stereo is so powerless anyway, none of these equipment will matter. But how about if i use a desktop and with a sound card that can output with a regular RCA two channel, or even optical. Will that make all these trouble worthwhile? Because it's very simple to make a change and do it all on the desktop, I just want to know what's the solution regardless what type of computer i am using.
5. The amp like this one, I know you guys don't like anything with the word "karaoke" on it
http://www.acekaraoke.com/acesonic-am-8 ... rface.html
but wouldn't this pretty much solve all of my problems? or it actually won't? I mean I think these company exist because people can just buy it and solve multiple problems at once, and since I already have a amplifier, so i am just looking for a mixer, but will it be simpler if I just purchase these type of amp and buy two more floor speaker and connect my computer to it and solve all the the problems?
Lastly, I hope I don't come off as a guy trying to prove something, in fact, I ask all these questions because I want to get a more clear grasp of how to solve my problem in a more professional way. I trust all of you pros on the forum can give me a opinion on these things. I have been frustrated because I try to call those karaoke equipment store, and all they tell me is to buy this and that, buy the top seller and give it over with. But I am not satisfy until I exhaust all of my options here and find out all the possible solution to my answer before I make a inform decision. Gladly, upon research, I found out about this forum, and reading through the article, I know everyone here is enthusiastic about helping other people. I greatly appreciated you guys hear me out, and I trust you guys will be able to shed some light to my much trouble soul. I also apologize if all these question seems ridiculously troublesome. Even if some of these questions will not be solved, I am still happy to get more information from you guys.
Thanks ahead.
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so yea you have to wait but it's better then mixing and matching at Circuit city.