Karaoke Forums

Ok, I've been searching through forums, and it seems everyone agrees that home theater equiptment should NOT be used for karaoke.  It wont sound as good, and you risk blowing out your equiptment.

However... I really dont have the luxury of buying a new PA system for karaoke .  I live in a pretty small condo, so I dont really have the space to store it when not in use, not to mention that is a much larger investment than I want to spend.

The system likely will be used for very casual singing.  Probably once a month or so, and not too loud as again, it is a condo.  Just for fun with a few friends from time to time.

I already have Sound Choice Foundation 1 & 2, as well as an HTPC, with integrated sound card, that does have optical digital out.  I plan on using the PC to play the karaoke.

My question is, how to best make what I have work.  Do i get a mixer, and take the PC audio and mix with the mics and then send that to the receiver.  Or is it better to have a mixer for the mics, then send that into the PC, then use the digital out to the receiver?  Am i going to need a better sound card?  If so, any recommendations on a good sound card (probably external as my pc is small form factor), and/or a small (in size) mixer.

Or am I better off getting a seperate CD+G player that will take the mics and then feed that straight to the receiver?

Again, I know this is not the ideal way to do this, and when I get more room, I will definitely consider getting a seperate PA, but for now I just want to put something together for casual singing, and I'm wondering the best way to make what i have work.

Thanks in advance for all your help and insight.

You mention using your home theatre system for karaoke / recordings but then you mention using your pc - so you kind of have me confused. I use my home theatre system and it sounds pretty good as a result IMO. You can check out my songs subs here: http://www.singersshowcase.com/profile.php?id=9581

Basically I have a cheapo MTV karaoke player that I plug into my receiver that passes through to a Toshiba Dvd recorder. I just sing and hit record using dvd-rw disks. I then take the finalized disk to my pc and use free programs (Smartripper, Clier's Ac3 tool, and Audacity) to extract and edit my songs for sub in mp3 format.

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The Truth Is Out There

It is an HTPC, meaning it is a PC hooked into my plasma, and sound system.  The HTPC is basically used as the CD+G player (with all the songs ripped into the computer, the home theater is used play the sound from the PC.  

I later ask if it would be easier to just forget the HTPC and buy a seperate CD+G player that i would hook into the HT (which sounds how you've done it).

I dont need to record.

Hope that clears things up.

Yes, I do have a similar set up - even a plasma, but am using it to record also which is straightforward if you have a dvd recorder. Regardless you can play from your computer or use a Cd+g player as input to the receiver. I've done it and I just got an audio cord from Radio Shack that has a single small stereo jack that plugs into the sound card (or integrated sound motherboard) on the back of the pc and extends as about a 4' to 6' cable that splits (Y's) into a left and right stereo RCA jack as input to your receiver. You can use Dart CD+G player to play cdg's straight from you computer cd drives, or you can use other software to play tracks already on the hard drive.

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The Truth Is Out There

So if going the PC route, my question would then be, how do I input the mics?  Straight into the sound card?  What if i want more than one mic (my sound card has only one mic input)?

Would I then use windows to control the levels?

As for the audio out, I could definitely take the line out and split it to RCA, but wouldnt I be better off just using the optical out of the pc, and plugging that stream directly into the receiver?

Actually IMO, getting an inexpensive karaoke machine and plugging it into the receiver is the simpler / better way to go for you. Still since the pc is hooked up and is capable of doing karaoke I guess you should at least give it a shot and see if you like the results. Yes, if your pc has optical sound out and your receiver will accept that, then that is the preferable to RCA. For the microphone you can get an adapter from Radio Shack again that will take a standard microphone jack and fit it to the pc mic in port.  Your mic must not be muted on the volume control (double click the speaker icon on the lower left - assuming pc/xp). You can control sound with those levels plus you may have software on your pc also that came with the motherboard to further control the sound and configuration of speakers, etc. Sound can also be controlled by your receiver. You will have to play with these combos to get the best sound.

As people have mentioned in the tech section - many threads there is other software that will play cdg's either in disk form or ripped to hard drive. I think I recall that WinAmp with a plug in will do it, and WinOke will do it.

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The Truth Is Out There

If you are playing the karaoke tracks off of your computer, you don't need a PA mixer. They make virtual mixers for your PC that will run on top of whatever playback program you are using. These mixer programs run from $50-200. Even the $50 virtual mixers out there are going to have all of the features of a real PA mixer and more. The only thing that you'll be missing out on are the multiple inputs a PA mixer offers, though it sounds like you don't need them and even if you do they make soundcards that accomodate that as well.

The computer mixers also have the advantage that whenever you want to add on, they sell separate add-on programs like effects packages, sonic processors, compressors, gates, limiters, etc. that are like $20-50 each and much less expensive then adding components to a PA.

Sorry that I can't recommend one, because I don't use a computer myself, but I'm sure someone else could recommend a mixer program or just do some research and find one that comes recommended. Either way, this is definitely the smart way for you to go if you need mixing and effects functions for your PC karaoke music.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

I definitely dont need a very nice mixer.  I'm not lookign for special effects or anything, just a way to have multiple mics, and control their levels.  Sounds like a better sound card, with two mic inputs, and some software (included or otherwise) to control the levels is all I really need.

So does anyone have a recommendation on how to get the sound from the mics to the HTPC?

I want two mics, but my integrated sound card only has one mic jack, 1/8".  Is there a good USB sound card that will allow two mics?  Am I better off just getting a mixer, and then sending the output of that into the line-in of the PC?

Hoping to get this done with in the next 10 days for a party we are having.  Thanks again!