Karaoke mixers come in different forms, and we will talk about some of them to help you decide what mixer is best for your karaoke system setup.
KARAOKE MIXERS
Mixers take the sound from the karaoke microphone and the karaoke player then send the audio information to the amplifier. They are used to balance the sound so you have a good-sounding karaoke session without the music or singing being too much louder than the other.
ABOUT KARAOKE MIXERS
The typical mixer used in a karaoke system will have a delay and echo effect control so you can modify the sound to cater for the individual singer's preference for the room. Adjusting these effects can give your audience an enhanced sound making the singing voice sound more like a professional recording.
A typical mixer used in a karaoke system provides the volume control for each microphone and a separate volume controller for the karaoke player. The independent volume controls allow you to adjust the volume of the karaoke player and the singing separately and get the right balance between the music and microphone singing.
One of the significant benefits of a mixer is being able to adjust the sound to the environment you are singing in. Most mixers for karaoke have an EQ which offers the ability to edit the bass and treble of the music which means that you can adjust the bass and adjust the treble to get the right sound for the room. Sometimes too much bass will sound too loud making every beat sound like a thump so being able to edit these settings can help improve the tone of the karaoke session for everybody.
Some more advanced karaoke mixers have indicators that light up to tell you the volume levels for each microphone and the main mix. A feature like this can be useful for a professional setup, but if you are mixing karaoke at home, they are not necessary unless you want something that looks good for a bit of tech eye candy.
MIXER BODIES
There are several types of mixers. The most popular form of karaoke mixer is when the controls and inputs are on the front panel of the mixer unit, and the mixer can sit on a shelf or mounted on a rack above or below other equipment. These come in different sizes. Some can be mounted on a rack system for a professional karaoke system. You can also get small desktop mixers with the panels at the front which are ideal for small spaces or to sit on your TV stand.
The other type of mixer is a desktop or flat mixer that will site on top of a desk or mount in a rack on the top with the controls and inputs on the top of the unit. These are also referred to as audio mixers and are used for live music production and other media. I advise only using one of these mixers for karaoke if it has some built-in effects such as echo to assist you in mixing the singing of your karaoke singers.
The other type of mixer is a boxed mixer. This has everything enclosed in a solid case. These mixers are for people who often take their karaoke on the road. These cases are durable which can help prevent damage during transport. The boxed mixer is versatile and can often be placed on the floor or on top of other equipment such as large live show speakers or other equipment such as amplifiers.
WHAT MIXER SHOULD I BUY?
The karaoke mixer for your setup will be the one that best meets your budget and fits well in the room where you will use it the most. Most cheaper karaoke mixers will do the job if you will be using it at home or for a small karaoke party and a shelf unit with the controls on the front panel will suit most home, or small event uses.
BUY A KARAOKE MIXER ONLINE
- Amazon sells professional mixers ideal for karaoke systems including the VocoPro DA-1000 Pro Professional 3 Mic Digital Echo Mixer and the Mackie 402VLZ4, 4-channel Ultra Compact Mixer. If you want a mixer for under $30 then you can check out the ammoon Portable Karaoke Mixer.
- You can buy a mixer to use with your karaoke setup from the online stores listed in the karaoke stores links area.
EXTRA ADD-ONS FOR YOUR MIXER
You will need extra add-ons for your mixer, and this article about karaoke system add-ons will help.
MORE RESOURCES ABOUT KARAOKE MIXERS
Now you have a good understanding of how a mixer will be used in a karaoke setup I encourage you to visit karaokemixer.info which is a website specifically about karaoke mixers. You will find articles about karaoke mixers and some karaoke mixer reviews written for people looking to get a mixer for their karaoke system.