Looking for a karaoke mixer with the option to record the vocal only

[figgo]

I am a newbie looking for a mixer for karaoke and recording. I did lots of research but still cannot find one. Any help would be appreciated. I tried to do karaoke with a USB microphone. But the latency is really annoying.

1. I can use the mixer to host karaoke party with friends. 2 mic input is good enough. The music would be output from my laptop. Reverb effects - must have. Compression - good to have. I will connect the mixer to my receiver(Onkyo tx-nr626). I know the HT receiver and speakers are not good for live sound. I would only do karaoke around once a month, would that still damage the speaker? would compressor help to protect the speaker?

2. I would like to use my laptop to record songs when we sing karaoke. I want the following options to be available for recording. The first one is a must have if the mixer can't meet all 3 requirements.

• Record the vocal from microphone only without effects. I don't want the effects from mixer as I can use software to add any effects (like reduce noise, compression, reverb, EQ etc.) to the recorded vocal track. I don't want to record the music from mixer either as I can record the music track from laptop directly.
• Record the vocal with effects.
• Record vocal with effects together with the music if i am too lazy to do anything after recording. Is this what the "tape out" typically contains?

3. My laptop doesn't have line-in or microphone input so I may have to use USB to connect the mixer to laptop. So USB interface is something must have.

Would this be possible?

 

[mjbphotos]

There are a number of USB mixers that will work for you EXCEPT that the vocal output to the computer WILL have the mixer's FX on them (and the backing track, too I think). That's the way USB mixers work - the USB signal is the same as the main output. To do what you want I think you would need a mixer that allows direct out (or separate pre-out) from the mics to a separate USB audio interface.
Maybe there IS a karaoke device to do what you want, but most people don't want to record karaoke (with good reason haha).

 

[ido1957]

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• Record the vocal from microphone only without effects. I don't want the effects from mixer as I can use software to add any effects (like reduce noise, compression, reverb, EQ etc.) to the recorded vocal track. I don't want to record the music from mixer either as I can record the music track from laptop directly.
• Record the vocal with effects.
• Record vocal with effects together with the music if i am too lazy to do anything after recording. Is this what the "tape out" typically contains?

1. Google mixers with direct outs
2. Pan the vocals to one side and record just that side from the tape out
3. Use both tape outs

 

[mjbphotos]

1. Google mixers with direct outs
2. Pan the vocals to one side and record just that side from the tape out
3. Use both tape outs

Yes, if he wants to settle for his 2nd option - recording vocal with FX< but it'll sound strange in his livng room wiht vocals out of one speaker and music from the other.

 

[ido1957]

Let me clarify....he wanted three recording options and the options I gave pertain to each.

1. Google mixers with direct outs. The direct out on a mixer channel sends whatever is coming in from your mic out a 1/4 jack. The signal is exactly what is coming off your mic - no effects, no volume change etc etc . So it is basically a dry vocal track that you can sent to an interface and then into your computer.

2. Pan the vocals to one side and record just that side from the tape out. This is assuming you have FX on your vocals from the mixer. You pan the vocals to one side and the karaoke music to the other. Then you take a tape out of the side that has the vocals. Vocals will have effects. Send that through your interface and then into your computer.

3. Use both tape outs. This is if you just want the whole karaoke experience coming out of your mixer. Send both tape outs to your interface and then into your computer. Whatever effects/panning you do will be reflected in the stereo feed sent this way.

Good luck !

 

[mofat]

Allen and Heath Zed 10FX is all u need. Only bad thing is Cubase don't recognize it and the USB is version 1.0 Only 16bit audio from usb.