Home Theatre System Karaoke Machine (1 Viewer)

[Louis Ahn]

I have a karaoke/dvd player on top of my home surround sound receiver and I need to figure out how I can use my mic that is plugged into the karaoke/dvd receiver to sing while sound comes out through the surround sound speakers. I used to have it set up plugged into a regular tv monitor but I currently I have an aux cable plugged into the headphone jack behind my pc and nothing currently plugged into my monitor.

Is there a way I can play music from my PC and while the music is playing, simultaneously sing through the mic which is plugged into the karaoke/cd player?

 

[schan1269]

Why are you using 2/3 of the MCH instead of coax? And you got video out and in.

 

[Louis Ahn]

I'm sorry, i'm a complete noob with this so I don't understand what you're saying. If I have it set up incorrectly, could you tell me what to do and why I should change it from the way it's currently set up so that I can play music from pandora and on my pc and sing through a mic simultaneously?

Also, I do know that these two receivers were hooked up to a regular tv monitor that had a input that my pc monitor doesn't have, which is why I can't view the Karaoke videos on my monitor and sing along with the cd. So, is there some sort of converter for the cable so I can play these Karaoke cd's on my monitor? I believe this cable is the coaxial which has a thin metal piece in the center.

I have a HP 2511x monitor btw.

 

[schan1269]

The 6 RCA jacks(all by themselves, as "one") is called (M)ulti (CH)annel. Why are you only using 4...4/6...or, 2/3?The coax(the Orange RCA labeled...coax) supports 5.1...which is 6 channel...ergo...the 4 of the 6 MCH...which you aren't completely using).Does this HP not have composite( ergo, yellow RCA labeled video...) nor component (that would be the triplicate RCA in red/green/blue)?

 

[Jason Charlton]

Is there a way I can play music from my PC and while the music is playing, simultaneously sing through the mic which is plugged into the karaoke/cd player?

...so that I can play music from pandora and on my pc and sing through a mic simultaneously?

OK, so setting aside the connection confusion for a moment, let me try to understand what you're trying to do.

Normally, when using a Karaoke machine, you connect a microphone and play the karaoke background music from a disc inserted into the Karaoke machine. The background music and the microphone input are "mixed" together, and output to your AVR as 5.1.

What you want to do, is NOT use the background music from the Karaoke's disc player? Instead, you want to play Pandora or other music files from your computer, while singing into the Karaoke microphone and have THOSE signals combined, played out via your home theater speakers?

If I understand you correctly, the only way this can possibly work is if the 5.1 output from the Karaoke machine isolates the microphone/voice input on the center channel (no way to know this without trying it).

You can test this, by removing the 4 audio connections you currently have between the Karaoke machine and the receiver, and ONLY using the "Center" connection between the two devices.

Connect the two using a single RCA cable, then with the AVR set to the DVD input, try singing into the microphone. If you hear the voice from the speakers, then you can connect your PC or other source into the "Left" and "Right" RCA inputs on the DVD input on the AVR (right next to the Center you used above) to Frankenstein your way to getting music from PC and voice from Karaoke on the same AVR input.

Of course, doing this, means if you ever want to use the Karaoke machine the "regular" way, you'll need to change connections...

Finally, if connecting just the center from the Karaoke to the AVR doesn't work, then I'm afraid you're probably out of luck.

 

[Louis Ahn]

Exactly. I will try this out, thanks a lot man

 

[schan1269]

Actually,If he uses the coax for 5.1, and "Frankensteins" the MCH, when he picks DVD on his AVR remote...Press multi channel on the romote, then DVD to go back to coax.That information is in the owners manual.

 

[Jason Charlton]

It took me a few reads to see where you were going with this, but I think I figured it out...

You're describing a setup that will avoid having to change physical connections to switch from "regular" karaoke to "pc karaoke".

For "pc karaoke", use the "center to center" plus "pc to left/right" multichannel connections I described above. When you select the DVD input on the AVR, you will then need to select the "multichannel" inputs to get the pc audio and mic audio.

However, if there is also a single 5.1 coax connection from the karaoke machine to the digital coaxial input on the AVR that is assigned to the DVD input, then "regular" karaoke is done by simply selecting the DVD input on the AVR and letting the assigned coaxial audio take over.

 

[Louis Ahn]

Exactly. I'm going to try and do this and if i run into any problems, which I probably will I'll post here. Really appreciate it guys

 

[Louis Ahn]

question is with the single rca cable. I connected the center slot white audio out 5.1 with the white cable (since it was color coded white i think, i'm color blind) but what about the home theatre receiver with one center slot that looks black? which color do i put in there? yellow, white or red? And what do you mean by the AVR set? are you talking about the fat grey cables? where exactly and what cables am i using when you say "AVR set to the DVD input"

And should I have the dvd receiver powered on?

am i using the 4 THX cables at all, i think this is the AVR you are referring to? When you say PC to left/right, i don't understand b/c right now I have the white and red cable plugged below the "IN" and the other end which is black plugged into the headset input behind my desktop pc. should I be re arranging this part?

Here's how I currently have set up.



so you can see that i only used one rca cable with one white at the top Center, and white, red underneath "Front" for the bottom receiver with the yellow plugged into the right where it says "Center" I don't think the yellow should be plugged in the Center slot

I guess I don't know where to insert the 4 big fat grey cables

 

[schan1269]

Back to square 1.The top piece of equipment. Far left. You have two connections. Optical and coaxial. The bottom piece of equipment has two optical And one coaxial. Pick one above, makes absolutely no difference, at all...which one You pick. Pick one. Connect the other end. Period done with step one.The audio out 5.1. Pick the "left and right". Plug in the corresponding on the other end.Your microphone source goes in "center".Color of cables makes no difference, at all.

 

[schan1269]

Wait...Do you only have two speakers connected?

 

[Jason Charlton]

Sam is correct. The color of the connectors makes no difference - the colors are there to help you make sure both ends of the same physical wire are connected correctly.

1) For "regular" karaoke, as Sam suggested, use either the coaxial or optical output on the karaoke machine to the corresponding digital input on the AVR (the receiver). Since you have lots of coaxial cables, it probably makes sense to just use one of those for that connection. That's all you need for "regular" karaoke.

2) For "pc karaoke", the only audio FROM the karaoke machine that you want is the microphone audio. HOPEFULLY, that is available via the center channel output on the karaoke machine - again, we don't know for certain. Pick an RCA cable and connect one end to the "center" output on the karaoke machine (like you have done) and the other end to the "center" input on the back of the receiver.

3) For the music part of "pc karaoke", it sounds like you have that set up correctly - using the headphone output from your PC to the Left/Right multichannel inputs. What this means is that when you select the multichannel audio input on the AVR, you will get Left/Right from your PC and center channel from the karaoke machine.

4) We also forgot about the video signal from the karaoke machine. Pick another RCA cable and connect it from the yellow "monitor out" on the karaoke machine to the yellow "in" on the AVRs DVD input. This will work for both forms of karaoke - any time you switch to the DVD input on the AVR, it will show the video from the karaoke machine.

With both devices turned on, select the DVD input on the AVR. If the DVD input is already assigned to the digital coaxial input we used in step 1, regular karaoke should work. If not, you may need to go to the input assignment setup menu on the AVR to make sure that when you switch to DVD, the coaxial digital audio input is used.

For pc karaoke, you will once again select the DVD input (with both devices turned on), but this time, you want to use the multichannel input (instead of the digital coaxial). According to Sam, that should mean pressing the "Multi-Ch" or some such button on the remote control. Consult your manual if you're not sure.

Here's a slightly edited version of your picture, with some connection guidelines.

 

[Louis Ahn]

okay, that center white cable plugged into the dvd receiver has another red and yellow left b/c each end has yellow, white and red. That white line you linked to the Bottom receiver is the other end which is the yellow cable I plugged in. You said color didn't matter so should I just leave that yellow cable in there? And the white cable that you're instructing me to move to PC is part of that yellow cable b/c it's the other end of the TOP receiver White cable I have plugged into center. So the white cable plugged into the bottom receiver "Front" and Yellow cable plugged into "Center" belongs to the same End, and has one more which is Red. When you say move the white cable to PC on the right hand side, I don't understand that part.

I have two surround speakers at the front, two behind and one center in front of my keyboard sam



here's the current set up

at the bottom you see red and white cable, that's part of the yellow cable that's plugged into center

I current have dvd multichannel mode on the bottom receiver btw and the big fat grey plugs I just inserted on the top and bottom coaxial are one piece.

I dont have an extra RCA cable at the moment, so I'll have to do the monitor in and out a little later...

And when you say microphone source goes into center, you mean the RCA white cable that's currently plugged into Center right? Bc my mic is plugged into the front of the dvd receiver slot where is says mic 1 and 2.

i'm about to go eat lunch, so i'll prolly be back in a few hours. Again, much appreciated for helping me out the two of you.

 

[Louis Ahn]

i moved the cables to where you wanted me to, with the white lines. The white and red RCA "Front" which the other end is the black 3.MM cable that goes to the headphone jack behind my PC

 

[Jason Charlton]

okay, that center white cable plugged into the dvd receiver has another red and yellow left b/c each end has yellow, white and red. That white line you linked to the Bottom receiver is the other end which is the yellow cable I plugged in. You said color didn't matter so should I just leave that yellow cable in there?

OK, let's take another step back for a moment.

The red/white/yellow cables that you have... you realize that they are essentially three separate cables "stuck" together? One cable with red RCA connectors, one cable with white RCA connectors and one cable with yellow RCA connectors.

The color of the connector doesn't matter - in the sense that you are allowed to plug a white connector into a red jack, or a black jack, or an orange jack. The color of the connector does not have to match the color of the jack.

However, if you plug the yellow connector into one device, and the white connector into the other device, you realize that the two devices aren't actually connected because those are two different cables?

I only ask this because you have a white connector in the karaoke machine, and a yellow connector on the receiver. Those are not the same cable. Pick either the yellow connectors or the white connectors. The color doesn't matter, but they MUST be the same at both ends.

The coaxial cable with the fat gray connectors seems to be correct, and the red/white connectors in your last picture, which you say are connected to the minijack (headphone) on your PC would seem to be correct.

You will need to consult your receiver's manual to make sure the inputs are properly assigned.

 

[Louis Ahn]

yea, i replaced it with a white cable this time. I'll have to read over the manual sometime this week and teset it out b/c i'm still not hearing the mic and the PC music at the same time.

 

[Louis Ahn]

So I can see the volume bar go up and down on my dvd/karaoke receiver when I talk into it but I can't hear my voice through any of the speakers. I tried different settings too. I changed the yellow to the white so the other end matched up. Here's the new pic. I called bose today and they said that I would need a $100 mixer to be able to play music from my PC and sing at the same time. I sent them an email and sent the link to this forum, so hopefully there can be successful collaboration. Any help would be greatly appreciated b/c this is a pain in the ass trying to get this thing to work. thanks guys

 

[Louis Ahn]

here's the manual but of course it would take me light years to decode it

http://a248.e.akamai.net/pix.crutchfield.com/Manuals/580/580TXSR500.PDF

 

[schan1269]

Oh, I so hope a Blose rep comes here.To the point here...You have it hooked up wrong, if it doesn't work.The entire point of a MCH analog input...You could connect a channel from a cassette deck.Another off a CD player.Another from a turntable (as long as there is a pee-amp)Another from DVDAnother from the PC.Play all 5 and have sonic psychedelia. If it don't work, You aren't connecting it right and/or not pushing the correct buttons.