Mixer Advice Please - Auto Talkover Also Suitable For Karaoke...

[James Donnan 0]

Hi guys; I wonder if someone who knows their gear can help me on this one...

 

I use one laptop and a mic for DJing, so have never bothered with a specialist DJ mixer. I came from a singing background and I occasionally do karaoke, so until recently I've used a Behringer 1204FX with four mic inputs and reverb, and I've just ridden the fader on the music channel while speaking. (I know sometimes the Behringers have a poor reputation for reliability, but this one has been brilliant for me for about six years.)

 

Recently I've picked up a gig at a bowling alley where I'm required to be a bit more of a roaming host, which means I needed a mixer with auto talkover. I've acquired a Citronic CDM10:4(mk4) which does that job perfectly well. However it's only got two mic channels (I use three for karaoke); there's no effects, or individual channel send & return to add an external unit, and I'd prefer the mic channels to have a fader rather than just a gain control as on the Citronic, to make things easier when other people are using the mic (e.g. party host thanking guests).

 

So... at the minute I'm having to use different mixers for different gigs, but I'd really like to have one that does everything, so I can keep my radio mic receivers rackmounted in the same box. Does anyone know of something that would do three or four mics with faders, at least one with auto talkover, one or two line level inputs, and either a built-in reverb or a send & return that you can apply to individual channels i.e. to put an external reverb on the mics but not a backing track. Preferably 19" as well and with an IEC power supply input (I hate PSUs). I don't need beat matching or other gizmos - to be honest I don't even need a crossover (though I realise I'm likely to get one, and more line channels too.) The only thing I've seen that seems to be close is the Kam Pro 1500, but it's discontinued. In fact the 1204FX with a talkover would be great :) (Does anyone make an in-line talkover box?!)

 

Any ideas much appreciated; reasonable quality yet reasonable price preferred; any makes considered.

 

Thank you please :)

 

James

[McCardle 1]

Unfortunately auto talkovers seem to be very rare these days, and I can only recall the older Cloud and Citronic mixers ever having a proper automatic variable talkover, where you can vary the depth and sensitivity of the AVO, as opposed to a toggle switch which ducked the music by a fixed level.

 

I certainly can't ever recall seeing an AVO on a mixer with more than two mic channels, other than perhaps the cloud CXM modular series mixers,

 

http://www.cloud.co.uk/products/detail.php?id=53

 

however these are no longer made, and second hand ones can be anything upto 15+ years old now, but it might be worth checking Ebay.

 

The only thing i've been able to find which ticks all of your boxes is a pair of soon-to-be-launched Behringer Powered speakers with built in mixer, which offers four mic channels, built in reverb and also the voice over mic channel feature

 

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/EPS500MP3.aspx

 

Whilst the 250w per channel output of these may, in itself, not be enough for some gigs it should be possible to use the line out from the built in mixer to feed another larger amp, or another pair of powered speakers.

 

Its a clumsy way of doing it, but unfortunately it appears to be the only method which does what you need

Edited June 9, 2013 by McCardle

[superstardeejay 0]

That's a big demand! DJ mixers rarely have auto talk-over these days, at least at the better end of the market.

I suggest you get a little PA desk with aux sends & returns. Buy an auto-ducker like this:

 

http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=24

 

Use it as an insert on the music and a send on the voice. That way you can assign it to operate on any or all mic channels, and select which music channels you want to duck.

 

You would have to hide the RDL unit in the flightcase.

 

 

 

[James Donnan 0]

Guys, thank you both...

 

I'll keep an eye out for a Cloud mixer on Ebay; they don't seem to be going for silly money. Re the Behringer actives, they wouldn't be much use to me, but it may be that they decide to integrate the technology into a mixer range at some point. And the in-line box used with an aux send on the existing mixer is another possibility.

 

Brilliant advice and I'm most grateful.

[McCardle 1]

I'll keep an eye out for a Cloud mixer on Ebay; they don't seem to be going for silly money.

 

Just be careful that you buy something that is reasonable, condition wise. Like I said, age isn't really on their side and spares can sometimes be difficult to obtain for the older end of the Audio market.

 

A few years ago, for example, I had a helluva job getting some replacement faders for a Cloud Discomaster mixer

 

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=24765&hl=

 

Cloud couldn't help me as it was an obsolete product and non of the distributors had stock either. In the end I ordered 12 from Mouser on a special order. It took 12 weeks for them to arrive, but I did eventually get a set sorted, and replaced them all and the mixer still works like new, but I wouldn't want to try and get them again, nearly 4 years on!.

 

Bearing in mind that faders are generally classed as consumables in all mixers and probably will need replacing at some point, especially if its a fifteen year old mixer, if it has never been serviced - so be careful.

 

Therefore, If possible travel to see it working before paying, check all of the faders work correctly and smoothly and all of the channels are clear and not distorted.

Edited June 11, 2013 by McCardle

[James Donnan 0]

Update:

 

I've managed to pick up an ex-install Cloud mixer on eBay - should be delivered early next week, hopefully. I'm not sure of the exact model, but I can see from the photos it has the M2 output module in, which has the auto voice over section. Point taken re age etc; not being an engineer I'm not going to be mucking about with any innards - I'm happy to lose a tenner or so on postage to have a look at one and see if I think it'll do the job. If it doesn't look and sound okay then it's going straight back - I love the Distance Selling regs!

 

Thank you again for your advice, you kind, public-spirited people :)

[HeartandSoul 0]

Update:

 

I've managed to pick up an ex-install Cloud mixer on eBay - should be delivered early next week, hopefully. I'm not sure of the exact model, but I can see from the photos it has the M2 output module in, which has the auto voice over section. Point taken re age etc; not being an engineer I'm not going to be mucking about with any innards - I'm happy to lose a tenner or so on postage to have a look at one and see if I think it'll do the job. If it doesn't look and sound okay then it's going straight back - I love the Distance Selling regs!

 

Thank you again for your advice, you kind, public-spirited people :)

 

Pioneer DDJ SX has it built in when you use channel 3or4 for the mic.

[DeejayKez 0]

 

Numark ppd9000 is the best for this. It still only has 2 mic sockets, but will do everything else you need. You can add extra mics with one of these:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Soundlab-4-Ch-PA...=item232eee9094