Set up, volume, and manual issues
I got my EAKAR100 for $5 at a second hand/thrift store. Kind of expected it would just work or not. 'Nuf said. But after having no luck with the set-up, I took a long second look. Here's what I discovered:
The manual is VERY minimal... if you don't have one, don't waste much time looking for one.
What I did wrong: The microphone has one wire that splits into TWO leads, each having 3 RCA plugs (Video & L/R Audio plugs... also a 3rd "pigtail" lead that is for an optional extra microphone for duets). Although the two main leads were clearly labeled, I had put the one for the TV input socket, into the DVD output (and of course the other lead was plugged in wrong, too). Oddly enough, this DID produce music AND lyrics from the DVD player; but I had no sound from me, singing into the mic. My excuse for this obvious error is the manual had a diagram for installation that showed the SHORTER of the two leads going to the TV. It doesn't. Luckily mine had blue tape labels on the leads. I switched them and though I continued to get music and lyrics, alas: still no microphone. (I tried new battery, and yes, the red "power" light lit up on the mic.)
Up until now, the music had been playing at a reasonable volume, but I then tried my mic w/o the music plugged in. As I began talking ever louder into the mic, I thought I could hear it on the TV, so I cranked up the TV volume from 11, up to 26; and suddenly the mic was delivering my vocals out the TV speakers. I would not have learned this w/o unpluging the DVD, because if I hadn't, I would never have cranked up the TV volume high enough to hear the mic.
The microphone's own volume control was minimal (almost imperceptible; low to high), but there were clearly 3 functional reverb-settings, controlled by the other button on the mic.
I re-attached the plugs at the DVD player and selected a tune. I had music, lyrics, and my voice, with some distortion depending on my volume, and the TV's, and distance from my mouth to the mic, but it was manageable.
However! the balance between the volume of my mic, and the music from the DVD was such that I was being drowned out by the music. I could find (via manual, online Electrohome website, my little brain's theories) NO way to adjust the BALANCE between these two sound sources.
As for the DVD menu, and song selection: The music arrangements are awful. VERY disco-style, even for the Christmas Carols!! The kids songs are bad too, but not as tacky. My DVD player is old, and teeny (the TV by the way, is a pretty new Vizio VL320L), and the DVD remote is very obscure in its button assignments and descriptions --- even with DVD movies. But maybe the Karaoke disc is awkward in itself, too. So, getting from the menu, to a particular song was haphazard at best. What worked best was pressing "Go To" on my DVD remote. That produced a header that read: "01/30 ... 1/1", which turned out to mean "song #1 of 30 songs; [and] folder #1 or 1 folders". By highlighting the song number field, using the left/right arrow buttons, and then entering a number "24/30" for example, and then pressing "OK" , the song would start up. My DVD's "pause" button worked, but many other buttons did nothing except cause a hand-icon (like the hand in a crosswalk light) to show I should "stop".
Sorry to be so long winded, but I don't know what small comment might be of help to any of you. I, myself, was groping through the dark all the way. Good luck.
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