Singing Machine Microphone Not Working – Causes & Fixes
The mass production of technologies of all kinds has made it possible for us all to get devices only professionals could get their hands on in the past. Portable devices like karaoke machines are very easy to buy and our singing hobbies can now be done from home with singing machines.
The singing machine microphone is a device that is needed to make this all work. If your singing machine microphone does not work, then there is no rocking session to be had. In this article, we’ll try to give you some tips to troubleshoot a microphone that refuses to work. In the hopes that the mic itself is not completely damaged, then one of these should help you get that mic and jamming session back online. Let’s jump right into it.
How do I get my microphone to work on my Singing Machine?
In principle, once you have your device switched on, you only need to plug the microphone jack into the Mic 1 or Mic 2 input jacks, turn on the mic and it should be connected and working. If that does not happen, then see below some steps to try.
NOTE: These tips below are provided in good faith to help you get your mic back online. You perform these at your own risk and responsibility.
Top microphones for you singing machine
If you’re in a hurry to get back singing again, click here to find a list of Singing Machine microphones (link to price at Amazon). Here below are some good microphones compatible with your Singing Machine karaoke device, if you can’t fix your non-working one.
This happens regularly to the best of us. It happens on stage to professionals too. Make sure the microphone itself is turned on. If it is, switch it off and then turn it back on again. This should reset the mic and try to re-establish the connection again to the device. Should this not be the issue, then move on to the next step.
Make sure the microphone is actually plugged in correctly
If you are using a singing machine microphone that is wired, check the jack connection and make sure that it is snugly fitting into its hole. You can try to remove the plug, clean it and then insert it again into its slot. Test the mic at this point to see if it gives any feedback and if it is now working. Move on to the next step if it isn’t.
Check that the cable and the jacks are not damaged
Depending on how rough the microphone and singing device was used, small micro-tears may start forming in the microphone cables, especially around the jack. These tears in the connection build up over time until the breaking point, where the microphone then suddenly stops working.
To test if the jack and cables are bad, try gently wiggling the cable around the jack, left, right, up, down. If the mic works and provides feedback when the cable is turned to a certain position, then you have a damaged line.
A damaged cable will have to be repaired or replaced. If it is worth your money to repair it instead of replacing it and then throwing the damaged cable into the landfill, I’ll advise you do so. It may save you money in the long run.
For those who have some DIY passion, a cable can be cut open and a jack resoldered to it or replaced with a new jack. There are jacks on the market that are made for the replacement of others, so come with unscrewable covers and connection points for each cable’s soldering onto it. There are audio cable repair videos on youtube you can check out if you are up for it. Cutting a cable if you don’t know what you are doing will render it useless, so only do this if you are confident you can fix it or try a repair attempt before buying a replacement.
Check that the volume is raised up
The next big funny culprit after not turning the microphone on is having the volume at zero and believing the microphone is not working. this as well happens to all of us, so don’t worry if you just found out your volume was not turned on. Just turn it up and you can start your karaoke session without shame. If your volume is turned up and the mic still does not work, then the issue is another.
Check wireless mic batteries and replace them if they are bad
If you are using a wireless singing machine microphone and that is not coming on, the batteries may be the reason. A dead battery means there is no power to start the microphone and it will remain dead until the battery is replaced. Most singing microphones come with a 9v battery. The battery looks like a rectangular box.
Follow your mic’s user manual to open it up and remove the battery. If you don’t have a spare at home, you can test the battery with a multimeter if you have one at home. It should read close to 6-9 volts to be in good shape. If you have a spare new battery at home, then just go ahead and replace it. Your mic should power on back to its glory if the battery was the culprit.
Restart the whole system
Sometimes a fresh restart of your singing device is what is needed to reset all electronic components to start working well again. You can turn everything off, unplug them, then press the power button a few times to discharge any capacitors storing energy in the device, then plug back everything in. Hopefully, once it all starts up, then your microphone is working fine.
If connected to the computer, check for driver issues/updates
If you are using your singing machine microphone with a computer, you could try checking for driver issues and updates needed. You can go into device manager, uninstall your singing machine microphone from the Bluetooth or USB host sections then restart the device. It should find your mic and install the latest drivers for it. Hopefully, this resolves the connection issue.
Test the microphone on another device
If you have tried all of the above with no success, but you are sure the microphone itself is not damaged, try it on another device.
You can test your mic on a different amp, or speakers. This step is a bit more difficult as you may not have any device that you can test on around you. Ask friends if any have a machine you can test the mic on.
If your mic works on another device, then your karaoke machine may be the cause of the issue. Damaged input jacks could be it. In this case, it will have to be repaired by a professional if you don’t have electronics repair skills.
Conclusion
So there you have it. A bit of troubleshooting can go a long way and help you get your singing machine microphone back online and rocking. We hope one of these tips helps you. As you have done extensive checks and troubleshooting, test the mic on another machine and it still does not work, you may, unfortunately, have a dead mic on your hands.
Take it back to the seller if you are still under warranty. If you are no longer under warranty and have a bit of technical knowledge, you could try opening up the mic to check if any soldering joints or cabling is damaged. Do this at your own risk and responsibility though.
The best way to sort the problem with a damaged singing machine microphone no longer under warranty is to take it to an electronics repair shop. Before allowing the technician to start work, make sure to get a quote about the repair fee and the repair attempt fee if no repair could be done to the device.
It may end up costing more than a brand new singing machine microphone in the end, so have that point in the back of your mind when you take it to a repair technician.
All the best wishes for your microphone and singing.