Xbox Music Mixer Impressions

Microsoft has unveiled a new utility for the Xbox called the Xbox Music Mixer. The package, which will retail for $39.99, contains the Music Mixer software, as well as a microphone that plugs into an included controller adapter. Music Mixer will let you strip lyrics out of songs for karaoke; download new karaoke songs, network audio, and pictures from your PC to enjoy on your TV screen; and more.

The network function will let you transfer media files from your PC to your Xbox so you can listen to music and view still images on your TV screen. You can take that media into the software's mixer mode, which lets you enable audio effects and transitions in real time. Aside from viewing your pictures, the software will have lots of 2D and 3D visualizations that will move and pulsate to the music. You can also set your pictures to music, creating timed transitions from one picture to the next.

The karaoke mode will let you sing along to the supplied karaoke songs or use the software's vocal-stripping technology to silence the vocals in songs that you supply. We haven't heard the vocal stripping in action, so we can't currently vouch for its quality. Xbox Live support will let you download lyrics to songs that you supply on your own, preventing you from having to memorize songs just to sing along with them.

Aside from lyrics, you'll also be able to download new visualizations via Xbox Live, as well as additional karaoke songs and other music.

Xbox Music Mixer will be on store shelves this holiday season.