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Another basic related question comes to mind. When exactly is the music considered to be too loud? Should audience members be able to carry on conversations without shouting at each other? Often there seems to be an escalation of volume throughout the night. The audience gets a bit louder after drinking more, the music gets turned up, people can't hear themselves talk, they talk louder, music goes up........ That's probably just life in a karaoke or live music bar!

Should you ever turn down the music? I stopped turning down the music to compensate for either a whisperer or BAD mic technique. When I did everyone on the bar would look at me like something blew up / ALso has Husbands and Boyfriends yell at me to turn up thier little honey who insisted on whispering ?
don't get me wrong I'LL DO MY BEST EACH AND EVERY SONG to get a good mix ..but some people you just cant help

Bars esp smaller ones must have sound baffles half bars and overhangs over the bar which provide areas that the volume is reduced. A jukebox sound system is designed for equal sound distribution but sometimes includes l-pads to adjust the volume in rooms or certain areas. Proper sound distribution that caters to all is one of the most important factors in a successful show.

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I do agree that sometimes it's out of the KJ's power to make a person sing directly into the mic. Some people I swear don't want to be heard.

On the other hand I have seen many KJs set their system one way and walk away for the rest of the night. I am always astonished by this. Our job is to make every singer sound the best we can.

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Yeah, I imagine you're just expecting too much Odie;)

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Well that clears that question up I guess!

I can't believe it, but I just did a search in the forum for the word "breakaway" and I found nothing? Doen't anyone use Breakaway for normallizing the output volume of their laptop? It can be used as the primary sound driver (if set up in the control panel) and anything played on the latop will have a very level volume. It is free to try for 30 days and 29 dollars to own, and I bet after 30 days you will buy it. Super easy to use and helps a computer kj master his skills. Also I just bought a Behringer MiniFBQ ($39.95) for monitoring my singers output volume and EQ settings. I use the control room outs (or headphones out) and plug into the MiniFBQ inputs and then to my powered monitors. The LEDS on the MiniFBQ shows precisely what the singers are hearing. That way when you turn up (or down) the mains you can readjust the montors to be the correct volume without having to walk up there and listen for yourself. Very few mixers have have more than one set of VU meters and this fixes that very inexpensively.

Goodnight.
Mrmarog

I look at it as a way to distinguish myself over other local Kjs, or a singer's set up at home. I try to set the levels according to each singer's mic technique and vocal strength. Plus I try to match the mixing and processing of the original recording. I have a midiverb with a midi controller so's I can change settings easily (and a need to stay busy).
Yet some people just WILL NOT be heard. These are almost always the timid, less experienced singers. Yet I remember in some choirs I've been in, people would sometimes intentionally drop out of the mix, mouthing the words during difficult parts. I've seen this happen with karaoke duets and groups, and sometimes have had to prove the mic is actually red-hot by walking up and rocking out. They usually don't complain after that.

Ooh another juicy topic!
I love reading what you all think.

Never really worried about volume levels in different manus/songs. I use a compressor/peak stop limiter on the music & it's not a real big deal to me to ride the music fader for the first couple seconds of each song. Will check it out though. The software, not the Behringer product.

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Hi Lonman,

Check this out http://www.claessonedwards.com/winmore.htm

This does soooo much more any any compressor/limiter that I have ever owned or used. If you are using a laptop, then this is a no brainer. Try it fully funtional for 30 days (1 nag per session/start-up). Set it up as your primary sound driver in your control panel (it will say pipeline) or just use it for winamp and select your direct sound output plugin, and use "pipeline" as you sound out put device. Either way it works great.

Thanks
mrmarog

Yep that's a nice little program. Would definitely make a difference on some cheaper sound cards as well helping to bring them out a bit more. Would like to hear it on my M-Audio card rather than my built in Realtek....

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Does this software stop those annoying pops and crackles that sometimes come with laptop sound cards? I've got an M-Audio Fast Track Pro that I could use as an external sound card, but the drivers don't work right since "upgrading" to Vista, so I just use my internal card. Sounds great, but I get pops and crackles sometimes.

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hi-voxentertainment

Yes, Breakaway does solve the pops and crackles some sound cards have. It asks you to listen to a sound that Breakaway produces and you keep increasing the buffer size until the cracks and pops disappear.

Lonman, this is not a compromise or a bandaid for a poor quality anything. This pure and simply put is a better way to EQ/Normalize your output volume. Sometimes, really smart people do come up with things that work better than all other things that came before it!

It has made an amazing difference to the overall quality of my shows..mostly because I have time to think about other things that I didn't have time for before.

I have so much confidence in the volume control, that I can take my KeySpan presenter and cordless mic out into the audience and anounce the the next singer, from a customer table, and start the next song without even being anywhere near my mixing console.

I am brand new in this forum, and I am every bit as interested as anyone you will ever find to make Karaoke as good as it can be! I have no hidden agendas or affiliations. My only comittment is to share any knowledge that I might have gathered in my 20 plus years of Karaoke in hopes of making it better for someone else.

Lonman you are obviously a very sharp guy, but keep an open mind. There is always a better way to do everything.

Thanks,
Mrmarog

It is a very handy and simple to use tool. It works well normalizing vol. for the music. This is done by the comp/limiter which is easy to set.

If you use the headphone output of the laptop this progarm may help. The better sound card may come with a better audio mixer program.

Eq adjustment; I will do it at the mixer level.

I wasn't knocking it, I said that it would also help some of the lower quality sound cards - such as my built in Realtek. I am planning on trying it on my M-Audio card as well when I get my tower back.



Thanks. I am open minded to a lot of things. Again, I wasn't knocking it.

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I was one of those KJs who would set it and forget it. The reason I didn't play with the mix is because I knew I couldn't actually hear the mix. The proper location to hear the "real" mix is the acoustic center of the room and I can't think of a time when I was ever set up there. Twiddling the knobs was therefore as likely to do harm as good. I would do a sound check before the gig and leave it alone after that except for a feedback emergency or the like.

The screamers and the whisperers are hopeless. For everyone else, show 'em how.

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Okay, who took my pants?

YES Don YOU ARE EXPECTING WAY TOO TOO MUCH!!. The music mix you get is all you DESERVE to get. Now QUIT WITH YOUR WHINING, SHUT UP AND SIT BACK DOWN!!!!

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

Well Kurt, that's kinda what I figured. One can dream though can't they?!
OK Kurt, I can take a hint! I'll shut up, sit down and just keep drinking like a good boy. I'll make sure Charmin gets your words of wisdom too!

LORD KNOWS she needs em'!!

But I cant figure any way of making her sit down and shut up short of a MUZZLE and maybe being cuffed in a STRAIGHT JACKET!!

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

I actually noticed something on this program, it would lag the music just ever so slightly so that the lyrics swipes would appear out of sync.
For a strictly dj program, it made all the songs sound fuller & more oomph, for karaoke it could make your lyrics fall out slightly. Too bad.

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