Karaoke Forums

I noticed I sound so much better when I record at home with my headphones plugged into my recorder because I can hear myself singing while I'm recording. Is there any way I can do this on stage singing at random karaoke shows? The last time I recorded myself singing on stage it wasn't that good mostly because while on stage I couldn't hear my real voice that well. It was hard to tell when I was off key while on stage. The voice I hear inside my head and the voice other people hear (my real voice) sound WAY different.

Is there any device I can use? This would be HUGE for me.

Personally, I use a monitor speaker that points directly at the singer. I have it channeled where I can control the music and vocals separately. I don't think much more is needed in an karaoke environment.

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Sound Choice and Chartbuster Certified

Depends on the gig, and what equipment they use...

We stopped using monitors because people kept spilling beer into them or pointing the mic right at them.

Now we place our speaker behind them a little so they can hear themselves a bit. It's not perfect, but beats beer blown speakers all the time.

As for you, talk with your KJ, maybe you can come up with an option that's easy for them to work with.

An easy solution to that is " No food or drink allowed onstage! "

As for pointing mics at the monitor, an inexpensive graphic E.Q. for your monitor will remedy that.

Not an easy solution at all. It's not just the singers' drinks, it is the audience, the dancers and the random stage crashers. Floor monitors are subject to all kinds of abuse. The same goes for singers' video monitors. All the sloshing, greasy fingerprints and I've seen people lean on mine, knock it over, kick the wires loose, and even try to drum on it with their hands or random objects. I did away with stage monitors and pay very close attention to speaker placement and sound re-enforcement. If a singer can't hear themselves, it is because of either their personal volume level or their mic handling technique.

As for pointing mics at the monitor, unless you're on top of your board and immediately adjust, there is no way to remedy the random singer dropping their hand down and unwittingly pointing the mic right at a monitor that has been adjusted for the individual performance. There are too many variables. Simple solution, eliminate the monitors in favor of a mix that is "what you hear is what you get". The host mixes the same sound for themselves, the singers and the audience.

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Never the same show twice!

A trick I sometimes use to hear myself when I am singing at a Karaoke show, is to cup my left hand over my left ear (or right hand over right ear) while singing. By doing this, you tend to hear how you are really sounding.

...but you'll appear a bit of a deva by doing this.

Finished that for you.

Maybe not an easy solution for you, but I have no problems like the ones you've described. maybe it's because I establish the rules from the get go, and have no problem getting up someone's arse if they mess with my gear, or behave in such a way that my gear could be damaged. I like to think it's mostly because after 20 + years I have developed very good audience/crowd management skills. Ergo, I stand by my answer: It's an easy solution!

I think it is quite simple for the same reasons. Its all about educating and adhering to the rules.

"An easy solution to that is " No food or drink allowed onstage! "
"Quite simple."

You sound like an automaton.

I described variables that do not include exclusively onstage.

My 10 years as a 5-7 weekly shows, mobile single-op pales in comparison to your experience and audience/crowd management capability. You'll simply have to pardon my nerve for disagreeing with your premise and offering an alternative.

I've honestly never resorted to "getting up in someone's arse" as way of creating rapport with an audience or participants. Maybe that happens around year 15? Once you're up in there, do you find people to be more or less compliant?

My way of thinking suggests that you cannot control the variables of humans that drink and dance and sing and enjoy themselves in close proximity to the stage throughout the evening. You can however, eliminate the risk by deploying/operating your gear in such a way as to eliminate the need for a monitor. No monitor = no risk. Also no need to "manage" anyone. Quite simpler.

You don't have problems like "mine" because my shows are not like yours... ERGO, you need to tone down the arrogance a notch. You are the only one with mass-hypnosis capability coupled with the skill to defy the laws of physics when applied to drinks in peoples' hands.

I presented my view and an alternative method for dealing with both the subject matter of the OP and the risk of damage to your floor monitors exposed with inexperienced or inattentive singers/audience.

sarcasm/ Since I've been convinced that it is quite simple, I think I'll just throw another QSC K10 out there for some headbanger to rest his muddy snowboard boot on while he air-guitars until his face melts even though he'd never have the courage to get on the mic. I'll disregard the 50 screaming bachelorettes and their champagne flutes who have invaded the stage area as well as the first 10 feet of space around the singer's monitor. I'll just duct-tape a funnel above that K10 and direct them to dispose of any un-drank bubbly right there./sarcasm

I believe that a variety of viewpoints and opinions is what the OP sought. It is possible that there may not be one simple answer.

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Never the same show twice!

This why people leave this site and say to hell with it. All I did was post what works for me. As far as having to get in someone's arse. Yes I've had to do it on 2 occasions. Only after repeatedly asking nicely not to bump into my equipment, and to kindly move away. Since that didn't work, I had no choice but to put it very bluntly. It seems to me that if you r opinions or methods differ from from others, you get a nice healthy ration of s#it for your troubles.
I have busted my hump over the years to be able to have a high end sound system. By the way, there's no arrogance here. So when someone continually puts it at risk with their shenanigans, and refuses to listen to reason, I'm going to do what I have to do to protect my investment, and if that means hurting their little feelings then so be it!

I don't have a problem with people dancing to the singers at my shows. in fact I love it! But I do want everyone and everything to be safe. Like I said, " No Drinks Or Food On The Stage " works for me

To answer your question, OP, the only thing you can do yourself as a singer--barring carrying around an in-ear monitor and convincing the KJ to plug it into her board--is to put a finger in one ear or wear earplugs (some have luck with the cupping technique mentioned in an earlier post). Although this sounds counterintuitive, if you wear plugs in at least one of your ears you'll find you're able to hear yourself more as the audience does.

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~Cindy
Karaoke. Because it's a lot cheaper than therapy.

This? I am having a discussion with you. We don't agree, and that's fine with me. I don't expect everyone to agree with me and I certainly don't take it personally if they don't.

I don't believe that it is as simple as you say. That's okay too, if it works for you then keep on keepin' on.



^^^This is what keeps me engaged. Frankly, that's not "all" you did. You stated that it was "Quite simple". I respectfully challenged that statement by giving an alternate scenario and a different solution. You rebutted my statement with the same expression "Quite Simple". You then attempted to assert your "authority" by declaring your experience and expertise. Was that an attempt to invalidate my response or just a knee-jerk response to anyone disagreeing with you?

I used floor monitors for almost 8 years. Some of my venues have a stage, some don't. Some of those venues had a stage that was large enough for the monitors to be on-stage. Others did not have room and even though there was a stage (or "stage area") the monitors had to be placed on the floor at the same level as the audience. Over the years most of the abuse came from the "non-stage" area. Sloshed drinks, gum, cocktail straws, wet napkins and more debris. Over the years on three separate occasions, dancers/audience have kicked and damaged the 1/4" TRS cable & input jack on a floor wedge. Once, after a local volleyball tournament, I found a half-pound of "imported" sand deposited through the speaker grill by someone who had set a gear bag on the speaker. I've also had an incident where the singer picked up the mic stand and swung the base into the grill of the floor monitor, knocking it off of the stage to the floor below. Not a single drink or anything to eat "ON STAGE" during these incidents.

I am not saying that "No Food or Drink On Stage" is wrong. I'm merely saying that in my experience, it is simply not "quite simple". I elected to go with no floor monitors and rely on speaker placement and sound-reinforcement.

I'll admit that I was chiding you regarding the "up in your arse" comment. Lighten up. I can be a surly guy sometimes too.

I'll admit I was being sarcastic and that is because of your insistence that it is "quite simple" and your assertion that your experience trumps mine and your tone when using the Latin word "Ergo" while expressing your opinion.

And now the haughtiness... Arrogance and condescension didn't invalidate my viewpoint, so characterizing my part of this discussion as a "ration of $h1+" and expressing indignation as well as naming yourself a victim among others... pout much? Whiny know-it-alls are not the reason that I engage in discussions here. You want to leave the site and say the hell with it? That's not on me.

To the OP: One of many variables you must consider when trying to hear your real voice is the presence/absence of floor monitors for the singer. If there are no floor monitors, you might want to see if sound can be directed at you from another source as well as polite communication with the host regarding your vocal levels in the mix. It always pleases me when a singer compliments the audio and says things like "I could hear myself so well."

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Never the same show twice!

You wouldn't have to convince me. I'd be happy to plug in your monitor or mic if you brought your own.

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Never the same show twice!

Besides a monitor; and especially if one isn't available, Try walking out in the audience and listening to yourself that way. Not only can you hear yourself but making eye contact with a few audience members on the way back to the stage is a plus!!

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Sound Choice and Chartbuster Certified

Provided it's a wireless mic. When I had wired, you were not allowed to walk off stage.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Good point Lonman. If the cord will permit it.

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Sound Choice and Chartbuster Certified

There is! That device is called a car. Use it to leave, and go to a karaoke venue that isn't being run by an idiot.

How do you know if a karaoke venue is being run by an idiot? Simple! If you cant hear yourself on stage at all, that KJ is an idiot who doesnt know jack about proper audio.

Trust me, we don't get complaints about people not hearing themselves... expect when it's a 'mousy' type singer who doesn't decides they don't want to project a little.

I live by my board, because karaoke singer's are not known to be overly trained. They are the 9 to 5 people who didn't quit their day jobs, and want to blow off some steam.

I try to correct people, but drunk is drunk, and there might not be much in terms of hope other then the board....

Stuff we have to EQ for (Every KJ sees these singing "styles" that make us cringe):

The 'See my boobs pose' where they sing with the mic below their chest so you can see their face. The mic is pointing to the ceiling, they are projecting outward.

The 'Gansta' pose: fully cupped mic, one hand up in the air and they are practically eating the mic.

(Best is when I tell people who eat the mic is all those other people you do't want to kiss were singing into that mic too... spittle and all (yuck))

The 'I want to sing/but not really sing' pose.... mic held as far as they can hold it away from their mouths.

I've been in the business for 18 years (damn I'm old) and I have literally seen it all from Laserdisc to MP3+G. From actual names you would pay for, to total newbies. If monitors work for you then go for it. We make every effort to make people sound good, but adding extra gear around a drunk person or someone who can't hit a note for the life of them won't make them sound better. Those people who DO know how to sing well, or have polished songs (stuff they done forever) usually can overcome the lack of monitor no sweat.

Another thing you need to consider is your (or the KJs) equipment. When you see high quality name brands (Bose, Shure, etc.) that are in good shape, your going to get a better overall sound. I've been to a few shows that the gear was so bad, no amount of EQ will fix it. And don't get me started on KJs that over drive the system until it becomes a muddled buzzy mess.

Just my opinion on this stuff... your mileage will vary ::TM::

There are plenty of ways to make sure that a singer can hear themselves on stage that don't involve floor monitors.

Hearing yourself makes everyone sing better, even those people. Besides, how will they ever get better if they cant hear themselves?



Exactly. If the Bar or KJ has the opinion of "It's good enough for karaoke", then sh!t is all it will ever be. Just barely good enough. Of course that same bar would never give up their $8000 pool tables for $500 ones and say "It's good enough for pool".