Karaoke Forums

Hi everyone,

I've been stumbling on this question "So what would you consider to be a good karaoke system?"

As a karaoke host and karaoke lover , I've had to opportunity to be at many different shows as well as trying many different systems. Majority of my customers are Asian background(Chinese, Vietnamese,...ect) . Our way of karaoke is quite different to the westerner somehow , may be because of the cultures or style of music we like.

But I do believe if something sounds good, to an extend it should sound decent to all ears . So just briefly share with us how would you rate or consider a karaoke system as "good/decent" .

I go first, for me I think a good system will give me clear vocal that I can actually hear what the singers are singing (word by word) , just enough reverb/delay on vocal that make it easier to sing , you don't feel like losing breath while singing , the backing music is at the right level that enhances the whole performance, and finally no feedbacks.

So what are yours?

Thanks
Kevin

A good karaoke system is one that will provide your singers with great sound, both music and vocals.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Hi Alan,

I guess that what i'm trying to find out, how do you define great sound when it comes to karaoke?

same way i define great sound when it comes to bands.
it's the exact same equipment so i use the same standards.
the voice mixes in with the music so if you close your eyes it sounds like it was done in the studio, not sounding like someone singing to the radio.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

I LIKE THAT!

[emphasis added]

I've said that in almost the same words to my KJs. If you listen for that one quality, you'll notice things like vocals being mixed wrong, or improper EQ settings, or effects not being right. It drives me crazy when a track has heavy echo and reverb on the backing vocals and the live vocals are run too dry.

I've done a lot of live performance, and I have a slightly different concept for karaoke sound, but not much. I prefer more compression and effects on karaoke, because it's makes everyone sound a little better and emboldens people to sing. I guess you're making a trade-off by being a little cheesier but more forgiving.

Of course, that can change with each singer, depending on skill. The OP's idea of wanting hearing the singer very clearly is fundamentally sound, but some people are well-served (and more flattered) by being heard less clearly.

imho: high end equipment + a kj who knows how to use 'em + proper mix vocals & audio + great sound quality, not too loud for anyone to carry a conversation = I think that pretty much sums up for me to be good (if not great) karaoke system.

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

Agree, equipment is a factor but knowing HOW to run the equipment is even bigger. You can have the best equipment known to man, but if run poorly, it will still sound like crap.

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Summing up of what I got so far:

Great karaoke sound/show will consist:

- Quality equipment (does not need to be the best or most expensive)
- A KJ/operator who knows how to operate them thoroughly
- A balance of vocal and music so it doesn't sound much like "karaoke" but more "studio recorded" like.
- Knowing your singers and their preferences , make sure their singing sounds good to them too, not just according to the KJ's preference of what's good. (sometimes less reverb sounds better to me, but the singer wants it to be super echoed , they prefer it that way)

Case in point: In my area several years ago the system that every company in the area except for a friend of mine and myself all used and swore by Mackie systems and don't get me wrong if run right they actually sound good but I could run circles around them sound quality wise with equipment most hosts might actually laugh at because at the time I was just getting a foothold in the area. Pretty much my friend and I took over a lot of the bars in the area due to knowing how to mix the sound properly. I had to stop running shows for a while because I had to sell my car to pay my way to finalizing a divorce. My friend left town earlier to pursue playing bass in a professional band. My understanding is that the band didn't work out for him and he ended up moving to Florida. I lost track of him over the years.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

DannyG, I agree that if you have decent equipment, the advantage of superb equipment will be dwarfed in the ears of your clientele if you run yours right. I have decent equipment (Mackie board and JBL Eons) but I've had KJs who could make them sound like they cost five bucks.

Something to consider: Karaoke is a show. Not just an amenity for the singers, but a show. In other words, if you do karaoke perfectly, it will be enjoyable for people who don't sing, and don't arrive with friends who sing, but just listen to music. So you're entertaining an audience, and somehow you have to make your singers and sound fill that bill.

And that makes another wrinkle. Suppose you have a lightly-educated singer who sniffily insists "I don't need reverb", as though it's some sort of cheat or crutch for bad singers. Now suppose they want to sing some 80s tune that sounds like it was recorded the very day after the producer bought his first delay and reverb, with piles of effects on every backing vocal and instrument.

Are you obligated to ruin your show to accommodate the singer, by running the vocal dry against that track, which will sound ridiculous? I say no. Make the show sound good. I have one couple who comes in that falls into that category (luckily they're both good singers) and I tell the jocks to mix it so it sounds good in the mains and turn the reverb off in the monitor speaker.

And again, this is the key. ANYTHING (well maybe not anything) run 'right' will sound good. If someone was running Mackie equip and it didn't sound good - he didn't know how to run it in the first place and in that case, it wouldn't have mattered what brand, make, model they were using.
I have made 100 watt Peavy mixer/amp and basic speakers sound 'tolerable', ran CIRCLES over the person that normally ran the board. THis was back in the day of the big laserdisc players, they were plugging the player into the mixer, and the mics into the player. The night I ran it, I ran the mics and player into the mixer, used the mixers spring reverb for the effect (still better than the cheesy digital delay of the player) and the sound came alive (even though it still sounded like (@$%&#!), it was much better than the way they were running it). They continued to run it the way I showed them and eventually upgraded.

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