Karaoke Forums

First as concerning the non-singer complaining.  It could be as simple as he was a friend to the previous host. (Not sure why the change occurred nor do I particularily care as we all know the bar business is fickled).

The hour cap on twofers seems reasonable, if and only if, there are no more than five people in the rotation.

You may want to pull your mains back a bit in an effort to control the volume better.

Do not be surprised if your 20-30 singer nights become 5-7 singer nights.  Not only are bar owners fickle but singers too.  Singers like to sing and will go to places where they get to get up quicker.  I'm sure everyone here experiences this.  But if you have good sound and a good selection, everything else being equal, they will come back, then leave, then come back, if you get my drift.  It's just the nature of the business.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

You can really only benefit from monitors if your mixer has an individual Aux send to send to the monitor.  Some people will just tap off the main feed which defeats the purpose because it still is completely dependent on the main outputs & can't be individualized.
Also a monitor should also have it's own eq - preferably a 30 band - to be able to adjust those bad feedback frequencies.
Typically you'll have your main speakers out in front pointing away from the singer & the monitor on the floor aiming back at the singer.

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

Good info !! Thats what we had is the moniters on the floor aiming back at the singer but I cant tell you how we had them hooked up b/c hubby did that but I'll let him know about this post. Thanks

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Kelley
Star Sounds Karaoke & Mobile Recording Studio


[shadow=black][scroll]You have to respect your audience. Without them, you're essentially standing alone, singing to yourself....KD Lang[/scroll][/shadow]

Galaxy Hot Spot is just a small, powered monitor that can mount on a mic stand.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--GXYPA5X140

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

What would prevent you from using the Headphones out jack on the mixer, and use the headphones volume to adjust it? Just Curious.

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I'm Not Dead yet...... But every day Im getting Closer !

All using the headphone jack would allow is a separate volume from the main mix, you still can't individualize the mix.  Whatever the mains hears is what the headphones would hear, thus sending that same signal to the monitor.  If someone wanted more vocals & less music, you couldn't just send that signal to the monitor without the main mix getting screwed up as well.

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Monitors should always be placed so that the butt of the mic is pointing directly at it. For most karaoke shows, that means directly under the video monitor. Any decent mic has a cardiod pattern that is shielded on the backside so that they do not pick up audio sources like monitor speakers when they are properly placed directly in front of the singer on the floor facing in a wedge up at the singer. So, properly placed monitor speakers and decent mics = NO FEEDBACK.

You were getting feedback because you had the monitors to the sides of the singers where the mic was picking up the monitor signal and bouncing it back through the signal chain then back to the monitor itself!!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

i really don't understand why alotta kj's don't use a monitor, and some use no effects....if i can't hear myself i can't sing, then i suck....ok i suck anyway but still....they spend 4000 on a pa and nothing for a monitor....if i don't feel i sound good i can't sing well.  i think the better a person can hear and the better a person feels they sound is veryyyyyy important....no monitor?  i walk....no effects?  i walk....

i believe and not saying i am for sure but, all the better singers want to have and should have a decent monitor.....even if the other singers r to drunk to enjoy r really don't have a clue about a monitor...i think a monitor can make r break a good system....JMO.....

I don't understand why some of you guys ever do 2 songs per rotation in the first place.  If someone sucks I really don't want to have to listen to them for 10 minutes straight, nor do I want to have to wait twice as long as I normally would to do my first song.

Re-invention

As I singer, I prefer shows that offer the opportunity to sing two songs.  As a KJ, I'd rather offer only one song for a variety of reasons.

I agree that the guy who "sucks" can become a pronounced problem in a 2-song-per rotation.  Even worse, is getting two singers in a row that "suck" in a 2-song-per rotation.

However, what if each singer does only one song, and three singers in a row "suck".  What if three singers in a row sing real slow ballads and the owner of the venue tells the KJ that his customers don't want to listen to that but would rather hear 80's rock.

My point is this.   If I have learned anything at all from this forum it is the realization that there are many different points of view among KJ's on how to run a show.   AND..... differing opinions can, at times, both be correct when it comes to hosting karaoke.

Singers, furthermore, often have completely different viewpoints than KJ's.  Note what I said above: as I singer I like doing two songs (you prefer one).  As a KJ, however, I would prefer to offer only one (during most of the show).  

AND FER SURE, A KJ, NO MATTER HOW GOOD HE/SHE IS, WILL NEVER PLEASE ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME.

I tried the two song bit for a while for the start, but gave it up. Most of my singers prefer one song and more rotaions. It seems more entertaining for non-singers that way, and I don't have to do the changeover.

  As for Volume  and EQ:  Sometimes this can be solved by directionalizing the sound more toward the singers.  The reduced sound to the audience sometimes reduces the EQ complaints  (Too much treble or bass) as well...

I for one, am one of thoes KJ that dosen't use monitor speakers.  But I do setup so that the singer can hear the MAINS.

IMHO, monitors for karaoke are OVER KILL, unless you have an "IDEAL" setup with a stage and the MAins pointing at the crowd.  BUt in the places I gig at, I have no "stage" and if I setup monitors they would be covered in beer by the end of the night.  

One of my competiors use monitors and their sound is not good.  In fact the monitors are adjusted so badly that it does more harm than good.

As for F/X, it has been my experince that most KJs way over do it.  A F/X should be adjusted so you BARELY notice it.  I would rather have NO F/X rather than TOO MUCH!

What I do with my monitor is stash it inbetween my TV Stand and speaker stand, or under my table. This way it is out of the way and out of sight. It protects it and allows me to keep it free from feedback.

I do like the idea of angling the speakers to a differrent part of the bar. As Ericlater said, the area I am in is like 8-10 feet across and 60 ft long. there is another 1/2 to the bar, but it is seperated by the bar itself (if that makes sense).

The guy complaining was sitting on the far wall directly in line of both speakers.

Can't wait to see how the 1 hour 2fer goes this week....

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

i understand sometimes there's no room for monitors but there should NEVER be a time when a singer can't hear him/herself....

they're having a karaoke contest here,  the winner gets $5,000, seems to be run pretty fair, 3 judges, 1 from a local radio show here, 1 a nashville something r other, ll....and 1 is a booking agent....seems up an up....and the pa sounds great out front, pretty big place also, and there is no standing room, it's packed out....for a monitor he uses a small hotspot, no eq nothing....all u hear all night is the singers complaining they can't hear themselves, that and flat notes from not hearimg themselves....

the place i sing at now uses his house speakers as monitors, no complaints here, i can hear myself ok...

i agree the fx r over used most of the time but i also feel that the not so good singers like it that way,  normally i tell him to lower the fx a tad....but no way will i sing with no fx,  my voice isn't good enough to pull it off....

first time i ever went to karaoke we walked in and they were letting peeps sing 2 songs each...they had 4 baddddddd singers in a row, i almost walked out,  ty god the kj was a very good singer and sang 1 to break it up some...but i agree i like 2 songs...the wait doesn't seem quite as long for some reason....maybe because i'm drunk by the time my name is called up again...l..

I don't llke 2 songs. I don't know what it is, but the bad singers often pick the longest songs. I went to one show that had three awesomely bad singers each sing two 5-7 minute songs each. One rendition of "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" stands out in my mind as the most excruciating karaoke performance I have ever seen.

i don't like 2 songs even if the singer IS good (unless he happens to blow me away and is singing to me perhaps?).

i get bored too easy...doesn't matter if the singer isn't all that great, just don't bore me...

even when i listen to songs on a cd, i rarely just listen, i have to be singing along too...

Boy ain't that the truth.  I have one guy that sings terribly, but does nothing but the long songs ie. American Pie, Shout - Tears For Fears (DK version), I'd Do Anything for Love, etc...

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(edited for context)

WOOOT!!

I'm never a fan of two-fers. It's got NOTHING to do with the talent of the singers... get someone else up there! Pronto! NOW!! heheheh

I just like the variety!

Hell yizzzeh!! I'm coming to the 2fer bar and doing American Pie followed by Stairway to Heaven. Some people may only get 15 minutes of fame, but that will have me set for about 25 minutes, easy!!

And for my 2nd 2fer, I'll be performing Paradise by Dashboard Light and Rapper's Delight!!

I'll take up 50 minutes of the first hour!!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

What's worse.......

The tone deaf drunk quartet screaming the song FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES
or the drunken group that gets up to sing AMERICA PIE and can't get the timing down so the only part they sing of the 8 min song is BYE BYE AMERICAN PIE TOOK MY CHEVY,,,,,