Karaoke Forums

I don't have any idea of what the venues are like that you folks work at.  Let me provide descriptions of some of the venues I frequent here, from time to time.  Two shows are at little Italian restaurants, and I mean little.  There are two shows in walking distance of my home at beer bars that are about 25 feet wide and 100 feet long.   There are three shows I frequent at hotels on the beach. Two are outside and one is in a lounge.  Most people singing at the outside shows are hotel guests.  At the show in the lounge there are rarely hotel guests and never more than 10-12 singers, usually the same people (there is a cover charge there).  There is one company that runs successful shows at several sports bar/grill.  They always draw a large crowd, most of which leaves after the first rotation has been completed, about an hour and half later.

The busiest show I attend starts at 10pm and ends at 2pm, and often goes into overtime (Sunday and Wednesday).  The sound system is adequate, but the KJ wants to replace the speakers with Bose.  She's been having equipment problems with a CAV system that she had bought used.  She has 15 singers signed up before the starting time of the show and that might get up to 30 by the end of the first rotation.  She'll average 20 singers in the rotation most of the night.  

One place I frequent is huge.  It is a Middle Eastern restaurant with a big stage and a large dance floor (they have Belly Dancing shows there on the weekend).  The house sound system there is the best and the show draws about a dozen regualr singers who typically go to that KJ's shows (including one at one of the little Italian restaurant previously mentioned) and kids from the local college who come in to for the karaoke.  That show starts at 7 and is over at 10.

So, how does that compare to what's around you?

karaoke is karaoke.    I play all karaoke music.  I never play regular dance music as many here.   I don't use filler music between singers.   I play non stop, continuos karaoke music.      I practice crowd control by the music selection in my book.   It has been edited to take out the swearing and HIP-HOP/ RAP and violent or heavy sexual content.     I have a very good system and I attract people that have more talent and take karaoke more seriously than most.   I hardly get screaming drunks because I don't tolerate it and neither does my crowd.    Most of my singers come early and stay late.   All eat in bars except one, it doesn't have a kitchen.     In 14 years I have played in every kind of bar.    A few hotels.     I have lots of competition as far as other KJs.    Hundreds in a 20 mile area.   Most don't come close as far as my system is concerned.      Nobody else uses $600 microphones.  LMAO

Nobody else needs to either.  His $600 microphone is the EXACT SAME as the $100 wired version.  Only difference is it's wireless & where the extra money lies is in the transmitter/receiver, the mic itself is no better than it's $100 counterpart!

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BigDog I feel compelled to ask (cause I have never figured out completely why anyone, myself included, is attracted to Karaoke) what is a 'S E R I O US' kARAOKE SINGER?

They are just that.    They have more talent and take it more seriously than most.   This is not a singing drunk crowd.   No screamers.   People acting normal singing together.

It has been much more pleasurable to me over the years to have a decent crowd that can actually bring listening pleasure, than to have screaming drunks night after night.    That crowd goes to my hack competition.   Saving my ears for lifes more enjoyable singers.    Like going to a concert night after night.  :yes:  :worship:

No trouble usually.   No hecklers.     Can't heckle good singers.    Everyone gets along.   They share songs.   Sing backup for each other.   It's just something that needs to be heard to appreciate.      I wouldn't want it any other way.

These are the benefits of having a great sounding system.  :yes:  :O

Bigdog, in reading through post I have noticed you mentioning on numerous occasions how great your sound system is but you never mention what your system consist of. What type of Speakers, mixer,  subs do you use and do you use any processors?  :)

Everyone knows but you.  :whistle:

I'm the biggest processor of the entire system.  Without me at the controls, it is nothing.  :O

He runs ok equipment, nothing to brag about, but it is all hooked up incorrectly ie 1 amp pushing the subs & tops with no crossover in between.  The subs he runs has no crossover so they try to reproduce the midrange frequencies that the tops are trying to reproduce thus cancelling those frequencies out.  Probably why he needs to push ALL the sliders on his eq up!

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being an ex singer in a band,  the sound system is and always will be number 1 with me, not that i'm a great singer but by golly if i'm gonna sing let me sound my best...if a system sounds bad i won't get up, no reverb/ effects? i won't get up, trust me i need all the help i can get.....
 why would anyone want to sound worst then they do?
where i'm from its so true that the better the sound the better the singers, just makes sense....if people that don't r can't sing wanna go out to listen to karaoke what better place to go then to hear good singers...thats where i go...
i also agree that  the system is no better then the person running it, they can make and break you, i've been broke a few times, never went back there...

i feel if you think u know ur area then get what you feel u can afford, and the system YOU feel will be the best for YOU, then in the end theres no one to  blame but urself...

the place i go to has i'm guessing 30 to 40 singers a night, thats 4 nights a wk...they tried bands for 2 night didn't work out, so they r down to  bands 1 night a wk....

i also feel that  serious karaoke r people that use to sing in groups/bands, and karaoke is there only outlet  now... so sure there goning to go  to the best sounding system....

if i had a choice of 5 clubs to sing no matter what the better sound would win out every time...as with most i believe....

and no i'm not nor will i ever be a K J i don't think....having to much fun singing, i enjoy karaoke singing much more then being in a band, for different reasons,  its not near the high, but not near the work either, all in fun now

different people speak of bands being better then karaoke, yet when ur in a band and u get burnt out its just a job like anything else....besides i love hearing others sing, good r bad.... JMO.....Billy

OK, OK

You are 100% correct.   I know of lots of singers that quit going out to sing because every KJ sucks.   They care nothing about quality.   "Good enough for karaoke"  seems to rule the hack mentality.   Spend money on good equipment???? are you kidding.

No spend money on good equipment, the biggest thing is learn how to run it AND hook it up properly!

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But Lonman that requires real knowledge about sound and sound equipment and we know that dogs may be able to perform tricks but aren't even as intelligent as pigs.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

I could turn off/use half of my system and still be better than all of my competition.  :O

Hooked up wrong and backwards it still out does the hack competition.  :shock:

It's even good enough to play in Canada.  :worship:  LMAO

The Amish are still farming with horses.... And have some of the most productive well kept farms in this country. And Ive caught more fish out of a old wooden boat than a fancy cruiser. Sit on the bank with a cane pole and bobber?  You aint even a fisherman!!! Ive spent many afternoons in bars and heard this argument applied to every subject possible. And the ones out there doin it wrong were makin money while we were  sittin our (@$%&#!) arguing about it. And I can skin a deer with a pocket knife.. But it has to be an Uncle Henry!!!

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Thanks, karyoker, for some good old horse sense.  I created a website for my business when I didn't know what I was doing (or so the experts said).  It quickly became the most prominent website for my service in the area on most search engines.  While that was reward enough, I am still spending the money I didn't pay those experts!

sonic maximizer, how important is this to have,please explain

It's not a crucial piece.  It's a frequency aligner making your speakers sounder a little fuller, crisper.  Common mistake with this piece is over processing.

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Reason I would not go the"It's subjective" route in this setting is because you are taking gear into PUBLIC places that extend far beyond "your own ear", you're hosting a show that the public must listen too as well.  I liken having gear for medium to large crowd settings to,"You better be able to fool MOST of the people most of the time", because a few saying "his sound really stinks, is his hearing really that insensitive?" is too many denigrating your show.  The delivery is very important.  As there are (supposed performing) musicians that have lousy ears  -and their musicianship usually reflects this, there are good DJ's and KJ's that have subpar systems, or they just don't know how to set up their systems, either way, delivery of music is just about everything when your show is music based.  Go with a GOOD sound system for the gigs you will be trying to get.  Learn about that equipment, some audio basics of how to set it up and don't make a fool of yourself..  What sounds "GOOD" to you might not be good enough in your venues, and just because a person wants to host a music show doesn't mean they have discerning hearing..  Pay a little more if you can, don't be sorry, be safe.  It's your reputation.  Your sound needs to sound very good to MOST. Not just "I think it's OK", as far as you're concerned !   KNOW about sound, and setups, and some basics PRIOR to getting into this area.  Find out what others doing comparable shows have and use, LEARN first...  Otherwise you will appear to be a hack

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Hey Kappy..  :wave: