Karaoke Forums

Hello World!
I am new to Karaoke singing. I think my voice is quite ok and when I went to a karoke cafe in summer holidays it sounds good. Back at home I sound like a shaver  :oh yeah: . I listened some sounds here and theyare really good. So my question. Is there any software for the PC that is more than just only child-stuff?

I tried out Kara-Fun that sounds really good. But I miss things like echo and reverb. So do all of you have very expensive karaoke studio hardware? Or do you edit the sounds after singing with several software?

I would be really very happy if you can give me some hints how I can start. Thanx a lot for all your help.

cheers, Juergen

hi, nothing fancy here, bare bones....
i use a sm 58 shure mic....120 bucks
soundblaster extigy sound card....was 200 not sure if they make it anymore, but u can get alot cheaper ones, they do just as well
an external midiverb 3 reverb...no clue but not much
behringer  mx 802a mixer...50 bucks i think...mines lasting forever
cooledit pro 2.0....free if u know the right people, ask around

thats about it....my sounds ok i guess, i just suck at mixing...l...not 1 of my strong points

u can get a fairly cheap mixer with built in reverb....
plus theres alot on here that have sound cards with built in reverb...

the verb is so u can hear it when ur singing it doesn't go to tape...ok mine doesn't

hope this helps and good luck....Billy

Hello Billy!

Thanx a lot for trying to help me. So I have to invest a little bit. I have a normal P IV PC with 3 GHz a very good graphic card but a soundblaster live advaned mainboard on board. My Main Problem is that my voice sounds to weak and when i go very near the microphone (I nearly eat it) the voice trembles and it sounds terrible.

I only have a 50 buck mic its called "Great HON DM-2000" What is important at the microphone that my voice is stronger. And yes I turned the 20 DB Mic Boost on . Is there a way turn more then 20 DBs?

Are any sound from you at this site?

Ok enough questions Really thanx for your help.

EDIT:

Ok so I found the follwing things:

1. SM 58 Shure Mic is OK .... very good rates )
2. Soundblaster Extigy Soundcard is no longer on shops - I tried to find one on EBAY - hope I win it .... if not - what else could I use ???
3. for the Midiverb 3 I found one called Alesis Midiverb 3 - hey thats 19 " big ... so I need a bigger desk soon -)
4. Behringer MX802a .... OK too ... for my favour too many BUTTONS .........

OK now I slowly know why do I sound so (@$%&#!) on my pc ))

Can you maybe tell me also a book or something cause this all looks very complicated. I am PC and Network Expert but this is really new to me.

Thanx a lot for your help!

cheers, Juergen

I've found Sony's Vegas 4.0 to be very for recording with.  It's essentially a video software but it's audio components are excellent and very easy to use.  I've discovered there are more options on that software than many others that are audio only.  Besides which, if you ever want to edit and slick up your home movies, you already have that capability with this.  Best of both worlds.  I'm not a big proponent of these karaoke "machines" or whatever they are....honestly I've rarely heard a truly good recording quality from those (and there is often an ohm sound--a hum--overriding many of them).

Helllo!

This is going into the wrong direction. I dont want to make a CD for my grandma at christmas I want to sing live with some friends in a Karaoke Party. When I went to a karaoke cafe in summer holidays my voice was much better than it its at home.

So the only thing I need to know is what can I put in front of my PC that my voice sounds better in live singing. I think Billys way is there the right one. I just cant imagine for what I need the mixer cause I use a Karaoke Software - or is this the wrong way?

I know sony vegas from video editing but I prefer personally Adobe Pro or canopus edius 4.

Thanx for more help!
I hope I get this soon )

cheers,

Am I confused?????  Are you recording on the PC, or just singing along with the music.

IF you want to improve you voice for singing at clubs, bars, cafes, ect...  Processing your voice on a PC so it sounds good will not help you, that is unless you drag you PC along, and hook it up to the KJs ystem to "process" your voice.

Just PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE and train your voice.  Over several weeks/months you will notice a change.  If you smoke QUIT!

You are right AND wrong. Let me explain with an example. There is a LINK - hope I am allowed to tell it here - called www.ksolo.com. There you have the possbility to sing a song and record it for public.

If you listen to some songs there you notice that the voices are not 100 % natural. For example - I can hear echo and I can hear reverbs. Exept pleople in the movie exorxist  LOL  I dont know any human that have a echo tongue.

So there must be something IN FRONT of their PC.

My 2nd problem is that there is a lot of noise in my singing. Ok this I hope that I can handle. I already ordered a shure mic.

It would be fine if your post would be also a little more construktive. I know practise is all and I dont smole.

cheers, Juergen

If you listen to some songs there you notice that the voices are not 100 % natural. For example - I can hear echo and I can hear reverbs. Exept pleople in the movie exorxist  LOL  I dont know any human that have a echo tongue.

So there must be something IN FRONT of their PC.



Here check this out:

http://www.discogear.com/shop/product.php/523/0/

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Vocal300/

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VoiceLive/

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/NanoVerb/


My mic is plugged into my vocal effects unit. Then out from vocal effects unit into external mixer. Then out from external mixer into "Line in jack on computer "factory sound card" via proper cables and adapter .....as its cheaper than buying new/better soundcard & interface.

Cables & adapter's can be found at any Radio Shack store.  Set options in computer internal mixer to stereo for recording, and use the line in instead of computer mic input.

If you use computer mic input...you will have more chance of having problems with noise....as in "white noise"...you know...that static sound or ssssssssshhhhhhh sound Also...using computer mic input...it will be "Mono"  Use line input instead because its "Stereo"

I use a Roland BOSS VF-1 hardware FX unit:.............
which has been discontinued, But this FX unit has Noise Reduction,Compressor,EQ,echo,reverb and voice double effects and many more!!!!

My mic is plugged into this Fx Unit and from the FX unit out put....A cable then goes into external mixer and then from external mixer out puts into computer line in.  "I have the computer mic input muted and the mic boost turned off" ... Because if you use the computer mic input you get too much noise..."especially with mic boost turned on".

Using line input instead...you get a better sound with less noise & you can now use your stereo effects from your effects hardware unit to make your vocal sound wider in the mix so that it will blend better with the music....Also this allows your recording to be fixed so that your vocal cannot be removed from the recording as long as you setup your stereo reverbs correctly....assuming you know how  This comes in handy As some people may try to remove your vocal with a vocal remover so that they can use your backing track!!!

Even if you get this setup so that you can record live....you will still most likely have to use a EQ plugin to clean up your recording.  I use waves 4.0 platinum plugins to clean up and enhance my recordings such as an FX chain setup that includes...EQ, stereo enhance, compressor. Applying this chain of effects to the recording can make it sound more like what you would hear on radio/CD/or live

The waves 4.0 platinum plugins can be used with your recording program...If you use Sound Forge or a similar recording program like Sequoia or even adobe audition....That uses direct X type plugins.

Sorry I cannot get anymore detail than this, but hope this gives you some idea's

I control my vocal & music volume with the external mixer and fine tune with computer internal mixer

Hope this helps in some way  :D

_________________
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

ok i guess i'm lost to, i thought it was for recording, sorry....

but i think u still need a mixer and a reverb unit of some kind, if i'm understanding u right, u can't go wrong with that shure mic....

JEEZ.....Ya try to help someone out and ya get a snippy response.

You were the one that wante to improve you vocal in a LIVE environment, and were talking about a karaoke cafe.  I naturaly assumed that you want to sound better when you went out "on the town" to sing karaoke.  And practicing with a changed voice pon a PC would not help that.

Perhaps next time I could be more construKtive if you were more clear in what you are trying to accomplish.

I also had the impression it was for Recording live on PC  LMAO

And before anyone rolls in the floor laughing at my thrown together crappy Recording setup  ...you must know that back when I bought the stuff I use...It was all I could afford at the time, So I had to find a way to make it work....and it does work, and so I Record live both music & vocals at the same time to a two channel stereo track.

My way is not the best way...As now days there are mixers that have built in Fx and vocal hardware units that are more computer friendly....Meaning they now have USB connections and comes with its own software for Recording & editing...etc.

Ok what now (Billy) ....Knows more than I do as he is a pro from what I understand. So aprisma...It would be better to go with the way Billy does it.

As for me....I had to make what I could afford at the time work and is why my setup is not as professional.

Like Billy said....The sure Mic & a external mixer with USB connections and built in effects such as echo & reverb should get the job done for what it sounds like your trying to do on that there web site.

cheers  :)

FFS have you ever thought that english was perhaps a 2nd language? cut the poor guy some slack and keep your (@$%&#!) in your pants instead of your hand.

Sometimes your superior attitude sucks

_________________
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

BIG SORRY for the snippy response. It was late my time when I fought against missing knowledge.

And thanx to all that tried to help me. I also had some privat contact over email that helped me much thanx.

My solution till now:

I bought a shure mic S58. I ordered a Alesia Midi Verb 3 and also a behringer 802a mixer.

Best programm I found I think is KaraFun that I bought too. Last but not least I got a version of Cool Edit in case I want to make a record for my mother for christmas  LOL

I also bought me a book of a singer instructor.

I will read all the links.

So again - thanx a lot you are all great and sorry again for being snippy  :hi5:

I wish you a good time!

cheers,

I hope it works out for you.

_________________
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Wake up on the wrong side of the broom stick?

I was trying to answer what the OP was asking in a simple way.  I Could only go with what info I was given.  I am sorry that my answer was not wht the OP was wanting, but if I had some mroe info, I could have answered with EXACTLY what the OP needed.

I was not the on te got snippy, the OP did.

Nope I just dont like bullies of any kind but most especially the ones who consider themselves white middle class and superior

_________________
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Please dont quarrel. I feel bad if you quarrel - and I am the reason.

And yes English is my 2nd language. I am from Austria. But if you want I could speak German too )

So I think the thread is big enough now and I will take some weeks to work out all your good hints. And I am sure if I am goint to like Karaoke you all together made it.

If anybody has some more hints or just want to write me something you can do it per private mail or also to aprisma@online.de (living in Germany at the moment)

So have a good night!

cheers, Juergen