Karaoke Forums

Now Alan I don't think me or Joe said a terrible sound did we? It is possible not to have the best equipment as long as you know how to get the most out of what you have. That is a skill in itself. Everything being equal which it rarely is if two hosts have similar equipment it is the one with other skills that will make the difference, and stay employed. I think I mentioned something about the total package. Some hosts don't understand why a host with a smaller library and inexpensive equipment out performs them. It's simple they have other skills that overcome their handicaps. They play to their strengths and away from the weaknesses something professional teams in football do all the time to win.

I'm with Alan,

While hosting skills are a major part of karaoke, you gotta have good equipment too. I was very fortunate to have a neighbor who owned a karaoke shop and sold discs, speakers. etc. when I started. He advised me on sound, mics, music, etc and it really helped establishing me as a legit host right away.

To me, there is nothing worse than going to a karaoke show and listening to cheap speakers, mics, etc. It's like the highs are ringing in my ears and there is no low end anywhere. Cheesy mics sound like crap and make the singer sound like he or she is in a tin can singing. As a kj, you can only adjust the sound so much and after that, it is what it is.

Another point about good equipment is this........... It's hard enough getting the peanuts we do for our karaoke services. Showing up with radio shack mics and kmart brand speakers (pun intended), etc makes it even more difficult to justify us getting higher wages or establishing our businesses as professional. Old 13in box tv's on a table and the host sitting at that table with wires running all over and no books to look through, etc are first impressions that last a lifetime.

My wife often asks me why do you take so much stuff to your shows and I always answer the same way. I am trying to "brand" our karaoke business a certain way. That's why we always have props, lights, monitor speakers, books, a tv for the audience to look at, etc. Great sounding, mics, speakers, board, sound card,, etc make quite the impact if done correctly.

I'm in it for the long haul is all I'm saying. Step up to the plate and invest in your future.

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Sound Choice and Chartbuster Certified

So you bring everything with you but the kitchen sink and you still don't draw a crowd, what then? If you have the best and biggest of everything and you still fall on your face, what is the problem? I have seen over the years hosts with top line equipment and huge libraries fail against inferior less well funded operations, why? There can be many reasons and it is only with experience you manage to work on the aspects of hosting you aren't as good at. You try and compensate for your short comings. We all have things we could be better at, if we are honest about our shows.

Every once in a while I post a question on the forums. Each time I get the same result. It is :

Excluding all equipment and music library, which ANYONE can buy, what would make a venue hire YOU over anyone else, and why should they pay YOU more.

With years in between, I invariably get maybe 4 original answers, a couple of copycats, and that's it.
I have always felt that too many KJs are overly dependent on what everyone can have, and not on their skills.



I started out with bottom line equipment and the cheapest music available ( more titles for less money). I made over 70k my first year. It sure as hell wasn't my equipment, and it sure as hell wasn't my library. It was me.

Interpersonal skills, organizational skills, business and sales background, the ability to multitask, technical skills, and most importantly, my ability to show my joy in my work, and make it infectious.

I make my singers feel like part of a karaoke family. I don't just make them feel welcome, I make them feel like they will be missed if they aren't there. Many actually call to let me know if they can't make it. I build confidence in the shy, and help the outgoing shine.

The proper idea of what our job IS can also be a great help. I can't even believe what some people THINK it is.

Anyone can buy the neccesities and press play.
After that one has to COMPETE. That is where the skills come into play. In order to compete one must offer something above and beyond what anyone else can offer. Anyone can offer what can be bought. That leaves hosting skills.

I am a Karaoke Host, not a KJ.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Joe - I seriously do NOT want to discount you personality, attitude, or other soft skills that have allowed you to be successful over the years. But it seems to me that just about every karaoke host was making really good money back in the 90's. I know hosts that were making $300-$400 a night with little skill and crappy equipment. My favorite host of all time (who is still working) made a killing back in the 90's. He is great on the mic, has a 27 year following, and uses some of the best equipment I have ever seen. But he is in the same boat as everyone else these days and struggles to maintain $175/night shows.

I don't think it is possible to have the same level of success in 2014 that one enjoyed in 1997 unless you have everything - Great music selection, great equipment, great skills. Lose any one of those and you risk losing a gig.

I would challenge those that feel that personality and skills are all you need to dump their awesome equipment for 6 months and see if they hold onto their gigs.

Case in point - I have started negotiations with a local bar that already does karaoke 2 nights a week. I am 99% sure the current host is a pirate but I am more focused on raising the quality bar than unseating a pirate for this particular gig. I have been unable to unseat him up to now because I was using the wrong strategy with this owner. As soon as I demo'd to him the quality of my sound and lights, he opened up and I now have an opportunity. (the current host is well liked, has a good presence, works below the local nightly rate, but has very bad....I mean really bad sound and zero lights). My quality gear is the leverage I need to get into this location (and raise the quality of karaoke in the area).

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-Chris

The late 80's and early to mid 90's - making the money wasn't an issue. Yes you could make $200-300 even 400 or more per night with a disc player plugged into a home stereo using the mic inputs on the disc player. I know, I worked with a company that did just that for a couple venues they were running. Karaoke was fairly new so there was no real quality out there and no one cared about the equipment (or rather the sound quality). Even hosting skills were not fully refined where hosts would get jealous of others & sing right after a good singer to showcase their own talents (this may still happen), rotations weren't in any order, basic hosting skills in general didn't even matter in the beginning. When I started my company I needed to be over the top as far as hosting & equipment for the sound quality so in went pro mixers, processing, speakers, etc. The draw we started getting was almost immediate (a couple months) from an ok singer you could tolerate to more singers you enjoyed listening to. And I fully attribute that to the more professional equipment & sound (and knowing how to to run it). I just wanted to offer something better, I didn't make any more or less than the ones with the crap equipment - but I can say I outlasted all of them through the years.
Could a company get away with a mic plugged into a disc player & home stereo today & make money in clubs - I would say absolutely not. So in todays karaoke, good equipment does play a key factor - yes, hosting skills and knowing how to run said equipment are other factors.

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

Please don't misunderstand me. Quality equipment and a solid library is definitely a large piece of what we do, but I can reverse the previous challenge - or could if we had a crappy host here.

Take the finest equipment and a 100k library, put a clueless host in front of it, and you will have crappyoke. Bad sound, bad attitude, disorganization due to lack of multi- tasking ability, nasty demeanor due to being overwhelmed, etc.,etc.

The result will be unhappy patrons and a failed show.

Also - and no one has answered this yet, the following:

A venue owner knows anyone can buy stuff, so what is the selling point if not hosting skills and their use in bringing the venue a steady income?

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

I agree. However if they are in the right club in the right location and most likely low balling the price, it wouldn't matter who was there. Especially if it's not based on staunch regulars but more tourist.

I don't think there is any one answer that would fit. Many clubs around here are soured on karaoke in general because of the crappioke out there and won't pay what the better companies are worth - regardless what they can bring to the table so they continue to settle for the lowball karaoke that only draw in a few regulars. It would almost take a couple weeks of trial for a low price to get the foot into the door to show what you can do, but even then it may/may not work if the word can't get out.

I guess I would let them know I have been in the biz for 20+ years, I do a lot of internet advertising - if the price I command is paid, will do print advertising in the local papers (karaoke paper as well since we have one), buy the songs people ask for, know how to run the equipment, utilize technology for books on top of printed books, for what it's worth - a legal show, etc...all the basics.

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

I'm having a hard time understanding the mindset of some of you people so let me try to clarify my position once again.

Karaoke is a business. And like any business, all factors must come into play in order to be successful. If you were going to open up a restaurant, having a great location is not enough. Your restaurant should have a comfortable well appointed interior, a great chef, great food, a great staff and great service. In order to be successful, you need to have the complete package.

If you're in a poor location, people aren't going to come no matter how good your food is. By the same token, if you're in a great location but your food sucks, people aren't going to come, either. It's the complete package that's going to draw in customers: great location, great food, great service, etc.

Now back to karaoke. Keeping the above example in mind, it's not enough to have great people skills but lack quality equipment/sound. If you think you can get by on your personality alone, think again.

Ex: If you have great people skills but fall short on sound quality, and your competitor down the street has BOTH excellent people skills/personality AND excellent equipment (mics, speakers, etc.) that's going to make singers sound awesome, where do you think they're going to go?

It's not just one or the other. You must have both if you really want to be successful. Which means, great people skills and great sound.

I hope I made it clear.

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

The problem is Alan for every host that has the total package there are 10 or more that are just hacks. Even good hosts aren't equally good in all aspects of hosting. There are some things we just naturally do better than others, that is why you play to your strengths and away from the weaknesses.

And that is why we don't support those shows and why so many of them fail. It only makes it better for us, the ones who offer the complete package.

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

Turning that around, when people have to wait a lot longer to sing at the better show, some will go back and be ok with singing at the so so show because they get to sing more. Which can in turn make that show somewhat successful as well although not necessarily for the same reasons.

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

I see it quite often. I know one group that always tried to come in, if it's too busy, they leave and go down to a place down the street that isn't very good but they get to sing a lot more. Had a guy who's a regular came in last night - same thing, we were doing our contest finals last night, he came in and said it was too busy & left. There were 18 singers overall when he popped in.

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

That is a valid point and may be true but doesn't mean it's OK to slack off and offer anything less then the best you can be in all areas. If you are a great host, doing everything right, word gets around. When it comes time to pick up other gigs, who do you think the bar owner is going to hire... the one who can pack 'em in or the one who gets the leftovers?

My guess is the KJ offering quality professional entertainment who can pack 'em in. A great reputation is more important than settling for a so so host who can only bring in the leftovers.

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

Ya know...... I can train just about anyone to be an acceptable host.

Crappy equipment will always be crappy equipment though.....

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-Chris

I bought a Behringer PMP 6000 board, (because it was referred to me by a friend on mine who uses it for his band), I use a pair of Behringer B215 speakers, that another friend of mine gave me. I rebuilt them using original parts, from Behringer. They sound great. I use Lexicon Alphas for my computers, and my CDG player, (thanks to those here who turned me on to them), and I get complimented REGULARLY about my sound. BTW, I use Behringer mics.
I just heard from the owner of the place I am at now, tonight, and he couldn't be happier. Don't get me wrong. I fully plan on building a better system as time goes on, but what I have now runs well, and sounds great!! I have been to other shows in my area, and I have to say, their systems don't sound half as good, or as clear as mine. Many of those people have been doing this a lot longer than I have.

Granted, my system wouldn't sound good in a huge hall. I don't even have a sub, yet. I know this, but for what I use it for, and the kinds of events I host, my system works great.

As for hosting, I am like Joe, wherein I try to make my people feel like family. They feel very welcome when they come to my show. That is the whole point to doing this. You are there to entertain them, while they entertain each other. Plus I do my best to make sure they have what they want to sing.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

That is the problem I had with becoming the owner operator of multi-rigg business, quality control of the shows when you intrust them to others. Sure you can train anyone to be an acceptable host, but will it be the same as the show you do personally? Do others have the same passion and commitment you would have to your business, or would they just be like workers you train to work on a karaoke service assembly line. Even if you supply them with great equipment will it be the same. Not to mention another hat you would have to wear Chris is that of quality control of your expanded business. That means you would have to take time to go out and check your various shows around town.

I'm sure your system sounds great. I'm not saying you have to spend $20,000 for the best of the best but IMO, Radio Shack mics, VocoPro mixers and speakers, etc. are not considered very good quality for a professional environment; and it shows. Your system is most likely a lot better than what the average KJ has.

I also like Behringer products and I'm loving the iNuke 3000 amplifier. Unlike many, I've never had a problem with them.

You may want to consider this mixer: QX1222USB. Since you like Behringer mics, it's got built in wireless so you can buy their wireless mics to use with this board and do away with receivers.

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

But you can't train them to have a great personality or great people skills. That's something that comes from within.

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

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