Karaoke Forums

Move this to wherever is appropriate.

I see many people are taking their karaoke shows into the digital world these days. I am curious more than anything, but what are the reasons, and what are the benefits vs analog, pro's/cons?

Personally, I think it's more of a "just because it's possible",,, I could be wrong.

Thoughts anyone? Bueller?

Is this really a question? Main reason and probably the biggest factor for most is convenience.
No carrying around tons of binders of disks that can easily get lost scratched lost stolen broken whatever.
Then there are added perks to programs like the ability to save a singer's entire history along with their key change and tempo change if they have one. The one I use actually has the last time they sang it, how many times they sang it or if they ever sang it but had me add it to remember to sing another time, even the timestamp they sang at last which sometimes comes in handy when they say, oh I never sang that song, but you can tell it was when they were further in the evening after a night of imbibing . And due to contrary belief, it doesn't lock the singer into singing the same songs all the time as I have many that use their list to see if they have, and if so will often choose a new song, Or if they ask me to pick something, I can choose something they haven't done in a while or maybe a suicide based on their past songs.
I've also used it for requests for special occasions if somebody asks, I can look up who sang the song before and if they happen to be in the audience can ask them to sing it.
Changing a song at the last minute is no longer a pain in the (@$%&#!) As all you have to do is look it up and put it in less than 30 seconds.
CD g's are pretty much a dead format, very few people actually sell them and if you want a new song you have to download it, which you can also do on the fly at a show.
There are other perks as well that are nice but those are a couple that I use the most.

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Sorry, I should have asked a bit more specific....should have asked "digital board" vs analog

I know the advantages of not having to carry discs vs a laptop, I am talking about seeing several hosts go to digital boards lately. Is it just bragging rights because someone has new gear? Or are there really advantages to them?

Gotcha
My preference is analog. I dont like trying to adjust stuff quickly through menus

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Digital all the way. Analog mixers get dust in the sliders and don't last as long. Digital is not prone to noise either. Mixers like the QSC Touchmix can also do things most analogs mixers can't. Multiple aux outputs, multiple effects, and routing capabilities that just don't exist in the analog world. With digital, there's virtually no limit on what you can control on a screen. With knobs, there's always a limit to what you can do. I also don't know of any analog mixer that can be controlled remotely from your phone.

So, what I am hearing is: digital mixers are a new cool toy to play with.

But bottom line, do they or will they attract new and more clientele? Meaning more money in the pocket of the host???

My experience is no. Tried 2 different digital mixers and while they added more features they never equated to new customers. Plus the one that allowed an actual tablet to control it I never got to use the tablet because I didn't trust the built-in router of the mixer after watching others who had the same mixer consistently lost connection between the tablet and the mixer.

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

If it means the host has a better sounding system, yeah, it will mean something to anyone with an ear. People with ears also have wallets. Hosts with better sounding systems and more reliable systems get better gigs and attract better singers, and also know it's more cost effective if your stuff lasts more than a year or two.

That would be true if you are comparing quality digital gear with bottom of the barrel old analog gear. But if you are using quality gear to begin with, then durability and good sound isn't the problem. What I'm curious about though is if the sound quality improves enough to warrant the extra costs. Most venue owners or managers couldn't care less about your gear, they only care about filling seats and selling product. The vast majority of karaoke singers wouldn't even know the difference between a digital board or analog. All they want is their 3 minutes of fame.

You are right on the fact that you will have better sounding equipment, but wrong on the fact that it's going to get you better gigs. Bar owners are not going to pay you more money because you're using a digital mixer.

Most singers won't be able to tell the difference. And I doubt, singers are going to stop going to their favorite places and come to your show because you are digital.

Remember, it's not whether or not you use a digital mixer that's going to give you the best sound... it's the speakers, the mics... the whole package. A digital mixer is not going to make your customers sound any better if you're using crap speakers, or crap microphones.

For me, the only reason why I would go to digital would be for the convenience. It's a lot easier to carry in a Soundcraft UI16 and 10 inch iPad to control everything than a heavy, bulky rack full of equipment.

Right now, I"m using 2 Electro-Voice Evolve 50's at my shows with either my Allen & Heath ZED 60-14FX mixer or my Mackie ProFX 16 V3 mixer. My sound is phenomenal. I really can't believe just how good it sounds. There's not a night that goes by where I don't get any compliments on my sound.

Yes, a digital mixer may sound cleaner but in a loud, noisy bar environment, are you really going to be able to tell the difference?

So the bottom line for me is... a digital mixer is not going to:

• Get you more gigs.
• Make you more money.
• Bring in more customers.

What it will do is lighten your load and save your back.

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

Absolutely not.

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

Danny, even if you offered a free new car to everyone who sings, you still wouldn't bring in new customers.

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

Everyone has their favorite karaoke place. Just because you have better sound, doesn't mean that they're all going to come to your shows.

There are many reasons why people go to the places that they do, even though the sound may be inferior.... including:

• the place is nicer
• the people are friendlier
• the service is better
• the food is better
• their friends go there
• it's cheaper
• the bathrooms are nicer
• it's closer to home

and the list goes on and on. So, just because you may have the best sound in the area, doesn't mean, as I have said, that people are going to stop going to their favorite places and come to yours. So, going digital is not going to bring in new customers.

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

Let's expand on that thought for a bit. This is what I am wondering about. Does the lighter load equate to a more efficient set up? Does it take less time to adjust for singers and songs? Is the increase in sound quality enough when using a digital board to be noticeable by the average patron? How about set up time? How about when you don't have a suitable wireless signal? Is your hotspot on your phone going to be sufficient when there is limited or no wireless network available? How about band width when you are using a kiosk as well? Also wouldn't a person still need a mixer box to be able to arrange cords so as to not be seen? What will a person be giving up when going to a digital mixer? So many questions

Honestly Bob, I don't see or believe that a digital mixer and system is going to help get better gigs, or higher pay. That's not how the owners/managers see it.

When it comes right down to it, I believe that using digital boards is more about "looking good", or "bragging rights". It's not because they need one for sure.

Why does a person buy the fastest motorcycle.... because they can.
Why does a person buy a big fancy house........... because they can.
Why does a person wear the latest fashions........ because they can.

And why does a person buy a digital board..........because they can.

That's how I see it. I could be wrong tho, heaven knows I am not always right.

The biggest drawback, for me anyway, is having to use menus to navigate the system. Whether it's a mixer or a camera, I want knobs, dials, buttons, sliders, etc. right there in front of my face. I don't want to go into a menu to change settings for something.

There are some digital mixers out there that look and operate like analog mixers but they cost almost as much as a new car. So, I won't be getting one of them anytime soon, if not... ever.

I am willing to bet on this... that no singer will be able to tell the difference in sound quality... especially in a bar enviroment. Analog mixers are so good today, with their virtually noise free preamps that you're not going to see a substantial knock your socks off difference.

The only good thing about the digital mixer such as the Soundcraft UI16 is that it has compression, EQ, Effects processor, etc. So, you eliminate the need for a separate compressor, equalizer, reverb, etc... which add weight and bulk to your rack.

I would, however, be willing to try a digital mixer and see if it would make my life easier. But right now, I don't have the extra cash to lay out for this experiment.

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

We're about to find out the answer to that question at Rentaconcert.com

Bob, I think you are thinking on a whole different level than just local karaoke shows and hosts. If you are talking professional performances and events, then by all means, get and use the gear that will knock people's socks off. And that starts with the mixing console, lighting, mics, speakers, etc.

But my original question was based around seeing KJ's going to digital decks. I just don't see the need at that level. It's like buying or hiring a moving service to go grocery shopping for dinner.