Karaoke Forums

I was wondering is there an intro to Karaoke on this site? I am very interested in getting a Karaoke system and would like to find info on things such as the dfferent systems and pro's and Cons of DVD Vs. CD+G. I have been in bands for 15 years and have basic knowledge of amps, mixers, speakers and mics but like everyone else I want to know more about what I'm getting into.

Thanks,
any info would be greatly appreciated.

Karaoke discs come in different formats.

DVD - these are fine for home use but during a show you still have to struggle through the menus to get them to play (on most players).  They take much longer to queue so they aren't practical for most shows.

CDG - By far the most common format.  An extension of the Red Book Audio format they queue quickly in 'most' players and by far has the largest selection of tracks available.

SCDG - A format proprietary to CAVS USA.  They queue pretty quickly on most SCDG players and you can fit about 1000 tracks to a disc but selection is limited unless you 'roll your own' from your existing CDG's which is possible but difficult.

NEO+G - A new up and coming format.  I don't know much on this format but I'm starting to try and learn what I can about the pro's/cons of this format.

Midi/Kar - These are generally low quality tracks that are not accepted at most venues in the US.  If you spent a bundle of money on a good playback system for the midi tracks you'd still be missing background vocals and other 'nuances' from the original recording you get with CDG/DVD.

MP3+CDG - A computer based playback that is generally derived from ripping a CDG to computer.  There are variants for specific applications (MTU Hoster) but most computer based players use this format predominantly.

DIVX - There is a new line of players that rip the CDG's to Divx video where it is recorded on a dedicated playback device.  Still requires the use of CDG's/DVD's to be ripped to this format.

There are a few others out there but it should give you an idea of where to start.

Since you have been in a band before, you probably know that the hard part of putting together a system is not the lack of but the many choices.

With karaoke it's pretty much the same, I guess the first thing you need to know is what your going to do with the karaoke system. Is it just for home use? or are you taking it on the road? or both?

That's the first thing i would ask my self. Also is karaoke something you will do often or once in a while?

If you know nothing of it an want to get your feet wet, you can start with a compact unit, one that you can buy at target for under 100 dollars and its all in one small package cdg player, small screen, fx and mic imput, and hey, you even get a mic too.

Others buy just a cd+g player that you can hookup to your home entertainment system to get started. Make sure you get a unit that has a mic imput usually they have and fx button. If not you will need a mixer to hookup a mic.

Once you realize this is something you really want to get into, than it's easier to upgrade.

I hope this helps.

my definition page:

http://www.geocities.com/akaraokelounge/define.html