Karaoke - Cost Of Entry ?

[dh140770 0]

Reading some of the threads I can see that some of you offer Karaoke charging £25 extra or even dropping it in for free.

 

Leaving aside the fact that I am not a great singer what would I need in order to get going and offer the Karaoke service as an occasional extra. Bear in mind I only do about 20 gigs a year so it get used at maybe half of those at most. I want offer something different as I only really work locally and there are only so many discos that people will want.

 

It would be laptop based as I have a laptop already, plus i have external screens that could be used to display lyrics. Obviously I need extra microphones and to be able to mix them in.

 

The other thing I need is a good selection of songs. Given this is PC based, would I be able to get my hands on good back catalogue, and then get my hands on the modern hits that people would like to sing ? I would imagine that if I can't get my hands of a couple of thousand tracks it's simply not worth bothering as I would need to cater to the audiences requirements.

 

Any advice appreciated as I know nothing about Karaoke apart from how to sing it badly when i am drunk !!!

 

Cheers

[Dream Catchers 0]

The only way you are going to get thousands of tracks on a tight budget is one of the player/dvd packages that have been mentioned on here.

Somebody will correct me if I'm wrong. but I think it was emkaraoke that were doing a bundle for £200.

 

Jim

[Robster 0]

The people who do PCDJ software in the UK have packs of songs in MP3+G format , i am not sure but i think because these are supplied in this format you wont need to include them on the digital licence

 

Most software hosting progs will play the MP3+G format the above packs are ZOOM karaoke songs which are great quality but maybe different to what your customers normally sing which 9 times out of ten are Sunfly versions

 

http://www.pcdj.co.uk/shop/item.php?id=96 the smallest package is £399 for 500 songs and go up to £1199 for 2000 songs this is just for the tracks no software but as i say zoom karaoke are good versions.

The disc packs supplied with players are often ok versions to poor in my experience but you get what you pay for unfortunately

 

Ideally For karaoke on a laptop you need a software hosting program that can change the key of the song for fussy singers.

ideally the program should have some sort of singer rotation to make your life easier.

 

You should have some way of having effects on the mic channels reverb echo etc normally on your mixer but can be an external unit or even software.

i think ideally you need at least three mic channels one for you two for duets .

 

often overlooked are Mic holders/stands ..singers dont know where to put the mics or take the mics from if just put on a table etc.

 

wireless mics open all sorts of added expense and complications and are a subject all of there own really.

 

For the frequency you mention of gigs i think the Behringer 3 pack of Mics are brilliant and Really inexpensive. Long cables are useful as singers often go walking about different coloured mic leads help identify which singer has which mic.

Edited July 9, 2008 by enquirer

[dh140770 0]

The emkaraoke pack is £199 for 3500 songs including the player and cheap mics.

 

I know there is no such thing as a free lunch! Can someone take a look at the link and tell me what they think honestly.

 

http://www.emkaraoke.co.uk/newsite/index.h...&lang=en-gb

 

I know £199 isn't much, but it is if it's a waste of money ... if you know what i mean.

 

I can cover off the microphone and echo effect by getting a small external mixer like a behringer. These are portable and priced within my range.

[Danno13 0]

You can get starter packs of Zoom and Sunfly discs from Images, I would offer a direct link but their website appears to be broken! http://www.images2.co.uk

 

They range from £350 - £1100 if I remember correctly, and are also available with an external hard drive, with all the tracks ripped on to it, ready to go!

 

I'm not sure how good the EM ones, are but Zoom and Sunfly are both pretty good.. Sunfly being the best.

Edited July 9, 2008 by Danno13

[Robster 0]

The emkaraoke pack is £199 for 3500 songs including the player and cheap mics.

 

I know there is no such thing as a free lunch! Can someone take a look at the link and tell me what they think honestly.

 

http://www.emkaraoke.co.uk/newsite/index.h...&lang=en-gb

 

I know £199 isn't much, but it is if it's a waste of money ... if you know what i mean.

 

I can cover off the microphone and echo effect by getting a small external mixer like a behringer. These are portable and priced within my range.

 

 

Ok a lot of those tracks are in a Neo+ G format which no major software package can play only that brand of players..£200 is good value for the player if a player is what you wanted to be honest the discs are a bonus.

 

As you want to go laptop for karaoke and are only interested in the media i personally wouldn't go for that package I would spend £200 on various legal MP3+G sites and download the tracks i new people sing.

 

a few years ago the top twenty most requested compiled by KJ's across the UK was

 

 

1 Angels

Robbie Williams

2 Paradise by the Dashboard Light

Meat Loaf

3 Summer Nights

John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John

4 My Way

Frank Sinatra

5 Mustang Sally

The Commitments

6 I Will Survive

Gloria Gaynor

7 Suspicious Minds

Elvis

8 Build Me Up Buttercup

The Foundations

9 Mack The Knife

Bobby Darin

10Words

Boyzone

11 My Heart Will Go On

Celine Dion

12American Pie

Don Mclean

13Bohemian Rhapsody

Queen

14The Drugs Don't Work

The Verve

15 The Greatest Love Of All

Whitney Houston

16 sweet Caroline

Neil Diamond

17 Amazed

Lonestar

18 Like a virgin

Madonna

19 Girls just wanna have fun

Cyndi Lauper

20 love on the rocks

Neil Diamond

 

 

Any collection should have those

Edited July 9, 2008 by enquirer

[dh140770 0]

Cheers for the response. Can you suggest some good legal CD+G sites that i could look at ?

[Robster 0]

http://www.selectatrack.com/index.aspx?ReferralID=kng

[Spear 0]

Here's another from Tricerasoft - Clicky Clicky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit- Must improve spelling !!

Edited July 10, 2008 by Spear

[poridge 0]

hey guys

i have the package froom em karaoke and must say it is excellent! ok the microphones are pointless but other than that i think the sound quality of backing tracks etc are brilliant. i use it as a full time karaoke rig. i think to get stared in karaoke is a tricky thing, however emkaraoke have got it covered with the package

 

oops missed the pc bit :p yeah i agree then this perhaps isnt the best sollution for you however i like the safetey within running the 2 units seperate so you can crossfade music and karaoke...

 

ok ill shut up guys im getting myself confused

[expresbro 0]

hey guys

i have the package froom em karaoke and must say it is excellent! ok the microphones are pointless but other than that i think the sound quality of backing tracks etc are brilliant. i use it as a full time karaoke rig. i think to get stared in karaoke is a tricky thing, however emkaraoke have got it covered with the package

 

oops missed the pc bit :p yeah i agree then this perhaps isnt the best sollution for you however i like the safetey within running the 2 units seperate so you can crossfade music and karaoke...

 

ok ill shut up guys im getting myself confused

 

 

I've just received that package from EMK as well, although I haven't had time to set it up yet and check out the quality. Certainly the pack of mixed discs which comes with the main NEO discs sound pretty good to me.

 

Am glad that the Neo versions are okay too by the sounds of your comment.

 

It's hard to see how anyone could buy a better value beginner package when going the player route rather than laptop imo.

 

Are the mics really that bad btw?

 

 

Robbie

:hphone: