Karaoke Forums

First of all, Ronnie, thanks for the nice things you said. It means a lot. My goal when I started was to have each show be better than the last. That was easy at first but as I gained experience, it got harder but I guess that's a good thing. I learned 90% of what I know on this forum.

exweed is right about one thing, what one person might consider crappyoke isn't crappyoke to the next fellow. Touche. A show doesn't have to have filler music to be successful, it doesn't have to have computer software to be successful, it doesn't have to have lights to be successful and so on. If I had to choose between a crappy system and a fun host vs a killer system with someone who has the personality of a piranha, I would choose the good host show. From what I saw at the Tiddley, the host was a nice guy who liked to joke around and was relaxed.

However, it being my first exposure to a show in this large metro area, I was looking for gold and only found silver. Does that make sense? I wanted to learn, I wanted to see something out there that I felt was up there with mine (sorry for the lack of modesty).

Ronnie, a guy I work with told me today the best karaoke period is at the M. C. Happy Hollow. He named off the entertainment company that runs the show but I can't remember it. This person isn't the most reliable person to listen to but might be worth checking out. He did tell me that they don't use that "computer b@llsit." Ok, Again he doesn't have a track record of being reliable and I know he doesn't sing, he only plays pool.

Maybe we can hook up sometime and check out some places. Sounds like you are busy and I am taking off Saturday for 14 days to Italy. If you are in with an owner somewhere, let him know I will give him a special one time price to check me out.

Again, thanks for the kind words!

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

I always sit there and say to myself, "If I could just have one minute at that board..."

oh good.....i am not the only one who does that

i have been to a few of "those shows" and i think what gets me the most is not the bad sound but the lack of caring. i, like Ripman, try to learn something new to apply to my show every week to keep giving the singers something more, or something a little better than before. show them that i care enough to keep learning and improving my service to them. blown speakers, no or un-maintained books, stinky beat up mics, no eq efforts, all say "i don't care" to a patron.

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Ronnie may give me more credit than I deserve. I know there are better "mixer' hosts out there than me. I do try. When someone steps up to sing, first I make sure that the mic they pick up is turned on (on the mixer). I will try to prejudge a bit (if I haven't heard them before) as to what highs and lows they need and set the eq. Once they start, depending on their voice and talent I will adjust again plus add or subtract the reverb. Of couse that depends on the the song itself as well. Who needs reverb for hip hop? (That came to me via a customer asking me out foh why I had reverb going for a hip hop song) Compression and gain adjustments accordingly depending on which mic and whether the singer is a screamer or whisperer. Or somewhere in between.
Also to make sure I am keeping things moving when the current song is within 30 seconds of finishing, I cut off adding singers and songs until I get the next singer set up. If someone approaches, I politely ask them to wait until I get the next singer set up. I personally have mutes/on/offs on all my mics so at the shows, they are all taped in the on position.

For all new singers or singers I don't remember, I then walk out to hear the mix from the mains. In some cases like Saturday, I go out there to hear the beautiful sounds that come out from the truly talented singers. That's when the job isn't a job!

I would love to have a seasoned host come and critique me. I could further learn this way. I would not be offended in any way. I do have a DJ buddy who also does karaoke and he has come to my shows and has dumped me quite a bit of business. He was pretty impressed by what I had learned on my own when I got my first regular gig. Again, I didn't learn it on my own, I learned it from this forum!

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Oh and every once in awhile, a screamer will tone it down if the stage monitor vocals gets turned up. I usually try to have it equal what is foh. Sometimes better than just turning the mic fader down!

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]