Hope it’s alright to drop in here with a question that is karaoke-related, but not completely. I apologize in advance if my question is too “newbie” or amateur; I don’t know this neighborhood.
My 9-year-old niece and her friends love to sing (none are Celine Dione, OK, but their voices are adorable). They use a laptop computer running Windows, and a couple of pretty decent PC speakers, to sing along to CD’s, youtube, MP3’s, etc. They especially love finding new youtube karaoke, so you can see they DON’T demand high-fidelity (…if I hear those “High School Musical” songs just one more time, I may snap
).
Lately I’ve seen them using a fake microphone to simulate their pop-star idols. I know they’d love to hear their voice over the speakers. So I’m going to set them up with a microphone, which will plug directly into the sound card. I’m aware of the limitations of sound cards for vocals, but seriously, it’s not gonna matter. I want to keep it uncomplicated and inexpensive, no extra hardware components to fool with, except the microphone.
I know how to get the microphone to work “as is” on the computer. Finally, my question: Do you know of any relatively easy and inexpensive software that can add “vocal effects” such as “echo” or maybe even pitch-control, “robot”, etc., real-time, to their voices? So they can hear it while they are singing, regardless of whatever media player or internet site is playing the actual accompanying music. Essentially, a “Mr. Microphone” or “PA system” -type capability for the computer, but with some voice effects? Something that would even work “a cappella” with no media player running.
If someone here actually fills me in on something that really fits the bill, I promise, I promise, I will go out and find a Karaoke bar and perform my first-ever Karaoke performance in front of strangers. I know that’s not much reward for your help, but it’s no easy promise for me, so it’s something anyway. (Or perhaps I should promise NOT to, your preference!
). Thanks!
