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Karaoke, or the (Whoever is singing) Show?
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Author:  coyotekj87 [ Sun Aug 29, 2004 7:48 am ]
Post subject:  Karaoke, or the (Whoever is singing) Show?
I have been a KJ for almost 12 years now. I have been in GA for 6, and NEVER dealt with some of the childish, selfish attitudes that I have encountered since doing my shows here. First of all, when I first became a KJ, CDGs were just hitting the market. I started with all LaserDics and they were (A) too expensive for the average karaoke singer to buy, let alone pack around with them to "bring their own music". (Guess there is no (B), so I'll get on with it......
The "Group" of karaoke participants in my local area seem to think that THEY are the only reason karaoke exists. I mean each individual thinks the ENTIRE show is about THEM. As far as I'm concerned, while they are on stage, it IS about them - They deserve attention, and appreciation, and applause and everything that comes with being on stage - However - one would think they were some big shot who expected perfection (in their eyes). I adjust the music and sound to blend with each person's voice (which is an ongoing thing throughout the song, for those who don't know how to pull a mic away when they are going to be getting louder) EVERY night I hear "I couldn't hear myself" (I have a monitor) or, "you turned me down", or "so and so was louder than I was", or if a disk skips "It didn't do that on MY Player".
The venue in which I play is a family restaurant where they have call-in phone orders all night long, so we have to keep the sound "reasonable" so they can hear the customers on the telephone.
We are in a fairly small town, and the "karaoke junkies" tend to hang together, and everyone knows everyone and goes to the same shows nightly.
This group, rather than have FUN at karaoke - would rather grip, complain, than have a good time. So, rather than say something to the host - they tell EVERYONE else what they are mad about, and then down the karaoke operator at ANOTHER show. (They do this to ALL of the KJ's).
The KJ's tend to help one another out with equipment issues, and band together
What can we do to "chill out" the singers, and remind them this is about FUN - and if they want to turn it up as loud as they want, and adjust them selves to make themselves happy, they should stay HOME and karaoke?


I am also adding a post about "what songs tick people off".

Coyote KJ
Author:  knightshow [ Sun Aug 29, 2004 11:13 am ]
Post subject: 
you tell them "CHILL OUT, it's only karaoke!"

as for the singer that can't hear themselves, that's a common complaint. Many uneducated singers think that they need to be very LOUD. When you make the sound equal between music and mic, they get upset. What they don't realize is out there (in the audience), they sound JUST fine!

It's nobody's fault. If you were to make a recording and give it to them and then play the original song with vocals, you'd be able to point out the similarities...

One thing I do is ask them before I start the song "DO you like more music, or less?? More mic or less??" Doesn't mean I'll let them BLOW away the music with tons more mic volume, but I will adjust it a bit to their liking!
Author:  karaokemeister [ Sun Aug 29, 2004 12:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
It will depend on your equipment, but....

On my mixer there is a sepereate artist out. I can adust the mix on the monitor without affecting the rest of the room. They complain about not hearing themselves I can adjust the amount of the 'artist' mix they get so they seem louder. The crowd didn't hear any difference, just the artist. Sneaky? Yes. But it's one less thing to complain about.

If you want to get them to relax try putting a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) out on the tables. Put in a little history about karaoke, the show, and why things are the way they are. Such as "Q. Why isn't the show louder? A. The show volume is to insure accuracy of phone in orders." Use humor and sarcasm to drive points home and maybe they're reduce the amount of complaining. At least you can just say, have you read the FAQ instead of answering the same questions each week.

Unfortunately, this is catering to them a little and it could make it worse. You could go the other route and record their worst songs and play them back as filler music between singers. :twisted: When they complain say the mix sounds fine to me. :twisted: :twisted:
Author:  Capt Midnight [ Sat Sep 04, 2004 5:01 am ]
Post subject: 
if i can't hear myself, i will walk into the audiance and sing, i know the song i am doing well enough to do that

Start the show out by letting everybody know what it is all about, "guys and gals, we are here to have some fun, this is not a competition, we are here to have some good clean fun, now... since the venue takes phone orders often, we can't be mega-club loud, but we can still be loud enough to be heard, let's bring up our first singer"

frankly you should not be able to hear the music from the outside of the building (by hearing it, i mean knowing what song is playing, that indistinct muffled sound is ok)
Author:  MC Krusty [ Sat Sep 04, 2004 11:44 am ]
Post subject: 
If a singer isn't quite loud enough (in my or in their opinion) and I don't want to crank up the mic and blow everyone out of there, I'll sometimes just turn the music down a little to compensate and then they're louder.

It just depends on the night if I crank up the mic or turn down the music a little. 8)
Author:  kojak [ Sun Sep 05, 2004 2:19 am ]
Post subject: 
You should might consider getting a mixer that has a level set indicator.
I use a Mackie 1202 VLZ pro.
When you set up, you put on a disk and adjust it to the meter using the music channel's gain. Then you adjust the volume with the main output control. When a singer comes up you can then adjust the music and mic to each other without guesswork. This will also be the optimal level for the mixer's preamps. You can adjust the overall volume at the main output.
If a costumer complains about the mix, just tell him that everyone gets adjusted with a meter and that it's the same mix for everyone.

As far as your singers' attitudes are concerned, you may as well learn to live with it, 'cause you ain't-a-gonna make 'em change.

Good Luck!
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