Karaoke Forums

Hello, All:

I am a well-seasoned singer and businessman who decided to take my love for singing & karaoke to the next level; I want to start a KJ business!

I'm very familiar with the karaoke scene, as well as how to get my business going. What I need help with is getting the right hardware, software, and good recommendations on where to download music. I would really like the equipment to be high quality at a reasonable price.

For the board, I'm really seeking something that would allow me to use at least three microphones...one wired, and two cordless? As well, I would want it to allow me the ability to raise and lower the key, as well as add reverb as necessary.

Microphones, hopefully those that will give as clear a sound as possible. Being a singer, I'm extremely picky, and I could imagine my customers to be as well. Same for the speakers...

Other equipment? I don't know...tell me what I need!

Software, obviously, I need it to be user friendly and capable of keeping track of the list of singers and songs...enabling me to sort them as I please after inputting them...rather than keeping some long list and putting them in one by one. I prefer to store the songs on an external hard drive, but, I would like the "ability" to use the CDG player, as well as record if possible? Of course, this is included in hardware, I know.

Songs...I would like a nice variety of R&B, Rock, Pop, Oldies/Classics, etc. I expect the crowd will be predominately young adult to middle aged blacks & whites...perhaps even a few latinos in that age group...so, I would like to find stuff they'd all like.

Okay, I know that's a lot, but, I'd truly appreciate as much help as I can get with this. I'm looking to get started ASAP!

Thanks...

Poor Confused Newbie!

The number of questions you ask - I would suggest buying a retiring KJs full kit off eBay or such.

Then add to it from there.

Software: I can vouch for Compuhost.

I think the first question you should ask is, are you going to be setting up at a venue permanently or be a mobile KJ? You will find that if you have a permanent gig and you can leave part of your equipment, it makes a world of difference what type of equipment you want versus having to lug around your equipment all over the place.

After lugging around 80 lb speakers for many gigs, you will learn to sacrifice some sound quality/power for portability.

Next question you should ask is, what is my budget? You can get an equipment from $300 to $10,000 without the music so again, you need to set your point.

Once you can answer these questions, then we may be able to help you better.

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Seize the day and SING!!!

What is your startup budget. How serious do you want to 'invest' into this venture. Do you have any experience with hosting, sound equipment, rotation policies, etc.?


Most mixers will not have any key change ability, that is usually built into your karaoke player or the computer software. One thing about karaoke equipment - if it SAYS it's designed for karaoke, chances are it's going to be very overpriced & underfeatured.
For the mixer i'd go with something like the Yamaha MG124CX
http://www.zzounds.com/item--YAMMG124CX - This mixer is big enough for the mics you want & also for the music channels. It also have a decent effects section built in plus compression on the mic channels which is good to help level out the volume of some of the singers that may get a little loud at times.


Mics, being it's karaoke you want to have good sounding yet reliable/durable mic. The SHure SM58 is probably one of the best for durability. I have 4 of them myself, 3 of which have been running nightly since 1994 which still sound like day one. Just replace the mic screen on them every so often to replace the ones that get dented from all the drops.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--SHUSM58
Sennheiser 835 is another that is almost as durable, has a slightly different tone which may be better for some singers.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--SENE835
As far as wireless I personally don't use them - never found the need personally - just a nice battery expense IMO, I would still stay with a good brand like Shure, it should be a dual diversity & UHF for better reception.



Ok lets see, mixer & mics are covered. You could go with either a set of powered speakers (speakers with the amp built into them) or get a separate speaker set and amp. More versatile, but more to carry.
I would probably recommend a set of powered speakers. QSC makes a very nice powered speaker - although it is a little spendy, probably one of the best I have heard PLUS it comes with a 6 year warranty right now when registered online - very nice for a powered speaker.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--QSCHPR152I

There are other things you could get for upgrades later, but the above would be all you need to start your PA off. You could go with lower priced equipment if needed that will work as well, again, depending on your budget, these are just recommendations that would give a you the equipment that would be a step above probably most, if not all of your competition. Now getting to know how to run it (as any equipment) is crucial.



Hosting software is a matter of personal tastes & needs. Most of the better programs have a demo that you can test your computer on & get a feel for it. Make sure your computer is compatible ie the drive for ripping your cdg's.



I would recommend the SOund Choice Foundation 1 & 2, then supplement with some of the newer discs. You can always ask here what's popular, although what is popular in one place, may be a total dud in another. Start off by maybe getting some of the hottest songs on the radio for the last couple years for all genres - check the Billboard charts, there should be an archive of weeks if i'm not mistaken. Then when you get your 'core' set of music, buy what your singers want, have a request sheet available & tell them if you don't see it, let me know here & we'll get it if it's available - then go & get it or order it.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

1) Like most of us, your first experience with karaoke is was as a singer. What you will find out is that a GOOD Karaoke Host sings rarely, if at all, at their venue. It's all about the real stars, your patrons.


2) In regard to the board: Whatever you do, remember that even the best "DJ" rigs are NOT meant for karaoke, and don't have all that you need. You might start out with a powered mixer, but one way or another you will need some sort of amp. In small bars, even a powered mixer with around 175 -200w RMS @ 8 ohms could do the trick, but I recommend at least 600 watts total for flexibility in venue size. Three mic inputs would be a MINIMUM ( Host mic should be completely separate.)


3) Microphones: The most popular mic for karaoke is the Shure SM-58, wired or wireless. It's probably the most perfectly designed mic for karaoke out there.

You might hear of the Shure Beta or Sennheiser. Both are top of the line mics. The problem is that they are TOO clear, which makes them very unforgiving for less talented singers. They will actually sound WORSE.



4) Software: I won't make suggestions here- I'll let others give you their oh so many different opinions. I will say that many programs that work with computer generated music won't be of use while using a CDG player. For this reason you may wish to buy a player with onboard effects such as keychange, echo, delay, and EQ.

You are doing some good thinking when you say you wish to have the ability to play discs as well. Many patrons carry and prefer to use their own.


5) Our own personal choices in music really have nothing to do with what we need. The best thing to do is start out with a very broad selection of titles and genres and build as you find out what's popular in YOUR venues. Do not over invest in the beginning.

Suggestions: A good starter set is SuperCore, with 38 discs, plus some 15 auxillary discs. These will give you about 350 titles of good quality and broad selection at a very reasonable price.

Though not known for great quality, pick up the Sweet Georgia Brown set of 60+ discs ( at under $100). Why? These will give you about 1100 titles over a broad range for almost no cost per track. As you find out what songs are popular, you can upgrade to better manufacturers.

You will get advice telling you to buy say, Sound Choice Foundations or Bricks, or Charbuster Essential packs. I don't disagree, but I wouldn't get them until you have been established. Though of generally high quality, you will pay a LOT of money for a proportionately small amount of songs. It's best to find out what is popular for you before you invest in tracks you may never use.


You will also need speakers. The best are 3 ways, as the midrange is king for karaoke, unlike DJ work. However, even if you settle for 2 ways, quality here is a MUST. Nothing can kill a show like singers who hear themselves sound worse than they should.

Don't forget monitors, quality cables, and proper presentation... You must also learn to mix sound on the fly. There is no "set up and walk away" in karaoke. Each singer and track is different. Much of what a good host does is customer interaction. Also, above all, remember that the STARS are your SINGERS, not you. Also remember that non-singer are there to have a good time too! .GOOD LUCK!

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Thanks, everyone; I really appreciate all the detailed responses! Things are slowly but surely falling into place.

To answer a few of the questions/respond to comments.

1. I don't really have a startup budget, but, I'm hoping it's less than $5000 all together. But, my main goal is to have the highest quality equipment that is actually appropriate and will make my customers happy.

2. I intend to be mobile; doing gigs at various places.

3. I need to know a little more than to just purchase a kit from a retiring KJ...I prefer to make informed decisions and know what I'm actually purchasing...thanks for the comments though.

4. I am fully aware that it's gonna be much different being a KJ than a patron! I love to sing, but, I know my time behind the mic, if any, will be very limited. Good thing for me is that I have experience in catering to guests and I don't have a huge ego, so, I shouldn't have a problem reversing the roles.

I'm gonna look up some of this equipment and see what turns up. Thanks so much for all the recommendations!

$5000 is a perfect startup budget for good equipment & decent core selection of music plus some current sets.



So you want to be as portable as possible while mainting a good sound? Can be done.



Sometimes this is a good way to get into the business, only things to be aware of is damage particularly in the speaker area - speakers will eventually fatigue after a few years of use.



Good thinking. Egos & hosting don't go well together.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Wow, $5k budget. I wish I had that much when I started out. First, Lonnie knows a lot more about equipment than me so I will leave specific models for him to suggest. I will try to at least say what I know about the mobile business, which I am in.

First, take your budget and cut in half. That's what I would suggest you spend on "software", which includes CD+G disks, binders, printing costs of song book, slip printing, pencils, clipboard, etc. To me, that's as important as the equipment, unless you have a separate budgets for those items. That leaves you about $2.5k for the equipment.

First selection would be your mixer/amp combination. I would definitely suggest having a either powered mixer or mixer amp. Depends on what you want your mixer to do, for example, how many XLR mic inputs you need, you can't go wrong with Mackie or Yamaha. I like Behringers too. I have Mackie 1402-VLZ and I love it. I run it through JBL EON-1 powered speakers. If I had my choice, I would have gotten a passive speakers and an amp instead. Trying to put those speakers on a stand kills my back. Many of the powered amp will have effects built in. If they don't you have several choices, I use Midiverb from Alesis. It's middle of the road equipment and does the job. I am sure Lonnie can recommend some higher end stuff because your have more budget than me. I have Fender 100 watt powered speaker as my monitor for singers. It works well and it's light but puts out a lot of power.

As for the power mixers, I would suggest, if you can, get one with a USB or Firewire connections, if you are going PC route. If you are going PC route, I would get a 3U rackmount computer case and mount it in your rack. It will save you a lot of grief. Laptops work just as well but I prefer it all contained in a rack so I don't have to worry about it. Software is a personal choice and I use MTU Hoster. I just like the interface on it and it's pretty reliable.

Then it's the rack. I have a rack that is about 4 feet tall. I love it because you can put all your equipment inside and it rolls around. Because it rolls around, I don't have to lift it anywhere. One issue is that it's about 1/2" too tall for a van. It's a struggle to get it in the door once I use a ramp. Make sure your rack can fit in to the vehicle you are going to use.

One more tip, get those security bits for your screws to mount your equipment to the rack. That way your equipment is safer. Using the security bits and screws, you can prevent someone with just regular screwdrivers to take your equipment. They may take the whole rack but not individual equipment.

I also have a limiter installed for the mic inputs. They will help you in the long run. I had the mic drop several times and uncounted times where the singer screams in to the mic (mostly drunks). The limiter will help you protection in those situations.

As for the mic, wired or wireless? I prefer wired just because people can't just walk away with it but even the best UHF mics are not immune to interference. Yes you can change frequencies but if you have done a gig near a military base, you will be happy with the wired mic. As others suggested, SM 58 is the ultimate karaoke mic. I use SM 58 clones at about 1/3 of the cost but they don't last as long. So far, I am breaking even on the mics.

Other accessories I have that helps me. I have a Furman power conditioner/plugs. This unit I have at the top of the rack and it have lights that you shine down to see your rack. There are power plugs in the back and each one has a on/off switch which makes it easy to control power and it has surge protection built in.

I have USB wifi dongle on my computer in the rack. That way, I have the Internet access at all time if I have the connection. This makes it easy to upgrade software, etc. Speaking of computers, I have two LCD screens and keyboard that I take with me. One LCD is for the software and other is for the singer. I made a stand for the singer that LCD mounts to and they can sing from it. My keyboard is rackmount, which make it easier. I wish my control LCD is also but they cost over $1,000 so I am waiting on those.

I also have tambourines, blow up guitar and sax, light sticks for evening gigs, beads to give away, etc. You can get a lot of these from Oriental Trading online. Pretty reasonable. You will want at least one mic stand. I prefer a heavy bottom that is round. Those stay put better and don't tip over. Of course you will need a lot of extension cords, mic/speaker cords, power strips, speaker stands, etc. You would also want to get every type of AV cables out there, from 1/8" to 1/4" to XLR to S-Video to VGA to whatever. It's always to have cable that works, rather than not.

I would also suggest that you go to Container store and get a bunch of plastic container. Get them in clear so you know what is inside. I have one with wheels just to carry the song books. Also, check out Rock and Roll carts. Best in the business in my opinion. That way you can stack up all the stuff in containers and roll them to the venue.

Lighting is an option. I usually carry a few pieces to any gig. I have American DJ mirror ball simulation light I take with me to all gigs. I also have these LED based glowing white balls that changes color. I got about 30 of them and I place them around to create ambiance. However, it seems every show one of them go missing.

Lastly, get a mic covers. They help with harsh sound and protects the mic a bit from all the spitting.

Sorry my post is a bit random and seem rambling. I am at work and don't have much time to edit it. Good luck with your business.

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Seize the day and SING!!!

Thanks so much Lonman, and Ebon! I'm really appreciating all the positive feedback. The more I read, the more I realize I may not need nearly as much as I thought! Money isn't really a problem with me, regardless of the amount, but, of course, I want to pay as little as possible. What I've researched and priced thus far looks like I can get all I want for well below the $5000 I thought everything would cost.

I had a few butterflies initially, but, with all the information I'm getting, I'm becoming more excited than anything now. This would be a very fun business for me, and more emphasis is being placed on having fun and a high quality of equipment that doesn't let the patrons down than anything. I'm very appreciative for all the information...

If I were in your shoes I'd go with the QSC powered HPR122i speakers. If you need dance sound then add a subwoofer. You can worry about the mixers and mics without the fuss of the amps and speakers. A great value!

personally i love my klipsch speakers fotr my venue. i use sm58s for the customers and your own preference for a mic thereafter. depending on size of show some like the all-in one mixer amps for mobility if its a bigger show i love my peavey amps. and mackie board. just depends if ur doing lots of setups or more permanent gigs. personally mics n speakers mean alot to me first. cheers good luck

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:angel:

My show is portable and I have to to all the set-up and tear down myself. The fewer pieces of equipment I have to carry the better. The weight of each piece is also a consideration.

I'll just speak the sound system and the music here.

Sound System

I use a Carvin RX1200 powered mixer ($800). It's got four 300w amps (at 4 ohms). For speakers I used two Carvin LM-15 2-way speaker cabs (15" speaker with 1.5" tianium high frequency driver). The cabinets are molded polyproplylene and weigh just 31 lb. each.

I choose the Carvin powered mixer because it has, in my view, the best sound quality I've ever heard and because of the features. Each amp has it's own EQ which I find to be a real benefit. I choose the 12-channel model because I also play in a band. But for karaoke the 8-channel model (RX800) would be a better choice. It's exactly the same as the RX1200 except that it only has 8 channels and the cost is lower at $700.

The cabs are $260 each.

There has been a lot of conversation about molded cabinets vs those made out of plywood or pressed wood. All arguments aside I've let my ears decide which to use and I think these are among the best cabs I've heard. And compared to other cabs these are a joy to carry around. My friends in other bands agree. Most of them are using the Mackie 12-channel powered mixer or a Mackie board with Crown power amps and JBL speaker cabs and they are now realizing they could have had much better sound for a lot less money.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Carivin, they are San Diego, CA based company and they have been making guitar and bass amps, sound reinforcement equipment and guitars and basses for many years. They have a reputation for building top-notch equipment at a modest price. They seel through their catalog and at their internet based store. You can google "Carvin" and find them.

Mics

I agree with everybody else about the Shure SM58 mics. Shure has been making them forever, they sound great, they are workhorse mics and you should be able to get them for around $100 each. Virtually every popular singer and band in the last 40 years has used SM58s at some time or another.

Music

You can find great deals on e-bay. Just be careful and make sure you are getting real product and not stuff that's been copied.

My karaoke player has a usb port and I use a 500 gig hard drive to store my songs. I've found that if you are loading your songs on to a hard drive and you buy super cd-g (SCDG) DVDs you get a lot of bang for your buck. There is a program called Encoder MCG which is a available from the CAVS company that does the conversion , writes everything to your hard drive and writes an index file that you can read with Microsoft Excel. I use that index file to create my song lists. My lists aren't quite as pretty as some others but I use Excel all day everyday at work so I have the program and didn't have to buy one specifically for my song lists.

A couple of months ago I managed to buy all 3 volumes of the Nutech Karaoke Party Pack for $70. That's 3,702 songs. I also bought all 6 volumes of the Chartbuster Essential 450 series for $77. That's another 2,700 songs. So for an investment of less than $150 I got over 6,000 songs. There are a lot of duplicates so the net number of songs is less. Still, it's a lot of songs for the money and there is very good variety.

Someone mentioned the Sweet Georgia Brown series. I agree that the quality may be a little spotty but quite honestly my singers want to know that I have the songs they want to sing and they are not as concerned with quality as long as it pretty much sounds like it's supposed to. You can get the Sweet Georgia Brown series in SCDG format on e-bay for around $40 if you are patient.

Good luck in your new venture. I hope you have a lot of fun and make a few bucks along the way.

Larry

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"Life is too short for diet soda and lite beer"

SCDG format. Requires a special player plus if you scratch or break a disc, you are out a very large chunk of your library vs 5-15 songs on a standard CDG.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Lonman, thanks for bringing me back to earth. I should have mentioned that SCDG requires a special player. I apologize if I led anyone astray. I should also mention that I used a Plexor DVD/CD drive to do the conversion that is mentioned below. I don't believe you can use a normal drive to do this. It read the SCDG discs perfectly.

I use a CAVS and have been very happy with it. I bought it because it has a usb port on the back. I also bought a 500 gig portable hard drive. There is software available on the CAVS site that allows you to convert and copy SCDG files to the hard drive. So now I've hooked up the hard drive to the CAVS player with a usb cable. The setup works perfectly. I packed away my SCDG discs so I don't have to worry about them and I play all my songs off the hard drive.

One thing I should say about the CAVS software is that for some reason writing the songs to the hard drive is a two-step process. I don't know why they did it that way but they did. But it really didn't take all that long to convert nearly 11,000 songs.

One of the things I like about the CAVS software is that it also writes an index that can be read with Microsoft Excel. I'm too cheap to buy software to create my songbook so I use Excel. Creating the songbook was very easy.

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"Life is too short for diet soda and lite beer"

It's the thing I hate most about CAVS, as a singer. The most ridiculous listing I have ever seen, with "Artist, The" and "The Artist" and ridiculous arbitrary disk ID numbers without any manufacturer information. I get indigestion when I walk into a show with a CAVS box.

If I can get the host to give me their XLS file, then I have a program that makes it better. Of course by then they have spent a fortune printing the worst karaoke songbooks ever created, so they don't want to reprint.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

There are conveters out there that can convert SCDg to the standard MP3+G that most computer software uses. Personally think that using a scdg player with usb hard drive support is limited in what you can do with it while running a PC based show allows for more flexability. basically I feel this way because pretty much every show in my area is a cross breed of karaoke and DJ which in the scdg player's format would require a second player making your euipment that much more bulky. And if you know how to import .csv files into excel then you can use any of the softwares out there to help you create your books. Some programs actually comes with their own songbook making software that looks better than an excel made book looks like.

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