Karaoke Forums

Hi everybody. Been lurking here for a while, a lot of you guys seem to know your stuff. I'm just getting started in this business. I'm about to buy the equipment and I need to get a general idea of how much money i'm going to end up spending. My question is this: assuming I have a traditional, non-computer setup (CDG player, mixer, mics, etc.) what, roughly, is the minimum and maximum amount I would spend on each item? I hope this question isn't too broad, and thanks to anyone who replies.

It is almost too broad because it depends entirely on what kind of sounds quality you want, & what kind of quality you want in your selection & kind of selection.
Anymore these days figure a minimum of around a $5,000 startup cost, this will get you a decent sound for smaller clubs & a basic core selection. Figure another $5,000 to do some good competition sound & selection wise (although if your hosting skills are good enough, you can get by with a smaller - well chosen - selection to start with.
I like to buy with the premise that i'll be doing larger shows & pick-up the equipment I would need for a larger show, that way when I do get that show, i'll already have the equipment & won't be hoping the basic equipment will suffice or scramble around to buy more or rent something at the last minute. If you buy for what you THINK you might need - realisticly - then you should be more than fine.
Main thing on your equipment, DON'T SKIMP on your speakers & amps, these are probably the 2 most important components in your system & will reflect how you sound - as well as knowing how to run your sound & equipment.

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Lon man is right. If you scrimp and try to save a buck in the beginning (especially with the amp and speakers) it will end up costing you more in the long run. The LAST thing you want to do is go into all this un-prepared, under-equiped and under budget. You would get an un-favorable opinion of the "service" that you are providing.

My personal recomendations for someone starting out would be:

Peavey XR 684 F box mixer (around $600-$800)(2x200w @ 4 ohms, 2x180w @ 8 ohms)
Pioneer dual deck or RSQ/JVC triple tray karaoke player(s) ($250-$350)
B-52 MX-15 or B-52 SR-15 speakers (or a good equivilent)
1 GOOD UHF cordless mic
3 Corded mics (Sure SM58's are the industry standard and are virtually bullet-proof - They'll never let you down and they'll be able to handle drunken abuse pretty well)

That pretty much covers the main heart of your system. With regards to your library........do your research. Go to as many other karaoke shows as possible and make a mental or writen note of what people are singing and build your library around that. SC foundations, bricks are good bases but you will need to build from those.

All in all, you'll spend about $2500-$3000 on equipment and $1500-$3000 on music depending on what you want to start with.

This would get you into a small to medium size venue with no problem. This set-up wouldn't work very well out doors because you would be limited on power to project and push sound over a large distance but it would be good to get you going in a small club.

I won't get into the hardware part of it, they covered it pretty well above.

As far as your CDG catalog selection goes, you should get a good core:

DK Millenium or if you can find the Original DK set (kind of older, out of print, but a good starter). If you don't get the DK stuff, get the Sound Choice Foundation 1 & 2.

You can also add on the SC Bricks later. They make 5 bricks, I believe. SC just reduced the price per "brick" to $129 each
http://www.soundchoice.com/products/cdg/sets/bricks/

They also have some other cool stuff like a Headbanger's pack (hard rock stuff), a 70's & 80's set, some other genres too.

You can also look around other brands for discs like "hits of the 90's" to kind of fill the gaps. I would also recommend buying the newer stuff and trying to keep it updated if you're doing a lot of shows.

Another suggestion is once you roll it out, you won't have every song that "Joe Karaoke Company" has, so if someone asks for a song that you don't have, write it down and work on adding it into your next update package.

Thanks Lonman, Outlaw, and MC Crusty for your comprehensive, well thought-out responses. This board has been invaluable to me as a resource. Thanks again.