Karaoke Forums

All the talk about equipment & how sometimes it wasn't enough & upgraded or completely replaced got me thinking about my first system. I pieced together a complete system using all pawn shop parts & equipment I could buy used. The only actual new pieces were a mixer & eq.
My first system consisted of

Peavey Unity 1000 8 channel mixer - VERY basic mixing functions bought new
Peavey Ultraverb 2 efx processor - pawn shop
Alesis MEQ230 dual 31 band eq - bought new
BBE 422A Sonic Maximizer - given to me
Peavey VSX 2 way stereo crossover - pawn shop - only thing I still use from the original system
Peavey CS1000 Power amp - 1 channel running high frequencies other channel running low/mids, weight was equivalent to a boat anchor - pawn shop
2 Ross 15" 2 way speakers - modified with a bi-amp capable crossover, new Peavey compression driver & EV woofer - bought off a friend, although I bought the crossover & compression drivers.
1 Peavey powered floor monitor - pawn shop
1 Rat Shack 5 band eq for the floor monitor (this was one of the first replacements later) - bought off cousin
2 Peavey PVM80 mics - these were the 2nd to be replaced with SM58's - bought new
Old computer monitor with an RCA video input for singer monitor. - Goodwill
1 Pioneer V760 LaserKaraoke player - no cdg's yet. - bought new
1 18 space road case - enough to hold mixer & all processors - bought from friend

The entire system ran me approx $2000 total - in '94.

Discs I rented a set of laserdiscs from my former employer for $150 per week (she was kind of bitter that I already had 4 shows lined up in the first week). I took the money I made from my shows & put it all into new discs, I was able to get the Pioneer laser library 1-35 & 201-204 (to match what I was currently renting) in less than 3 months - remember these discs were about $125 each at the time. Once I got that set, I upgraded the player to a laserdisc/cdg combo & started buying cdg's - Sound Choice & Music Maestro, but still bought laserdiscs as well - up until about 96. Then it was strictly cdg.

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Funny thing ..my 1st system was probaby my best

Peavey 8 Channel Mixer
Peavey PV1200 Power Amp
2 - Peavey SP5G
Alesis Nano Verb
Peavey wired Mics

**salesman sold me on Peavey **

Jvc Triple Tray CDG Player

Well it was rugged & cheap - comparitively to other brands at the time. Yeah I got the CS1200X later on for the low/mid amp, MAN that thing weighed a ton (especially when coupled with the CS1000 - almost 120 pounds with just the 2 amps alone) but was KILLER sounding!

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One host we know still has his Peavey mics. His story is he went in to buy Shures and the salesman tried to sell him the Peaveys. He told said he would rather have the Shures due to durability and the salesman took the Peavey and said, "Testing one-two-" threw the mic against the wall picked it up and said, "three." Sold.

Our first system was bought for home use but a KJ had been using it professionally up until we got it 6 years ago. It was/is a Pioneer V121G laser disc player, Pioneer 350K amp and Radio Shack mics. Don't know what he used for speakers as he kept those but he threw in the laser discs, rack and songbooks.

Now or first and present professional setup is: Yamaha P5000 amp, Yamaha MG124cx mixer, Yamaha Club SV115s whcih we have yet to use due to plugging into in-house systems, the old Pioneer player refurbished, a JVC Triple Tray from EBAY, gasp Nady Wireless mics and a wired mic that I can't remember the name of but all will probably be upgraded once we get going. We have an old Shure and misc. mics we inherited also.

Also have a Kustom for monitor but not sure we are happy with sound. We use a cheap amp we already had to power it when we use it. We also have transition music on a laptop and a few party lights and two par 38s.

Our beginning library was Sound Choice Foundation I, the dreaded SGBs which actually enlightened us to the fact that people wanted to sing something other than old country, our personal discs from over the years, some sets of people's greatest hits from EBAY, Chartbuster Classic Country collection and the laser discs. We are now up to 4,300 songs but we really just need to have "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and "Turn the Page" and people are happy.

I was a home user. If I had known about this forum I would have been asking what I should do for my home theater amp.

I ended up with a pair of MTX TP112 speakers (which I still use today, for my wife's practice system), a VocoPro KJ-6000 mixer (which I shortly thereafter stopped using) and a home theater amp. Mics were a PG-48 -- terrible mic -- and the cheap one that came with the CAVS 103g player I wasted my money on.

It worked, but I could tell it was terrible. First purchase to upgrade was a new and similarly terrible karaoke mixer, the SYM-600. And an Audix OM-3 microphone which was a big improvement over the PG-48.

Now I have Yamaha mixers, Lexicon effects, Peavey and Yorkville speakers, and Shure, EV, and Sennheiser mics. Big difference.

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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.

In October 1997 I got my divorce settlement, walked in to Musicians Friend (Now Guitar Center), told the salesman what we wanted (for karaoke as well as doing live music) and ended up with this combination of things: Two 15-inch Bag End speakers ($850 each, still have them, real workhorses and amazing sound), two 15-inch Yamaha speakers which we piggy-backed on the Bag Ends, a mid sized Mackie power amp (terrible with numbers), a Mackie 14-channel mixer, JVC triple rack player, Alesis wedge effects board (that was an amazing little piece of gear - unfortunately they don't make them anymore...and i regret not picking one or two of them up at G/C when they were getting rid of them for $99 each). Three Shure SM58 corded mics with all mic cables and speaker cables. All rackable stuff put into a nice Gemini rack...heavier'n'stink. Walked out of there that day having spent almost $6,000 as I recall. OUCH! Also put in a CD player into the rack for bumper music.

I picked up a TON of new CDGs from a local vendor ($2100 in one day), picked up a lot of clearance priced stuff from a mobile company going out of biz ($1-2 each - Monster Hits, All Hits, a lot of Music Maestro, etc.) I had a personal collection of probably 60 or 70 CDGs already... First time out of the block I had a great system and a pretty darn reasonable book for a beginner.

Lots of bucks but to this day I have all of that equipment still and can throw together a setup in no time at all from the inventory in my garage (can you say collector?)...hubby's band is using subs and extra crossover and amp from that system; Bag End speakers sit in garage but the Yamahas are used by hubby's band for small rooms. Original mics and most of the original mic cords are still in use 3 times a week.

I believe in buying quality - and believe me, that stuff has paid for itself over and over and over again....and continues to pay for itself over and over and over again.

I replaced my PVM80's with 3 SM58's in late 94 & all 3 still are in use today - change the screen on them every so often & they are as good as new and trust me they've been ABUSED! Actually one finally did wear out where the cord keeps on slipping out - the hole where it locks finally wore out. But still works fine, I use it a home now with a good grip of tape around the barrel to hold it in place .

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Yup, not saying they look new - but they do get a good going over regularly - tighten connections, replace the screens, clean them out, and sometimes they get a new coat of black paint.

I don't bother with the paint, over the years, all the original paint is gone so it just looks like a nice grey barrel

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I noticed on the Grammys that some of the female singers were using mics with glitter wrap on the handles. I have thought of customizing some of ours for a joke. Maybe some leopard......

Well, my first equipment was a home system It was a pair of Mission speakers, an old Pioneer receiver, an Audio-Technica microphone, a Behringer mixer and Karawin for my midi files and later on my cdg using Microstudio. My FX came from the EAX Console that came with my SB card Now, I kept many of my first recording on a cd and I haven't listened for yearsssss and sure don't plan to listen except if I really wanted to laugh

Shortly after my 1st system I thought I was UPGRADING by switching out my Peavey MIxer and Alesis NANO verb for a Vocoro kj600 Karaoke Mixer .... BAD MOVE !!! Live and learn

My first system was a system(s) that "RAC" Rent-A-Center provided us with back in 1988. A pioneer lased disc player w/ 10 1-10 pioneer laser discs (480 songs). I don't remember the speaker brand at the time but everything was pioneer. Thats back when RAC had alot of systems sitting orund the west coast and didn't know what to do with them or really what they were.

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[img]<img%20src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j288/miller2348/myspace/images/Funny_Pics/images/21.gif"[/img]

CHECK YOUR ATTITUDE AT THE DOOR, STICK AROUND YOU JUST MIGHT HAVE SOME FUN

For my first show ever, I used:

Yamaha Mixing amp 300 watts/ch 8 ohms
2 AudioChoice 15" speakers - 320 watts/ch 8 ohms
JVC 303 player
Samson R31 Mics
DVD Player running an MP3 CD on continuous loop for filler

Sweet GA Brown, Nu-Tech, SAV-P, SuperCore 2004, and one Top-Tunes 10 pack for the WORST music selection ever assembled. I had it upgraded the next week

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Bare in mind I started in my front room just for mates:

Mixer: http://cpc.farnell.com/1/1/28637-100w-p ... -line.html

2 Proel speakers

2 Monacor Wireless mics

JVC CDG player

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"Bare in mind" - Thanks for this Nlouch - I know you didn't intend it this way ...

But I like it! .... applies perfectly to a lot of numbskulls - "BARE in mind: Completely barren of anything at all in the ol' white matter." Sorry, couldn't resist. I edit for a living. (I know this doesn't apply to your white matter, Nlouch.)

, I always get that wrong. When I write "bear in mind" I picture a big grizzly bear and think "No, that's not right"

My first system was purchased all new, and was kind of embarassing:

AKJ-7000 mixer-amp
2 15" Soundtech speakers
Panasonic 5 disc carousel CDG player
13'' tv w/ stand
2 SM58 mics
1 AudioTechnica VHF wireless (for me)
SC Foundation
many assorted DK, SGB, All Hits, BS, Nutech, whatever was cheap or given away free with the purchase of the equipment.

I realized within 2 months that this wasn't going to cut it, and started replacing things. Within a year, the entire system was changed (except for the mics, tv, and discs).

I'm kind of embarrassed, but I started out with Vocal Pro everything. I had no idea about Karaoke, Equipment, etc back in the day. My Mom always wanted to have Karaoke at her Bar. It was an outside Tiki Bar and none of the Karaoke Hosts back in the day wanted to play outside (Humidity in Florida). So I told her, if she puts out $2000 for Equipment and discs, I'll work the show and work it off.

So I got a Vocopro CD+G Player, Vocopro Mixing Amp, Vocopro wireless mics and the Vocopro two speaker plus sub set, a Nutech Disc Set and Karaoke Party Hits Sets.

That's the reason why I'm so strictly against Vocopro.

When I look back now, I can laugh about myself.

The set up I have is still the same I started with. Since I only use it at home and power it with the DJ stuff.
RSQ single tray player
Mackie Amp Mixer 406M
Two Sonic T12 speakers + two Sonic 12 inch monitor speakers.
Brand X mic (I think these are made by Audio-Technic, cheap and durable and doesn't sound to bad)
All cables except mic cable are made by me...I work at a cable making company.

The earliest karaoke machine I had seen was an 8 track system by Singing Machine. Its unit looked like many home stereo jobs from the era. Its sound level indicator was a lighted window that had rectangular graphics the appeared to be three dimensional going in and out from smaller to larger depending on the level of music. The owner retired it just last year. He was using it to run a car show DJ set up.