Karaoke Forums

I have a few singers at my current show that before they even grab the mic are telling me ....MORE REVERB / ECHO / ETC. I gather mostly to try and mask their singing ability.

As I've read here I try to keep the effects "just noticable' when doing a sound check but once the music and singing start .. ( to be honest some times I don't even hear it ) But I know its there and BELIEVE thats the way it should be ( TELL ME IF I'M WRONG) I've experimented with some of the presets on my Yamaha Emx512 MY FAVORITES TO USE are the STAGE 1 or STAGE 2 for most songs and once and awhile the ECHOS for special songs.

What to do with the singers who continue to ask for MORE REVERB while the song is playing ? I assume they want to actual here themselves echo etc etc. I've at times MAXED out the effects and they shake their head like YEAH!!! THATS IT ?

I hate those place that use way too much vocal effect. The worst that I came across; the KJ must have turn the efx knob way past 12 o'clock. I could hear myself singing the last line when I was already in the middle of the next line.

Yes I need effect; but just a little

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

That's pretty much on the money. The way I was taught to use 'verb was that you shouldn't notice it's there, but you immediately notice when it's bypassed. Same with delays. You shouldn't hear the repeats until everything's silent.

Of course, there's exceptions when you want the effect to be heard - as a special effect.

Most people that want to be drenched in effects aren't very confident of their singing ability. They're not alone. John Lennon comes to mind as a quick example.

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Dave's not here.

The level and type of effects you use depends largely on the song being sung. In general terms, slow songs usually are heavier on reverb, sometimes delay is introduced as well. Many times all you want is what people have discussed here and that is just enough verb so that it's detectable if it is turned off. When you get really good at this, you'll start to find that the effects can change over the course of the song. Some songs start out dry and then the effects come in on the first chorus. Sometimes the vocals are drenched in verb but then when the bridge comes they go dry as a camel fart in the desert in order to create a certain effect.

The primary rule to remember, as some have kind of alluded to here is that reverb is not a magical fix for poor vocals. In some cases it can help hide slight pitch errors or at least soften their impact, but drenching someone in a heavy cathedral verb is not going to make them sound better unless that is what the song calls for. Too much reverb can actually have an opposite effect of stepping all over the vocals themselves and making everything hard to understand.

My recommendation would be that as you listen to music on your iPod or whatever, start to pay more attention to what effects are used when and how. It's definitely an art form, not a science so there are many ways to apply it. But the best way to start is listen to what others have done and understand how each Effect Affects the mood of the song. Use of effects is not for the purposes of making a singer sound better, it's to add additional mood, tone, whatever to the over message of the song. Keep this in mind and you'll do well.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

I try to remember - and the person that is asking for extra FX pays for my services. It's all how they perceive themselves and if they think they sound better that way then I will leave it to one of the friends they more than likely brought with them to tell them otherwise, not me. A happy customer is a returning customer and if I don't give them what they want they just may find someone that will.
I save the "artistic" part of using FX for when I'm running bands or doing production work, when it comes to Karaoke, the singer is the boss. ( let me see, are the repeats on Comfortably Numb 750 or 800 ms hmmm.) I think you would be hard pressed to find a current hit that isn't loaded with FX.
To me Karaoke is suppose to be a fun time. I believe there is a famous fast food chain that became an American institution. I think their slogan had the phrase "have it your way" in it. Who am I to argue with success.


That pretty much sums up the average Karaoke singer doesn't it.

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Quickness of mind will deceive the eye

Yeah - one reason I run a monitor mix for the singers. I'll give 'em everything they want there, and make sure the main mix actually makes them sound as good as possible.

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Dave's not here.

Exactly my view. Depends on the situation. Sometimes I'll just tell them "I got you covered" and not change a thing and that's enough to make them happy. Other times I'll throw some verb into their monitor mix (which I usually run dry BTW) as a way to make them happy. On certain songs or in certain cases I will also boost what I'm sending to house a little bit (making it clear that I'm doing it) but still keeping it in a fairly normal level. Now granted, it is fairly rare that I get these requests in relation to effects but I look at them similar to the "Turn it up, I'm going to rock the house" requests. I'm not going to drive the board close to 0dBu just because they want it their way. I'll do what I have to in order to make them happy while still maintaining what I know is a correct mix.

I also don't see any reason to divorce the artistic nature of mixing from Karaoke. I have heard compliments from people about proper effects making it sound more like the CD and whatnot, so people do notice and appreciate the difference (even if they don't understand what's really right or wrong about what I'm doing). I've even had singers come up and ask for the right effects for their song (for instance the guy that sang My Sacrifice on Tuesday night). Hell many of my regulars have come to expect and enjoy certain effects I put in spots of commonly sung tunes that aren't in the original CD Track (like a big multiple regeneration delay on ending phrases or big phrases of certain songs).

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

My favorite new tool for karaoke is a $50 pair of headphones. This is obvious when mixing a band or cueing DJ tracks, but I never used them when mixing for karaoke until a couple months ago. I was afraid customers would think I didn't want to talk to them. I've found they will still ask for whatever or come up to share a drink even if I have the headphones on, so I listen to them as much as I feel is beneficial.

I primarily listen to the FoH mix or vocal bus, and I have my FX routed to that vocal bus so I can easily hear what I'm doing without the music. I can also route the monitor mixes to headphones whenever I want, and it's helpful for channel strip EQ as well.

Another cool benefit to this is when regulars are struggling to find a new song, I'll ask them to come listen to some tracks in the headphones during a music break. They love the chance to hear the karaoke backing tracks before they try the song, or listen to the original artist's recording to refresh their memory. This is yet another thing other KJs in my area don't do, so it keeps customers coming back to see me.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

You sure the headphones aren't being used so the singers don't notice your ear plugs Jeff?

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Quickness of mind will deceive the eye

I use a combination preset of “Reverb & Delay” and dial it in to the vocal(s) in the same manner you all have previously mentioned. I do have a few customers who want the extra though. And I give them what they want; to a point just before feedback in some cases. In that case if they’re not satisfied, I tell them I ‘m maxed out. They usually accept what I have to give them.



This brings up a god point, but instead of turning this thread in another direction I’ll start a new one to ask my question. http://www.karaoke-forum.com/viewtopic.php?p=254294

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EveningStar Entertainment & Events
JR & Michele LaPorte
Peoria, AZ

sorry guys but I earn money from gigging and I am the reverb queen...if anyone mixed my vox so as I couldnt notice the efx then I would never have them mix me again...cant recall the last time I went to karaoke but I mix myself at gigs cos I cant afford a sound engineer . Its not as simple as any old efx will do either. Its finding one that add warmth and enhances the tone.
To my ear there are very very few people who sound acceptable (never mind good) without something added to the mix. So if someone asks you for more then let them have it

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

How would some of you all feel if I asked for an overdone effect during a certain part of a song. When I do U2's " I Will Follow " during the bridge there is a part where he sings ( your eyes make a circle, I see you when I go in there ), then it goes into ( your eyes, yuh yuh eyes, your eyes ). On the last ( eyes ) he drags it out like ( ayee aayee) then he goes into ( ooh ooh ohh ) then back to the chorus. What we do is on the last ( eyes ) we hit some echo and I do the ( ooh ooh ) over the Echoing eyes part.

I think it sounds cool, gives it a little extra something. There's also a part on Rock the Casbah that the overdone echoing sounds cool. Would some of you think I was being overly picky for requesting that? Just curious. I know I am an average singer so why not help myself sound a little more unique if I can?

If I know a song with a special effect emphasized on certain words then I will automatically put it in. Or if a song uses an effect as part of the whole song - like 7 -Prince, has a pretty big delay throughout. Kryptonite-3 Doors Down has a a tighter delay but still prevelant throughout the song. Dream On - Aerosmith has a fairly large delay that actually has the delay trail itself run through a reverb.

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I do it for a singer who sings Ronnie Millsap’s "Lost in the Fifties Tonight". While he originally wanted boosted echo throughout the song, I boosted the reverb & delay only during the chorus. He sings it quite often and he has never complained about how I mix it for him. I think it sounds great. However, If after that he wasn't satisfied, and still wanted effects throughout the song, I'd give him what he asked for.

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EveningStar Entertainment & Events
JR & Michele LaPorte
Peoria, AZ

Plenty of songs are performed and recorded with a lot of obvious FX by the original artists. I usually try to make karaoke singers sound similar to the popular recordings, which means yes, sometimes I will load up the FX. But I don't do it routinely like a lot of amateurish or lazy KJs I know, who just crank up the "echo" because they think it makes every person singing every song sound like a rock star.

I think that's what jam means, a lot of lazy KJs just crank up the FX and leave it there no matter what is being sung by who. If competitors want to do that, let them. I aim for a professional sound for every singer. Well, except when people are just being silly and singing crazy things they have no voice for, or big groups of singers. Then I just try to keep them audible without blowing out the audience.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

An over done reverb is better than none at all. Not idea but better.

you know... this is a damn if you do & damn if you dont situation ... no singers ....no audience ... oh well ....