Karaoke Forums

Tonight I decided to go to a competitors show for a while to see what the fuss was all about. This guy is sponsoring a karaoke contest in 2 different places at one time (different nights tho) I have a friend who I suggested she join the contest because she is a talented singer. I don't know who is paying the prize money, and honestly it doesn't matter. I learned a couple of very interesting and important facts about our industry. What really matters to the success of a karaoke show...First of all, and this is going to tinkle some people off in here, me included. But the equipment isn't that important. I asked my friend, who is a very talented and gifted singer, a very simple question. "Does the equipment that the host has make or break your decision on where you sing?" I was shocked at her answer, she simply said "No" After all the money I have spent on providing good sound and quality equipment for my singers to sing on, and all they want is to be able to perform in front of an audience. Simple as that. What mic we use, the fact that we add compression, EQ'ing, subs, high dollar sound systems,, and NONE of it really matters. What they want is simply to be heard by an audience. The only ones who care about the sound quality is "US" as so called "professional" hosts. We are our own worst critics, not the crowds or singers. We beat ourselves up about having the best mics, speakers, and systems. This show I attended was hosted by a company who is hosted by a 2 partners. The system was as simple as simple can be, 2 powered Behringer speakers, a small Behringer mixing board, one microphone for the singers, a small flat screen TV and a netbook computer. NO players, no eq, no compression, no fancy lights, bells or whistles of any kind. AND IT WAS A SUCCESS. Makes me feel foolish knowing I spent literally thousands of dollars on being the host who has the fanciest equipment around, but not having the most successful show.

The second thing I learned is WHY it was successful. The owners/hosts have been in the business for at least 10 years, probably longer, and have built a clientele of singers and followers. They build it through the "personal touch". And that is something I have failed to do Although, I have done it to a certain degree, I can and will do better. Through making the show ALL about the singer/customers, a personal experience, that is how to build a base. Lonnie has done a great job of doing this, and so have many of you out there. But it is something I have lacked doing. Sending emails, texts or personal invites is a huge building tool. Making each individual feel like they are part of your circle of friends, and feeling welcome. That is where I am going to work on things. As each of us should.

I don't believe you have only just worked that out.

nice, the view and opinion of just one singer carries a lot more weight.

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

Even tho I do KJ (occasionally), I have to disagree with this statement.... ONLY to one specific point. As a Singer at Karaoke shows, I don't care what kind of equipment you are using as long as I can hear myself CLEARLY and NOT get a lot of feedback or static-like sound (and you don't need to have a top-notch system to prevent this from happening). I have a feeling that if that friend of yours were to attend a show where the KJ's system did what I just described, she would change her tune (pun intended) real fast. The rest of your statements I can agree with.

I agree with Jian -- don't go too far on one opinion.

Most singers don't care what equipment you have. But they do -- even though they can't often articulate it -- care how they sound. Also, the hosts that care enough to spend a bit more on equipment and learn how to use it also tend to care enough to do the other things right.

But as we have discussed many times here, there is a continuum of factors which matter in karaoke. Sound / equipment quality is one part of it. Building a personal relationship is another. Having a good audience is yet another. And one thing about audiences -- they *do* notice sound quality. They aren't going to keep coming back when it sounds like crap.

I know one karaoke show which survives despite a deaf KJ and terrible sound. The reason? It is the only bar in a resort area, and has a captive audience.

Bottom line -- there is no one thing. No be-all and end-all. It is a continuum.

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

Consider.......there are crowds......and there are karaoke crowds. I prefer to sing at venues, where people come for the karaoke.

I think you will find that someone who likes to sing karaoke
has their own minimum quality of sound requirement.
After that, good atmosphere is more important than a better sound.

Do you never hear from someone "Best sound I have heard"
Yet they don't come back.

People choose a Karaoke show for a lot of reasons. Sometimes it just happens to be at a bar they frequent anyway. Some know of a host they like so they follow that host to different bars. They may like his personality, they may like the way he runs his show, they may like that he is the only KJ in the area that provides a vocal monitor for the singer.

I don't think there is any one make or break criteria that will lead people to a show, it's a combination of many things. I don't think most singers are going to leave a show because the audio quality is subpar. If the host is good or they like the bar they'll still come. If the host is a bit of a jerk, they'll still come. However, when the combination of factors becomes too much or one factor in particular gets too bad (like if people are getting headaches from excessive volume) they will start to avoid the show either by avoiding the bar or coming on other nights.

I've said this for a long time. People aren't going to choose to come to my show simply because I've got the best rig in town. But I also don't want my rig to be the final straw on the camel's back that leads them somewhere else. With all the factors that tie into their decision, there are some that I can control and some that I can't. Of the ones I can control, the quality of my rig is one of the easiest to control, it's a simple matter of finances. So I figure if I make sure that I've got that situation under control completely, I can focus more energy on the other aspects of my show that I can improve.

_________________
DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

sigh....

_________________
Okay, who took my pants?

I didn't say that "bad" sound is acceptable, not by any means. But this guys rig, was so basic, yet it served its purpose. That is what I am saying, "Does the equipment fill the basic needs, and if it does then, no more is needed from the equipment". I agree with Tony full heartedly here, it's a combination of factors that makes the success of a show happen. But having the biggest, bad-assed, highest power system, best mics known to man-kind, all the bells and whistles, really doesn't make a difference on whether a singer chooses which show to attend. All they want to do is perform in front of an audience. We as hosts or owners of our sound/entertainment business' are hardest on ourselves. When we see our competition have "toys or bells and whistles", we think to ourselves that we must have it too. Whether or not that is true. I have a friend (my karaoke mentor) who has been hosting karaoke since 1992, and her system simply sucks. Yet she draws the crowds week after week. Up until last night, I believed that it was because she is beautiful and has boobs. I am wrong in my belief. I realize now it's because she has befriended each and every person that comes across her stage. Whether it is a true friendship or just a good bar friendship, or a "perceived" friendship, it's all the same. That is how she has "networked" herself, in her karaoke relationships. I will admit, this is where I missed the boat, and I won't be doing that anymore. I have always been friendly and professional with everyone, but I have not let myself get to know each and every person that crosses my stage. I have put "walls" and "barriers" between me and a vast portion of the people. This is exactly why I haven't quite reached the level of success that I have desired. Yes, I have gotten so far with having some good work ethic, never late, always dependable, friendly and polite, give good service to everyone, good selection, great sound (yeah, i fell into that too), but just never did quite go over the top like I have wanted.

This is why I posted this thread. It's NOT all about the equipment at all, it's totally about the singers and good, honest relationships coming from the heart. That's where I am working on it now. Let those walls and barriers never come up and I believe that my success will grow ten-fold. I feel that all of us can benefit from having this basic knowledge.

mrscott !
Good for you for realizing what some of us already knew !

It's never about who has the BEST SOUND it's always about "WHERE DO I HAVE THE BEST TIME" !!!

Many factors attribute to a great karaoke show and some of them are beyond the KJ's realm of responsibility. VENUE LOCATION / PRICES / SERVICE / FOOD etc.

Good and Decent sound and equipment is a minimum long term to satisfy even the worst of singers. Yes we (KJ'S) are usually our own worst enemies and think that $1000 speakers and $5000 worth of processors is needed to have a succesful show. Nothing against those that do ..but it's just not true. As long as singers can hear themselves without any feedback or distortion your 90% on the way to a good show. Now before those jump all over me ---Yes there are levels of QUALITY and in side by side comparisons between a $300 powered mixer and $5000 rack load the $5000 will for arguments sake sound 100x better. But most singers could care less as long as the other FACTORS are also acceptable.

The personal touch I think is huge. Having a connection with your singers is not only good for business, but I think very rewarding. (Of course this depends on your type of venue - you need to be in the same place for a while to build a relationship with people and not all gigs are conducive to this)

One of my regulars came to the stage last night before leaving and told me I helped them through a difficult time and they'll never forget that. I was busy at the time, so I couldn't have a longer conversation than to say thank you and give the person a hug good bye.
I'm still wondering today what I did or said to this person for them to say such a nice thing to me. I listen to all kinds of things going on in my patrons lives and try to make them feel better and forget about life as long as they are at karaoke and have fun. I never thought as my job as rewarding until last night. I'm not saying I'm saving the world from starvation or any thing, but I get to be the facilitator of happiness through what I do. I actually went to bed last night thinking I am blessed to have a job that makes people happy. It's rewarding to know what I do makes a difference is people's lives. It's incidents like this I need to remember when I'm feeling burn out.

I have to admit I know I have some patrons that would follow me even if I worked with the worst equipment, but there are also those that would walk out the door the first time they came in if I did.

_________________
[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Yeah, sometimes I can be a slow learner, and pig-headed. DOH! I have always shown a certain level of professionalism, but never a high level of personal relationships. Recently I went through a "program" if you will, that let me see myself and things in a totally different light. I now see how I am the creator of everything around me, and how important that I am to other people. And when I don't let myself into their lives, and withhold my heart, I am robbing myself and them of opportunities. They deserve me in their life, and I deserve them in mine. It's really that simple, and I just couldn't see it. I had no self worth before, but know now just how important I am in the entire scheme of life. I AM change, I AM love, I AM a powerful man of inspiration and love.

Ok, dont freak out on me everyone, I didn't find religion or anything, hehe. I just found out who I am, and why I am here. And I can use this knowledge for the betterment of my daily life, and my karaoke life as well. If any of you would like to know more about this "program", I would most gladly share with you. You can either PM me, or even in here, both are totally fine with me. It simply is an amazing process and it's nothing short of a miracle. Each of you can take back your life in ways you cannot imagine right now.

Realizing the things that I have shared with you all, has been a very long time coming for me, and I am very happy to have the opportunity to share. I know that I have not personally met any of you, but I do know how very important each of you are in my life, and I love you all for just being "you".

Thank you
Scott

As long as you're happy with yourself you can make others happy !

No lets get back to our regular program ,,,,,,,,,,,

Well that was an answer in one case instance. That is not always going to be the case. I know people that do come out because of the sound (no not necessarily the equipment) or other factors. No not all singers will care, but there are that do. I do agree that we want better equipment for ourselves, but that is only because we don't have a choice to leave for the night I want the sound to be as good as I possibily can make it for the entire night. But yes it does filter down to the singers and audience as well.


Yes this does help, I have people that still come in to my shows when I started working in karaoke around 90.

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

Jam, no, I can't make someone else happy, I can only "inspire" them to make themselves happy. But it all starts with me. If I like and love myself, then I can love others too. But again, it all starts with me.

Ok, NOW back to our regular scheduled program already in progress.

Song selection, rotation, and drink prices are my concern. It's either that every KJ is good at sound or I really don't care about the sound as long as I get to sing my song. Its a KJ own view of a karaoke show is how they judge the show. If I watch a movie with a director he would critique more than me just saying "meh this movie was good"

I'm reminded of some of the first conversations I was involved with on this board:

The 'Music Maestro sucks' discussion, and the Nady DKW DUO mics suck discussion.

90% of the people who show up to any show i've ever done could care less. They just don't notice, and don't care.

I learned that lesson years ago in my band days. The only people who care if your guitar has Fender USA on the headstock or Fender Mexico are other guitarists or wannabes.

Same with karaoke. As long as the backing track sounds pretty much like the original, then they just don't care. As long as the mic they're singing into doesn't crackle or cut out, they could care less if it says NADY or SHURE.

The only people who notice or even care are other karaoke people and hard core karaoke singers.

Lots of KJ's out there with what most would consider 3rd rate gear and awful sound who pack clubs night after night. It's their personality as a host and their ability to entertain the crowd that makes you a success in this business.

There will always be a market for the audiophile karaoke singer.. the hard core karaoke singer or the musical purist.. but that is a very thin slice of the overall KJ/DJ club and party market.

Not that there is anything wrong with having top end gear, but it does put the guy who spends $5,000 on PA equipment at a bit of a competitive disadvantage when the other guy only spent $800.

I'm pretty blessed with a circle of really good singers who seem to enjoy my show. I have befriended all of them - some to a deeper level (to where we go out socializing, even to sing), many on a "Hey, how are you?" shout in the grocery store. Their kids recognize me, want to say hi to me (I do a once-a-month kids' show), and I stop and acknowledge them. It's a people business, I believe. If you make people feel important, whether it is just greeting them by name, or having their song up when they walk in, or whatever, you have succeeded in adding another person who will show up wherever you put on a show. This has worked very well for me since 1997.

When I set up my rig, what I based it on was, what kind of rig do I want to sing through? Part of the reason I get called to take over failing gigs is the great singers, who definitely appreciate the sound, will move with me. I run a pretty simple rig - two powered Mackie SM350s and a powered Mackie 15-sub. No compressors or other peripherals. Oh, and SM58s.

Oh, and I do play singer's CDs for them. Swingcat brought in his old-fashioned mic and stand to my show last weekend and I plugged him in...simple.

So, definitely a combination of things - personal touch and gear. Never had anyone walk out disgusted by the sound or a lack of songs. The odd one gets frustrated if I have a very long rotation but that doesn't happen too often (25 plus singers).

Which is why I, with good gear don't have a job.
I am not a good enough host.