Karaoke Forums

i'm a long time home karaoke enthusiast looking at running my first sort of semi pro gig and wanted to get some advice on what mics i should use. I have cordless mics and ones with cables, i thought cordless would be better but then worried people might walk off with them or something. Anyone got any suggestions? thanks

Quality mics are the best advice I can give. Whether wired or wireless isn't as big a deal. Walking off with them isn't a huge concern. You should be right there to handle them before and after the song. Either can be dropped but I've seen wireless mics fly. A guy things he's Roger Daugherty and starts slinging the mic. Some singers like the freedom of movement with a wireless. Some like the comfort of being behind the stand. In the end, not many are gonna decide not to sing because of wired or wireless. Given a choice between a quality wired and a sub quality wireless, the choice is quality.

I have been using ONLY cordless mics for almost 7 years. I have never had one damaged or misplaced (stolen). They are less likely to be damaged from dropping because most mics hitting the floor are because people get tripped up in the cord. The cordless downfall is the cost of a good cordless vs the cost of a good wired mic. Oh and don't forget the batteries.

A $100 corded mic is comparable in sound quality to roughly a $300-400 cordless mic, and even then, almost any good corded mic is going to be far superior in ruggedness compared to a cordless.

I have NEVER used a cordless mic in my venue, but that's because I work with a bunch of 21-30 year olds where a decent % of them have absolutely no respect for my equipment. My $350 wireless would be broken or stolen in a week.

I almost always use my wireless when I am doing a private gig.

As a singer, I HATE it when I go to a show and the host has a pair of cheap wireless mics. Almost everything under about the $250-300 range never sounds good, no matter how you EQ them.

So, if you do go wireless, get something quality, and expect to spend $300+. A rugged, quality sounding wired mic, like the Shure SM58 or Rode M1 (the ones I personally use), is going to start at about $90-100.

Good luck!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

I use cordless and wouldn't have it any other way, but it DOES depend on the gig as TopherM mentioned. There have been horror stories here about mics ending up in the lobster tank, in a beer pitcher or just walking out the door. And for a good wireless you are talking $300 a piece minimum.

The show I patron as a singer uses wireless mics, and almost nightly there is some douche that takes the mic into the bathroom and sings while he pees. The mic is typically close enough to hear the urine splash, yet we almost never hear any handwashing. Do the math.

About 4 years ago at the same show, there was a singer who walked to the other end of the bar and walked out the front door. You could still hear him singing his song, then it started to get a little bit of static, then alot of static, then nothing. Dude walked off with the mic DURING his song, singing all the way. Everyone thought it was actually pretty hilarious. The KJ....not so much.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

thanks, my cordless mics are ok, but not expensive, so maybe i will go with the trusty cabled ones this time.

i don't have a microphone stand, do you think i need one? or just hand the mics out?

One thing about stands you always have someone wanting to whip the stand around and move it while singing. Just be careful how the stand it used and hopefully not abused.

And if you don't have stands, you have mics rolling off tables, or worse, getting swung around by the cord like Roger Daltrey.

, good point bazza. maybe i will see if i can pick up a cheap stand, dont want anyone getting hit in the face by a wayward mic after a roger daltry impression

But then they will just whip the mic stand around like Steven Tyler, or disassemble it like Freddie Mercury!

Don't get a cheep stand they will not last. You may only need or want one stand your whole life get a good strong one.

I only use wireless mic.s and never had a problem and no cords to get typed up in knots.

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And if you don't have stands, you have mics rolling off tables, or worse, getting swung around by the cord like Roger Daltrey.[/quote]

I have not used stands in years... the anti-roll accessory rings attached to my 4 Shure Wireless mics have served me well, without having to worry about mics rolling off a surface like a table, chair, bar, etc. YMMV

20 years, 7 nights, never had one being whipped around (like Steven Tyler or Freddy Mercury as someone mentioned), moved, sure but never in a manner that would do any damage, usually they are just holding it if they use it at all, most people take the mic out of the stand anyway.
If anyone tries to swing the mic by the cord, they are warned once, and if it happens again, shut off then & there and banned from singing the rest of the night. This even is now a very rare occurance.

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

I had a guy a couple of years ago sing Rock Lobster and that song wouldn't normally go over very well at my senior age gig, but this guy was a master of using the heavy round base mic stand. He practically got a standing ovation, and he didn't break anything.

Cordless every time. And don't worry about the "quality" thing, it's all tosh. I've got some Citronics wireless mics, bought for £110, in a case and everything and are brilliant. Batteries lasting five gigs (@$%&#!) well. Most singers are pretty awful so don't need an awesome quality mic and super clear sound, just the opposite infact. . Once punters have had a few beers, all they are interested in is having a good time. Wireless mics are the best !

Bah! Quality singers follow quality sound. Even if they've been drinking. Had a group tonight come in first time, they only have heard bad karaoke, never actually heard 'good' singers and even told me, they feel intimidated that they are normally the best singers at any show, but tonight they did not feel that way. But afterward they even came up to me and said they'd sounded better than they'd ever had and would be back. Tosh is not part of my vocabulary! Quality is!

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

Good singers will always be bad on bad equipment. It could very well be you have some good singers you are letting down. Singers need quality feedback and that starts with the mic. A good singer feeding into a sub par mic will produce a sub par signal. It's all down hill from there and the singer does not get the feedback they need.

I have some homework for those that wish to participate. To qualify you must have great sound behind you mics. I want you to do one round with crappy wireless mics. You can make one sound sub par if you don't have a sub par quality mic. I want you to put out a quality wired mic for the second round. Just tell them you noticed an issue with the wireless and it needs to be worked on. Then offer them the choice for the third round and tally up who chose the wireless and wired. You can only count those that sand the first two rounds. Report back with the results...

Who is in?

Maybe we should start a new thread for this experiment? I will if I get some takers..

Can I borrow crazyface's mics??

Seriously, though, they are both right. About 3/4 of my singers wouldn't care either way, especially the after-midnight drunk singers. HOWEVER, I have plenty of regulars who are the real backbone of my show that choose my show over the competitors due to the quality of my equipment. They are the ones that show up at 8:30 and stay until 2:00 a.m., and are the ones who really support my show financially (and the best tippers!).

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C Mc
KJ, FL