Posts Tagged ‘karaoke systems’
The Karaoke Player
In his book “Don’t Stop Believin’,” author Brian Raftery outlines a few basic rules to karaoke. First, you will look better if you sing a bad song, such as Paper Lace’s “The Night Chicago Died,” Bill Wither’s “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone,” Garth Brook’s “I Got Friends In Low Places” or Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” Secondly, avoid songs that are too long. Many performers falter halfway through Lynryd Skynyrd’s nine-minute “Free Bird,” Don McLean’s eight-minute “American Pie” and Led Zeppelin’s eight-minute “Stairway to Heaven.” Fast songs are always better than slow songs, group songs are always better than solos and staying within your key is crucial to success. Now that you know the basics, you’re ready to get your own karaoke player and start practicing for the big day!
It seems everyone is claiming to have “the best karaoke player on the market.” With so many contenders, it can be hard to choose. Today, karaoke songs can be played on portable systems, DVD players, CD players, PCs and Playstation consoles. The smart karaoke system consumer should first be honest with him or herself and ask, “What am I going to use this thing for?” If it is for killer karaoke parties, then an all-in-one machine like The Song Station is the ideal choice. This amazing karaoke system has been featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, People Magazine and on NBC, and enjoys high Epinions ratings. Ranging between $207 and $259, the system has 53,000 built-in tracks from around the globe, but also accepts DVDs, special karaoke CDGs, CD+Gs, VCDs and MP3s, and plays all in high-quality Dolby Digital.
Consumers receive two free microphones, a pedestal karaoke song search unit, large speakers and additional amplifier connections. Up to ninety-nine songs can be scheduled, just like at a karaoke club, and sixty favorites can be stored for quick retrieval. This product can be purchased at www.thesongstation.com.
Rather than spend hundreds of dollars on a karaoke player, there are also karaoke DVD players that can be purchased for $30 to $100 and will play movies too. However, shoppers will need to make sure the player also accepts CDG format or their music selection will be slim; they may also need to purchase extra microphones. One of the cheapest karaoke DVD players is the Coby DVD-637, which goes for $33 to $64. However, most of the CD+G compatible DVD players run between $100 and $200, like the VocoPro DVG399K ($110) or the Cavs 105G DVD ($119).
Some people forego the stand-alone karaoke player altogether and opt to turn their computer into a karaoke system. WinCDG Pro 3 by Tricerasoft ($60) is the most popular karaoke software, which enables users the ability to save and store their karaoke songs, while also recording and mixing their own renditions. There are more primitive editions for less, but the latest model includes direct CD+G creation and VCD playback, as well as MP3 creation and playback. This program works along with the Windows Media Player to show karaoke lyrics. Then aspiring artists can share their original karaoke hits on social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook!
Karaoke Machine Guide
Karaoke started in the 1970s in Japan, where business professionals would drop into a karaoke club on their way home from work to de-stress. For club owners, it was a great way to entertain patrons, without paying for strolling musicians. By the nineties, karaoke had become a staple in American culture as well, with tens of thousands of bars, restaurants and clubs offering weekly karaoke nights. Karaoke equipment includes such things as a karaoke machine, which plays CDs, DVDs, mp3s and/or CD Gs, has built-in or plug-in speakers, one or more plug-in microphones and either video cables or a built-in lyrics screen.
So which systems are getting the most buzz? The $60 doPi Karaoke “Party in a Pod” system can turn a video iPod into a karaoke machine. Consumers will also get a microphone, a mixer box with two inputs, echo effect, video in/out ports and all cables needed to connect an iPod to the box, which plugs into the wall. A song card comes with three free downloads and many karaoke songs come with video too. This system, which has been featured by InStyle, People, Seventeen, WIRED, Mac Life, iLounge, FHM and Entertainment Magazine, as well as Good Morning America and The Early Show, can be purchased at www.dopikaraoke.com.
Over a million people have purchased the “Rock Band” game for PlayStation, Wii and Xbox, which turns their video game consoles into a karaoke machine and musical instrument tutorial. Like the karaoke game “Karaoke Revolution,” the lyrics appear at the top of the screen for vocalists to follow, while a bar provides feedback on how well the pitch and note duration match the original. Other friends or family members can try their hand at guitar, the bass guitar and drum pads. This game is really fun for parties, rainy days and cultivating an interest in music.
The $199 Singing Machine Pedestal CDG Karaoke system offers a more professional singing and recording experience than the average karaoke machine. In addition to having two microphones, the system also comes with a built-in camera so singers can watch themselves on the video monitor. Additionally, the RCA output allows singers the ability to tape themselves on a VCR or DVD recorder as well. Unlike other systems that are all-vocals or no-vocals, this unit comes with Auto Voice Control so the vocals are eliminated when the singer starts to sing and returns when the singer stops singing. This function is ideal for practicing a new song. Additional features for this CD/CD G player include key, echo, balance and pitch control. Ipod-compatible systems also exist for $249. Consumers can purchase this product at www.singingmachine.com.
Consumers are not the only demographic for the karaoke machine. Some business owners see karaoke as a great opportunity to add entertainment or set themselves apart from the competition. Obviously, the karaoke club is nothing new, but what about the karaoke cab? In cities like Dallas, New York City, Chicago and San Francisco, there are cabs with built-in karaoke machines to start off a pre-party or occupy riders for long rides. Some videos of karaoke singers are posted at www.mykaraokecab.com. Karaoke Yellow Cab out of Dallas, Texas says that the karaoke hits up his tips and that the most common songs requested are Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”