Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Karaoke Machines: Fun for the Whole Family

Karaoke is one of the best activities when one wants to spend an great night out on the town with some friends. Eventually, for the those who truly enjoy karaoke, a home karaoke system may prove to become a key part of home entertaining.

You can set up your karaoke system connection to your pre-existing acoustic and video hardware in your home. The whole process is rather easy, even for the most technically challenged. Karaoke systems and video CD players are extremely similar in nature on the setup process, so most people should have little trouble.

More often than not, the connection is easy to make via the standard video and audio jack rca jacks. The overall performance of the system will depend a large part on the karaoke system in which you choose to install.

There are many karaoke machines on the market, with a variety of features and capabilities. Your choice depends a large part on the capabilities you would want available on your personal karaoke system.

One of the improved features of karaoke machines today, is the introduction of wireless microphones which allow the singer some room to roam and really put on a show with their song. This feature will up the fun factor at any karaoke party you have in your home.

Also, a karaoke user might wish to take into account the acoustics output superiority of the machine they are considering purchasing, as well as the quality of the video output as video really adds to the experience. A serious karaoke machine can include simple image slide show type video as an output, while others will include authentic video footage's to make the experience more like a rock video. When you select your footage on your system, you should pay attention to their content within the videos as some is not appropriate for certain situations such as church and social functions for kids.

You now should have an idea of what type of karaoke machine you would like to add into your home for entertaining and fun. Karaoke systems are not for entertainment businesses alone, they are great additions to home as well as churches and other social groups. Consider the opportunities provided by a karaoke system and what it can bring to any social function you may wish to have. Everyone enjoys the opportunity to spend every night singing karaoke.

It is also possible, in cases where you own a good quality audio and video equipment, to use the option of simpler, but bombproof karaoke players. This makes setup even simpler and usability easier for those less tech savvy.

There is a lot of different karaoke software types available with varying features and capabilities. You can create and burn your own karaoke CDs while using some of the available MIDI software packages available on the market. Many of them include Winamp support for Microsoft based computers. Some of these programs even allow you to print the lyrics of the songs so that the user can have some "sheet music" available for their performance.

No matter which system you choose, enjoy your time while singing karaoke with your friends and family in the comfort of your own home. Everyone will have the time of their life and all will agree it was a gathering for to be remembered. With practice you will notice that you will reach a higher level of singing that will bring you to the professional level of karaoke. No matter what though, always keep in mind that the most important thing about karaoke is the fun.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

4 Types of Karaoke Machines

If you are looking for a karaoke machine, the growing popularity of karaoke in recent years has provided you with an abundance of choices. You now have choices in the type of machine, different features, many accessories, and a huge price range. In an effort to put aside some of the confusion, let's look at the top four karaoke machines in the market today.

1. The Microphone/Karaoke Machine

This is a handy, but very limited type of karaoke machine. Generally what you will find here is a microphone pre-loaded with about three dozen songs. You can also load it with additional MP3 song downloads. It plugs into your television, but there is no way to read any lyrics for your songs. So you get the background music to sing your karaoke, but not the lyrics.

2. MP3 Player/Ipod-style Karaoke Machine

This one is like your own personal little karaoke machine. The way it works is that it uses MP3 downloads. You input the music and the song lyrics into the machine. Then, the software lets you take off the original voice track.

You can now record your own voice over the music. You can also read the lyrics on your screen. Even though this one is small, there are some advantages to it. You can play any song as long as you can find an MP3 download for it, including brand new song releases that have not yet made their way to the karaoke CDs.

3. Portable All-In-One Karaoke Machine

This type of karaoke machine is one unit which includes the karaoke machine, the speakers, and the monitor. Variations in this stlye include monitor screens as small as 5 inches all the way up to a full-fledged 14 inch TV.

Some of them have a small video camera built in so that you can record your whole video show, not just the audio portion. You can hook up the ones with a video camera to your VCR and TV, and make a recording of your show. Even though this portable karaoke machine is considered all-in-one, it generally does not include any inbuilt karaoke songs.

You need to build your library of karaoke CDs to use in it. Plus, the larger ones are not as easily portable as the smaller ones. As with any style, there are advantages and disadvantages to these. And as the features vary so greatly, it is always a good idea to compare similar styles for specific features you are searching for.

4. TV Hook-Up Style Karaoke Machine

Some karaoke machines have the workings of the karaoke part in the machine, but then use your TV for the monitor (for the lyrics) and the speakers. Again, individual styles vary. Some of these can be very bulky. One of the most popular though, The SongStation Karaoke Machine, is the size of a DVD player.

Another variation is in the song selections. Most models of this style of karaoke machine require separate karaoke CDs, meaning you must build up your library to have songs to play. However, The SongStation Karaoke Machine includes 53,000 inbuilt songs.

In this category, for the nicest, most versatile system, with a long list of features, The SongStation Karaoke Machine is the ultimate in karaoke machine technology. However, you will find that it is also one of the best values you will find anywhere.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Karaoke Machine Reviews

Introducing Karaoke to any event brings an element of fun and excitement. It does not seem to matter if you are an accomplished singer or just trying to belt out those tunes the best you can. Karaoke is meant to be enjoyed by both and everyone in between. So choosing the right Karaoke Machine for the Family Reunion or to be used during the Holidays, is important.

You want a Karaoke System that is easy to use and has all the elements you require. There are many Karaoke Players in the marketplace. Ranging from children toys system to Hi-tech Professional players. While it can get frustrating deciding which Karaoke to buy, the good news is that there are many to choose from. So you should be able to find just the right Karaoke Player to fit all your needs.

These 3 Karaoke Machines are amongst the top rated and top selling machines on the market. One of these machines is surely to meet all your family's Karaoke needs. All three are unique systems that have different functions and features. These great Karaoke Systems will give you hours of entrainment for the whole family. Hopefully they will show you what kind of Home Karaoke Players are available and which one is best for you and your family.

Emerson HD515 Portable Karaoke : This Karaoke Machine may seem little in stature but do not let that fool you. It is loaded with great features and is one of the few Karaoke Systems that has a built-in memory for storing songs. With 1GB of memory, it can hold up to 1000 songs. (MP3 with Lyrics format) 250 song already come included with the machine. This is a great feature, freeing you from carrying around CDs or CDGs, that can easily and frequently get scratched and become unplayable. If someone brings along their iPod or MP3 player, it can be connected with the AUX input.

Other features include a 3 inch Display Screen, iPod Cradle, digital key control, 2 microphone inputs, a USB Port, Auto Voice Control, Sound Booster and much more. It comes with a 100-240V AC Power Adapter or you can use 4 "C" Batteries. Making the Emerson HD515 a truly portable Karaoke Machine that can be taken and enjoyed anywhere.

Singing Machine iSM-1028 Karaoke Machine: The iSM-1028 is one of the best Pedestal Karaoke Machines on the market. Pedestal Karaoke Players are less portable than most because they usually are about 3 feet in height. But The iSM-1028 is a portable and fully functioning All-in-One Karaoke System. It has dual tower external speakers and one built-in speaker that should provide you with optimum sound. There is a 7 inch color display screen for viewing lyrics or you can switch the screen to display a camera image. This is because the iSM-1028 comes with a built-in camera that can display yourself singing. Either on the built-in monitor or your TV Screen.

There is an iPod docking station, turning your iPod into a great music center. Other features the iSM-1028 is equipped with are: Auto Voice Control (this is use to eliminate vocals on a multiplex recording), digital key control, Am/FM Radio and two microphone jacks. If you do not want to you your iPod, the iSM-1028 can play regular auto CDs(no lyrics) and CD+Graphics(with lyrics). Be prepared to pay a little extra for pedestal machines due to the many features you get and the unique design.

Memorex MKS-SS1 SingStand Home Karaoke System: The MKS-SS1 SingStand is another uniquely designed Karaoke System. The Memorex SingStand™ is built in the shape of a microphone stand. It has built-in speakers on the base on the stand and allows you to connect a iPod or MP3 device to sing along with the music. It comes with the standard Karaoke features such as Auto Voice Control, 2 microphone inputs and vocal effects with echo and balance control.  The Memorex MKS-SS1 SingStand also comes with a keyboard input. At a great price (less than $100.00), the SingStand is an easy to use and affordable Home Karaoke System.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Different Types of Karaoke Machines

If you are looking to purchase a Karaoke Machine, you may find yourself with a wide choice of products to choose from. With new technology being developed over the last decade, the market place has been flooded with all types of karaoke machines, with different features and functions. Below is a list of Karaoke Machines types that are the most popular. These are the types of machines you will probably be purchasing.

All-in-one Karaoke Machines

These types of karaoke machines are just what the name implies. That is these types include the Karaoke part, speakers, and a built-in monitor. Everything you will need to enjoy Karaoke. To play music with these Karaoke Machines you require a collection of CDG or CD+Graphics discs. (Some Karaoke Machine have the capability of playing DVD as well.) These types of machines will play music and display song lyrics. Within this type of Karaoke Machine you will find a variations of machines that will have different features and functions. Some will have a built-in video camera, cassette decks, high speaker wattage, USB/SD memory ports, and digital key control. If you choose this type of Karaoke Machine you will have to decide what features you want and then find a machine that fits your needs. For example, some machines maybe smaller or more portable than others. If you plan on moving the Karaoke Machine often, you may want to look for these smaller more portable machines.

Karaoke Machines that connect to TV or Monitor

Another type of Karaoke System is one where it has to be connected to a Television. The machine itself is capable of the karaoke part but needs a monitor to display song lyrics. And in some cases they also require speakers for the audio. As with the all-in-one systems, they are many variations of this type. Some may be bulky while others very portable. Some you will need to purchase karaoke CDs or DVDs in order to use it. There are also a few that have internal memory that can store karaoke music.

MP3s or iPod Karaoke Machines

This type of Karaoke Machine is the newest. With the advent of the MP3 player and especial the iPod, Karaoke Machines have adapted to include this popular technology. How it works is simple, your Karaoke Machine acts as an MP3 player. You can download music, along with the songs lyrics file into the machine. Then play the MP3s back and sing along with the music while the lyrics get displayed. Most machines of this type will allow you to remove the lead vocals from the track.

Which type of Karaoke Machine you choose depends entirely on you. One type is not necessarily better than the other. Each type has a wide range of styles. Ranging from the very basic to the more professional. Each Karaoke Machine, regardless of type, will have many different functions and features. You have to look at each one individually and decide which Karaoke Machine best suites your needs. But now that you know the different types of Karaoke Machines you have a better understanding of making an informed decision.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Karaoke Machines for Children

Kids, like many individuals, love karaoke. Karaoke machines are great, versatile, easy to use and also a easy way to entertain kids. With all the current various types of karaoke equipment that you can buy, it may be difficult choosing a karaoke machine for kids. Age group is just about the important deciding factor when choosing karaoke equipment because different models are suggested for different age brackets, comparable to other toys.

Karaoke Machines for Toddlers and Small Children

Even young babies enjoy the fun and entertainment of a good karaoke party. However, when selecting a karaoke machine for younger kids, it is best to choose one with fewer controls, making it easier for them to operate. Younger kids aren't big sticklers for high-definition sound or fancy audio resolution, so it is okay to go with a more basic model. Many karaoke machines for kids are modeled after popular cartoon characters, so when you child gravitates toward a children's favorite, the choices for these particular kinds of karaoke machines is really vast, you should be able to find whatever pleases them.

Also, you might like to keep your budget small when acquiring a singing machine for a youngster. Some children love karaoke a great deal, they go through multiple karaoke machines in their childhood, so don't spend a fortune on karaoke equipment with features that a child in this generation will soon outgrow.

Karaoke Machines for Pre-teens

Pre-teens who love karaoke may wish more moderate controls than younger kids. However, most pre-teens are only concerned with the flash, that is, they really want a singing machine that mixes functionality and look and feel.

When it comes to functionality, think about karaoke equipment that not only allows your youngster to sing his or her favorite songs, but make certain she sings them correctly. Many karaoke equipment contain visual displays or can connect to a television and show the lyrics to a song on the screen. Some machines are only able to accomplish this with pre-included songs, while some can see and display the lyrics to any song it plays, thus expanding your pre-teens performance selection.

In terms of look and feel, consider karaoke equipment with slick features such as a built-in disco lighting system or possibly a wireless microphone. These are generally features which will keep your pre-teen's karaoke party going and impress his friends.

Karaoke Machines for Teens

While teens might not be overly interested in the overall look of a karaoke machine, all of them are about advanced controls and functionality. It truly is okay to decide on a great value karaoke machine for an older child since this this can be a karaoke machine they'll likely take with him or her to college and use throughout their adulthood.

When scouting for a professional karaoke machine for a teen, a reputable advanced machine should feature various inputs and outputs that offer the opportunity to connect various external devices, which includes additional microphones or a music player. Additionally, pitch changers or pitch correctors are loved by teenagers. This function allows amateur singers to decide on a singing key that is certainly comfortable for their vocal abilities nevertheless keep up with the original tempo of the song.

Across all age groups, it is best to go with a portable karaoke player. A easily transportable karaoke machine will allow your kid to relocate it from area to area throughout your home or carry the machine with him during vacation or to overnight stays at a friend's home.

Friday, November 23, 2012

How to Buy a Karaoke Machine

What do you look for when you go out to buy your own karaoke system? There are huge variations in features, styles, and price in the many types of karaoke equipment on the market today. Here are some important things to look for in your search.

Do you want a stand-alone system, or one you can just integrate into your own home entertainment system? You can find both types of karaoke machines. The stand-alone systems include the karaoke player, the speakers, and the monitor for the lyrics all in one machine. It can be very

bulky, and you need a place to store it or a spot in your living area that will fit your stand-alone karaoke system. For a non-intrusive style, you can now find karaoke equipment, like The SongStation Karaoke Machine, that plugs right into your home entertainment system and is no bigger than a slim-line DVD player. This type of karaoke system has the player inside the box and uses your own TV for the lyrics monitor and the speakers. Or you can hook it up to your own speaker system, also, for the sound.

Another thing you want to look for in your karaoke equipment is the type of karaoke song disk that your karaoke machine will accept. Some of them use karaoke song DVDs. Others use CDGs, or CD+Gs. These disks are basically a CD with the lyrics included in embedded graphics files. Others use MP3s. And still others have inbuilt karaoke songs.

So make a note of what type of disk you need to build your library with. Most machines will only accept particular types of disks. You can solve this whole problem of disk incompatibility with one of the newest machines on the market, The SongStation Karaoke Machine.

It accepts virtually any kind of song disk. Plus, with this karaoke system, you won't even have to build you a song library by buying karaoke song disks. You get a library of 53,000 inbuilt karaoke songs right in the system itself!

You also want to look for what additional features are included with your karaoke equipment. Features like vocals on or off, pitch and volume control, single or dual microphone controls, and scoring capabilities might be some of the features you would like included.

Most karaoke machines will come equipped with microphones; however, you may purchase them separately as well. There are wireless and wired karaoke microphones, and even headset microphones for those who dance or entertain as they sing.

Features might include multiple channels, a broad frequency range, a base unit and more. Price ranges are from $9.99 up to $300.

Once you own the basic karaoke equipment, there are some other accessories you may need to complete your ensemble. Karaoke stands for speakers and microphones always come in handy during karaoke shows and events.

Karaoke equipment cases are available to protect your player, speakers, Amps or mixers. Other items that are useful, but not directly related to karaoke equipment, include CD racks or cases, karaoke games on CD or DVD, rack shelves, modulators and karaoke song book creation software.

And lastly, check for valuable package deals to save you money, and a good warranty to give you security should anything go wrong with your karaoke system.

With some thought towards what types of features would fit into your lifestyle, you can find the karaoke equipment that will be right for you.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

The Basics of a Karaoke Machine

The world of karaoke machines can be very complicated. Adding to the confusion is the fact that there are so many different types of karaoke machines. They do not all use the same type of equipment. Different machines have different features. Plus they don't even use the same type of technology on their song disks! How do you make sense of it all?

Here to help you is Karaoke Machines 101: Everything You Need To Know! So let's get started. The first thing to be clear on is what all those terms mean that you hear bandied about.

Karaoke System - The karaoke system is the karaoke player, the monitor, the speakers, and can include the library of karaoke songs played by the player.

Karaoke Machine - usually this term is used to mean the karaoke player, or the machine that plays the karaoke music. However, some karaoke systems are all-in-one units which include the player, the speakers, and the monitor all on one machine. In this case, the karaoke machine is the entire system.

Karaoke Player - the machine that physically plays the karaoke songs.

Karaoke Monitor - the screen where the lyrics to the songs show up. The all-in-one units include this screen on the machine. Other systems use your TV as the monitor and for the speakers, too.

So that also explains your 2 basic types of karaoke systems. You have the all-in-one units, and you have the karaoke machines that hook up to your TV, similar to a DVD player.

Now let's look at the different types of karaoke song disks. The mainstream, and most popular, types of disks include DVDs, CDGs, CD+Gs, MP3s, and in-built songs. Most karaoke machines are built to accept one kind or the other, instead of all the different kinds.

DVDs - These are regular DVDs which include the music sound track and then the pictures on your screen are the lyrics. Most of the time you have the lyrics against a solid background. A lot of the newer ones, though, include moving, scenic backgrounds or videos.

CDGs, CD+Gs - Both of these terms mean the same thing. Basically, it is a CD for the sound track, but the CD is also embedded with the graphics, which are the lyrics to the songs. So the "G" simply stands for graphics.

MP3s - These are usually for your computer, MP3 player, or Ipod. You can find software which will strip the vocals from your MP3s so that you can then use the sound tracks for karaoke.

In-built - Some karaoke machines come with their own libraries of karaoke songs, so they are already built into the system.

Lastly, let's look at the various features available on your karaoke machines. Karaoke machines have different features you can use to make the singer sound better and more professional. These features include being able to change the pitch of the song, the key, the tempo, the volume. Being able to add echo to your voice is pretty standard, but some machines also include different ways to adjust this feature also, such as setting different echo lengths. Some machines call the echo feature "reverb".

All karaoke machines have an input for a microphone. But what if you want to sing duets? For this reason, many of the machines now include two microphone inputs. But only some of them have the capability to adjust each microphone separately for pitch and volume.

Another feature that you might like is a scoring system. With this feature you can have karaoke contests or see how your own routine improves with practice. The few machines that have this system usually score your performance on how well you control things like your pitch, tempo, volume, and tone.

There is one other feature that only some karaoke machines include, but it could be an important feature to you. These machines have the capability to let you play the songs with the vocals included to learn the songs, and then you can turn off the vocals to sing karaoke style.

So basically, all those different models, all those different features, and all those kinds of disks, boil down to just a few key concepts. Understanding these concepts will take you a long way towards understanding pretty much any model of karaoke machine. Now that you know them all, have some fun with your karaoke machines!