Karaoke Microphones

Karaoke has become very popular around the world in clubs and pubs and now in the home. It’s origins were in Japan where Karaoke literally means ‘empty orchestra’.

The first Karaoke machines were tape machines with backing tracks of popular folk songs (minus the lead vocals) and a basic audio mixer that allowed a microphone to be added to the track being played through the P.A. system.

Now they have become much more advanced, you can start out with basic Tape or CD machines supplying the backing tracks right up to DVD or Hard Disk based players with built in audio effects and showing moving pictures e.g. the original artist’s pop videos (or more general footage) with the lyrics on the screen too for the singer(s) and audience to sing along to.

Karaoke machines in Pubs and Clubs

The output of Karaoke machines used in pubs and clubs will usually be put through a fairly loud P.A. system to cater for a large audience. This means that to avoid feedback you will need to use a cardioid or hyper-cardioid microphone with a good built in windshield. Usually it will be a ‘dynamic’ type unless the Karaoke machine has a phantom power supply, in which case you can use a condenser or electret microphone.

Make sure that there is good handling noise immunity, this along with a good windshield will reduce all the unwanted noises that amateur vocalists (who usually know nothing about microphone technique) will invariably produce along with their singing.

In most circumstances it will be best to have a microphone on a stand and cabled directly into the machine, the length of the cable should be just enough to allow the singer to walk around the stage but not enough to allow them to walk into the audience area. This allows you to set up the audio and video monitors in an optimum way so that there is less chance of feedback and the singer can see the lyrics easily.

If however you decide it is important for the singer(s) to be able to move about the stage and into the audience then you will have to invest in a radio microphone system for each vocalist and probably extra screens around the club for the singer to see the lyrics. There will be more chance of feedback from the P.A. system as the singer goes in front of the speakers. You will also need to ensure that new batteries are put in the microphone transmitter each night.

Home Karaoke kits

Some all in one packages for the home will often skimp on the quality of microphones supplied. If it’s just for a bit of fun then stick with the kit but if you’re a budding singer hoping to go professional then it’s worth sourcing the machine and microphone separately that you’ll use to make your demo tapes to send off to record companies, agents or venue owners.