The Karaoke System – The Definitive Guide
Karaoke lovers have had it really good in the last few years, with the development of new technology karaoke systems have come an awful long way constantly improving in terms of sound quality and the features they offer. Unfortunately, with the growing popularity of such systems, it becomes hard to distinguish the best ones of the bunch. That’s where this article comes in, over the following paragraphs I’m going to explain exactly what you need to look for in a system and recommend my top 3 karaoke systems.
The best systems on the market utilize CD+G (that’s CDs plus graphics) technology instead of cassettes. By adopting the CD-G format manufacturers were able to install lyrics onto each of the songs by programming a sub code track which runs a long side it. Recently the integration of video has taken these machines a step further and really pushed the boat out on what you can expect a karaoke system to do. Fortunately for us, like most technologies, these systems have slowly been dropping in price as technology advances and more efficient manufacturing techniques are being conceived.
First let’s take a look at the standard features that have become common place on practically all these singing systems. The most basic models should feature 350 watt speakers and come encoded in some if not all of the following formats; DVD/CDG/MP3/VCD/CD. CDs are becoming less and less common nowadays. It is common practice for the microphones to be mixed into soundboard to produce a better audio and vocal quality, these soundboards aren’t quite industrial standard but they are more than enough to facilitate the recreational user.If you purchase a professional karaoke system you may find that it comes with a small monitor. Depending on your preferences this can be set for the lyrics to appear on this monitor or, if the system allows, just have them overlapping on the music video.
Let’s talk prices. There is somewhat of a dispute over how much one has to pay for a decent sounding karaoke machine. If you’re looking for a top performing model you should expect to pay above £100 ($120) for a machine. On the other hand if you just want to a ‘good enough’ system, then you can go as low as around $60 ($80). You wouldn’t really be recommended to go lower than that if you a really serious about attaining a good sound quality.
The Memorex SingStand Home Portable Karaoke System is one of my favourite singing machines on the market. This product takes the form of a portable microphone which you just plug into an MP3 player. Whilst the features on the SingStand aren’t quote professional quality, the auto voice control and voice enhancement effects are quite cool and fairly impressive too. Retailing at only £66 ($80) this is one of the more affordable range on the market, its dual 4W speakers sound are great for adults and kids alike and the average karaoke singing would be more than happy taking this model home.
The Singing Machine is a prime example of a higher end system. This product comes with a video camera, iPod dock and a 7 inch monitor. The sound quality of the Singing Machine karaoke system is quite simply superb; the microphones work in unison with tower speaker to produce an audio quality that is like nothing any other model can provide. Make no mistake about it; this is a fully fledged professional system capable of being used for large clubs as well as your own home. This product retails for just over £1200 ($400), which may be a little expensive for some people but hey, with a built in FM radio who can complain.
The Magic Sing ET Multiplex portable karaoke machine is perhaps my favourite model of all. This product has over 2,000 tunes stored in its song bank which means this baby will keep you going for a while. This system also comes with two wireless microphones instead of one, meaning you and a friend can bust out some songs together. What I love about this model is that it allows you to record all of you performances and gives you the chance to play it back to yourself afterwards. The Signing Tutor option addresses your tempo and pitch so you know your vocals will be spot on. The Magic Sing Et 18000 retails for just over £150 ($400).
In conclusion, the type of system you buy should reflect your own level of interest and personal requirements. If you’re only going to use the system for laughs with a few friends I think a budget machine such as the Memorex SingStand will be more than enough for your needs. On the other hand, if karaoke is your passion and nothing but the best will do then I really would recommend The Singing Machine.
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Tagged With Karaoke System, Karaoke Systems, Memorex SingStand Home Portable Karaoke, Portable karaoke system, Professional karaoke system, The Singing Machine, top 3 karaoke systems
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