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Why Karaoke?

What is Karaoke?

Karaoke is Japanese for empty orchestra, i.e., music without the lead singer. Here's where you come in: you step on stage (literally at a show or figuratively at home), take that mic in hand, and belt out your favourite number - a star is born! Well, that's the idea, but stars are rarely made overnight, so let us help you get started on your road to fame and fortune. Karaoke lets you be the star without having to hire your own orchestra. You sing the lead vocal, replacing the original lead singer on a recorded piece of music. The background music and supporting vocals are provided as the backdrop for your voice, with the original lead singer omitted. Remember Mitch Miller or Disney's "follow the bouncing ball"? Karaoke replaces the bouncing ball with colour changes of the words as they scroll across your TV screen guiding the singer along to the recorded music. Now that you've got words and music, what else is there but the fun?

How does Karaoke music differ from regular broadcast or recorded music?

Cassettes, Compact Discs (CDs), or Music Videos (VHS or DVDs) contain recordings typically made in recording studios or at live concerts and featuring a vocal artist or band. Karaoke discs are reproductions of the original music done by independent artists and musicians in the style of the original artist's recording. (By "original artist" we generally mean the singer(s) or group(s) that made the song popular.) These reproductions are not the original artist's recordings and, as such, each Karaoke rendition will be that studio's interpretation of the original recording.

Some Karaoke discs include a version with a recorded lead singer and another version without, or a version with removable vocals using an appropriately-equipped Karaoke player.  This multiplex or multi-audio version allows you to practice with a singer until you are comfortable singing the song on your own. Karaoke discs usually have graphic or video content which enables the words of the song to be scrolled on a TV in time with the music. Some discs even have a background video overlaid by the words scrolling on the screen for your added enjoyment.

What are the different types of Karaoke?

Karaoke comes in almost every kind of media that regular audio or music videos come in, however, some are less practical than others. Because you don't usually want to sing the whole cassette in sequence, and often want to sing, for example, the tenth song and then the third song, we don't recommend cassettes or VHS Karaoke media. (VHS Karaoke has pretty well become extinct because of this inconvenience.)

Karaoke discs have come in 6 formats: 
1. Laser Video Disc (LVD, Laserdisc) were the first Karaoke discs, developed in Japan over 25 years ago. Until about 10  years ago, they were the most popular format for Professional Karaoke Jockeys (KJs) to use in their shows. They have a full video picture overlaid by the words scrolling on the TV screen to sing along with. As the forerunner of the CD and DVD, they were the first to have digital music tracks. Like LP records, these 12" silver discs have been replaced by the newer 5" formats. 
2. Compact Disc (CDs) were the next discs available for Karaoke, generally with printed lyric booklets enclosed, but they have largely been replaced by CD+G.
3. Compact Disc + Graphics (CD+G or CDG) which have the added feature of the words scrolling on the TV screen to sing along with when played on a player with a CDG decoder built-in (or attached) and connected to a TV. The "graphics" are usually the song lyrics against a blue background, but some have a static picture displayed behind the scrolling song words, looking much like a computer-generated graphic. A CDG looks and sounds like a standard 5" CD and will also play in any standard CD player, except that there will be no display of the song lyrics since a regular CD player cannot read the graphics track. (More below.)  
4. Video Compact Disc (VCD) - the first disc format to succeed the LVD with full video capability, although basically only VHS quality of picture and sound. Like the LVD, they have come out of the Orient, where their popularity has made them the dominant format. They are a 5" disc, and look like a CD, but won't play in a CD or CDG player (unless, of course, it's a combi player with multiple format ability). 
5. Digital Video Discs (DVD)(or Digital Versatile Discs, as they were briefly known) have acquired some popularity, especially for people who already own a DVD player for watching their favourite movies. This 5" format includes a full video picture with the words overlaid, like its LVD predecessor. Most have the added advantage of being recorded in Dolby Digital sound, and many use the multiple sound track feature of DVDs to provide both vocal learning tracks and music only accompaniment tracks with the video.
6. Digital Video Discs - Text (DVDTs) combine the more easily produced graphics format of the CDG with the now popular DVD media. Designed for consumers who already own a DVD player for watching their favourite movies but don't really care if there's a video picture behind their song lyrics, this 5" format allows the CDG manufacturers to reach a wider home audience by eliminating the need for the CDG decoder. They just re-record the graphics from the CDGs as a DVDT video. While this may seem to be going backwards to the experienced Karaoke fan, the advantage is that these studios can release new hit songs faster (and cheaper) by eliminating the video. They don't require the time to film a background video to produce a DVDT with the words only (and most don't apply for the slower to get and more expensive video license, either).

Will Karaoke discs play in my regular CD player?

Karaoke CDGs will play the audio tracks in any standard CD player, but will not display the song lyrics since a regular CD player cannot use the graphics information. You will need a Karaoke player to play Karaoke CDGs with the words displaying on your TV, or you will need a CDG decoder add-on to your CD player. (The latter requires your CD player to have an optical output to work.) Karaoke VCDs and DVDs will not play in your standard CD player, but will play in most recent DVD players. (Earlier DVD players may not have VCD capability; check your manual.) There are many benefits to investing in a dedicated Karaoke player. Many useful features are found on various models of Karaoke players. For example, they typically have one or more microphone inputs to allow you to mix your singing voice with the recorded music and play the combined result through the sound system so you sound like the lead singer. Better models incorporate a key control to allow you to adjust the key of the music playback to one comfortable for your voice. Many models include built-in speakers so you can enjoy your portable Karaoke wherever you find a TV to connect to. Some also have built-in radio, TV, and/or cassette, so can double as the ever-popular boombox or all-in-one entertainment system. Some play multiple formats so you have the largest selection of songs available.

How do I decide what to buy?

From both the player and Karaoke disc standpoint, there is quite a choice in quality, price and selection. Your choice should be determined by your budget, whether you are an amateur or a professional, how often you'll make use of your entertainment investment, where you'll use it, and what variety and quantity of music you expect to use.

Consideration of the player to be used will be somewhat dependent upon whether you will limit yourself to one disc format or prefer a combi player that plays a cross section of media - for example DVD, VCD, CDG and MP3. The format may be dictated by your music and video tastes.

Currently, the greatest song selection by far can be found on the CDG format. This format is favoured by many amateurs and professionals alike, primarily because of the wide selection and sound quality, although the latter varies by taste, manufacturer and price. Because there is no background video on CDG and DVDT, production and licensing takes less time and new hits can be released more quickly in these formats for those who want the latest hits now!

Those who enjoy video along with their music will want to select from one of the Video Disc formats. DVDs include background video on most of the recordings and have the highest sound and picture quality of all the formats. Being the newest kid on the block, there are currently fewer songs released than on the other formats, but the list is growing rapidly. Bonus - you'll also find thousands of movies available on DVD that will play on a Karaoke DVD player! This makes it ideal for incorporation in a Home Entertainment System.

The VCD format typically has one-half the number of songs per disc as DVD or LVD and also includes a background video. The background videos enhance the mood for those watching the video. While the VCD recording quality is lower than that of the other disc formats, this may be offset by the fact that if you're only interested in 2 or 3 songs on the disc, VCD may be a less expensive way to buy that music than the equivalent DVD.

The 12" LVD was quite popular for its high quality sound and video. As the other disc formats tend to be more convenient from the size (5") and storage viewpoint, Laser Video Discs are no longer being produced and are now a rare find.

If you're just starting out in Karaoke, or want to expand your collection at a good savings, you may find a Starter Pack is a great way to save and get a good selection of fun for yourself or when entertaining.

Karaoke Glossary

Cassettes are just like regular audio cassettes. They generally have two versions of each song: one track with a vocal demonstration and one with music only for you to sing to. The convenience of going instantly to the right track on a CD or CDG has reduced the popularity of Karaoke cassettes. They are available on a Special Order basis only.

Compact Discs (CDs) are just like regular 5" audio CDs. They generally have music only tracks and come with printed lyric booklets for you to sing the words. The convenience of having the words displayed on the TV screen has meant that most of these have been replaced by CDGs.

Compact Discs + Graphics (CD+Gs, CDGs) are a CD with the added feature of the words scrolling on the TV screen to sing along with when played on a player with a CDG decoder built-in (or attached) and connected to a TV. The "graphics" are usually the song lyrics against a blue background, but some have a static picture displayed behind the scrolling song words, looking much like a computer-generated graphic. A CDG looks and sounds like a standard 5" CD and will also play in any standard CD player, except that there will be no display of the song lyrics since a regular CD player cannot read the graphics track.

Digital Video Discs  (DVD) (or Digital Versatile Discs, as they were briefly known) are a 5" disc format including a full video picture with the words overlaid on the TV screen. Most have the added advantage of being recorded in Dolby Digital sound, and many use the multiple sound track feature of DVDs to provide both vocal learning tracks and music only accompaniment tracks with the video.

Digital Video Discs - Text (DVDTs) are the newest format, combining the more easily produced graphics format of the CDG with the now popular DVD media. This 5" format has the graphics like a CDG, but no video picture behind the song lyrics.

Hardware is a generic term that usually refers to all the physical Karaoke equipment, such as players, speakers, mixers, amplifiers, TVs, stands, microphones, cables, and accessories. (It can also refer to computer equipment.)

Karaoke Jockeys (KJs) are a specialized kind of Disc Jockey. They act as Hosts for their Karaoke shows at private parties or in a bar or nightclub. Their job is to encourage all the Karaoke singers and get them their moment in the limelight. Most KJs have their own equipment and discs and are for hire to put on a show wherever you need them, although some have permanent set-ups at a regular Karaoke place.

Karaoke System is a term that encompasses all the component parts of your Karaoke set-up. Depending whether it is an all-in-one, home or professional system, it can include the player, speakers, mixer, amplifier, stereo, TV, stands, microphones, cables, discs, and accessories.

Key Control (digital key control, pitch control, or key changer) is electronics that will raise or lower the key of the song to make it easier for you to sing by adjusting the Karaoke song to your range. Digital key controllers affect only the pitch, but non-digital key changers will slow or speed up the song tempo to change the key. This can throw off the singer (and audience), so be sure to get a digital key control.

Laser Video Discs (LVD, Laserdiscs) were the first Karaoke discs and the first to have digital stereo music tracks. They have a full video picture overlaid by the words scrolling on the TV screen to sing along with. They are 12" silver discs that look like LP records with a CD finish. The advent of the smaller DVD with the same high quality video and audio has led to the decline of the LVD.

Multiplex or Multi-audio mean that a guide lead vocal is recorded on one stereo channel with the accompaniment and background vocals on the other channel. The lead vocal can be removed through the balance control or the multiplex button, depending on the disc and player. Sometimes discs that have two separate tracks, one with and one without lead vocals, may also be referred to as multiplex discs. (Multiplex Minus One is a multiplex disc where both the lead and background vocals are on one stereo track, so the other track has instrumental music only.) (back to see How Does Karaoke Music Differ ...)

RF Modulator is an adapter that converts the audio/video signal from a Karaoke player to a channel 3 or 4 (usually) signal for an older TV that doesn't have a direct video in but has an RF connector, commonly called a cable connector.

Software is a generic term that usually refers to all the Karaoke music and information stored on discs or tapes. It would include: Cassettes, CDs, CDGs, DVDs, DVDTs, LVDs, VCDs, VHS, and music soundtracks. (It can also refer to computer programs and data.)

Speed Control refers to changing the tempo of the Karaoke music. (This may also change the pitch on some machines.)

Superimpose Feature is a function on some Karaoke players that allows video input from a DVD, TV, VCR, or video camera to be displayed on the TV screen behind the Karaoke lyrics. Great for showing the singer or audience on all the screens at a Karaoke show.

VHS stands for Vertical Helical Scan, the normal video tape format. The convenience and quality of the video disc formats have pretty well eliminated VHS Karaoke.

Video Compact Discs (VCDs) were the first disc format to succeed the LVD with full video capability, although basically only VHS quality of picture and sound. They are a 5" disc and look like a CD, but won't play in a CD or CDG player (unless, of course, it's a combi player with multiple format ability).

Vocal Reducer (vocal masking, or vocal suppressor) attempts to reduce the level of the vocals on a regular CD, DVD or audio cassette recording for a semi-karaoke effect. Success can depend on the original recording, and instruments in the vocal range may also be reduced.

Vocal Replacement (voice cancel, or vocal partner) mutes the recorded Karaoke vocal on multiplex recordings when you sing into the mic and brings them back up when you stop singing, allowing you to practice your part of a duet without a partner, for example.

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