Blue cheese, clog dancing, karaoke: each one seems like a terrible idea until you try it. Once you’ve taken the plunge there’s no going back. Modesty, decorum and self respect are soon forgotten as you unleash your inner popstar tiger.
There’s nothing new or strange about singing along to your favourite pop songs, but adding a proper microphone and having the lyrics up on screen somehow brings out the performer in people. If you’re not ready to rock up to a public karaoke bar, why not get the kit for your home? Your kids will love you for it, and once they’ve gone to bed you can invite a few friends around, crack open a bottle and have some karaoke-flavoured fun too. Just think of the fortune you’ll save on bar prices, taxis and babysitters — it’ll more than cover the flowers you’ll be buying to say sorry to the neighbours.
How to choose your perfect karaoke machine
Most karaoke machines are made by small companies you may not have heard of, so it’s not a matter of simply going for a brand you trust. Meanwhile, some products that are advertised as karaoke machines are actually just microphone-and-speaker combinations, with no songs and lyrics supplied. That’s fine if you’re happy to use the karaoke videos that are uploaded to YouTube — search for the name of a song followed by “lyrics” or “karaoke” and you’ll probably find something suitable. Quality can vary, though, and every now and then you end up accidentally watching a video of some random people at a karaoke bar.
A dedicated karaoke machine, complete with backing track playback and lyrics on screen, will give a more streamlined experience so you can concentrate on what really matters: crooning, wailing and steamrolling your way through your favourite pop songs.
What features do I need?
There are various components in a karaoke system, and it’s helpful to get your head around what each bit does.
- The microphone is what you sing into. They vary widely in price but £10 is probably about right for a home karaoke system. Most karaoke machines have quarter-inch jack inputs (like on a guitar or a big headphone socket) so choose a microphone with this kind of cable. Having two microphones means you can perform duets. If three or more people decide to join in with a song, they’ve probably had too many sweets (or wine) and won’t need a microphone.
- The backing track is the music you sing along to. In most cases it’s recorded specifically for karaoke, and might include backing vocals but not the lead vocals. Quality of these backing tracks can be a bit naff but it’s all part of the fun. Some karaoke systems use the CD+G format, which is essentially a normal audio CD with an extra data track containing the animated lyrics. These discs are available from various online retailers. Other systems have their own backing tracks so you have to stick to their proprietary format.
- The mixer is where the backing track and your vocals are mixed together, balancing levels and (in most cases) adding effects to the vocals to make them sound glossier. The mixer will have separate inputs for microphones and the backing track, and a stereo output to send the mixed sound to the speakers.
- The speakers are where the sound comes out. Some karaoke machines have built-in speakers while others need to plug into a TV, hi-fi or PA system. Even if your machine has built-in speakers, it may still be best to plug into a hi-fi for higher quality and more volume (neighbours’ sanity permitting). Be careful not to trash your hi-fi by distorting the microphones when you attempt to tackle Livin’ On A Prayer at 1am.
- The screen is where the lyrics are displayed. Not many karaoke machines have a built-in display so this will normally be your TV. A larger screen works better anyway as it means you can prance around the room and really perform the song rather than being stood in front of a small display.
Should I buy components or an all-in-one system?
The answer depends largely on what equipment you already have. Most people will have a TV to plug into, but the TV’s speakers might not be powerful enough to cope with your enthusiastic hollering. Using separate hi-fi speakers is a good idea if they’re available.
If you have a laptop, TV and hi-fi speakers handy, Lucky Voice is a great option. Buy their microphone-and-mixer package for £60 and subscribe for £7 a month to access the massive library of backing tracks.
PlayStation console owners can keep things simple with SingStar. Adding new songs is expensive but it feels more like a game than a normal karaoke session, and so there’s some satisfaction to be had from getting to know particular songs and improving your accuracy.
If you don’t relish the thought of scrabbling around with cables figuring out what goes where, an all-in-one system keeps things simple. The ION Karaoke Party just requires a TV to plug into, and the Karaoke USA GF843 doesn’t even need that — although the lyrics will be easier to read on a big screen.
The karaoke machines to buy in 2017
1. Karaoke USA GF843: The best all-in-one karaoke machine
Price:£200
If you can’t be bothered to faff around with cables, go for this all-in-one device. It includes two microphones, a CD player, a built-in speaker, mixer controls, a 7in colour screen and even an LED light show.
CD+G disc support means it can play discs with lyrics shown on the built-in screen or on a TV connected via the composite output (check your TV for a round yellow socket). There’s a cradle for a tablet plus aux inputs around the back, so you could use it in conjunction with a karaoke app such as Lucky Voice. It also supports Bluetooth, SD cards and USB storage devices, and when your vocal cords need a rest it can double as a CD or DVD player.
You’ll need to save a bit of your budget for CD+G discs as the bundled starter disc won’t keep you entertained for long. Otherwise, though, this karaoke machine provides everything you need to keep you warbling into the small hours.
2. ION Karaoke Party: The best karaoke machine for kids
Price:£50
Karaoke is the perfect way to keep the kids occupied at parties, and this little karaoke machine is sure to get them in the party spirit. The controls are simple, there are effects to help voices gel with the backing track and even an LED light show to add to the party atmosphere.
It plays discs in CD+G format, so when you tire of the single supplied disc (which won’t take long) you can add others relatively cheaply. The player is also available with 100 songs across five discs for and extra £10. The 2017 Chart Hits bundle of 80 songs from Vocal-Star costs £12.95 and is likely to go down well with pop-savvy kids.
The player plugs into the TV using the older composite and analogue audio cables, so make sure your TV has a trio of yellow, red and white phono sockets. It’s best to get it all working in advance before your guests turn up. Only one microphone is included but you can add another for about £10. The player is mains powered but can also run off batteries, so once they’ve memorised the lyrics they can do without the TV and sing through the built-in speakers — just the thing for driving you beserk during long car journeys.
3. SingStar: The best karaoke experience for competitive singers
Price: From £20
SingStar was a phenomenon when it launched in the mid-00s and it’s still going strong today. This PlayStation game reinvents the karaoke concept with voice detection to score your performance for tuning and timing. It also uses the original songs and videos rather than karaoke backing tracks. That’s good news for audio production values but it does mean you have to sing along with the original vocal rather than just the backing track.
The game itself is free but songs are quite expensive. There are over 2,500 songs available to download for £1.15 a pop. The bundles are better value at around £20 for 30 songs, with themes such as 80s, Disney and Queen. Some of these are heavily discounted if you shop around.
You’ll also need to buy a pair of microphones to plug into your PlayStation console — these cost £18 from Amazon, or they can be purchased with a set of songs. There’s an option to use an Android or iOS device as a makeshift microphone, but lag can be a problem and we’re not convinced that singing into a smartphone brings out the popstar in you.
4. Lucky Voice: The best karaoke machine for people who just can’t get enough
Price:£7 per month
Lucky Voice makes commercial karaoke machines for its chain of bars, and the same technology appears in its subscription service for you to enjoy at home. It costs £6.99 a month to access their library of 10,000 songs, accessed via your computer’s web browser or the iOS app. The library is easily searched by name, genre or decade. The app supports multiple devices so one person can browse while another is singing. You’ll want to plug into a TV and speakers so you can appreciate the slickly presented lyrics and high-quality backing tracks — you’ll need an Apple TV to stream from the app to your TV.
Lucky Voice also sells a microphone plus a mixer to combine the mic signal and backing track for £60. A second microphone costs £20. However, it might get a bit complex if you’re sending the video signal from laptop to TV via HDMI and running the audio along analogue cables to the TV’s speakers. You’re better off plugging the mixer into a hi-fi.
It might end up being an expensive option if you use it for years, but the quality and sheer volume of songs on offer mean it’s money well spent.
5. Vocal-Star VS-1200: The best karaoke machine for small venues
Price:£150
Professional kit used in karaoke bars can cost silly money, but if you want something affordable and a bit more polished than the usual home-oriented machine, the Vocal-Star VS-1200 is a solid choice. It comes in a sturdy metal chassis that can be rack-mounted, and includes a wide array of outputs including HDMI, VGA, optical and analogue phonos. You’ll also find a pair of wired microphones plus 150 songs in the box. Upgrade to 1,200 songs for an extra £70 and you’ll have enough to keep punters happy for many months. There’s also an option to upgrade to wireless microphones for £50.
Songs are supplied on disc in CD+G format — a normal CD with extra data for the animated lyrics. These can be ripped to MP3G format and saved to SD card by the VS-1200, which saves constant disc-swapping. You’ll have to type in all the song names and generate song lists yourself, though. Additional discs in CD+G format are available from various online stores. Quality of the backing tracks in the supplied library is mostly excellent but the lyrics sometimes wander slightly out of sync.
It’s not as polished as it could be, but this is a robust package that’s reasonably easy and cheap to expand with new songs.
