Karaoke Buying Guide

If you’re interested in hosting karaoke nights but aren’t sure what sort of gear you need, you’ve come to the right place. Sweetwater has a variety of products that can be used for your dream karaoke rig. Whether you’re looking for a top-of-the-line home setup or an ultra-portable setup for mobile gigs, you’re sure to find good in this article.

Microphones

Having a reliable microphone is a must. It has to sound good, feel good for the performer, and be able to function after an overzealous performer literally drops the mic as they walk off the stage.

Classic mics such as the Shure SM58 and Beta 58A are industry standards in this category — and for good reason. These microphones are built to withstand a lifetime of abuse and cost you very little out of pocket.

Of course, Shure isn’t the only manufacturer that produces stage-ready microphones. The Sennheiser e 835-S withstands high SPLs and has an internal shockmount and a forgiving pickup pattern. Other handheld mics such as the Telefunken M80 deliver the nuanced tone of a condenser microphone without the hassle of phantom power and fragile parts.

If you like the slick look of wireless systems, there are plenty of options to fit your needs. Sweetwater recommends that you choose a Shure BLX system with two handheld microphones. The Shure BLX288/SM58 comes with a 2-channel wireless receiver, two wireless SM58 handheld transmitters, and a host of useful features like QuickScan frequency selection.

Speakers

To project the music to your audience, you’ll need PA speakers. Depending on your venue and needs, you can get away with using one good speaker. However, if you want to perform in stereo, we recommend that you purchase a pair of speakers.

Some of the hottest-selling PA systems on the market, such as the Electro-Voice Evolve 50, are ideal for karaoke. This particular PA system packs 1,000 watts of power, a 12″ woofer, and a column array into a highly portable package. Best of all, the sleek design helps it blend into the background for inconspicuous placement.

If you’re interested in individual speakers, we recommend that you check out industry favorites like the QSC K12.2. This lightweight 2,000W 12″ powered speaker is capable of moving some serious air. It also comes with factory presets to tailor its sound to meet your specific needs.

The final speaker we’ll mention is the JBL EON610. This 1,000W 10″ powered speaker delivers impressive performance for a speaker so small. Integrated waveguide technology and premium components create a transparent sound that’s perfect for live environments.

Display Screens

It wouldn’t be karaoke if you couldn’t read the lyrics off of a screen! Depending on your needs, you can use your tablet or smartphone to display lyrics. But if you’re looking for something a little bigger, Sweetwater offers display monitors to fit any budget. We particularly like Viewsonic VX2757-MHD LED display.

Mixer

To make sure everything runs smoothly, you’ll need a mixer. For home systems, you’ll need at least two microphone preamps and some onboard effects. The Alesis Multimix 4 is an economical option to choose. It’s a 4-channel USB mixer that comes loaded with two mic pres, phantom power, line inputs, and 16 onboard digital effects. Compact and intuitive, this mixer is ideal for beginners.

Yamaha’s MG06X analog mixer works well for intermediate karaoke hosts. Boasting two op-amp microphone inputs, this mixer sounds fantastic. It’s equipped with onboard delay and reverb effects and a metal chassis that protects against accidental damage.

For experienced users, the Behringer Xenyx 1002FX mixer is an excellent option. This 6-channel mixer comes with a pair of Xenyx mic preamps, four stereo channels, and a 3-band EQ. It has over 100 effects presets, and each channel has an adjustable effects level control.

Want to skip the hassle of choosing multiple pieces of gear? You’re in luck. Sweetwater offers various vocal bundles that you can use for your at-home setup. For beginners, we recommend this Mackie Performer Bundle. You’ll receive two handheld mics, a 6-channel USB mixer with two mic preamps, and a pair of monitoring headphones.

Finally, if you want to purchase an excellent home setup with ease, call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer. They’ll be happy to listen to your needs and suggest the right gear for the job.

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Mixer

Having a good mixer makes it easy to keep your show running smoothly. You’ll need one with at least four mic preamps, so you can accommodate your mic and the mics of three singers.

For fans of digital mixers, we’ve chosen the QSC TouchMix-8. This 12-channel mixer has four dedicated mic pres with four combination TRS/XLR inputs. The streamlined design is easy to master, thanks to the onboard touch screen. It has adjustable mixing modes and a Room Tuning Wizard to help you get the right sound every time. Finally, the USB drive format lets you store and recall scenes for different venues and setups.

If an analog mixer is what you’re after, we recommend the Yamaha MG10XU. This 10-channel mixer also has four microphone preamps. The Yamaha-designed D-PRE preamps have an exceptionally low impedance that ensures your microphones sound full and natural at all times. The traditional layout makes it feel very familiar for old-school users. One-knob compression and onboard effects make it easy to tailor the sound to fit any environment you may encounter.

Interfaces

Using an audio interface is preferable to routing audio out of your laptop’s headphone output. A simple and easy-to-use interface, such as the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, is capable of sending crystal-clear audio from your computer to your PA. It has two stereo outputs and 24-bit/192kHz audio resolution. You can’t go wrong with that.

For professionals that need more microphone preamps, we recommend the Solid State Logic SSL2+ audio interface. This USB interface has all-analog I/O with eight mic pres and a built-in DSP mixer. If you want to do it all with a single piece of gear, this is the one for you.

For a streamlined setup, the Apogee Groove digital-to-analog converter is the way to go. This remote-control-sized interface plugs directly into your computer’s USB port, converts the digital signal to analog, and outputs a stereo signal straight to your PA system. It can’t get much easier than that.

Extras

There is a lot more gear that goes into a professional karaoke setup than meets the eye. You’ll need mic stands, a mixer/rack case, cables, carrying pouches, and much more. To get them all into the venue efficiently, you’ll need a gear cart. We particularly like Rock N Roller’s R10RT Max cart. It’s an 8-in-1 folding cart that can carry up to 500 lbs. of gear at once. It can be used as a traditional 2-wheel hand truck or as a 4-wheel carriage, depending on how much gear you’re hauling. Completed by R-Trac wheels that never go flat, the Rock N Roller R10RT Max will never let you down.

You’ll need a good mixer case to hold all your gear. SKB makes durable mixer rack cases that are ideal for KJs. This model, the SKB 1SKB-R104 10U x 4U mixer case, is perfect for laptop-based workflows. It has a 4U front for power conditioners and processors with a 10U slanted top for storing your control surface.

For your control surface, the world is your oyster. If you’re comfortable setting up on an inexpensive folding table, you’re good to go! If you’re looking for something a little more purpose-built, Sweetwater recommends the Odyssey FZF5437T Fold-out DJ table stand if you need extra storage space. If you’re simply looking for a stable table, the Fastset Musician/DJ Utility Table will work perfectly well.

Collapsible microphone stands that can stand up to punishment are hard to come by. With the Hercules Stands MS401B Transformer microphone stand, lugging around unwieldy stands can become a thing of the past. It has an EZ Clutch height-adjustment system that makes it ideal for singers of all heights, and it has tripod legs to help it store small. This stand even includes a mic clip.

To keep your voice fresh, make sure to pick up some Vocal Eze products, too! The Voice Saver Kit includes a bottle of lubricating throat spray and Manuka honey throat drops that will help you get through long performances without suffering a scratchy throat the next morning. The kit comes in two flavors, Strawberry Menthol and Lemon Menthol.