Anyone here own a karaoke machine?
 

My last night in China, we decided to hit a KTV in Suzhou. I forgot how much fun this can be (even when you have family with you and don't get to have the working ladies "assist" you). Anyway, I'm thinking of picking one up for my wife for Xmas, as she fancies herself a singer (though I strongly disagree). Anyone know what to get for basic home use? Are these compatible with laptops where we can download Chinese stuff that probably wouldn't work in US DVD players?

If you just want something for home use, get a karaoke machine with audio out jacks from any big box store. Plug it into your stereo system and have a ball. The machine is cheap, the disks can get pricey. Most are CDG format. I've got a 1000 watt DJ system geared toward karaoke. 2-15" speakers, 2-12" speakers, JVC karaoke player, amplifier, EQ, mixer, wireless mics, 2-26" LCD TVs, and over 6000 karaoke songs. Most of the money is in the karaoke disks.

Ok, that's good to know. I have a few decent stereos and guitar amps. Is CDG format compatible with US and foreign machines? Any good sources for the discs?

We have one. The brand name is "Magic Sing"

Its very portable, as the entire unit is housed in a microphone. It comes with a cable that allows easy hookup into your home A/v system. My wife had the brilliant idea of bringing it to my family thanksgiving celebration a few years back. It was great fun and my 100 year old grandmother still talks about it.

I have the Lead Singer one. I recommend it. It is simply a mic that plugs into your TV. The mic holds memory cards that hold many songs (I think we are up to about 2000). It is a lot of fun. The system rates your singing after the song which is fun if taken correctly.

We use KJams Lite on a computer to play back the stuff. Free to try and cheap to buy. We run the computer's output into a mixer and then the PA.

There are several Karaoke songs on Youtube and other companies that sell them. I like the mp4 format, myself.

CDG has been the standard format for a while now. We use 'Chartbuster' brand primarily(purchased on fleabay). Great quality and lifetime replacement. Most tracks sound exactly like the original, and even include background vocals. WallyWorld carries 'All Star' brand(among others) which is usually pretty good as well. If you buy a 'karaoke machine', make sure it has adjustable mic echo(reverb) or it will sound really dry. If you want something for an occasional get-together, just get a cheap machine, but if you really want to get into it, get individual components and build a PA system. We have ours set up in our bar at home, and have taken it on the road for everything from graduations, weddings, birthday parties, camping...

No I don't, but even if i did I certainly would not admit it in public! ;)

Party at RL's!

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my FIL hand carried one from Taiwan. he called it the rolls royce of K machines. he lovingly installed it to his sound system..and NEVER has turned it on.

Last time i was anywhere near a karaoke machine..the room was full of taiwanese hookers..and my wife. awkward.

Your FIL hires hookers for you? Does your wife have a sister? I want to be part of that family.

Yes, I've been to one of those too and if was before I was married.;) The week before last, a buddy and I were looking for a bar in Beijing and stopped in a large KTV to ask where there nearest one was. They had about 30 very pretty ladies lined up and they all all bowed and recited something in unison to us. If we had had a few more guys with us, that could have been a real blast. But my buddy's wife had just had a baby two weeks earlier and so we weren't really looking to get into trouble.

Anyway, I'm back home now and need to start looking into this for real. I don't think I want to spend the money on piecemeal components, in case my wife doesn't really use this much. But I was a decent quality unit that will take all the stuff my wife will eventually buy online from China (probably pirated stuff).

Same here. Absolutely hate karaoke and if they start it in a bar I am out of there... drunks trying to sing do not make it for me...

It's a little different in Asia. Karaoke is huge business and their karaoke places are high rise bldgs. the size of hotels with literally every service you can imagine, if you get what I mean. I've only ever been to the kind with private rooms, a dedicated server, huge screen display and a few sofas. The drunks getting up to sing in front o the whole bar is something you only see in the US.

Got a few more questions. I did some looking at Best Buy and Wal-Mart last weekend and came away unimpressed. Now I'm looking on Guitar Center's website and still don't see what I'm looking for. Every time I've been to a karaoke place, they have a display for video and lyrics. I don't see that on any of these home machines. Maybe a few of them have tiny displays, but I'd like something that I can run into a computer monitor or tv to follow the lyrics. Any suggestions?

Magic Sing

http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Sing-ET13K-Portable-Karaoke/dp/B004DLIW7A

Has nearly 2000 built-in songs...plugs into your TV and home stereo (or whatever sound reinforcement equipment you have).

Thanks, but that one has no reviews and no display for lyrics. Item desc. sucks too. I've been reading all the reviews on Amazon of 3 stars and above. I have a few picked out for further research.