Computer Karaoke HELP!!!

by **randerson79** » April 7, 2011, 1:16 pm

My girlfriend would like to have a karaoke party. :shock:

I was wondering if there was a way I could use my computer as a karaoke machine? Where to buy the music, microphones, speakers ect. I have a LCD TV and can hook it to the computer with no problem. It is the rest I do not understand.

Thanks in advance for your help.

by **BobHelm** » April 7, 2011, 4:22 pm

Very Simple set up...
The 'core' of a home karaoke machine is likely to be a music centre from a DVD player rather than your pc..
The 'home entertainment centres' have the quality of speakers & microphone inputs & links automatically to the screen.
You then buy music karaoke DVDs - at the Night Market for example.
Standard set up is that you select your song/DVD put it in the DVD player & then 'off you go'. Next person may want a song off that DVD or one off another - just load & play..
Slightly more technical....
You add your pc into the above 'mix' & use it as the DVD player through the speaker system.
So you just load all the cds/dvds into your PC & use that as the song selection method.
More expensive..
You purchase a 'karaoke software' package for your PC. I think all that will do for you is make the 'front end' - the song selection bit - look much more professional. You will have the problem that you will need to set it all up so that it is in Thai (so the potential singer can read & select) but undoubtedly YOU will need to put it right when it goes wrong...

Personally I would start with a few karaoke DVDs, do it through the home entertainment equipment as standard - as it is VERY easy & hard to go wrong - & 'experiment' with pushing it through your PC in a no pressure situation until you are happy that you have that working 100% - if ever...

by **BobHelm** » April 7, 2011, 4:36 pm

Sorry have just had the thought that maybe you do not have a DVD player or home music centre & are reluctant to spend money on them...
Then yes it could be done just using the PC & the TV, it would not be very impressive though.
You would need to search your PC for the microphone socket. I would be very surprised if there was not one on it.
if there was not one then you would need to buy & add a sound card to it.
The TV speaker is likely to be a far better quality than one you can add onto your PC. However fairly good quality (if not huge volume) speakers can be bought & added.
I am not sure that you would end up with something that impressed too much this way though.

All the supermarkets sell home entertainment centres.
Prices vary - depending on the quality & output of speakers really. Can get something listen-able to for a couple of thousand baht - but do not try & crack up the volume too much on them...9,000 baht will buy you something the next street can join in with...

by **stattointhailand** » April 7, 2011, 5:12 pm

My girlfriend would like to have a karaoke party.

Only advice I can give is ...... SAY NO !! .... whilst you still have your hearing and sanity left.

by **unendoras** » April 8, 2011, 10:46 am

Depending on when and where you plan on having the party, I could probably help. It also depends on whether you are looking for english or Thai music mainly. I have my own personal laptop based karaoke system that I use for personal parties. I have a little over 6,000 english songs. I typically avoid the Thai music to avoid our friends the Grammy police, but I do have about a hundred thai songs on backup. If I am unable to help you directly due to timing or location, I might be able to meet with you to show you how I have mine set up.

by **Prenders88** » April 8, 2011, 11:09 am

Just stick to karaoke DVD's.

Keep your expensive laptop well away, from the party.
Someone will spill beer or 100 Pipers paint stripper, mixed with soda into your laptop, whilst drunk.

I heard last night that one bar got busted in Udon by the Grammy Police.
Anyone know which bar?

by **stattointhailand** » April 8, 2011, 11:20 am

Prenders88 wrote:Just stick to karaoke DVD's.

Keep your expensive laptop well away, from the party.
Someone will spill beer or 100 Pipers paint stripper, mixed with soda into your laptop, whilst drunk.

I heard last night that one bar got busted in Udon by the Grammy Police.
Anyone know which bar?

Sound advice ..........learnt the hard way Prenders?

by **Prenders88** » April 8, 2011, 12:04 pm

stattointhailand wrote:
Prenders88 wrote:Just stick to karaoke DVD's.

Keep your expensive laptop well away, from the party.
Someone will spill beer or 100 Pipers paint stripper, mixed with soda into your laptop, whilst drunk.

I heard last night that one bar got busted in Udon by the Grammy Police.
Anyone know which bar?

Sound advice ..........learnt the hard way Prenders?

No Statto not ours, but a friend who bought her laptop filled with Karaoke songs, to a party we had last year, left it for two minutes to go the bog, a drunk tried to use the laptop whilst it was left unattended.
It's like giving a monkey a scalpel and asking it to do a heart transplant.
The outcome was poor.

by **unendoras** » April 8, 2011, 4:42 pm

Yes, the Grammy police are in town. They hit my coffee shop last week. My recommendation is to do what I did: Take pictures of EVERYONE in the group... INCLUDING the police helping them. It took a few hours, and a call from a good lawyer. but it was finally resolved by an agreement for me to be let off with a warning and no fine if I deleted the pictures. Of course, I was innocent in the first place. If you really are playing Thai music without a license, you are probably S.O.L.

by **randerson79** » April 9, 2011, 12:53 pm

Thanks for the help guys!! Went to Macro and bought a karaoke sound system and wireless microphones. All for under 6000 baht. Used my old DVD player. Gf called her friends and they all brought their own Vids. They had a great time! $\:D/$ I must say it was fun to watch.

Thanks again for all the help. Great bunch of guys!

by **stattointhailand** » April 9, 2011, 1:05 pm

randerson79 wrote:Thanks for the help guys!! Went to Macro and bought a karaoke sound system and wireless microphones. All for under 6000 baht. Used my old DVD player. Gf called her friends and they all brought their own Vids. They had a great time! $\:D/$ I must say it was fun to watch.

Thanks again for all the help. Great bunch of guys!

Unfortunately I opted for the cheaper version ......... the one that didn't come with earplugs, so it spoilt the fun a bit :lol:

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