Let’s start with the question where does karaoke come from?
The word karaoke comes from Japanese and means as much as ’empty orchestra’ or ‘virtual orchestra’. In the seventies, there was a Japanese singer who asked if he could make tapes from his songs but without his voice. With a kind of jukebox, he made these recordings and with that, the first karaoke machine was brought to the world. So let’s dig in to see how to setup a karaoke system with home theater, but first some history.
In the eighties, Philips brought the first sing-along amplifier to the Netherlands with which the sing-along craze began, culminating in the first karaoke bar in 1990 and in 1992 a TV program.
Karaoke emerged in Japan and the Philippines in the 1970s as entertainment and amusement in private and public parties. Its popularity has grown throughout Asia and other countries around the world. Today karaoke is very popular in bars and nightclubs.
It is also possible to have your own best karaoke machine for home use. There are many different options for setting up a home karaoke system.
Below we have discussed How to setup a karaoke system with home theatre. Fortunately, there is something for everyone, you can buy a cheap all-in-one or you can also choose a karaoke machine with a professional karaoke setup.
As a consumer, you must make a choice taking into account the frequency of use, the space provided and, of course, the budget allocated. Immediately the main criteria to consider before buying online.
What are the different karaoke formats?
One of the first steps when choosing a home karaoke system or DIY karaoke system is to choose from different karaoke music formats and graphics. The Karaoke CD was the trend for years, but as karaoke evolves with technology, the options are also growing.
CD + G
With the development of the compact disc, the CD + G has become the dominant format for karaoke songs. These discs usually have about nine songs, with an additional layer of information containing graphics of songs that appear as video content.
Beware of discs that claim to contain thousands of songs, as they most likely contain MIDI music rather than real music with instruments.
In addition, most disc players are not MIDI compatible. CD + Gs require special cabal functions to read their graphics layer while ordinary DVD or CD players can play music, they cannot read additional information.
DVD karaoke
DVD karaoke is another option, it is compatible with all DVD players, as well as multi-format karaoke players. It’s convenient for people who already have a DVD player. However, to complete the cheap karaoke system, additional equipment is needed such as a microphone and good quality speakers.
Mp3 + G
karaokeeMP3 + G is an increasingly popular file format for karaoke music. MP3 + G are copied from the CD + G in compressed format using special software. If you have thought of karaoke party planning than MP3 + G Karaoke is best as it can be stored on a hard drive for easy access.
G + MP3 files can be played by a karaoke machine with a hard disk or via a laptop.
What is cloud karaoke?
Cloud karaoke is an online library of karaoke songs that can be used by various subscription services. Users pay a monthly or yearly fee, which allows them to access tracks via smartphones, laptops or other devices with an internet connection.
How to choose the best home theater with karaoke function?
Undoubtedly, the main thing you should pay attention to when selecting a device with a karaoke function is the “sound quality”. It is important that the home theater speaker system is five-channel (or if you have higher budget and expectation than you can also go for 7.1), it consisted of four speakers and one subwoofer (also 5.1, five speakers and one subwoofer).
The power of the cinema must be of 300 W and above. In this sense, we recommend selecting the best home theater with karaoke from world manufacturer’s leaders in this field. For example, Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, Sony, Marantz (if you prefer to listen to music more then watching movies). The more commercialized brands for karaoke are Panasonic, LG, JVC, Samsung, Philips, Vizio personally, we prefer 5 brands mentioned earlier (if you are solely going to use it for music and movies) as they are the market leaders in the semi-audiophile category which ranges from $250 – $1000.
In addition to the quality of the sound, not only focus on the availability of karaoke function but also look for accessories for it.
From the list, you can select the track you like to play. In the hardware store, home theatre is done with karaoke for 4000 songs. For example, LG HT 805TH or Sony BDV-E 6100 Agree, it is not difficult to choose many songs for your choice.
Home Theatre models are equipped with scores from karaoke, which are charged for the performance quality. Such a good pair will allow you parts of a fire key.
Apart from this, we recommend that you stop your choice in home theatre, not equipped with one, but two inputs for the microphone if your companion likes to interpret the song in the pair.
Often, a microphone is connected to home theatres, but if you are going for a kit, then it might have models with two devices.
How can I turn on karaoke on my home theater?
Many people want to know how to setup a karaoke system with home theater because Home theater with karaoke function gives not only the opportunity to spend time watching films in excellent quality but also an opportunity to express yourself musically with excellent sound effects/signature.
This is good for those who love to accompany the holidays with their favorite compositions (or maybe not if your family thinks that you could spoil their holidays if you will be singing to them all the while)
Doing setup of karaoke on home theater is not difficult. A disk with karaoke songs must be inserted into the drive and home theater in the TRS connector (or as it is more clear for ordinary people – Jack) 3.5 mm central unit, that is, the AV processor.
The connector itself can be located on the front or rear panel, in some models on the side. Usually, it is indicated by the MIC, if only one microphone can be connected to your home theater. If it is possible to use two devices, the connector is called MIC1 and MIC2.
In the AVI processor in the main menu, go to play karaoke music and check the microphone connection there. After the disc starts, the Karaoke menu will be displayed on the TV screen. After selecting a piece of music, turn on the microphone and enjoy!
How to setup a karaoke system with TV
It cannot be said that karaoke at home is something unusual. With the introduction of technology into our houses the entertainment quotient has become more so ever high, and with karaoke now everyone loves to sing. Like those who know how to do it and those who just think they can.
There is a huge number of devices that perfectly handle the playback of karaoke programs, including on the TV. It is especially easy to configure this function on models with Smart TV.
Such karaoke TVs are in many homes. So it’s not surprising that users have a desire to learn how to customize the program and sing your favorite song.
How to do professional karaoke setup at home
The principle of the system is very simple:
- For people to sing, the TV starts playing music and showing words, displaying them on the LCD screen.
- It is necessary to connect the speakers in order to amplify the sound.
- Before starting to sing, a countdown appears on the screen, which is very useful if the composition is unfamiliar.
The most common variant of arranging a karaoke system was the connection via DVD (BBK). For today DVD-players are also popular but have already lost the palm of karaoke TV-sets with Smart TV.
These devices have almost all systems for sound reproduction, so in order to sing in karaoke, you only need to download the karaoke program for Smart TV.
Let’s consider, how the karaoke system on DVD is arranged:
- A DVD must be connected to the TV, which is the reproducing medium.
- Next, install a disk, or a flash drive with content, half the case is done.
- To see what we need to sing, we need a screen. In our case, let it be a LED TV.
- A microphone is also required. It is advisable to choose a model with radio control, so as not to get lost in the wires during a particularly emotional performance.
- And also do not interfere with the speakers, which will significantly improve the sound quality.
Karaoke through TVs (with Smart TV)
Everyone singing was delighted when TVs with built-in DVD players and microphones appeared on sale. In principle, practically nothing has changed in comparison with the version of removable DVD-player, except for its size and the fact that the device could be placed in the TV case.
But it was also a breakthrough for all the fans of music who did not have the opportunity to regularly go to karaoke bars and did not want to entangle the apartment with a lot of wires in order to connect all the necessary components.
In addition, sometimes two microphones were included in the standard set, and powerful speakers, too, built into the TV, allow you to reproduce the sound without another device.
But as soon as the Smart TV service appeared, which means that it was possible to access the Internet directly from the TV, there was no need to connect a laptop to search for songs. The program is already there, it remains only to connect the microphone, find your favorite songs and enjoy life.
On the Internet, there are many applications which support karaoke for Smart TV, which allow you to enjoy singing at least around the clock. But they have one significant drawback – they are paid. The money is small, and payment is monthly, but still, I would like to use free content, which is harder to find.
In addition, connecting and configuring the system on Smart TV can be difficult. To avoid breakage, it is better to let the master configure the circuit.
Microphone connection
For modern TVs and home theaters with karaoke programs, the biggest problem is finding a microphone.
- Connect your home theater to wireless microphones. This is much more practical and convenient because you do not have to buy a bunch of adapters to connect it to the TV.
- If the wireless microphone is too expensive, you can try purchasing a microphone with a USB connector.
- Setting up the microphone is fairly simple, you just have to connect the microphone correctly. You should always check the software version during the first installation as it may remove some basic connecting issues upfront. Now sing as much as you like and be proud of having a professional karaoke setup at home without spending big bucks.
How to setup a Karaoke system with an Home Theater
For you to setup a karaoke system, you will need the following items:
1. Karaoke machine
Karaoke machines are available in various varieties. There are those that come with inbuilt speakers and there are those without inbuilt speakers.
A karaoke machine without an inbuilt speaker is the one that allows you to load your favorite music via various means such as USB, CD and cartridges. These types of machines are meant to be connected to the home theater or an external speaker system.
The karaoke machines with inbuilt speakers on the other hand, come as a complete system setup. However, they do not have all the audio output which allows you to connect them to your home theater.
Generally speaking, on the karaoke machine you will need a system that has an RCA connection. The RCA system will allow you to connect the audio output and they usually come in red and white colors.
2. Home theater system
The home theaters are designed in such a way that they can receive audio from any source. Therefore, it is critical that you should have a audio output that will hold the karaoke system. This will save you all the hustle of connecting and disconnecting your various systems every time you want to use them.
3. RCA cables
Another thing that you will need for you to connect the karaoke to your home theater is the RCA cables. The cables act as the in and out standard audio cables. If you want to connect a video, there is a yellow cable for the video system.
A very critical factor to consider when acquiring the RCA cables is the length. Ensure that the cables are of appropriate length to cover the distance between the theater and the karaoke system.
4. Steps to follow
The following are the steps that you should follow when you want to connect your home theater to the karaoke system:
Step 1
From your karaoke system, find out the audio output plugs. The plugs are usually available in red and white colors. The audio output and input plugs are normally placed side by side. Make sure that you plug in correctly as they are labeled.
Step 2
From the plug labeled “out”, connect the cable to the home theater’s RCA that is labeled “in”. however, depending on the home theater that you have, the labels might differ from one system to another. There are some home theaters whose RCA are labeled as AUX 1 ad AUX 2.
Make sure you correctly connect the cable as indicated on the RCA.
Step 3
After connecting the karaoke to the home theater, next turn on both the karaoke machine and the home theater system. Then, change the input source on your home theater to the grouping level that you already selected.
If your system does not have a grouping, you can search through the available options until you find the one that plays your music.
Step 4
The next step is to adjust the volume of the microphone on both your home theater and the karaoke machine. Also, ensure that you adjust the music volume as well.
If you had set some pre-defined settings on your home theater, then make sure that change it to either stereo or music for you to enjoy the music audio.
If you find any difficult when setting up the home theater, consult the user manual. The manual will help you to make the proper connection without making any mistakes.
In the above setup, the karaoke machine acts as the microphone receiver for your music player. On the other hand, the home theater acts as the external speaker which helps to amplify the sound of the music player.
Things you need for a great Karaoke Party at home
If you would like to have a home karaoke party, you need the following items:
Microphone
It is recommended to use wireless microphones. However, if you can use corded microphones, there is no harm but take care not to entangle anybody with the cable. For more fun, have more than one mic. The microphones usually come with receivers which you can use with any mixer system.
Speakers
Another item you need for a home karaoke party is the speakers. It is not advisable to use the home theater speakers when you are using the microphone. This is because the mic can cause damage to the home theater speakers. There are speakers that are specifically meant to be used for home karaoke parties. You can acquire one of those. With the karaoke speakers, you will not worry of destroying your home theater speakers.
Mixer
A mixer is a must have for a karaoke home party. It helps you to connect the microphones and the speakers so that you can enjoy the party. There are mixers that are designed to be used for karaoke parties. They usually come with tone and echo control so that you can accordingly adjust the audio sound that is ideal for the room that you are using.
Another reason as to why you need a mixer is because if you do not have a speaker output, you can be able to connect the mic to the speakers directly.
The karaoke home party is an absolutely best choice if you are a music lover. It will allow you to enjoy high-quality audio. Also, you will have an exceptional home theater system connection.
What is the best karaoke machine for home use?
Choosing a karaoke system at home can be fierce, given the range of choices. Users must first decide which format is best for their personal needs, as mentioned above. Next, they must evaluate their audio components for the home and think about how they plan to use their karaoke system.
All-in-one karaoke systems
This karaoke system may be the best way to get a complete setup for karaoke at home. These systems contain the main components, including a player, mixer, and amplifier, as well as the cables necessary for proper operation. All-in-one systems differ in their entirety. Some include a display screen, with speakers and a microphone, while others need to be connected to a TV and require external speakers.
Magic microphones are a space-saving option. These configurations consist of the main station that connects to a portable or high definition television for display, and one or two wireless microphones, which can also function as remote controls.
These units usually come with a song library, as well as a USB port to download additional files and record their own recordings. Karaoke systems are with different functions and controls.
These can include features such as recording, different playback modes, custom video and image display, modulation, echoes, graphic EQs, and more. When comparing models, consumers should consider which features are most important to them.
They should also check which formats the systems support (CD + G, DVD and/or MP3 + G) and whether their laptop or TV is compatible with the device. All-in-one readers combine convenience and portability.
Note that some systems can be quite affordable, and be an excellent choice for occasional use and easy transportation. However, the sound performance is generally of lower quality than the professional karaoke setup.
Check here: Singtrix Party Bundle Premium Edition Home Karaoke System
Best options to setup karaoke machine for the home use
When selecting a karaoke machine, choose a machine with two microphones, a good sound or a place to connect external speakers and a voice output option. With this option, the machine will minimize the volume of the vocal part of a given song, allowing you to use all the MP3 files that you like as karaoke tracks.
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– Two microphones
For a good karaoke party planning, you must be able to sing a duet or even better, a battle. For this, you will need a karaoke machine with two microphone outputs two and two good microphones.
- Choose pickups with noise cancellation to avoid feedback or interference.
- Microphones with built-in effects such as echoes, auto-tuning and a multi-voice chorus can add a cool element to your performance.
– Speakers and amplifier
Pair of good speakers and amplifiers is a must when you want the best setup for any karaoke party planning. The clear and crisp sound makes the listening experience delightful. Make your party memorable with the best sound setup on the block.
- If your karaoke machine allows external speakers, look at the maximum input and output levels printed on the back of the unit.
- Then look for speakers in this range that have inputs and outputs matching with the amplifier, and a subwoofer. An external amplifier maximizes sound and effects.
- General use amplifiers support a wide range of speakers but you can always check the Ohm ratings of the speakers for perfect matching
Check here for our favorite set below:
PS: The above-mentioned amplifier is specifically for karaoke system integration if you want one for your 5.1 home theatre then should better look HERE.
– Large HD television
Nowadays, it is possible to connect your karaoke to a TV.
- If you want to make an impact, find a TV compatible with your smart karaoke machine. Preferably, one who has a big screen and 3D capabilities.
– Internet connectivity
This is something new and exciting to add to your karaoke party. Every day, people record their most memorable moments to share with everyone online, why not do it at your next party?
If your computer, television or machine has a webcam, connect it to the Internet and start recording. Once you’re done, you can upload your clips directly to the Internet.
Karaoke setup diagram
Professional (well almost) karaoke systems
A professional karaoke system has separate components including a player, a mixer – amplifier, microphones, and speakers. Graphics are usually displayed via a TV screen or laptop, to which the player is connected.
If you are looking for a complete system like (not so professional) at a reasonable price, then “Singtrix Party Bundle Premium Edition Home Karaoke System” shown below is a good choice to have.
The main advantage of this type of system is that you save time and effort and get a decent quality karaoke system, home karaoke users can enjoy the high performance of a professional system.
How to choose a microphone for karaoke?
Generally, a wired microphone is cheaper than the wireless microphone, especially if you buy the low-end model. A basic wired microphone will be used for fun karaoke for parties.
However, if you are a professional playing in shows requiring a certain level of performance than you must have a professional microphone with the karaoke setup.
You must choose the high-end wired microphone because the audio quality is incomparable. The biggest benefit with wireless microphone is that the wireless microphone allows you to move without embarrassment. So if you have to cover a lot of stage area and would like to move around during your performance, we would strongly suggest going with a wireless microphone.
As for a cordless phone at the top, the wireless microphone is much more convenient to use every day.
we have recently seen a cool device by the name “Magic Microphone” for karaoke systems. It a portable karaoke system with microphone and speaker built in. For a cheap price of just $30 it is unbeatable (but please don’t expect a professional level sound quality)
Given the number of choices, buyers should carefully consider their individual needs before shopping for a karaoke system at the best price.
By anticipating your needs you will be able to equip yourself with the best-suited microphone for a karaoke party. one very popular wired microphone (XLR connection) is from the well-known brand Behringer as shown below, it comes cheap but produces excellent results:
Whether it is wired or wireless microphone, the main function of a microphone is to take sound as an input (analog) and process it into digital form. Expensive headphones have better quality circuitry to perform the same task, therefore more you invest the better result you can expect.