May 6th, 2009 by admin

Since the karaoke party in America is thirty years old now, there are many ways songbirds can explore their singing talent. There are personal attachments one can affix to an iPod to practice singing around the house while doing chores. Or extroverts may prefer to seek out a karaoke club to belt-it-out in front of dozens of strangers for prize money and fame. For house parties, a karaoke machine can be a great way to entertain guests for hours on end. Video game systems can also transform traditional karaoke into challenging games. Finding karaoke online can transform a hobby into a social community, where friends can upload their karaoke recordings and trade with others.

So which systems are getting the most buzz? The $60 doPi Karaoke “Party in a Pod” system can turn a video iPod into a karaoke machine. Consumers will also get a microphone, a mixer box with two inputs, echo effect, video in/out ports and all cables needed to connect an iPod to the box, which plugs into the wall. A song card comes with three free downloads and many karaoke songs come with video too. This system, which has been featured by InStyle, People, Seventeen, WIRED, Mac Life, iLounge, FHM and Entertainment Magazine, as well as Good Morning America and The Early Show, can be purchased at www.dopikaraoke.com.

For consumers who would rather not buy a bulky karaoke machine to take up more space in the living room, The Leadsinger Microphone LS-3000 (available at www.leadsinger.com) has a built-in processor capable of storing 300 karaoke hits, although additional song cartridges can also be purchased. Singers simply plug the microphone into their television sets, choose the song and watch the high-resolution graphics and highlighted lyrics on their screens. For $149, this affordable karaoke solution is perfect for kids and teens who love “American Idol.”

The $199 Singing Machine Pedestal CDG Karaoke system offers a more professional singing and recording experience than the average karaoke machine. In addition to having two microphones, the system also comes with a built-in camera so singers can watch themselves on the video monitor. Additionally, the RCA output allows singers the ability to tape themselves on a VCR or DVD recorder as well. Unlike other systems that are all-vocals or no-vocals, this unit comes with Auto Voice Control so the vocals are eliminated when the singer starts to sing and returns when the singer stops singing. This function is ideal for practicing a new song. Additional features for this CD/CD G player include key, echo, balance and pitch control. Ipod-compatible systems also exist for $249. Consumers can purchase this product at www.singingmachine.com.

Consumers are not the only demographic for the karaoke machine. Some business owners see karaoke as a great opportunity to add entertainment or set themselves apart from the competition. Obviously, the karaoke club is nothing new, but what about the karaoke cab? In cities like Dallas, New York City, Chicago and San Francisco, there are cabs with built-in karaoke machines to start off a pre-party or occupy riders for long rides. Some videos of karaoke singers are posted at www.mykaraokecab.com. Karaoke Yellow Cab out of Dallas, Texas says that the karaoke hits up his tips and that the most common songs requested are Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”