Many articles have been written about how to set up a home karaoke system, but the vast majority are waaaaay too technical! When I was choosing my equipment, I spent weeks researching how to put a system together, and trying to understand websites that were best suited to audio/visual engineers, recording artists, and conference and performance venues. Most nights, I gave up around 2:30 am with a massive headache and more questions than answers. So, I’ve put this guide together for anyone who either doesn’t understand the technical stuff easily (raises hand) or doesn’t have days on end and a Costco-size supply of Visene to sort through the information.
I couldn’t be happier with how my system has turned out, both in terms of quality of sound and ease of use. Once installed, an 8-year-old can get it up and running.
Here’s what you need to duplicate my system:
- Mixer
- Powered speakers
- Microphones
- Laptop or portable device
- TV with HDMI input (optional)
- Karaoke software (optional)
You don’t have to choose the exact equipment I did, of course. There are many great options available. Seeing my equipment, however, will give you a jumping-off point to explore other options that could be a better fit.
Mixer
Your mixer is the piece of equipment that takes different sound sources and channels them all together. This is the machine that will take your voice and the vocal track, and pull them together, and then output combined sound to your speakers.
I bought the Mackie ProDX8 8-Channel Wireless Digital Mixer. I liked that it is small and has plenty of microphone outputs. But its best feature, and the one that sold me on it, is its Bluetooth connection. With this mixer, you can link your phone or tablet to it and your karaoke track will play through your speakers. This effectively turns your tablet (or phone) into a karaoke machine!
Another incredibly useful feature with the Bluetooth is that you can access the mixer controls through the Mackie MixerConnect App, which you can find on iTunes and Google Play. Why is this such a benefit? Let me give you a scenario: let’s pretend that your Aunt Linda gets up to belt out “Defying Gravity.” With the Bluetooth controls, you can turn her mic volume down without even getting up from the couch. Afterwards, when 5-year-old Katie comes to the “stage,” you can raise the volume to hear her tiny little voice. You can also add special features (such as reverb), control the master volume, and the volume of your karaoke track. The karaoke experience is more relaxing and fun when you can sit and enjoy the party instead of running back and forth to the mixer controls.
Powered Speakers
There are two types of speakers: passive (unpowered) and active (powered). Passive speakers do not have a built-in amplifier and need to be connected to one. Powered speakers, on the other hand, have an amplifier built in, and can be plugged directly into your mixer*. Because they include an amplifier, they must be plugged into the wall for power. We chose powered speakers for their reliability, portability, and higher quality.
If your budget is tight, you can start your karaoke system with one speaker and then add the other as money allows. After far too much research and review-reading, I settled on Mackie Thump 12 speakers. The sound is excellent at all ranges, and they aren’t gigantic. We’ve hooked our TV into them as well, and now our Game of Thrones night is as lit as Lord Randall Tarley when he didn’t bend the knee to Daenerys Targaryen.
Here is a more economical option: Rockville RPG8 8″ Powered Active 400 Watt 2-Way DJ PA Speaker System
Important note: most people (myself included) would prefer to save money and hook the karaoke system into whatever speakers they already own. This would be a mistake. Karaoke requires a PA speaker. You can try to use the speakers you already have, but be ready to replace them when they blow out! And for the love of all things holy, do not even try it if you have high-end speakers. All it takes is one overly enthusiastic singer and it’s adiós, Klipsch speakers.
If you want to do an internet search for karaoke speakers, make sure you use the search terms “loudspeaker” or “PA speaker.” Otherwise, most of your search results will be unusable.
Don’t forget that you’ll need to buy cables to connect your speaker(s) to the mixer.
*This is a simplification. If you want more technical information comparing and contrasting types of speakers, I recommend reading the PA Speaker Buying Guide at Sweetwater Music Instruments and Pro Audio.
Microphones
Obvious, no? If you already have microphones, good for you. Skip to the next section. If not, your main decision will be whether to by cordless or corded mics. Corded can be quite inexpensive and will also have the highest quality of sound (especially if you buy high-end). They are also unwieldy, and after having a few late nights spent untangling cables and cursing under your breath, you may decide to scrap it and move to wireless. I probably just gave away which option we chose.
We have a large family and many friends who kick karaoke butt, so we went with GTD Audio 4×800 Channel UHF Diversity Wireless Microphones, plus one corded mic. If it’s usually just you and your sweetie, you can save serious cash by selecting the Two-Microphone Configuration. You can even buy a few corded mics to have on hand for when you and your buddies need to perform “Summer Lovin’” from Grease. (I said when, not if!)
You’ll need to connect cables from the microphone receiver to the mixer. You can set your mixer right on top of the microphone receiver, thereby avoiding messy, long cables. Buy one of these cables per microphone: Audio 2000s E02101P2 XLR Male to Female 1 Feet Microphone Cable (2 Pack)
Here are some high-quality inexpensive corded microphones, if you choose to go that route. Keep in mind you’ll also need to buy microphone cables for them.
Pro-tip: Buy color-coded electrical tape and assign a color to each microphone, wrapping a different color tape around the base of each. Then add a “cheat sheet” to whatever device you use to control the mixer. That way, when there’s a sound issue, you can take a quick glance at the singer’s microphone and then at your device, and you’ll know immediately which slider to adjust on the mixer. You’ll want to do this regardless of what type of microphone you have. Here’s a picture of the “cheat sheet” I created for my iPad:
Laptop or Portable Device
Gone are the days of needing to buy a specialized Karaoke machine. You can use the Mackie ProDX8 to push your karaoke track to the speakers via Bluetooth. You can do the same with your laptop. Simple.
TV with HDMI Input (Optional)
If you have a laptop and a TV with HDMI input, you can create a professional looking karaoke setup in your own living room! All you need to do is set up your TV as a second monitor for your laptop. Then everyone on the sofa can see the lyrics and sing along. You can set up the laptop’s smaller screen to be a separate “singer’s monitor” at the front of the room, if you like.
Troubleshooting tip: sometimes your laptop refuses to send its sound through the TV. When this happens, go to the bottom right of your screen and right-click on the volume icon. Choose “playback devices.” There should be an option on the playback tab to select your TV.
Karaoke Software (Optional)
We live in amazing days. Using a device smaller than your hand, you can access hundreds of thousands of free karaoke tracks! YouTube is probably the most well-known and prolific karaoke source out there. Did you know that you can create a shared karaoke playlist and then send the link to friends and family so they can add their own songs to your queue?
Another less-known source for karaoke music is Spotify. Spotify has thousands of great tracks. If you link it with Musixmatch, you’ll be able to see scrolling lyrics for most songs. Musixmatch has apps available for Mac, iOs, Android, and Windows. Your guests can also add to your queue during the party.
Lastly, there is paid software. Why would you pay for software when you have so many free options? Expanded features. The top-selling karaoke software, Karafun, is a subscription service with access to their catalog of over 27,000 songs, which are all high-quality tracks. This is in striking contrast to YouTube tracks, which frequently have problems such as the lyrics not synced to the song, or no lyrics at all, or sometimes you can even still hear the original singer. One feature I enjoy with Karafun is that you can add your singer’s name to the track. It’s fun for your guests to see their name on the big screen. The feature I like the most, however, is that you can modify the key of the song. No more scrapping a song because it’s out of your range!
This professional software is more reasonable than you would think: you can buy a two-day unlimited “party-pass” to Karafun for $5.99, or you can get a monthly subscription for $9.99/month.
I hope this guide has empowered with confidence in your ability to set up karaoke equipment in your home!
Questions? Suggestions? Leave a comment!