Before you toss out an older computer, or trade it in for a newer one, think about using it for something besides a traditional computer. Turning your computer into a karaoke machine is easier than you can imagine. Of course, your computer can be turned into a few different dedicated machines, but for now I want to focus on how to invest as little as possible in converting your computer into a dedicated karaoke machine.
Karaoke Hardware
Most modern computers already have most of the hardware included. The only thing you may not have is a microphone designed for karaoke singing. Most people want to sing like a rock star, so the appropriate kind of microphone is necessary. It can be a PS/2 microphone or it can be a USB microphone and it can be wired or wireless. It depends on how much you want to pay for one. I personally like the wireless kind, but liking doesn't mean I can find one where I live.
Karaoke CDs will play on every optical drive I've tested, including DVD and Blu-ray. They usually say CD+G or CDG on the covers of the CDs, but I'm not really sure which format (CD+R or CD-R) is used. You can order new karaoke CDs at places like Sunfly for a ridiculously high price or you can buy them for a much cheaper price second-hand (or from other sources).
If you're thinking of throwing a karaoke machine party sometime in the near future, you should have a decent size monitor to begin with. You can get around that part pretty easily if you have a TV than can double as a monitor.
Karaoke Software
I've tested several software packages, both for Windows and Linux. I find the interfaces available for Linux to be sorely lacking and all except one freeware Windows package crashed on the computers I tested. If you're thinking of using a commercial karaoke software package, it's up to you to decide if it's worth the investment.
The one freeware Windows package I found that does everything I want it to do is called KaraFun. The karaoke player is free but the studio package isn't. Although I detest being tied to Windows, at least I can subjugate it under VirtualBox, which is virtualization software that can run on Ubuntu Linux without any trouble whatsoever.
My Karaoke Plans
I'll give some more details about the kind of karaoke party I'll be throwing later on, later on. Suffice it to say I won't be using the WOW Magic Sing Karaoke Microphone I bought in 2006. It's already worn out and I've already had it repaired twice, and it needs to be repaired again. Not only that, but getting more of the song chips is ridiculously expensive, even more expensive than buying new karaoke CDs.
Speaking of karaoke CDs, it seems like every family in Olongapo City has a few stashed away. Over the past four years, I've been slowly collecting the ones that people get tired of, or the kids get their hands on to use as toys of some kind. I've ripped a lot of the mp3 and cdg files to my hard drive and I'm just waiting for a balikbayan box containing a new external hard drive to arrive so I can transfer the files to another computer (a netbook, actually).
When I actually have the karaoke party, I'll be using that computer tethered to my 19-inch monitor, so that the karaoke display interface is on its monitor and the actual songs are playing on the larger monitor in full-screen mode. Since I also have a 19-inch (or is it 21?) TV that doubles as a monitor, I might use that instead.
You would be surprised at how many karaoke CDs can be accumulated in a four-year span. I think I have around 500, with some being duplicates of course. I'm sure I can't even rip a few of them due to having too many scratches, but oh well. After I compile and delete what no one will ever select (in my neighborhood anyway), I'll probably only have the equivalent of maybe 50.
I guess the point I'm making is that the only thing I wouldn't have bought if I wasn't going to do the karaoke thing with that computer is a karaoke-style microphone. You can go ahead and spend more money than necessary for a real karaoke machine and order premium CDs to go with it, see if I care. As for me, I'm not cheap but I am indeed frugal.
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This article is published as: Turn any Computer into a Karaoke Machine
Karaoke CDs, by this I suppose you refer to the Videoke VCD's.
Although videoke tracks are big (like 25 meg to 35 meg), these, in my opinion have superior music compared to Magic Sings and the like. Those that use chips sound much like midi's, especially the older ones.
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VCD or CD (they're labeled CDG), it doesn't matter.
i am trying to do karaoke on a old computer running xp. i cannot get my voice to come out at the same time as the music is from the speakers. what can i do to make it work?
I don't know the answer. It depends on how the sound is set up. I was able to do it with one computer but not another.
1. What other things i need to have my PC converted into karaoke with the following specs:
Pentium Dual Core, 500GB hardrive, 2G mem card, 512MB video card, DVD Drive and monitor.
2. Are the videoke songs directly played from DVD drive? Can't we save it in hardrive? Is there suitable FREE software can be use to properly arrange the songs saved and just like other Karaoke wherein there's a rating?
3. How can I amplified the sound to make it like a real karaoke machine with big speakers (cheapest option).
4. Option for "coin operated"? (for business purposes)
HOpe you can help me. Thank you very much in advance :=)
1. Adequate.
2. Karaoke programs can read what is ripped from CD-G disks, so yes. There's free software, but it isn't very good for your purposes.
3. Just use an amplifier between the PC and the speakers.
4. Coin operated isn't an option. If you need that, invest in a real karaoke machine.