The first thing you've got to decide is what the media type is that you want to use. The karaoke CDG disc system is one of the most popular systems, but more and more professionals are turning towards MP3 and other digital formats. That's because these types of files can easily be stored and played right from a laptop using hosting software. Talk about convenience!



The karaoke system components you need include 2 speakers, 2 speaker stands, a mixer and amp, a Karaoke CDG player, 2 wireless microphones, RF converter, a Color TV that is a minimum of 19”, a disk storage system, and all the necessary cables and accessories.

Choose a CDG player that's a name you can trust. Quality is worth a few extra dollars. Make sure it has the features you want, but don't pay for features you will never use.

When it comes to your mixer/amp, you don't need a huge mixing board. It's not a necessary item for karaoke. You need a mixer with separate channel controls and a minimum of a 7 band graphic equalizer, plus the power to drive your speakers.

When it comes to amps Fender, Berhringer, Peavey, Mackie, and Samson are just a few of the companies that make good quality affordable amps.

You need to pay attention to your speaker choices. They are what will be responsible for the quality of your sound. You can have the best components, but if your speakers are poor quality your sound quality will also be poor. Not all speakers are created equal. Speakers that work great for the DJ might not be the right choice for someone to sing through. Peavey, JBL, and SoundTech all make good karaoke speakers.

Speaker stands have gotten very trendy in the past few years. No more big ugly heavy stands; now you can get cool aluminum or fiberglass stands that are light and easy to pack. And they look real good too.

Cordless microphones don't have better sound than wire mikes but they sure are more convenient. And it's nice not to have all that ugly wire to get caught up in, so consider going wireless.

In order to display your lyrics on a standard television you will need an RF converter. Just run a RCA cable from the converter to the player and then cable coax from the converter to the TV. Your TV should be a minimum of 19” so that it's big enough to see the lyrics. Other than that, no fancy buttons are required.

The disk storage system is real helpful when it comes to staying organized and being able to find the disc you want. There are all kinds of CD disk systems on the market to choose from.

Your cables and accessories should include 2 heavy duty 30' speaker cables, 2 light duty ¼” cables, 1 double and 1 single RCA cable, one 6' coax cable, surge protector, cable splitter, and 100' TV coax. There may be other bits and pieces you might need, but you'll need these items for sure.

That's it. You're ready to set up your own karaoke system. All that's left is to get busy buying your equipment.