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Karaoke Microphone Tips and Tricks

• Placement:

  The part with the screen on it is the one you sing into. (Ouch, Who threw that?)
  
  Seriously, though, most people will have the microphone no closer than 3 inches (7.5cm) away from the mouth and pointed more towards the area between your chin and lower lip. The placement may vary depending on the strength of your voice but you don't want to go closer than about 2 inches. Moving the microphone slightly out of the direct path of the sound from your mouth will reduce some of the 'pops' and 'hisses' you make when you pronounce the P sounds and S sounds.
   

• Holding the Microphone

  Cupping your hand over the microphone (Like you would a telephone when you don't want the person on the other end to hear you) is a very bad thing to do unless you WANT to fry your eardrums with the feedback. The long handle is there for a reason. You hold the microphone on the body - away from the head - and allow the tool to do it's job effectively.
   

• Vocal Techniques

  If you watch your favourite singers on a live performance (when they're not lip-synching) there is a pattern you can follow. As they sing louder and more powerfully they move the microphone a little farther away from them. This allows the sound to be at a relatively steady volume and the power you are projecting will come through a lot more clearly with no distortion.
  
  When singing a sustained note (Such as that mammoth one at the end of 'All Out Of Love' by Air Supply) start with the microphone farther away and bring it in towards you gradually. Your note will have a more clear and steady quality than if you hold the microphone in one place.
  
  We don't expect you to be perfect on your first attempts at microphone control but a little effort will go a long way.
   

• Playing with the Microphone

  If you are using a microphone with a leash (or cord) please do not swing it around by the cord. It looks 'cool' in the videos but I can guarantee you that they're not using that mic or cord for a live performance. The reasons for this are:
  
  SAFETY: The microphone plugs do allow for quite a good connection to the cord but they're not checked after each and every singer. Should the mic come off the cable for some reason there may be a rather large and somewhat ticked audience member coming to find you in a hurry. Not to mention the host who has to replace a costly microphone and cable.
  
  SOUND QUALITY: Swinging the microphone by the cord degrades the quality of transmission through the cord. We do our best to make your singing sound as good as possible but if the equipment is damaged it's exponentially more difficult to do.
  
  The cordless microphones are there as a convenience to you so your performance isn't tied to a small area. These microphones are not the cheapest things on the planet so please make sure you have a good grip on them. Placing them into your beer pitcher or watching them roll off the table is not a great idea if you wish to sing. Abuse of the equipment is one of the few things that will ensure your turn in the rotation is forfeit.
   

• Testing the Microphone

  Tapping the microphone with your finger may be followed shortly thereafter by the sound engineer thumping your head with a bat. If you want to test it, speak or sing into it. That's what it's supposed to pick up, after all.
  
  Screaming into the microphone at the top of your lungs when it's touching your lips is the surest way to never have your microphone turned up again. Why? It can damage the microphone, speakers, amplifiers and the eardrums of your audience. Have some courtesy and move the microphone farther away if you must scream.

This concludes our quick introduction to the Karaoke Microphone. Practicing these tips will help you attain a much better sound when performing Karaoke.

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