Glossary of Karaoke Equipment Terms
There are many terms and names of feature you will come across while shopping for or researching karaoke equipment. Many times these items are not adequately explained in the product's provided information. On this page you will find pertinent details about many of these.
Active (Powered) Speakers
AUX Input
A.V.C. (Automatic Voice Control)
CD+G
Component Video
Composite Video
Condenser Microphone
Digital Key Control
Dynamic Microphone
Echo Control
Full Range Speakers
HDMI
MP3+G
Multiplex
Passive (Non-Powered) Speakers
RCA Connections
S-Video
Scoring Function
Speakon Connections
True Diversity
TS and TRS Cable Ends
UHF and VHF
USB Device
USB Connectivity (Audio Mixer)
Vocal Cancel
Vocal Partner
XLR
Active (Powered) Speakers
Active speakers have a built-in amplifier. Some may even employ more than one amplifier. These speakers need only the audio signal from a mixer, player, microphone, etc.. and power from an electrical outlet. One of the biggest advantages of active speakers is that they eliminate the need to match speaker power handling capability with an amplifier's power output.
Many players, and all-in-one systems, have an auxiliary input feature. This allows you to input the audio from an external device such as an iPod, iPhone, mp3 player, etc.. This input is typically in the form of a 1/8" or 1/4" TRS jack. An auxiliary input may sometimes be referred to as "Line In".
A.V.C. (Automatic Voice Control)
There is a type of karaoke CD+G disc song track called "multiplex". These song tracks are split into left and right stereo channels. The left channel contains only the lead singer while the right channel contains only the music. With a balance control you are able to mix the left and right channels to allow just enough lead vocals to help you learn to sing the song. The Automatic Voice Control feature, found on some karaoke players, automatically mutes the lead vocals channel when you start to sing through the microphone. When the singer stops singing, the vocals will resume to normal.
CD+G
An acronym for Compact Disc plus Graphics, this is the most popular karaoke disc format and offers more songs than every other karaoke disc format combined. These are not video discs but rather standard audio CDs with graphics (still images and highlighted lyrics) embedded into the sound tracks. Professional karaoke hosts use this karaoke format more than any other. The audio from a CD+G disc can be played with any CD player while it takes a CD+G player to display the graphics. Virtually all karaoke disc players play CD+G discs.
Component Video (image)
This is an analog color video format that maintains the three traditional YUV video signals in separate channels. The connection comprises three RCA jacks. Most modern karaoke players and TVs offer component video connections.
Composite Video (image)
This is an analog video color format that combines all three YUV video signals into one channel. The connection is a single RCA jack color coded yellow. Many older karaoke machines would offer composite as the only video output. Most modern players and TVs still offer composite video inputs and outputs but also offer other types as well.
Condenser Microphone
These are the type of microphones most often used in recording studios. They have a much greater frequency response and transient response than dynamic microphones. They also have a louder output, are more sensitive to loud sounds, and are more fragile. Condenser microphones require a 48 volt power source. This is supplied by a mixer through the XLR mic cable and referred to as "phantom power".
Digital Key Control
This feature is found on most karaoke players and allows for the key of the audio to be lowered or raised usually in half key steps. Being digital means this is done without changing the tempo of the music.
Dynamic Microphone
Dynamic microphones are much more rugged than condenser mics. These are the handheld microphones used at karaoke. They can be wired or wireless.
Echo Control
The word "echo" can be misleading when this is almost always a reverb effect. A very strong reverb effect will produce an echo but that is not what it's designed for. Used properly the echo effect will give your vocals a nice resonance.
Full Range Speakers
These speakers can produce a full range of sound from deep bass to high treble. In PA speakers these come in the form of 2-way or 3-way configurations. Some will have a woofer (bass) plus a tweeter horn (highs) and others may also incorporate a mid range driver.
A digital interface for audio and video that provides a single-cable solution. Many modern karaoke players provide an HDMI output.
MP3+G
An acronym for MP3 plus Graphics, this is the industry standard computer karaoke file format. It is basically the compressed version of karaoke CD+G disc song tracks and is typically about one eight the file size of the original song track. When you see a professional karaoke host performing from a laptop they will most likely be playing MP3+G files. Songs in this format can be purchased on discs but their major advantage is that they can be purchased online and downloaded to your computer. Some karaoke machines will play MP3+G discs or MP3+G files from an SD card and/or USB device.
Multiplex
Multiplex is a type of karaoke CD+G disc that usually has the same songs in two separate groups. The first group usually has just the lead vocals on the left channel and just the background music on the right channel. The second group has the usual karaoke background music on both channels with no lead vocals. With Multiplex CD+G's you can use the Vocal Partner or Vocal Cancel (available on many karaoke machines) to manipulate the lead vocals.
Passive (Non-Powered) Speakers
Passive speakers need to be powered by an amplifier by means of a heavy gauge speaker cable. The program power handling capability of passive speakers should be matched with the amplifier's total power output. The rule of thumb ratio is that the amplifier should have a total power output of roughly twice the combined program power handling rating of the speakers.
RCA Connections (image)
This is a very common connection type used for both audio and video.
This is an analog color video format that combines the three YUV video signals into two channels. S-video provides a sharper image than composite video, but is not as good as component video.
Scoring Function
This feature found on some karaoke machines is more of a gimmick than something that is actually useful. Basically what it does is score how well you sing in sync with the displayed lyrics of a CD+G song. It is not an indicator of how well you sing.
Speakon Connections (image)
These inputs and cables are being used on an increasing number of amplifiers and powered mixers for connecting passive speakers. They will lock into place which eliminates an accidental disconnection.
True Diversity
This is a feature of some wireless microphone systems where the receiver has two antennas spaced a few inches apart with each antenna receiving the same signal from the transmitter. The signal strength is continuously measured by the receiver which switches to whichever antenna is receiving the stronger signal. What happens is that RF signal from the transmitter bounces off different surfaces in the room and often reflections can clash with each other detrimentally and cancel themselves out. This can cause a momentary loss in signal referred to as "dropout". A true diversity system substantially lessens the chances of this.
TS and TRS Cable Ends (image)
These are found on cables used to plug in microphones, musical instruments, and audio players. They can be either 1/8" or 1/4" diameter. TS (tip/sleeve) is a mono connection like what a microphone or guitar would use. TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) is a stereo connection like would be required with an audio input from a stereo audio source (iPod, mp3 player, etc.).
UHF and VHF
These are radio frequencies. Virtually all wireless microphones use one of these. The principal advantage of UHF over VHF is its broader frequency spectrum which reduces the odds of interference. UHF also is less likely to experience interference from electrical equipment. The biggest reason why people have chosen VHF microphones is because they are less expensive than like quality UHF models. Now that UHF has become so popular the price difference is not near what it used to be.
Many modern karaoke players offer a USB port just like those found on a computer. These will accept devices like a USB thumb drive and sometimes even a USB hard drive. Various file formats (determined on the player) can be played from these devices. They may also be used for saving recordings to.
USB Connectivity (Audio Mixer)
If available, this is the best option for connecting a mixer to a computer. This bi-directional connection will allow you to input a digital quality signal to the mixer and also return the main mix to the computer for making high quality recordings.
Vocal Cancel
This is a feature of some karaoke players that works with
multiplex discs. It is a button that will cancel out the side of the stereo that contains the lead vocals.
Vocal Partner
This is a feature of some karaoke players that works with
multiplex discs. Like Vocal Cancel it will cancel out the side of the stereo that contains the lead vocals but it does this only while you are singing into the microphone. When you stop singing the lead vocals will return.
A three pronged connection that can be used for balanced mono or unbalanced stereo. Typically used for microphone connections, they can reduce the chance of interference from long cables and supply phantom power (from a mixer) to condenser microphones. XLR cables are also often used to connect a mixer to active (powered) speakers.
