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Karaoke Revolution is a fun karaoke video game to play on PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo GameCube. In addition to the original game, several other versions have been released, including Volume 2, Volume 3, Karaoke Revolution Party, Country, American Idol and most recently, American Idol Encore. The first microphone was a Logitech headset compatible with the PlayStations, Wii and Xbox 360. Future versions of the game came with a standardized microphone that can be used in Rock Band, Boogie and High School Musical: Sing It as well. The Karaoke Revolution for Xbox has a microphone that plugs right into the memory card port on the controller and the GameCube has a special microphone that plugs into its memory card port, although it can be used with Mario Party 6 too. If you have a SingStar microphone, then you can probably use it for the PS3 version.

If you like Rock Band or Guitar Hero, then you will have a ball with Karaoke Revolution, in which you play an on-screen character who is performing a live concert. As with any video game character, you can customize the outfits, hair color and other features to your liking. The song lyrics will scroll right-to-left at the bottom of the screen in traditional karaoke format, while a pitch arrow shows whether you are in the correct range or not. If you are singing your karaoke hits well, then the audience will cheer for you and the crowd meter will be through-the-roof! But watch out because if you are bombing, you just might get booed right off stage!

Ideally, you will score enough Karaoke Revolution points to win a diamond record (100,000 points). Each of the karaoke songs is divided into 30 to 50 phrases. A meter fills up and goes from red to green to show how well (or how poorly) you are doing. If you manage to fill the meter to green several phrases in a row, then you will create a combo and be awarded double points for your next phrases (until your phrase meter is red again). The blue meter will indicate how you are doing at holding the notes and maintaining the proper pitch. As you win points, you will receive bonuses. You’ll be able to unlock characters, outfits or songs. As with any game, there are very skill levels, allowing you the ability to beat the game in several different ways.

One downside to Karaoke Revolution is that the karaoke songs have not been leased, so they are all performed by cover bands and artists, rather than the originals. If you think this will really bug the crap out of you, then you may want to consider Sony’s Sing Star series, which features only original artists and music videos. However, Sing Star is not without faults too. Critics say this karaoke system doesn’t engage players enough because it splices so many music videos in, rather than allowing the user character creation or avatars. Also, some of their karaoke CDs are better than others, with Sing Star, Sing Star Party, Sing Star 80s and Sing Star Rocks faring very well, compared to Sing Star Abba, Sing Star Vol. 1 and Sing Star Vol. 2, which were considered “a loosely thrown together collection of what the charts say is cool, with little regard for what will make a karaoke party fun.”

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This year, the Karaoke player was voted the “#1 most irritating invention” in the British Inventors Society poll of 2,500 Brits. “Seeing the karaoke machine at the top of that list made me smile,” admits BIS director Kane Kramer. “When people are singing karaoke they are enjoying themselves, but as a member of the audience you are just watching somebody who can’t perform – and isn’t particularly pleasant to listen to – for as long as you can bear it. It is anti-social. You might have 10 people who want to sing some karaoke, which means 150 people have to suffer it.” Despite the snooty opinion of our overseas cohorts, American Idol has made the karaoke club into a cash cow and spawned an increased demand for at-home karaoke systems.

It seems everyone is claiming to have “the best karaoke player on the market.” With so many contenders, it can be hard to choose. Today, karaoke songs can be played on portable systems, DVD players, CD players, PCs and Playstation consoles. The smart karaoke system consumer should first be honest with him or herself and ask, “What am I going to use this thing for?” If it is for killer karaoke parties, then an all-in-one machine like The Song Station is the ideal choice. This amazing karaoke system has been featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, People Magazine and on NBC, and enjoys high Epinions ratings. Ranging between $207 and $259, the system has 53,000 built-in tracks from around the globe, but also accepts DVDs, special karaoke CDGs, CD+Gs, VCDs and MP3s, and plays all in high-quality Dolby Digital.

Consumers receive two free microphones, a pedestal karaoke song search unit, large speakers and additional amplifier connections. Up to ninety-nine songs can be scheduled, just like at a karaoke club, and sixty favorites can be stored for quick retrieval. This product can be purchased at www.thesongstation.com.

Another way to experience karaoke songs is to buy a karaoke player that doubles as a video game console. For instance, Playstation and XBox offer “Karaoke Revolution,” a game which lets singers belt it out with cover bands to see if they can properly match the pitches and harmonies like the pros. There are a number of different modes, allowing for duets, solos or party modes. In one particular mode, users can earn platinum and gold records, create a rock karaoke avatar, buy clothes and equipment and unlock new songs. A sing and dance mode works sort of like Dance Dance Revolution, with the added singing component. There is even an “American Idol” edition, where Paula Abdul judges the performances. The XBox edition provides access to Xbox Live, with limitless downloadable upgrades.

For kids, the GPX Karaoke Machine can be purchased from Best Buy for just $30 and will play the music, as well as the video (CD+G) and comes with a microphone. Hello Kitty also has a fun pink-and-white karaoke player for $50 that plays karaoke CDs and Barbie has a “Hits 2 Go”CD boombox for $30 or a better quality Emerson Radio Barbie CD+G system for $75, which can all be purchased at www.amazon.com. For the older kids, The Singing Machine SMG-137 Karaoke System is reasonably priced from $45 to $88 and looks more like the traditional karaoke machine, with built-in speakers, two microphone inputs, a top-load CD/CD+G drive and basic balance/echo/volume/auto voice controls.

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For those who want to sing karaoke but don’t have any music, they will likely browse online, perusing the expansive collection of CDs, CD Gs and DVDs. DKKaraoke’s collection is a great way to get started, featuring 25 discs of karaoke hits from Frank Sinatra’s “New York New York” and Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5″ to Bon Jovi’s “Bad Medicine” and U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Chartbuster offers compilation karaoke music with themes like Broadway, Pop, Country, Gospel, Kids, Disney, Christmas, Patriotic Anthems and Hot Hits Monthly. The Sound Choice Star series has karaoke CDs with more modern musicians like Pearl Jam, White Zombie, Spineshank, Tool, Godsmack, Kelly Clarkson, Kid Rock and U2. Check www.amazon.com, www.karaoke.com and www.doowop.com for more karaoke discs.

Girls and guys have their favorite karaoke hits that have withstood the test of time, so be sure to add the following favorites to your karaoke song collection. Girls like empowering songs of survival, enduring sexuality and sass. To appease these spunky vixens include such tunes as “These Boots Were Made For Walkin’” (Nancy Sinatra), “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor) “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” (Pat Benatar), “Venus” (Bananarama), “I Love Rock N Roll” (Joan Jett), “I’m Just A Girl” (No Doubt/Gwen Stefani), “Like A Virgin” (Madonna), “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” (Cyndi Lauper), “Feel Like A Woman” (Shania Twain), “You’re So Vain” (Carly Simon), “She Works Hard For The Money” (Donna Summer), “Respect” (Aretha Franklin), “Sweet Dreams” (Eurythmics), “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” (Whitney Houston), “Listen To Your Heart” (Roxette) and “Black Velvet” (Alannah Myles).

Karaoke music for guys should be fun, macho and hilarious. Fun karaoke songs for them might include “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (Guns N’ Roses), “Sharp-Dressed Man” (ZZ Top), “Werewolves of London” (Warren Zevon), “Sultans of Swing,” (Dire Straits), “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Queen) and “Celebrate” (Kool & The Gang). “Man’s man” karaoke songs might be “Girls, Girls, Girls” (Motley Crue), “You Shook Me All Night Long” (AC/DC), “You Give Love A Bad Name” (Bon Jovi), “Macho Man” (The Village People), “Baby Got Back” (Sir Mix-a-lot), “I’m Too Sexy” (Right Said Fred), “Hurt So Good” (John Mellencamp) and “Born To Be Wild” (Steppenwolf). Funny songs include “Because I Got High” (Afroman), “Billie Jean” (Michael Jackson) or “Friends In Low Places” (Garth Brooks), although the funniest karaoke songs usually aren’t intentional.

Some people like to make their own karaoke music. You can do this if you have an mp3/mp4 compatible karaoke system or if your karaoke activities are mainly online. You can transform any CD into a karaoke CD by purchasing karaoke software. Or you may buy karaoke songs at www.eztracks.com, www.buykaraokedownloads.com or www.karaoke-version.com. If you don’t care about keeping the songs but simply want to sing for free, then there are a number of karaoke communities, which can be found at www.kariokebar.com, www.redkaraoke.com, www.singsnap.com and www.ksolo.myspace.com.

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A karaoke machine is a system where amateur singers can sing along with music, sing into a microphone and sometimes following words on a screen. Some machines are comparable to DVD players or regular CD players, while others may feature all-in-one components that come with built-in speakers, a small lyrics monitor, microphones and a multi-format music playing component. The cost of karaoke systems ranges from $30 to $2,000.

So which systems are getting the most buzz? The $60 doPi Karaoke “Party in a Pod” system can turn a video iPod into a karaoke machine. Consumers will also get a microphone, a mixer box with two inputs, echo effect, video in/out ports and all cables needed to connect an iPod to the box, which plugs into the wall. A song card comes with three free downloads and many karaoke songs come with video too. This system, which has been featured by InStyle, People, Seventeen, WIRED, Mac Life, iLounge, FHM and Entertainment Magazine, as well as Good Morning America and The Early Show, can be purchased at www.dopikaraoke.com.

For consumers who would rather not buy a bulky karaoke machine to take up more space in the living room, The Leadsinger Microphone LS-3000 (available at www.leadsinger.com) has a built-in processor capable of storing 300 karaoke hits, although additional song cartridges can also be purchased. Singers simply plug the microphone into their television sets, choose the song and watch the high-resolution graphics and highlighted lyrics on their screens. For $149, this affordable karaoke solution is perfect for kids and teens who love “American Idol.”

The $199 Singing Machine Pedestal CDG Karaoke system offers a more professional singing and recording experience than the average karaoke machine. In addition to having two microphones, the system also comes with a built-in camera so singers can watch themselves on the video monitor. Additionally, the RCA output allows singers the ability to tape themselves on a VCR or DVD recorder as well. Unlike other systems that are all-vocals or no-vocals, this unit comes with Auto Voice Control so the vocals are eliminated when the singer starts to sing and returns when the singer stops singing. This function is ideal for practicing a new song. Additional features for this CD/CD G player include key, echo, balance and pitch control. Ipod-compatible systems also exist for $249. Consumers can purchase this product at www.singingmachine.com.

There are a number of places that sell the karaoke machine and karaoke equipment. Amazon, 24 Electrics, Argos, Empire Direct and Tesco are a few online retailers that have a great selection and reasonable prices. For kids, KB Toys, Toys R Us and Amazon offer karaoke machines as low as $30 that meet the basic needs. In addition to the karaoke system, consumers will need to buy CDs, DVDs, CD Gs or digital copies of karaoke songs. While most set-ups come with at least one microphone, extra microphones can be purchased. Goodmans GMM28RF Wireless Karaoke Microphone, Philips MD650 Microphone and the Singing Machine SMM108 Wireless Microphone are good bets.

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“American Idol” has increased the popularity of karaoke ten-fold. Many kids and teenagers are wondering where they can get their very own karaoke equipment to practice at home. In the eighties, when karaoke first came from Japan to America, the only answer would have been to buy a special karaoke system. However, today you can buy a karaoke machine, a karaoke microphone, a karaoke iPod adaptor, a karaoke computer program, karaoke video game or a karaoke DVD player.

You don’t have to break the bank buying home karaoke machines. For instance, the Cavs 105G DVD ($119, www.sumamic.com) comes with a microphone, remote control, audio-video cable and karaoke DVD machine that plays music CDs, DVD movies and special karaoke CD Gs. Singers will enjoy key control, voice cancel, volume control, microphone mixing and superior 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Another option is the VocoPro DVG399K ($110 at www.zzsounds.com), which works exactly the same way. Or, if you would like a professional looking karaoke system, then you can try The Singing Machine’s STVD-1001 Pedestal DVD/CDG Karaoke System with Tower Speakers ($79 at www.amazon.com), which allows you to play both CD G and DVD karaoke songs.

According to online retailer Amazon, the kid karaoke DVD offerings tend to sell best. Disney’s “High School Musical” 1 & 2, “Hannah Montana,” “Disney Radio Hits” 1 & 2, as well as “Jump & Jive with Hi-5″ and Sesame Street’s “Sesame Sings Karaoke” are all karaoke hits. For older teens and adults, Billboard released a “Top 10 Karaoke Box Set” that includes 40 songs including John Lennon, Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton and Sting, to name a few artists. Also, Party Tyme offers a multitude of karaoke songs on DVD for $13.99, with themes including: Broadway, Country, Old Country, Greatest Hits, Oldies, Pop, Rock and Love Songs. Startrax offers fun genre DVDs too, including 80s movies, 80s pop, alternative anthems, another top 20 hits, at the movies, back to school, boogie nights, classic R&B, country classics, dancing in the streets, disco classics, girls night and kids, to name a few.

Box sets are also a great way to boost your Karaoke DVD collection in a hurry. For $79, you can buy the “Hits of the Decades” DVD that includes ten DVDs spanning the fifties (Nat King Cole, Pat Boone, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Perry Como, Tony Bennett); the sixties (Simon & Garfunkel, Roy Orbison, The Beatles, Neil Diamond, Bobby Vinton, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino); the seventies (Styx, The Bee Gees, Don McLean, Kansas, Donna Summer, Elton John); the eighties (The Cars, The Bangles, Madonna, Culture Club, Bananarama, Billy Idol, Foreigner, Dire Straits, Bon Jovi, Blondie); and the nineties (Nirvana, Shania Twain, Aerosmith, U2, Sheryl Crow, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jewel, Oasis, Britney Spears). You can also buy the Singer’s Dream 18 karaoke disc box set for $149 that includes The Best of Grease, The Hits of Johnny Cash & George Jones, The Hits of Kelly Clarkson & Troy Aiken, The Hits of Gretchen Wilson, Pop Divas, Hot Pop Hits, Country Male Hits, Country Female Hits, The Hits of Avril Lavigne, Rock & Soul Classics, Karaoke Party Classics, The Best of Teen Pop, Kids Sing Christmas, Kids Christmas Favorites, Christmas Memories, Christmas Classics, Pop Christmas Party and Christmas Holiday Hits. Billboard Magazine also has a “Top 10″ box set series worth checking out.

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