The term karaoke comes from the Japanese word karaoke, which means “empty orchestra.” Professional musicians are hired to recreate the original instrumental and backing vocal tracks of popular songs, after which producers add lyrics graphics. These lyrics can be read on a television monitor amateur singers performing in front of an audience or in the privacy of their own homes. A karaoke machine is the piece of hardware that allows for this type of playback.
Only a small number of people could afford a karaoke machine when it first became popular in Japan and then the United States. These early professional models were intended for use in nightclubs and other public places, not for everyday use in the home. However, as karaoke’s popularity grew in the 1980s, electronics manufacturers began to release the first models for home use. The first home karaoke machine was little more than a standard boom box stereo with a microphone feed, but it allowed users to sing along with the radio playing special karaoke cassette tapes.
CDs with graphics capability (CD+G) replaced the earlier cassettes as karaoke technology improved. In the 1990s, a karaoke machine would most likely include a cassette player, a radio, and a CD player with additional software for reading graphics. On higher-end models, a small television monitor may be included, or the machine may have external plugs that connect to a standard television screen. The concept remained the same: the singer chose a song from the disk, and the lyrics appeared on the screen as a guide.
Many karaoke singers today are looking for the best karaoke machine models on the market for serious performers. Microphones are frequently used in professional soundboards to improve sound balance and vocal quality. The boom box’s small speakers have been replaced with 50 amp speakers that can handle even the loudest vocalists. The new karaoke machine, which can be used for both personal and commercial purposes, resembles a DVD player. Several CD+G disks can be placed in multiple trays, reducing the amount of time spent switching between options. The original pitch can be raised or lowered several keys in either direction using an electronic key changer.