Why the microphone decides everything
The most common mistake is the order. The unit has two places for microphone level, and they do different jobs: the MIC ATT. (attenuator) knob on the rear adjusts the level of the sound fed in from the MIC input — the manual states explicitly that gain varies depending on the microphone and that this knob is therefore set BEFORE use. During the performance itself you ride the microphone level with the MIC LEVEL knob on the top panel.
On top of that comes a condition many people miss: mic EQ, mic effect, TALKOVER and FEEDBACK REDUCER are, per the manual, only available when the microphone sound is output through the computer — which requires the [Microphone input] setting to be on [Effect Mode]. If the mic does not run through the computer, all four are disabled. Anyone hunting for the feedback reducer and not finding it usually has not set exactly this.
The knobs that matter
All descriptions from the device manual — the source line below names the version.
| Knob / function | What it does | When you touch it |
|---|---|---|
| MIC ATT. (attenuator) | Adjusts the level of the sound fed in from the MIC input | Once before the night. Gain varies from microphone to microphone — which is why the manual puts it BEFORE use. |
| MIC LEVEL | Microphone level on the top panel | The knob for the running night. The manual names it explicitly for use during the performance. |
| TALKOVER | Attenuates everything except the mic channel by a set amount | In [Advanced] mode only the mid range is attenuated, in [Normal] mode the whole sound except the mic channel. |
| FEEDBACK REDUCER | The unit function against feedback | Only available when the mic sound runs through the computer — [Microphone input] on [Effect Mode]. Otherwise it is disabled. |
| Master tempo | Holds the pitch when you change the speed | The rescue for a song sitting too high — alongside it a dedicated key shift function and KEY SHIFT as a pad mode. |
The key is the real rescue
The most common emergency at a karaoke night is not technical but vocal: the song sits too high. There are two tools for it. Master tempo holds the pitch of the track even when you change the playback speed — the manual describes exactly that. And there is a dedicated key shift function, plus KEY SHIFT as a pad mode.
In practice: two semitones down is often the difference between a guest who lands the chorus and one who gives up. Ask beforehand — not mid-chorus, because then the whole room hears it. And set it back before the next person steps up.
A karaoke night in 5 steps
Once before the night, then it runs. The first two steps happen while nobody is listening.
Set MIC ATT. before anyone sings
The attenuator knob adjusts the level of the sound fed in from the MIC input. Because gain varies depending on the microphone, the manual puts it BEFORE use — not in the middle of the night.
Route the mic through the computer
Mic EQ, mic effect, TALKOVER and FEEDBACK REDUCER are only available when the microphone sound is output through the computer — set [Microphone input] to [Effect Mode]. Without it all four are disabled.
Make the queue visible
A list everyone can see — on paper or on a screen. Whoever is next should know it without asking. That saves you half a night of questions at the booth and prevents arguments about the order.
Settle the key beforehand, not in the chorus
Master tempo holds the pitch even when you change playback speed; alongside it there is a dedicated key shift function. Ask before the start whether the song sits too high — two semitones often decide the whole performance.
Reset after every singer
Key back, mic level checked, talkover off. The next person should start from zero rather than fighting the previous singer’s settings — the same idea as handing over a deck cleanly.
Mistakes that tip the night over
Cranking MIC LEVEL instead of setting MIC ATT.
Never touching the attenuator means riding the wrong control all night — and being surprised when a different mic is suddenly far louder.
Mic not routed through the computer
Then EQ, effect, talkover AND feedback reducer are missing. The functions are not broken, they are disabled.
Changing the key mid-chorus
The whole room hears the change and the singer loses their footing. Asking beforehand costs five seconds.
Open mics between performances
Every open mic picks up room noise and raises the feedback risk. Muted the moment nobody is singing.
Keeping the queue in your head
It gets disputed the moment the room fills. A visible list is not bureaucracy, it is conflict avoidance.
Before the first singer
Five moves that separate an evening from a feedback concert.
MIC ATT. set per microphone
Both talked into, both levelled individually.
[Microphone input] on [Effect Mode]
Otherwise half the toolbox is missing.
Singer position decided
Behind the speakers, not in front — the most effective anti-feedback measure costs nothing.
Queue visible
Paper or screen, as long as it is not your memory.
Backing tracks analysed and cleanly named
At karaoke people search by title, not by mood — searchability matters more here than usual.
⚠️ What this page does NOT answer: the legal question. Whether a karaoke night needs to be registered, and under which tariff, is in none of the sources in our archive — and law is the area where a plausible guess does the most damage. What applies generally to public performance is in our GEMA guide; for the karaoke case itself the reliable answer is GEMA’s, not ours. The moment a solid source for it is in the archive, it will be here.
Frequently asked questions
How do I prevent feedback?
The route via the unit is the FEEDBACK REDUCER — but per the manual it is only available when the microphone sound runs through the computer ([Microphone input] on [Effect Mode]). Everything else is placement: never point the mic at the speakers, and the singer stands behind them, not in front.
Why are there two knobs for microphone level?
Because they do different jobs. MIC ATT. (attenuator) compensates for gain varying between microphones and is therefore set before use. MIC LEVEL on the top panel is the knob for the running night — the manual names exactly this split.
Can I lower a song for the singer?
Yes. Master tempo holds the pitch when you change playback speed; alongside it there is a dedicated key shift function and KEY SHIFT as a pad mode. Ask before the start — mid-chorus the whole room hears the change.
Do I need to register a karaoke night?
This page deliberately does not answer that. None of the sources in our archive says how a karaoke night is treated under the tariffs, and with law a plausible guess is worse than no answer. General points on public performance are in our GEMA guide; for the specific case the reliable answer comes from the collecting society itself.
Are two microphones enough?
For duets yes, and more than two gets unwieldy fast: every open mic raises the feedback risk and picks up room noise. Anyone needing three or four also needs someone muting them the moment nobody is singing into them.
Where do the backing tracks come from?
From the same library as your tracks — analysed, with beat grids, cleanly named. Exactly the same preparation as for a set; the difference is that here people search you by title rather than by mood. Clean searchability matters more at karaoke than at any club gig.
Foundation first
A karaoke night is a set with guests on the mic
Anyone with gain, EQ and levels under control has a microphone under control. Same foundation — just with a person in front of it.
Start for free