Subject: 
Back in March Dr. Pepper promised a free can of the soft drink should Guns N' Roses issue its delayed LP "Chinese Democracy" before the close of 2008. So guess what? I guess my next hit of caffeine will be free, cou ...
Red Karaoke Help
- What is Red Karaoke?
- How does Red karaoke work ?
- What technology do I need to use Red Karaoke ?
- Important tips for singing in Red Karaoke
- Troubleshooting
- Where can I edit my profile?
- Where can I see all my recordings, favorite users, private messages, my fans, etc.?
- How can I upload new karaoke files?
- What is a .kar file? How can I get them or make my own karaoke files with the songs I like?
- I uploaded a karaoke file or recording and it has disappeared!
- Tricks for improving the sound and for special recordings
- Rankings and the Average evaluation by users
- Rules for getting along with others on Red Karaoke
- Rules for the recording of videos
- Only my voice can be heard
- The karaoke file does not download to my computer
- The microphone does not record
- The volume of my microphone is very low
 |
I can only hear my voice |
| The karaoke file doesn't load | |
| Microphone needs to be sound-tested | |
| Microphone level needs to be adjusted |
Red Karaoke is a free online karaoke service over the Internet . Internauts can choose a song from the Red Karaoke database, sing it and record it, entirely through the network browser and without having to install a karaoke program in their computers. All a user has to do to be able to record a song is register for free on Red Karaokeand use a microphone for the recording .
The song, once recorded, will be available to all internauts, who can reproduce it, vote on the performance and add comments or send messages to the singer. The vote total will generate listings and rankings of the best singers .
so that if an internaut cannot find the song he or she wants to sing on the Internet, he can load his .kar file and then record the song to be added as one more tune. Kar files uploaded to the system by users are instantly available to other users of Red Karaoke. This is precisely what is meant by the concept of a network: it is a website made up of all of us karaoke enthusiasts .
The way Red Karaoke works is very simple, since there are many ways to find a karaoke song and sing it. On the main page users can find all of the songs the system has through subject directories organized by genre, language, type of song and even by decade. At the home page, furthermore, are lists of the most popular songs, of the users who have received the most votes, the words most searched for and the recordings with the highest ratings among all recordings submitted.
The other way to find songs is to use the keyword search engine, which is available on every page of the site, which allows users to search by the artist who made a song famous, or by title. The search engine also makes it possible to locate other registered users, or search in the blog or the forum .
All users, whether they are registered or not, can listen to karaoke files or recordings done by other users, but in order to be able to vote, publish comments or record your own songs, you must register. Registration is absolutely free and anyone can sign up with ease.
Once a song is selected and the user clicks on it, access is given to the page for that song, where all of the info rmation the system has about it can be found: title, length, author, singer who made it famous, genres to which it belongs, who uploaded the song, recordings made, etc .
On this same page the Red Karaoke player is loaded, the heart of the system, that makes it possible to listen to karaoke and/or start recording if the user has connected a microphone to his computer. The way the player works is completely standard, with buttons for play, pause, stop, record and volume control .
As soon as the play or record button is pressed, the reproduction of the karaoke file begins and at the same time the lyrics of song are displayed .
What technology do I need to use Red Karaoke ?
Java
In order to be able to use Red Karaoke 100% all you need is a computer with Java software (http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp) installed , since the player (which lets you hear and record your songs) works with this technology. Also, the first time you want to record a song the system will ask you if you will accept the installation of a small library so Red Karaoke can record the sound from your card, mixing the sound of your microphone with the karaoke music. This installation only happens the first time. It is completely automatic, and just takes a few seconds.
Make a point of having the latest version of Java software installed on your computer (http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp). It is free, and everything will work better .
Be patient when loading the Red Karaoke player, especially the first time, because if you do anything while it is loading, it may not work properly and could cause you problems. For more info rmation on trouble shooing , read our tips .
Operating systems: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, etc.
Using Java makes Red Karaoke compatible with just about any operating system (Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Unix…) and with any browser (Explorer, Mozilla…). However, at the moment, the library needed in order to be able to record is only available for Windows. This means that computers that do not use this operating system can use the whole Red Karaoke, (listen to karaoke files, recordings by other users, etc.) but for the present will not be able to record songs themselves. We are now working on developing libraries so that users with operating systems other than Windows will also be able to record their songs.
Users who have Windows Vista can make recordings on Red Karaoke, but owing to a defect in this Microsoft operating system, these recordings may have a delay between the voice and the music. For this reason, you need to make a small manual adjustment to the audio settings for Windows Vista in order to enable Stereo Mixer. In this tutorial video the way to perform this adjustment is explained. Once the configuration is adjusted, recording can be done completely normally.
Microphones
To make recordings on Red Karaoke you need to use a microphone connected to the computer . The system is prepared for any kind of microphone, either with a USB jack or a standard jack, but we recommend using a microphone with a standard jack, and if possible, one of good quality.
A good piece of advice to improve the sound of the vocal when you want to make a recording is to do sound tests. If it sounds good from the outset, that's great, but if it does not sound good, you will need to tweak the audio settings on your computer.
If your voice cannot be heard on the recording, it is possible that your mike is muted, or that its volume is too low. To change this, go to volume control on your computer , click on the menu for "Options -> Properties, and select the button for Recording. In the dropdown box that opens, check to see if the microphone is activated. Press OK and when you leave the panel, check that the microphone is not muted and that the volume is very high.
Then do the same with the button for Playback" : check to see that the mike is activated on the list and in the dialogue box make sure it is not muted and that the volume is very high.
Once all of this is done, try making a recording on Red Karaoke. If you are not happy with it, try different tests with the volume level on the mike until you are fully satisfied. With any luck, you'll only need to do this once!
Important tips for singing on Red Karaoke
- Before recording your song, first listen at least once to the whole song you have chosen, so you can become familiar with the lyrics and the key, since there may be several different keys depending on the karaoke tune selected .
- Don't keep your mouth too close to the microphone to avoid catching the sound of your breathing and so that the mike does not feed back .
- Before recording, make sounds tests to ascertain that the music and the voice are being recorded at the proper volume and there is no noise. If there is too much noise, or if something is not working properly, adjust your audio settings. For more info rmation, visit the section on Troubleshooting.
- It is better to record using headphones , because if the music is played through the speakers, it is quite likely that it will feed back and the audio will be poor .
- Never have two windows open in the player at the same time.
- Before saving your recording on Red Karaoke, listen to what you have sung, in case there has been some sort of problem. If something is not right, it is best to go back and try once more, so as to ensure the quality of the recording.
- Once you have recorded your song, send your friends a message so they can hear it, vote for you and send you comments.
Most of the problems you may have with Red Karaoke will be due to the player through which you listen to the karaoke files and make recordings. Most of the time, by following these recommendations, you will be able to solve the problems that do come up if your player is not working:
- Close all windows in your browser and start from zero. Let the player load completely, if in some way you interrupt the loading of the software it is likely to cause you problems and not function properly. If it continues not to work, try restarting the computer.
- Never use two windows with the player open at the same time.
- Update the version of Java software installed in your computer. The more current the version, the better it will work.
- Some .kar karaoke files may not function properly in Red Karaoke because of the way they are made. If you come across a file that does not function properly or does not load the way it is supposed to, try other files to ascertain whether the problem is in your computer. If the file is the source of the problem, let us know through the alert icon that goes with each song, and we will take care of it .
If your problem is that YOUR MICROPHONE CANNOT BE HEARD
Once you have done all this, try to make a recording on Red Karaoke. If you do not like the way it sounds, do several tests with the mike volume until you are completely satisfied. It is useful to remember the settings selected, because there are some programs that can change the configuration when using your PC, which make it necessary to go through the process all over again .
If the Red Karaoke player loads properly and you can see the lyrics, BUT CANNOT HEAR THE MUSIC
If your PROBLEM IS WITH THE RECORDING OF THE MUSIC (cannot be heard, has echoes )
Every PC and every sound card is different, so that it may happen that after following these instructions, you do not manage to fix the problem. If this is the case, we suggest you ask other users who have most likely been through the same thing and would be happy to help you. To do this, leave your query in the Red Karaoke Forum .
If when you record songs, the MUSIC AND THE VOICE SOUND OUT OF SYNC WITH EACH OTHER, such as with a delay, your problem may have two possible sources:
One, that you are using a microphone to sing that has a USB jack. These mikes do not work well with Red Karaoke, which is why we recommend that you use a mike with a standard jack.
Two, that you are connected from a PC with Windows Vista : owing to a defect in this Microsoft operating system, these recordings can have a lag between the voice and the music. Because of this, you need to make a small manual adjustment to the audio settings for Windows Vista. Once the settings are adjusted, recording can be done completely normally.
All registered users of Red Karaoke have a public page including the info rmation in their profile. If they wish, they can include biographical info rmation, the link to their personal home page, a photo, their occupation and hobbies, where they live, and so on In this way, other users can find them on Red Karaoke and send them messages, listen to their recordings, etc.
To edit the info rmation in your profile, you must click on the tab My Karaoke in the browser menu.
Once you log in, you will find that you can modify your entire profile, your password, and other functions on this page , as well as accessing all of the info rmation on your activities in Red Karaoke.
Where can I see all my recordings, favorite users, private messages, my fans, etc. ?
In the section My Karaoke, registered users can access all information on their activities on Red Karaoke. They can access a list of their recordings, of the .kar files that they have uploaded onto the system, the list of their favorite songs, their favorite singers, their fans (users who have included them as favorites), their private messaging service, etc.
How can I upload new karaoke files ?
To upload a new karaoke file onto the network and then be able to listen to it or make recordings with it, go to the page uploading new karaoke files which is always available on the browser menu for Red Karaoke.
In order to be able to upload a file, you must be registered and logged in. But once you are on that page you only need to fill out the form with the info rmation for the song you are going to upload, and you can make the file right away while it's uploading. The more info rmation you provide on the karaoke file, the easier it will be later for other users to find it and be able to use it as well.
One other thing, before uploading a new file, check to see that it is not already available on Red Karaoke so you can avoid wasting time. Also check to make sure that it has the lyrics for the song (files without lyrics will be deleted).
VERY IMPORTANT : Keep in mind that Red Karaoke only accepts karaoke files with the extension .kar. Before uploading it onto the system, make sure it is a .kar file, and have it ready in your PC.
What is a .kar file? How can I get them or make my own karaoke files with the songs I like ?
Files with the extension .kar are the files most frequently used for singing karaoke on a computer. Their advantages are that they take up very little space (they do not weigh much, just a few kilobytes), they are easy to make and there are thousands of them on the Internet. As a matter of fact, KAR files are a modified form of MIDI files. Their official title is "MIDI karaoke files (.kar), and they consist of a MIDI file to which a song's lyrics have been added. More information about KAR files can be found here.
On the Internet there are many thousands of KAR files of your favorite songs. If you want to upload a new karaoke song onto Red Karaoke, we suggest that you use a search engine such as Google or Yahoo, or use a download program such as Emule. You can search for the title of the song you want or for the singer, adding the word "karaoke" or "kar. Also, before going out and looking for a song, check to see whether it is already available on Red Karaoke, to save time, and above all to be sure that it is free of copyright restrictions.
I uploaded a karaoke file or recording and it has disappeared !
If you have uploaded one or several files to Red Karaoke, or if you have saved a recording and soon notice that it has disappeared, the most likely thing is that one of the administrators of the website has decided to delete it. The reasons for deleting a file or recording are as follows :
- The karaoke file does not work. There are .kar files that may be corrupt and not function properly, and there are also people who mistakenly upload midi and even MP3 files to the system which do not work on Red Karaoke. They are all deleted sooner or later.
- The file is a duplicate. It does not matter to us if there are several .kar files for the same song, because they may be different: in different keys, with or without a vocal guide, with different versions of the same song But if we determine that there are two files that are exactly the same, we delete the one most recently added.
- The recording does not include a vocal. If a recording only reproduces the music and the vocal is not recorded, why keep it? It takes up space in servers, and other users will waste time listening to an empty song. And so we erase it.
- A recording sounds bad. We have a very high tolerance in this regard, but if a recording really does sound bad, or is unpleasant to listen to, we usually decide to delete it.
- A recording contains indecent expressions or insults. From time to time someone will decide instead of singing to leave unpleasant messages or insults. Needless to say, we erase these songs as soon as we find them.
Remember that if a recording or file is erased, everything associated with it is also erased: comments, votes and recordings. The same will happen if you erase one of your recordings, so keep this in mind.
Tricks for improving the sound and for special recordings
With time and practice, little by little you will get to improve your recordings on Red Karaoke. But if you would like to make better recordings from the very start, enhancing their quality, we recommend that you visit this tutorial in which you receive a detailed and illustrated explanation of how to do this.
One thing that some members of Red Karaoke enjoy quite a lot is to record duets with other users. At present it is not possible to record duets over distance, but we are working on it.
Rankings and the Average evaluation by users
Each member of Red Karaoke who makes recordings on a page will have an average evaluation of his activities in his profile on that page. Based on this average evaluation, the user will have a position in the different rankings of the Red Karaoke. The elements that go into this average evaluation and the makeup of the rankings are explained here. In this other article the answers to FAQs about the rankings, can be found, and here the rules on how to vote on Red Karaoke are available.
Rules for getting along with others on Red Karaoke
Red Karaoke is a very large community of people with many thousands of members, and therefore certain minimal rules for getting along have become necessary. It is best for you to read them before signing up on the network to avoid any possible problems . You can find these rules, including what you should do in the event of a problem, here.
