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Computer Times
Editor's Choice Music
LS-3700 Complete Karaoke System
The LS-3700 Complete Karaoke System (Retail $149.95), from LEADSINGER should be labeled as a "party in a box!" Are you a "ham?" Or does "wall flower" better describe you? Either way, this inclusive, completely portable (but not wireless) microphone is THE karaoke player for all ages to use and enjoy. Talk about plug and play! When you plug this microphone directly into your TV / stereo system, you have lyrics and music on screen for 300 built-in songs. You'll be playing so hard and having so much fun with your family and friends that you will forget you're shy or can't carry a tune in a bucket.
The song selection includes popular, contemporary, traditional, holiday and children's songs. Everything is built right into the microphone's key pad. Just use the pad to select the songs, adjust microphone or music volume, guide melody, guide musical instrument, key pitch, speed tempo, echo, scoring, or even a fun-filled random play Singing Game that allows you to match your talent against another player.
When you open the box you will find the LS-3700 microphone with 300 built-in songs, a cable that hooks into your TV input jacks, a song list book, and an AC adapter. Optional items include a high-fidelity wireless remote duet microphone, carrying bag, and a variety of additional song cartridges ranging from $49.95 to $149.95).
During our Editor's Choice review, we tested the LS-3700 Complete Karaoke System in our office and in a couple of private homes. No matter where we tested this system, it was an instant hit. The list of 300 songs seemed to have something for everyone, from gospel to rock to country to kid's songs and holiday favorites. Every age person in our test groups (ages 4 through 59) quickly learned how to use the system and did not want to give it up after singing the first song.
The setup is very simple: Plug in the AC adapter (which is at the same end of the microphone cable that attaches to your television); plug in the video lead and two audio leads to your TV set; turn on the unit by pressing the power button on the microphone; select an AV channel, and you are up and running.
The first screen you see on your television set is the LEADSINGER logo screen (shown above left). When you click on Select Song, you are taken to the song list (shown above right) to select from the 300 built-in songs. Here you can simply scroll down the list using the up and down buttons on the microphone or you can type in a number on the microphone number pad to go directly to a particular song. While the system comes with a song book that lists all of the built-in songs, we intentionally did not have the song book available during our tests since books seem to always be somewhere else when you need them. Even without the book, our testers were able to find the song they wanted within a few seconds.
When you select your song, the system gives you a count down to help you get ready for the song. During this time you will see the first two verses on the screen (shown above left). As the words are highlighted you are expected to sing each word. When you are through with the song, a score will appear (shown above right). If you are exactly on the proper timing and pitch, including the duration of the note, it is possible to get a score of 100. The higher scores will earn you an applause, while the lower scores will get you encouraging or somewhat sarcastically humorous remarks. This feature was addicting as all wanted to keep singing until they got a higher score. Getting a high score is not as easy as it sounds. During our tests, both adults and children got scores as low as four. That's right, a 4! After a few practice rounds on the same song, they were able to get their score up past 50.
One of the nicest features of this karaoke system is the way the words are presented on the screen. They are large and very readable by even the poorest eyes, plus you always have the next verse displayed on the screen so you can look and think ahead to get your timing right on. This is especially important for fast tempo songs. The only criticism we had from our testers is that there seemed to be an incorrect word in many of the songs. We suspect this has more to do with copyright issues than typos. This did not seem to affect the enthusiasm of our testers, young or old. Our biggest problem during our tests was retrieving the system at the end of the test. Everyone wanted to keep using it as long as we could possibly allow, especially when we were testing the Singing Game feature where they compete against each other.
The LS-3700 Complete Karaoke System, from LEADSINGER, offers great entertainment for anyone from 5 to 105. This is a well designed system that delivers a lot of bang for the buck. If the 300 songs that are included with the initial package get old or you just want to branch out, song chips that have only gospel tunes, or rock and roll oldies, or just about any other genre are also available. But beware: Your main problem with this system is getting your turn to sing your favorite song!
For all of you techies, the full specs are listed below.
Below is a list of the song cartridges available from LEADSINGER's Web site.
Click here to purchase the LS-3700 Complete Karaoke System for more than 25% off its retail price.