Karaoke Bay Introduction
This information section is all about the Karaoke Bay collection of CDGs.
At Karaoke Info, we understand that new karaoke discs are few and far between nowadays. Those heady days when boatloads of karaoke discs came off the production line are long gone. Indeed, many different karaoke firms were on the bandwagon.
However, CDG collectors are still trickling into the karaoke scene and need information about various karaoke manufacturers.
At Karaoke Info, we list both old and new manufacturers. Collectors are constantly seeking information about the quality of karaoke discs. Therefore, we will continue to help all collectors with information and reviews.
Karaoke CDG With Guide Vocals
The Karaoke Bay people produced discs with guide vocals like many other makers. Some discs are 8+8, meaning they have eight conventional karaoke tracks and eight with guide vocals. However, there are some 4+4 CDGs as well.
While many people like this situation, most don’t. These discs don’t represent value for money to new karaoke disc collectors. However, some find the guide vocal tracks help them learn a particular song. It is down to what your requirements are.
We found a lot of Karaoke Bay discs for sale all over the internet**. Indeed, we found Karaoke Bay discs, from very cheap to standard-priced, mint-condition discs. Some were still available, complete with cellophane wrappers!
** Search conducted in October 2014
Karaoke Bay Discs
We will list all the Karaoke Bay disc ID numbers (prefixes) we know to exist. If you know of others, send us the details. We would need a tracklisting, together with some images.
After inspecting the Karaoke Bay disc prefixes, it is clear that there are gaps. However, if we add discs to our list, we need clarification that the ‘missing’ discs exist.
Generally speaking, we found the disc prefix numbers were confusing with eight digits. However, this is how all karaoke jockeys (KJs) who sent in information had them in their songbooks. Indeed, you will note that they all end with the number 2.
Karaoke Bay Review
After starting the song, you will see a white screen. Soon after, a colourful motif or logo appears overlaid on the top of a microphone. That is the old URL address of the karaoke manufacturer, karaokebay.com. You will also see the song title. Some splash screens display the artist and the song’s duration, but both are decent.
The background and on-screen lyrics have different colour schemes. Of course, that depends on the song. Be that as it may, all our sample tracks were perfectly legible.
The choice of backing music was excellent. The synchronisation with the music and lyrics was spot on at times. However, some tracks had a slight lag with the music and lyrics. That is hardly noticeable if you know the song well, of course.
The artwork on both the sleeves and CDGs is excellent. Indeed, they make you want to pick them up to play them!
Karaoke Song Sample
Although we may use numerous songs for the review, we only provide one sample video to represent the label. So, the song sample for our video presentation is KBA21722-08 – Pearl Jam – Last Kiss.
Our Verdict
- On-screen Lyrics: 4
- Music Content: 4.5
- Splash Screen, Graphics, Video: 3.5
- Cover Art: 5
- Overall Average: 4.25
- Music And Lyrics Average: 4.25
We gave this collection 4 out of 5 in the rating system below. You can also vote for these, even if you don’t have the discs or tracks. Indeed, all you need to do is watch our presentation video above and judge that.
Desirability Factor
The Karaoke Info team likes this label, even if the prefixes are hard to remember.
The music was fine and dandy, and the on-screen lyrics synced well enough, if slightly behind on occasions. However, this was not too much of an issue with the tracks used in our test.
If you can find these discs cheap enough, they are well worth it. You can easily use them at a karaoke gig, or they will be decent for home use.
To Sum Up
These Karaoke Bay discs end with a number 2 and are too long. That makes the prefixes hard to remember. Those long numbers make it slightly challenging to recognise a favourite disc. That is because it adds that extra number to the disc’s identity.
The ‘average’ human can comfortably remember five numbers and letters in a row. But, after five, we tend to forget things. So, keeping the karaoke disc prefix numbers down to a minimum should have been a priority. However, most KJs have them this way we list them.
That said, it shouldn’t distract us from the overall aim of Karaoke Info. That is, to find out which set of karaoke discs is worth chasing up to buy.
Most of the Karaoke Info team seems to like these CDGs. If you have any, please consider making a comment or two. That will help others decide whether to buy them or not.
It’s the quality of the music and on-screen lyrics that concern us. But, if you know more about the company, leave a comment below.
So, if you have any experience with Karaoke Bay CDGs, we all want to know—seriously! With so many karaoke labels, we want to establish whether we should accept or reject them. We are also looking to eliminate dupes!
Work The Markets
If you know how to work the marketplace, you can get these CDGs much cheaper! For example, eBay is a great place to look for these discs. Don’t bid higher than you should, though. After all, they will reappear if you miss them the first time.
Just remember that there is no substitute for quality. So, weigh up what you know about these karaoke discs with the cost. Remember that some have guide vocals, so you don’t get many unique tracks that way. Of course, the ultimate aim is to acquire the best-quality karaoke collection at a cheaper price.
Karaoke Bay Songbook
You now have information about the CDGs and the opinions of others. However, now, you will need the tracklisting for Karaoke Bay. As ever, we have this on the next page. In short, click the link below for the songbook.
Rate The Karaoke Bay Karaoke Label
Rate Karaoke Bay using the star rating system below. You can also comment about this karaoke collection. However, why not take advantage of our effective star-rating system? Your vote still counts, even without commenting!
Overall Rating
The ratings here represent your score and our score combined. So, make sure you have your say.
Independent Reviews
The following reviews are independent and not necessarily the views of the Karaoke Info staff. However, they may help you decide whether to buy or avoid them.
Official Review By Bobby: Karaoke Bay
Hi, my name is Bobby, and I conducted the original karaoke review above. Whether you agree or disagree, you can leave your review below.
Average!
I don’t think that I will chase after these CDGs.
Just four stars from me.
I think Karaoke Bay deserves four stars because they are not perfect. They do the job, but their numbering system is terrible.
Not perfect!
I don’t like the disc prefixes! How can anyone remember those!
They work well. What more can I say!
Leave A Review
Leave your thoughts and opinions about this karaoke label here. Before doing that, please use the yellow star rating button and give marks out of five. There is also a comments section below for other remarks.
Sterling/UAV, the company producing Karaoke Bay, went out of business in 2006. UAV was primarily a VHS company that distributed everything from Disney films to Karaoke Bay CDGs. After 2006, the website was parked and then squatted.
A friend of mine got ahold of KBA33872, and I just ran through some of the tracks. My overall impressions are as follows.
The overall sound seems accurate, but not high-end studio-quality sound. The instruments are pretty authentic, but it sounds about the same as if a local garage band went to a cheaper local studio to produce an album. It is more “raw” and unpolished than the originals, but not a bad sound overall.
Backup vocals seem to take a minimalist approach. There aren’t a lot of them, but the singers are spot-on when present.
I couldn’t tell off the top of my head if the key or tempo of the songs were accurate, but they seemed close to me.
I’d give this a 6 or 7 out of 5, but I will round up to 7 overall. This label appears dirt-cheap, used or new on Amazon and eBay.
Thanks for this honest review, ctlw83. We always appreciate your views, as you have made several comments about the karaoke labels. However, we now have a system using only five stars.
While I have several Karaoke Bay discs, and I like most of them, there are some outstanding ones. My favourite is Crazy by Patsy Cline, and that song is on more than one disc.
The company did go under in 2006, but they are not a bad buy, in my opinion.