Karakan MIDI karaoke editor
(version 9.6)

Karakan is a free and easy to use editor for creating MIDI karaoke files. It runs under Microsoft Windows. You can enter the lyrics of a song as text in Song Text Format. From the lyrics and a given MIDI file (.mid), Karakan makes a karaoke file (.kar). You can test the karaoke file using Karakan's internal playing facilities, or using an external karaoke player, which can be started from Karakan.

Karakan's features include:

• • Easy entering of song lyrics as text (in Song Text Format).

  • Automatic hyphenation of the song text for several languages.

  • Playing facilities: playing from the beginning of the karaoke file or from the current line in the song text.

  • Creating karaoke files either as Soft Karaoke file (for use with a karaoke player) or as MIDI file with lyrics (for use with keyboards).

  • Creating and playing part-songs (songs that contain multiple vocal parts), with up to four vocal parts.

  • Support for including and displaying chords (in Yamaha's XF format).

  • Support for Unicode characters in karaoke files (for creating karaoke files in languages like Chinese or Japanese).

  • Support for right-to-left karaoke.

  • Option to manage the output latency of a virtual MIDI Out device, such as VirtualMIDISynth, to ensure that karaoke text highlighting and music remain synchronized. 

What's new in version 9?

• • Easier creation of MIDI files with lyrics. These files can now be created without having to use the "export" option.

  • New format for time codes, melody track switch codes, and vocal part codes. The new format uses square brackets, which is the same as for inserting chords.

  • Support for dark mode (from version 9.5). 

Karakan is freeware. It may be used and distributed under the terms of this license agreement.

• • Karakan version 9.6 (installer)

    • MIDI karaoke editor.

    • If you can't use the installer, you can download the Karakan 9.6 ZIP file instead. Unzip it (for example, into your Documents folder) and run karakan.exe.

  • KPlay version 6.2 (installer)

    • Karaoke player that can play karaoke files with Unicode characters, right-to-left text, and multiple vocal parts (part-songs; up to four vocal parts).

    • If you can't use the installer, you can download the KPlay 6.2 ZIP file instead. Unzip it (for example, into your Documents folder) and run kplay.exe.

If you don't have a MIDI karaoke player yet, try one of the following:

• folksKJ
  This karaoke player also supports Unicode karaoke files created with Karakan. The author of this player has created a YouTube video tutorial on how to use Karakan.

• vanBasco's Karaoke Player
  The original vanBasco website is closed, but you can find instructions for downloading a copy of this great karaoke player on CoolSoft's website. Note that this karaoke player does not support Unicode karaoke files created with Karakan.

CoolSoft's VirtualMIDISynth is an excellent alternative if you're unhappy with the poor MIDI playback quality of the default Windows Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth. VirtualMIDISynth can be used as a standard MIDI Out device, allowing you to easily utilize soundfonts to enhance playback quality. Both Karakan and KPlay provide an option to manage the output latency of this virtual device to ensure that karaoke text highlighting and music remain synchronized.