The lyrics window is the part of vanBasco you actually look at while you sing, so ten minutes spent customizing it pays off in every session afterwards. The window is highly adjustable for a 2004 program: you can change the font, colours and background, control how many lines are shown, resize it, or take it full-screen so the words fill the display. This guide works through each setting in the order that makes the biggest readability difference first.
Start with font size and line count
Font size decides whether you can sing from the sofa or have to lean towards the screen. Increase the size until the current line is comfortably readable from your normal singing position, not from your desk chair. Then set the number of displayed lines. Fewer lines with larger text suits a TV across the room and singers who only need the current and next line. More lines suits learning a new song, because you can see the verse structure coming. There is no single correct setting — there is only the setting that matches your room, your screen and your eyesight, which is why vanBasco leaves it to you.
- Play a familiar song so you can judge timing and readability at the same time.
- Raise the font size in steps, checking from your singing position after each change.
- Adjust the line count down if the text feels crowded, up if you keep being surprised by the next line.
- Sing one full verse before saving your judgement — menus always look clearer than real use.
Choose colours for contrast, not decoration
Lyrics are read at a glance, mid-phrase, often in a dim room. High contrast beats pretty colours every time. Dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background both work; mid-tone text on a mid-tone background fails in every room. Pay attention to the difference between the already-sung, currently-sung and upcoming text if your theme distinguishes them: the current line should be the most obvious thing on the screen, because that is the line your eye needs to find fastest when you glance up from the room.
Background images: use them carefully
vanBasco lets you place a background image behind the lyrics. A subtle, dark, low-detail image can make a party display feel less stark. A busy holiday photo will fight the text for attention and lose you words. If you use an image, choose one with even tones, increase the font weight or size to compensate, and re-check readability with the room lights in the state you will actually sing in — party lighting is rarely office lighting. For group sessions where several people sing along, plain backgrounds are usually the kinder choice for anyone with weaker eyesight.
Resize, move and go full-screen
The lyrics window can be resized and positioned independently of the other windows. On a single monitor, a wide, short lyrics strip across the top or bottom of the screen leaves room for the playlist and controls. On a second display or TV, full-screen lyrics are the cleanest option: one window, nothing else, words as large as the screen allows. Full-screen is also the fastest fix when a mixed-age group is singing, because it maximizes text size without any other setting changes. The full-screen TV and projector guide linked below covers cabling, display modes and party layout in depth.
A practical preset routine
Once you find settings you like, keep them stable for a few sessions before tweaking again. Constantly changing fonts makes it harder to judge whether a new song is genuinely hard to follow or your layout changed. If several people in the household sing, agree on one shared layout optimized for the weakest eyes in the room. It is easier for a confident singer to adapt to large, clear text than for a struggling singer to adapt to small, stylish text.
Well-set lyrics will not fix a file with badly timed words, or a plain .mid with no lyrics at all. If the text itself drifts against the music after your layout is sorted, use the sync troubleshooting guide; if no words appear at all, use the missing-lyrics guide. Layout first, file problems second — that order saves a lot of misdiagnosis.
Good habits that make this stick
Guides are only useful if the result survives the next session, so finish with three habits. First, test lyrics window with one familiar song before you rely on it with a group — familiarity makes differences obvious instead of debatable. Second, save whatever you set up: a named playlist, a written note of a setting that worked, or the verified installer kept with its checksum, so a future you is not reconstructing tonight’s success from memory. Third, change one thing at a time from here on. Once a setup works, most later confusion comes from two well-meant tweaks made together, after which nobody can say which one helped. A karaoke library and a player configuration are both long-term assets for a household; the households that enjoy them for years are the ones that treat a working setup as something to protect, not something to keep redecorating.
Finally, remember the boundaries of the software itself. vanBasco’s Karaoke Player v2.53 is the final release from March 2004: freeware for personal, non-commercial use, Windows only, and focused on .kar, .mid, .midi and .rmi files with .vpl playlists. Working within those boundaries is not a limitation to apologise for — it is exactly why the player is still fast, predictable and useful. If a future need falls outside them, such as MP3+G or streaming catalogues, add a modern tool alongside vanBasco rather than forcing this player to be something it never claimed to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the lyrics fill the whole screen?
Yes. Lyrics can be displayed full-screen. That is the best option for a TV, projector or second display, and for singers who need the largest possible text.
What is the best font size for TV singing?
There is no universal number — it depends on screen size and viewing distance. Increase the size until the current line is readable from where singers actually stand, then check it with a full verse in real room lighting.
Why do my lyrics still look washed out with a background image?
The image is competing with the text. Choose a darker, low-detail image, increase font size or weight, or switch to a plain high-contrast background for group sessions.