I entered the hybrid contest and enjoyed it quite a lot despite not winning anything *is a terrible singer but likes making song parodies* XD
One thing that needed work though, was volume leveling. Some singers hurt my ears while others I could barely hear above the music. Also, the vocals didn't come thru the monitor during some of the karaoke events which makes it difficult to know how loud you are singing in comparison to the music.
Overall it was good, though. I also liked the fact that they had lots of open mic opportunities.
I loved the contests, but I agree with the volumes... there were a couple contestants in both contests I couldn't hear over the music, despite the fact background vocals had been stripped. Take for example those guys screaming at hybrid (the two who did "Garbage" with the girl dressed as Kyo)--I know they were expected to be loud, but the mics were so low I couldn't hear them -at all-.
When I was up there, I don't recall being able to hear myself in the monitor, but it didn't turn out to be a problem. Though I can understand it causing trouble for other performers.
Other than that, I already voiced my concerns on another thread, and appreciate the information you gave me.
Let me end this on a positive note--despite the nit-picky problems, you did an EXCELLENT job organizing the contests. Online sign-ups and auditions were both wonderful ideas, as were keeping under 20 contestants in each contest--it helped them flow much faster.
I will certainly try to participate again next year, simply because it was a lot smoother than Sakura Con's typically wacky contests.