How are the RTF word files for duets and country used

[sevekj]

I have been perplexed as to why they are there.
I had in my disc days several catagories of music that I lumped into for specific reasons. I had a christmas section, TV tunes, Broadway, Spanish, And duets.
I was just wondering how are the country and duets RTF's used.

[Azkaraoke4]

Hi, I was just wondering if you ever got an answer on this? I am new to it and was wondering the same thing.
Thanks

[George]

Country and duets have not been activated yet.

George

[Azkaraoke4]

Thanks

[admin]

George is correct.

We have the means to implement these, but they have not been requested, and from our discussions with users, I don't see it is likely they will want this "additional" set of Songbook pages.

[Azkaraoke4]

Great response time thank you, and yes I agree that it is probably not something I really need to cost me more money and books. Thanks :w

[George]

That's especially true of duets. I got criticized once on another forum for referring to them as the "once in a while happening."

Don't get me wrong. My wife and I love to sing duets to the point we'll turn any song that strikes our fancy into a duet, but they are not mainstream vocals.

That's why I'm amazed at all the hooopla and fuss about duets on these forums.

I can back my position up.

Anyone that thinks I'm wrong, just get a cdg catalog, or go to a major providor's website and RANDOMLY pick out 10 cdg's, skipping pages as you go. Make it pure luck of the draw.

That will amount to 100 to 150 tracks. Out of those, count the duets.

Interesting.

George

[S. Parks]

Well, be that as it may George, some folks like myself spead nearly an equal amount of time singing duets as I do solos. maybe this is unique to my location, but duets are popular enough that we even host duet competitions. I identify duets in my book by just typing in the work duet in the title as I import, example Duet, Somewhere Out There or Duet, Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram, etc. This method helps folk find duets easily in my book without having to dedicate an additional special section for them.

[George]

That may very well be, for those that focus on duets, but it still does not make them any where near mainstream as some would try to lead us to believe.

But that's why they have chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

George

[S. Parks]

George,

Don't get popularity confused, with availability. If folks could easily brouse a section of anyone's library, and find duets more readily, I bet you'd find more interest and who knows...more people would be singing them. It's a win win for the KJ, becase it takes care of two people in the rotation at once...more people get to sing. More often than not, people who perform duets, are ususally a touch better singers/performers than your average guest, more crowd involvement, etc. You're right in your earlier post...you don't get it. Too bad.

[George]

Don't see any purpose in you making personal slurs.

That rarely serves any constructive purpose.

George

[S. Parks]

perhaps so, I chose to think of it as supporting my position where you fail to support yours. How arrogant. Very disappointing, I usually respect what you have to say. You chose to make points about how you just don't get the "hoopla" surrounding the buzz about duets...I offered you some things to consider...me testy...I don't think so.

[George]

You presented opinion.

I presented fact. The numbers speak for themselves.

I have done the random samplings just to see and they come out the same all the time, around 7 % of the total is duets, even outside of the Karaoke venue in the regular audio sector.

Also... Quote me one arrogant thing I said. In my first response to your post I said you may be right, but the numbers did not back it up. In my very first post I said I like to sing duets.

You lowered this exchange to a personal level, not me when you said.

You're right in your earlier post...you don't get it. Too bad

That was totally uncalled for.

[PastMember]

Alright guys, time to declare a truce here....

From an outsiders' point of view, I think you were talking apples-to-oranges... sort of...

I'd have to agree that the total number of duets when compared to the total number of NON-duets is pretty small..

BUT....

I'd also have to agree that it's convenient to have all the duets listed together on one handy page (or two) or at the very least, somehow "marked" in the general list so that you can spot them quickly...

There are those people that like to zero-in on duets...

OPTION #1:
I THINK THE QUESTION IS "how do you best implement 'marking' duets for your book?" Should there be 4 check-boxes for each track when you import the disc that are marked;

#1. NO DUET

#2. MALE/FEMALE

#3. MALE/MALE

#4. FEMALE/FEMALE

And then you let Hoster manage the rest? What if you make a mistake?

OPTION #2:

OR HOW ABOUT... creating a text file named "duets.txt" where you simply list the bookid's of the tracks that you want to have included on a duet sheet and hoster will sniff them out, sort 'em and put them in an rtf file ready to go?

I'm starting to LIKE this idea better for a number of reasons:

Lets say that the songbook part of hoster let's you create 3 text files (text1.txt, text2.txt, text3.txt) where all you do is put in a list of bookid's and the program would hunt down the track information and create 3 rtf files FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT...

You could use the first one for DUETS

The second one for FOREIGN LANGUAGE (like spanish) tracks

The third one that clearly lables the CHILDREN'S SONGS or COUNTRY SONGS.

A FOURTH TEXT FILE could be used to STRIKE TRACKS FROM ALL BOOKS... let's say it's named: "strike.txt" and what it does is block any track from appearing in ANY book. So if you want to have a purely "clean book" then you could include all the explict lyrics bookid's here and they wouldn't show up in the book.

If you wanted then again, to reprint your books WITH all the tracks listed, all you'd have to do is rename "strike.txt" to something else, run the book prep and voila! You have a complete listing again...


What do you think?

[S. Parks]

C. Staley, well you certainly get it, thank you for your input. George, no one ever disputed the number of duets to standardard songs..thats a big duh. Hope you had fun counting those songs to "prove your point". You trying to make a case that it's not worth anyones time to bother with sorting their books this way. That was the issue I believe. Sorry if I offended you George.
That's why I'm amazed at all the hooopla and fuss about duets on these forums.
That may very well be, for those that focus on duets, but it still does not make them any where near mainstream as some would try to lead us to believe.

[gduns - with the Lord]

Personally,
I see about 25% of my singers doing duets. However I Have 8 songbooks, 5 by title, and 3 by artist. and every printing cost about $500.00 and the time to load the books. I print my books every 4 months, so they are up to date.

Altho they are popular, I don't see myself printing up a set of Duet books, for the people that can't look in the artist book and see where 2 singers are listed together.

Most Duet singers know the songs and the artists they are performed by. So as far as I am concerned it would be a waste of money. But if it is a matter of adding a Byte of code and wouldn't cost a fortune to make the songlist program creating the list, I don't see the big deal.

If it means adding $100.00 to the price of Hoster. Then I say make a custom print routine and sell it to the ones who simply can't live without it. sell them the songlist program to print the way they want it.

Personaly I can't afford to print a set of books by Title, artist, duets, country, rock, childrens, christmas, gospel etc.....
where do you draw the line. I guess it is with the popularity and demand from the purchaser.

[George]

S.Parks,

Didn't run those numbers to prove anything. Ran them a while back just out of curiosity.

Take care,

George

[S. Parks]

25%, wow that sounds like a significant percentage. I don't think I'd invest the money to print out a special book either, but it sure helps in the participation percent, when they can be found easily. Believe it or not, it some places in the world there is an interest. Thanks for the input everyone.

[George]

Been trying for some time to figure out why the availability of duets is so low. As I said in my first post, my wife and I like to do them, even to the point we'll use songs that are not produced as duets and make duets out of them.

I don't think it's the CDG manufacturers that are sluffing off. They use what's available to them, and the low numbers don't change when you look at audio LP's, Cassettes, CD's, etc. There just aren't that many duets percentage wise to the whole.

It must be money driven somehow, and the only thing I can conclude is the performing artists might not be willing to split royalties too frequently....dunno.

I do know it's a credit to MTU to be busting their chops to provide multi-color duet capability in their KPRO product, irregardless of the poor availability on the commercial CDG scene.

Hats off to MTU for that one.

George

[gduns - with the Lord]

I think the reason that in Karaoke they are popular, is because it somehow relieves the Peer pressure if you have someone standing next to you when you are singing.

I see most of the times when newbies are starting out, they want someone to get up with them, Once they find out that they aren't going to have someone Boo them, or make snide remarks, They gey used to singing solo.

But then again Some songs are just made to be dynamite duets. Beer for my horses, is one. does he love you, reba & Linda... the list goes on & on. I don't Know your taste in music, or what you listen to George, But it is out there.

Most top 100's stuff is solo's and mainly that is what you hear on the radio. be it country, oldies, or pop. A lot of what my singers go for are the old classic standards. old time rock & Roll, and country mix.

I agree with you about the Kpro product I would love to see it Mature. There is a market for it. Seems like a lot of irons in the fire tho' and all good things come in good time. At least Mtu isn't the type of company that will release a half made product just to say they have one. They try to perfect their Programs. But alas what is perfect to one, is not always anothers idea of Ideal.

[S. Parks]

I'm the biggest fan of KPro, and I still hope every day that MTU does develope the multicolor, dudet function fo that product. But just out of curriosity, are there any duets out there that people have been looking for, but haven't been able to find? I know this should be in another part of the forum.

[gduns - with the Lord]

actually,
there are here. But that is rare. I live in new Orleans, and The preferred music of some here is known as swamp pop. since that isn't mainstream music there isn't a lot of that.

I have tried to make a few tracks from the local albums using vogone, but havent been able to remove enough of the vocals being they like a lot of reberb or echo.

But for the mainstream music, most are avalible. I remember when "Picture" came out (kid rock, & cheryl crowe) top tunes had it out before the album was even released. Likewise on "beer for my horses" I was playing it on karaoke a month before it was released.

[gotrich]

I live in NW indiana and am doing my first show may 8th. I personaly like the idea of having duets listed seperatly. I wouldnt make a special duet book but around here I would say 25% of songs performed are duets also.

Thanks

Rich