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Originally Posted by planet_bill
I'm surprised to find there is no section on 'Getting Started' or 'Equipment' either in the forums or on the support site. For us clueless Newbies this is a must. I'd like to recommend such a section be added. With that said...
I am starting out and considering buying Hoster as a newbie KJ. I am pc literate and build pc's occasionally. However regarding the way to hook up and use a software like Hoster with a computer and other audio equipment I'm not very knowledgeable at all. I'd really appreciate members' and admin opinions on the following things:
1) What required and recommended equipment is there in order to run a karaoke show using Hoster? (Please include wattage recommendations of speakers, amps, and mixers and possibly brands).
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As Ron said, the equipment you use depends on the size of the venue. The bigger the place the bigger the amplifier and speakers need to be. The best way to get an idea of what to use would be to visit some of your local karaoke shows and see what equipment they are using, listen to it and see if you think they have a good quality sound or not. The other thing you can do is surf the web for karaoke and check out the equipment they sell.
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Originally Posted by planet_bill
2) What connections are needed? (For instance what plugs into the computer? Do we just plug audio out using a single plug from the computer into an amplifier or mixer? Where do singer mics plug in? Do they connect to computer mic input or mixer input? Does basically everything plug into the mixer (i.e. computer, speakers, mics)?
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Essentially the computer takes the place of the cdg player. You will need speakers of course, an amplifier, a mixer, microphones and a tv/monitor. Many manufacturers make combination mixer-amplifier units or you can go with separate units.
The mixer is the central hub of the system tying the audio from the computer and the audio from the microphones together. Most can also handle multiple input devices. I personally still have one of my cdg players in my system to use for singer's personal disks, so I use 2 input devices. Karaoke mixers will also handle the pass-through of the video from those multiple input devices. The microphones plug into the mixer and the output (all audio mixed) goes to the amplifier.
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Originally Posted by planet_bill
3) Does Hoster have to be run from a notebook computer? If I built a small and compact, portable desktop type computer shouldn't that work just as well or better? These are sometimes created for portable lan party gaming. My thoughts here are that graphics and sound cards for desktops are much better and more robust than any notebook computers.
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Hoster can run from
any computer that meets the minimum requirements as established in the FAQ pages about Hoster. Many use laptops for the portability. Personally I prefer a desktop for the flexability of being able to choose exactly what I want in it. One of my systems is a mini-tower that is a heavy-duty case with handles on top and the other is a small cube type case. The cube has video set up to be able to output to four screens and have something different on every screen, so yes it is very flexible.
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Originally Posted by planet_bill
4) Is the type of soundcard going to make an enormous difference? (I assume it makes some difference, and there is a minimum type of soundcard to use).
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Yes the type of soundcard can make a big difference. A ten dollar sound card will give you a ten dollar sound.
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Originally Posted by planet_bill
5) Where do you recommend purchasing equipment, and about how much does it run?
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I would recommend shopping around. There are many online sales companies selling sound and karaoke equipment so surf! When you find the equipment in the online stores, go to the manufacturer's websites and checkout the equipment you are looking at. A good source is always EBay and other online auctions, but be cautious and check the sellers feedback to see if they have a good rating.
Good luck and Happy Karaoking!