Question on MP3+G's...

[Greenie17]

I have about 1500 of them on a laptop. What's my best option here. I am actually a DJ, but I am going to be offering Karaoke with my services. I would like to just open the laptop, connect it to my mixer, and run the karaoke from the laptop.

3 questions...

1. Should I convert the mp3+g to something else that would be better? I would like to get them out of the zip format and into something of a single file.

2. Is hoster the way to go if I do convert or even if I don't?

3. Will hoster let me put the files in a directory, and allow a user to search the files via an atrist or song name? Or is this something I need to do manually?


Thanks.

Greenie17

[admin]

First the bad news... at the present time, Hoster does not have a way to play MP3+G files.

Now the good news... we are working towards a converter to change the two files of a MP3+G song (.mp3 file and .cdg file) into our single KMA file. The audio quality will not change. If you have the original CDG disc and import directly into Hoster, the quality will be better than the MP3 compression. We use the WMA compression from Microsoft.

We hope to have this converter within Hoster before the end of August. We expect to do a "batch convert". You would run the converter, locate your directory with the MP3+G songs, start the conversion and walk away. We may do an "available disc storage" check before we start as it will take roughly the same space for our KMA file as the MP3+G, and we don't want to delete your masters after we convert them.

Once your KMA files exists, you run the Build Songs Database command, making sure the directory with your new KMA files is in the list to process. Once the Songs Database is build (won't take very long), all your songs are in an Access Database file that you can search on by... BookID, Brand-DiscID, Songname, and Artistname. Hoster is designed to give back your time you now spend on "technology", allowing you to work your audience instead!

Is Hoster the way to go? Well, I'm biased of course, but from the comments and testimonials we get weekly from folks who are converting from competiting products, I'd say a resounding YES!

We heard today from someone using a certain "V" competitor's product. He emailed us it constantly has problems crashing. You see, one of their problems is they don't provide you with the IMPORTER. You must use other tools to create your MP3+G files, and the format is, shall we say... not always the same. Thus you have MULTIPLE VENDORs and no one will solve your problem! It's always the "other company's fault"... and your show stops!

At MTU, we design, code and support every function you need to make your show Hummmmmmm and keep your Singers performing... and coming back to your professionally hosted show!

[mlepine]

Sorry for asking this question again, but the option of Hoster to play the mp3+G format, would that ever be possible?

I know, the cost for the license... but the advantage of mp3+G is that you can play around with the audio (mp3) portion if you wish to normalise or do some corrections like the very low output on the Nutech cdg's...

Don't want to start another debate over WMA versus MP3 but I still beleive that if you use the correct encoder like Lame you will get better results with the mp3 format.

Also, another advantage for Hoster to play this format is that it would allow KJ's & DJ's to use the same software and not having to switch over to Media Player for audio only?

regards

[admin]

The Lame dll is ILLEGAL. It is NOT... I repeat NOT... something that is available for use by any HONEST company!

Others may choose to use this, and that is how they run their business. One day, they will be discovered, and vaporize from the marketplace. Eventually, illegal activities are revealed and ended.

The Thompson CSF MP3 Licensing site has a minimum license fee to "DO" MP3 of $15,000 ANNUALLY, plus royalties above that if you are successful.

I also thought it incredibly interesting that their Licensed Companies page has been "unavailable" for several weeks. I wanted to see just who is being legal with MP3. Lame and Blade are clearly illegal tools that, if Thompson removed them from the Internet, MTU would consider supporting MP3. We ONLY DO legal business... PERIOD!

I agree, it would be nice to allow users to keep their MP3 format songs. However, it is LEGAL for us to provide a format converter. It fully works in our full Hoster schema with key change, database, CDGPlayer code, etc. To do a different MP3+G player makes the whole thing less desirable for MTU... and eventually the user due to the increased price.

[GordonF]

Originally posted by mlepine
Sorry for asking this question again, but the option of Hoster to play the mp3+G format, would that ever be possible?

Give the guys a break. They made a policy decision not to support MP3+G which I agree with. You can't even export Hoster files to anything as it wouldn't serve Hoster's purpose, and being able to import MP3+G not only costs the MP3 license (don't even get me started on the LAME encoder issues - that means you too, Admin) but just opens up a world of temptation that honest KJs just don't need to be exposed to.

Hoster's designed for importing CD+G disks and playing them back. And MTU has no obligation to support it beyond that.

Side question, since Admin brought costs up: If the MP3 license is so expensive, what does Microsoft charge you to license WMA? Must've been a pretty compelling offer. No need to answer if you don't want.

[admin]

Originally posted by GordonF
Give the guys a break. They made a policy decision not to support MP3+G which I agree with. You can't even export Hoster files to anything as it wouldn't serve Hoster's purpose, and being able to import MP3+G not only costs the MP3 license (don't even get me started on the LAME encoder issues - that means you too, Admin) but just opens up a world of temptation that honest KJs just don't need to be exposed to.

Hoster's designed for importing CD+G disks and playing them back. And MTU has no obligation to support it beyond that.

Side question, since Admin brought costs up: If the MP3 license is so expensive, what does Microsoft charge you to license WMA? Must've been a pretty compelling offer. No need to answer if you don't want.

Thanks for your input here.

Our goal is LEGAL Karaoke. One Record Label has sued 7 of the Producers who do NOT pay the SYNC License for each song. Sound Choice's part is $3,000,000 to be paid immediately, not over time! This are going to change the industry very quickly. Our KMA file is designed to allow securing songs for Internet download, yet also provide the owner full use, backup, and use in other venues (that's a tricky one ).

However, with a MP3+G converter to KMA, we will allow users to convert the format they have the CDG songs in, to one that Hoster can play. It will be a batch processor to do this overnight.

As to the WMA license fee... Microsoft bundles WMA encode and decode into DirectX, available to ever Windows 2000/XP owner. We all pay their license up front. MTU doesn't have to pay anything to use what Microsoft provides to all.

[mlepine]

quote by Admin:
The Lame dll is ILLEGAL. It is NOT... I repeat NOT... something that is available for use by any HONEST company!


I must say this is VERY surprising!! I just bought Wavelab Essential from Steinberg and these guy's would be illegal because they do use the Lame dll?? Of all the professional audio software I would bet you they all use Lame so I guess every company are illegal?

I'm not saying your wrong because I'm sure you know what you're talking about, but please let me have my doubts! I can't beleive that these major audio company would be so stupid to take the risk?

Regards