Singer's list - max size?

[songpony]

Is there a maximum number of songs that can/should be kept in an individual singer's list? I have about 800 in mine (yeah, it's a lot) and obviously experience a huge wait time every time I open my list to select a song. I've always used an Excel spreadsheet for my list (and still have to for the video songs, since there's no way to get them in the Singer's List), but was hoping to use this new feature as the primary lookup for the majority of my songs. Just wondering how big I can go and still have it "usable" (able to retrieve a song before the current singer finishes). Thanks.

[madjim- with the Lord]

How long do you have to wait for your 800 song list to come up? Do you sing 800 different songs?

I don't think MTU put a limit on the amout of songs that can be added to a singers list. Of course the speed of the computer is always an issue.

Jim

[songpony]

Yes, I currently sing about 850 different songs (the remaining 50 are videos, so can't be added to the list). It probably takes 30 seconds or more to come up when a song isn't playing - when one is playing, it can take more than a minute (my processor speed is pretty good - 3.6 GHz). If I don't open it right after starting a song, I've found I can't get it open and get a song selected before the singer is done, which would then cause "dead" time.

[Singsation]

I don't think there is a limit, but in the future releases of hoster it is promised there we will be able to import video songs/videos into Hoster, wich will mean they will be in the database, wich is good as i have around 3000 video karaoke tracks.

[ddouglass]

Singer's database is not really designed for a one man show setup. Itwas designed for KJing where yoou have regular singers with a number of songs they sing regularly.
The more songs you add for one individual the longer the search is going to take. And it is a search as it has to look up each song you have added by bookid to find the Title, Artist, etc in the Songs Database.
If you are doing a one man show I would suggest you open it before you start and minimize it so it doesn't have to search each time. Then when you need it just click on it in the task bar then minimize it again when you are finished looking up a song.

[madjim- with the Lord]

Wow, that impressive. You must be one heck of a singer!

It's kinda obvious the the bigger the list, the longer it's going to take for it to load. At this point I guess you just have to make sure that you open a large singers list at the beginning of a song or wait till the next one, which is what you are doing.

Jim

[Singsation]

For solo work i would just save songs after playing and just save your show list, your only going to sing around 30 songs a night average, you can taylor the show lists for each venue or crowd and its easy to see your songs already cued and ready.

[songpony]

I'm a KJ - it isn't for solo work. Obviously, I don't sing that number of songs in a night, but that's the list I pick from when I'm in the rotation. I thought about trying to split it into multiple lists, but then I'd show up as multiple names, and have to remember what's in each list. For myself, I may just have to stick with my Excel spreadsheet, and just keep a more limited number songs in the list that I do most often. Thanks for the feedback.

[marklwood]

Originally Posted by songpony

I'm a KJ - it isn't for solo work. Obviously, I don't sing that number of songs in a night, but that's the list I pick from when I'm in the rotation. I thought about trying to split it into multiple lists, but then I'd show up as multiple names, and have to remember what's in each list. For myself, I may just have to stick with my Excel spreadsheet, and just keep a more limited number songs in the list that I do most often. Thanks for the feedback.

That's what I was thinking, multiple lists. Maybe A-Z for Title or A-Z for Artist. Use the Letter for a middle initial or last name. You can always edit it in the playlist after adding.

[songpony]

Can you edit it in the playlist? I haven't been able to modify singer's name once it's in the list (could with previous versions).

[ddouglass]

Right Click the Singers Name instead of left clicking and then you can edit it.

[songpony]

Ahhh. Glad to see we haven't lost that capability. Thanks!

[DiggerWertz]

I know the folks at MTU work hard to deliver the best product with all of the features we ask for, but to complain about an 800 song singer's list taking too long to load! Hoster has and always will have limitations, as does ALL software. Might I suggest you spend more time letting your customers sing than putting yourself in the rotation. I have gigs seven nights a week and hardly ever sing a song, just too busy trying to get as many singers up as possible. Sorry if I opened up a can of worms here, but let's get real, this is not a major issue.

[songpony]

I didn't say it was - I was just asking if anyone knew if there was an "optimum" value. I obviously do not sing 800 songs a night, a week, a month, etc. - it just happens to be how many I know and the list that I pick from. I thought it would be handy if I could have it set up in a singer's list, but if I can't, no big deal (I've been using an Excel spreadsheet for 8 years now - I can certainly continue using it). I sing only once per rotation, and it just so happens that the customers at the places I work actually get MAD at me if I don't sing. Many try to get me to put myself in more than once in a rotation, but I won't. I (and my customers) happen to think I'm running my shows appropriately, so that's really my only concern. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, however. I just want to make it clear that I am not, and never was, COMPLAINING about the fact that opening up such a large list is too slow - I was "information gathering", which I think this forum is an appropriate venue for.

[laddie]

The problem with the singers DB has been here since the first 4.xx
I thought 4.08 had it pretty much fixed, because it will not refresh as much. But it is still a problem if you have more 25 songs in the list. Additionaly, If you try to erase a song or change a singers name, while a singer is singing, the lyrics creep until it finishes. Until its fixed the best thing is the keep the list short or break it into two or more list. And don't do any db housekeeping while a singer is singing. It not a big deal , just annoying.

[ddouglass]

Songpony why not split your list by genre of song. Put country in one, Pop in another, etc. Name the singers SongponyC, SongponyP, etc. and that way each list won't be quite as big. Just a suggestion.

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by laddie

But it is still a problem if you have more 25 songs in the list.

I have plenty of singers with over 25 songs in their list and I have no problems. What are you seeing that makes you say negative things about the singers databse?

If you don't mind me asking.

Jim

[laddie]

Originally Posted by madjim

I have plenty of singers with over 25 songs in their list and I have no problems. What are you seeing that makes you say negative things about the singers databse?

If you don't mind me asking.

Jim

I don't mind. Maybe I misspoke, 25 may not be the magic number, I guess I should have said large. The problem is the same as always, when a large list refreshes it slows or stops everthing. The other problems are in my previous post. My comments are not negative, I simply stated the facts as I see them. I cannot control how you perceive them. I would hope you would see them as constructive, as they were meant.

[Roy Dennis]

Just an idea that may suit your needs. If you list all your own songs under a language that you don't use for anything else or even a genre, you can do this from the edit screen. Then in your show use the search box highlight just the language tab, then enter your chosen language in the search bar, it should list all those songs.

I have probably got some where near 800 songs marked as Spanish and it will bring all of those up in about 3 seconds.

Roy

[ddouglass]

Roy this is about the singers database not the songs database which search uses.