Host without Hoster?

[dcrog]

Where do your people play in Louisville?

I don't go to very many bars but my brother in law plays at a small VFW on weekends. Works a regular job at GE so he wouldn't want weeknights anyway. He does it as much for his own pleasure/entertainment value as he does the money. He's computer illiterate so I can't talk him into going electronic. But he did find a disc system to make it pretty simple to find and store the discs.

Oh and don't say that all KJ's in this area use illegal discs. I know better.

I also know of a lot who do just as you are saying too.

I'm not saying that he doesn't use burned copies at the shows but I beat him over the head after he started to make sure he has the originals of all the discs he plays. I know this because I have backed all of them up for him to use. 560 some right now.

[capnvic]

I have two computer systems ready to go if in the event of a catastrophic failure. Since I am a computer systems engineer as a profession, I tend to believe it is necessary to have redundant components ready to go. My customers live on data redundancy.

I also have my older, but still reliable JVC three tray CD-G player ready to be pulled. I check my systems every couple of days anyway, as I am always adding new discs to the my Hoster system, and I archive my disc every month.

[nanakate]

Hi guys,

I'm new to the forum and relatively new to kj/dj-ing (5 years)- but I would like to add my 2 cents worth, if ya don't mind. I know you all have more experience and knowledge about the equipment than I do. I started as a back-up dj for my partner. He's the expert - I'm in it for fun. The money is just a bonus for doing something that I love to do!

1st - to answer the original question, if I had a system failure as described, I would have to call in reinforcements. I would not be able to run the show myself. I have a partner and several other dj/kjs on call for emergencies like this. Luckily, I've never had a reason to call them (yet!),
but the show would go on without me.

I don't have the equipment to run without my computer. My partner and I bought all the discs and the players when we started, but sold the equipment several years ago when we bought Hoster. We kept all the discs, to be legal, but I couldn't haul them to every gig if I wanted to. We have all the music loaded onto external hard drives. We each have several laptops w/Hoster loaded, so the hard drives can be used on any of them. I implemented that when I started having problems with my old computer, and it has come in handy several times.

A question tho - I purchase karaoke songs from Tricerasoft and other internet sites regularly. When you buy the gift pkgs. you're paying under $1 for each song, and I find it more cost effective than buying entire discs for the occas. song they ask for that I don't have. If a customer asks for a song I don't have and I have an open internet connection, I can download it immediately and have it ready for them to sing in 10 minutes or so. I've been doing this for awhile - 1000s of songs and dollars. My question is - how would I prove that I bought these songs, if it ever became necessary? I don't want to be accused of being one of those kj/djs who have a library of pirated music!

Thanks for the help.
Kathi

[bryant]

Kathi,
Feel free to put a "NO" vote in.

Don't know how to prove ownership unless there is some kind of internet receipt for the discs, i imagine?

[bobcox- with the Lord]

use your printer, or save to computer, (your order.)
also credit card trail.

[bryant]

Originally Posted by bobcox

use your printer, or save to computer, (your order.)
also credit card trail.

That's what I thought, but wasn't sure, as I buy all my discs on CD's. Very expensive, but I still purchase every request.

[stublack]

I can't believe I got sucked into this hypothetical crap.
All I can say is I've never cancelled or givin up a show and hopefully i'll never be forced to.

[bryant]

Originally Posted by stublack

I can't believe I got sucked into this hypothetical crap.
All I can say is I've never cancelled or givin up a show and hopefully i'll never be forced to.

Sheesh, you're right, though, it IS all hypothetical, but not necessarily crap. I think most of us generate these polls just to see if there is a portion of us that may think like them.

For example, what I would do in this hypotheitical situation, which is not even likely, but could happen if my main computer was sent away for repairs for a couple of weeks and the backup laptop was left at my daughter's house out of town. And I had four or five days to make a decision on what to do.

Basically, I would do this. Find another KJ to take my place, instead of setting up all kinds of stuff (cd players, karaoke machine, cd's, and cdg's and putting on a standard; so-so show like all the other Disc guys do around here. I would offer that night to one of those guys, upon approval of the bar owner. That way, I've helped someone out, kept up my loyal attitude, and didn't go backwards in time and look like another so-so.

I mean, with all the backup contingencies I have, that may only happen once in a lifetime.

And, upon my surprise, and compliments to MTU, a 1/3 of us seem to think this way. I found that interesting.
Not crap.

[George]

deleted

[George]

Originally Posted by stublack

I can't believe I got sucked into this hypothetical crap.

Maybe his assessmant wasn't so far off after all, considering the turn this thread took.