Karaoke with Laptop only???

[Rockrz]

My Singers prefer it the way I do it, so the bottom line is, do whatever your audience wants.

How would you know? Take up a poll, or put out a suggestion box?

Also, do you guys allow people to bring in their own disks if they want?
If so, do you have an actual karaoke player with a CD-Rom drive, or maybe an external CD-Rom drive if the one in your laptop won't do CD-G and/or MP3G ?

Just trying to figure out if it's a good idea to have an actual karaoke player on hand, or if I should focus solely on being able to play the occasional disk on the laptop.

I'm going to be all digital, but I wouldn't care of someone wanted to bring their own disk as long as it is a pressed disc not a CDR in an attempt to not violate any copyrights er anything.

[bryant]

Originally Posted by Rockrz

How would you know? Take up a poll, or put out a suggestion box? Good idea, my way of doing it was simply based on a huge number of shows, like about 350 - 400 a year, with over 25,000 singers a year, and millions in the audiences over the last ten years. And never once has anyone ever said anything about a screen on that should be off. And EVERY time I add a new screen, it is always yay!

Also, do you guys allow people to bring in their own disks if they want?
If so, do you have an actual karaoke player with a CD-Rom drive, or maybe an external CD-Rom drive if the one in your laptop won't do CD-G and/or MP3G ? Yup, I put mine right thru Hoster in the laptop. Singers sometimes find it odd that I use a laptop and actually take discs, but within a few weeks, if it's a decent regular, I purchase that very same version. They like that too!

Just trying to figure out if it's a good idea to have an actual karaoke player on hand, or if I should focus solely on being able to play the occasional disk on the laptop. Try the disc first. Some do not have luck with that though. My wife and I always have.

I'm going to be all digital, but I wouldn't care of someone wanted to bring their own disk as long as it is a pressed disc not a CDR in an attempt to not violate any copyrights er anything.

.

[Rockrz]

I know back in my drinking years hangin out at bars doing karaoke... you never questioned anything the KJ did that was his preference such as not having words on the big screen... lest you find yoselfs no longer in the rotation!

Maybe things have changed in mo modern times, but that maybe the reason nobody ever requested the words be put on the big screen out of fear of offending the KJ dude guy... after all, they wanna sing!

[kod]

Originally Posted by Rockrz

How would you know? Take up a poll, or put out a suggestion box?

Also, do you guys allow people to bring in their own disks if they want?
If so, do you have an actual karaoke player with a CD-Rom drive, or maybe an external CD-Rom drive if the one in your laptop won't do CD-G and/or MP3G ?

Just trying to figure out if it's a good idea to have an actual karaoke player on hand, or if I should focus solely on being able to play the occasional disk on the laptop.

I'm going to be all digital, but I wouldn't care of someone wanted to bring their own disk as long as it is a pressed disc not a CDR in an attempt to not violate any copyrights er anything.

I have a loyal following and I have asked them. I've also had new Singer's to tell me they prefer it that way.

They prefer that if someone in the audience wants to sing, they should put their request in and do their singing on the stage like everyone else...

I actually had to bar a guy from coming to my show once. He would never put in a request, but always tried to sing louder in the audience than the singer on the stage. Not knowing the song lyrics didn't stop him. Imagine what he would have done if he could have seen the words! Talking to him did no good.

I play Singer's discs (or their USB drives) using Hoster. A copy doesn't matter "if" they own the master, but there is really no way to tell for sure...

[Rockrz]

I play Singer's discs (or their USB drives) using Hoster. A copy doesn't matter "if" they own the master, but there is really no way to tell for sure...

Yeah, taking someone's word that they own the original is risky at best.

I know back in the day, I was just a guy that liked to sing (not a KJ) and I had over 1000 songs I obtained by renting them... then burn 'em and return 'em as we used to say. All my songs were hand picked as my collections were just the songs I wanted for me.

It's been more than 7 years, so the statute of limitations has run out

I'd imagine now days it's even easier to copy from friends, or even buy illegal hard drives full of music.

[kod]

Originally Posted by Rockrz

Yeah, taking someone's word that they own the original is risky at best.

I know back in the day, I was just a guy that liked to sing (not a KJ) and I had over 1000 songs I obtained by renting them... then burn 'em and return 'em as we used to say. All my songs were hand picked as my collections were just the songs I wanted for me.

It's been more than 7 years, so the statute of limitations has run out

I'd imagine now days it's even easier to copy from friends, or even buy illegal hard drives full of music.

I've never heard of renting Karaoke discs...

All of my songs (before my KJ days) were obtained the hard way (I paid for them). I eventually had to make some copies because the KJ's didn't take care of my discs.

I lost a bunch of songs to damage, but was able to recover a lot of them when I went to Hoster and purchased one of their CD drives that clean up damaged songs. Believe me, those drives work!

[Rockrz]

Yep, some music stores rent karaoke discs and equipment...

I'm starting from scratch with new CDGs (I'm buying new stuff and keeping good records!) that will be ripped using MTU software on to a brand new hard drive... so I'm not anticipating any issues.

I figure I'll use MP3+G... isn't this the format that most KJs use that have gone digital?

[kod]

Originally Posted by Rockrz

Yep, some music stores rent karaoke discs and equipment...

I'm starting from scratch with new CDGs (I'm buying new stuff and keeping good records!) that will be ripped using MTU software on to a brand new hard drive... so I'm not anticipating any issues.

I figure I'll use MP3+G... isn't this the format that most KJs use that have gone digital?

Yep, MP3+G is the accepted format.

However, when loading from discs, Hoster converts them for you. It is not necessary to do any converting.

If you have any older discs that have scratches, I highly recommend purchasing one of MTU's drives to clean them up. The CD drive in your laptop won't do it...

[Rockrz]

I'm trying to buy all new stuff and if I do by the occasional used disc, it'll have to in in near mint condition so I won't have any issues.

Now the special CD-Rom drive you are talking about... that includes the external drive that connects to your laptop by USB, right?

It's be kool if they had their special drive available for laptops... to be purchased separately so you could install in your laptop and replace the OE drive with the special MTU drive.

[Lonman]

Originally Posted by Rockrz

How would you know? Take up a poll, or put out a suggestion box?

I ask people all the time, what they like about the show or what they'd like to see changed. So far I get very little requests for change.

Also, do you guys allow people to bring in their own disks if they want?
If so, do you have an actual karaoke player with a CD-Rom drive, or maybe an external CD-Rom drive if the one in your laptop won't do CD-G and/or MP3G ?
Just trying to figure out if it's a good idea to have an actual karaoke player on hand, or if I should focus solely on being able to play the occasional disk on the laptop.

Most definitely allow singers to bring in their own discs. Many more people buy their own since some of the retail box stores sell karaoke discs now days. Let them use what they are comfortable with. I have some that just bring in the instrumental only - no words.
I prefer using an external player over the one in the computer.

I'm going to be all digital, but I wouldn't care of someone wanted to bring their own disk as long as it is a pressed disc not a CDR in an attempt to not violate any copyrights er anything.

I allow burned discs still. I know many that used to bring in their binders but showed them how to make a compilation disc of just the songs they want to sing. Also allow flashdrives.

[Rockrz]

Also allow flashdrives...

Ever get a virus on your computer from that yet?

Somebody could knowingly (or unknowingly if their computer is infected) could wreak havoc on your show by killing your computer when you plug in their flash drive and access it.

BTW, anybody know what brand of CD-Rom drives MTU sells?

[kod]

Originally Posted by Rockrz

Ever get a virus on your computer from that yet?

Somebody could knowingly (or unknowingly if their computer is infected) could wreak havoc on your show by killing your computer when you plug in their flash drive and access it.

BTW, anybody know what brand of CD-Rom drives MTU sells?

Never had a virus from anyone. I have Norton and I "hope" it protects me...

The Drives are listed on their homepage. Just scroll down...

[Rockrz]

I use Acronis so I never have to worry about that since I can restore my system back to an earlier time before an event happens, and unlike Windows restore Acronis always restores with 100% accuracy.

Originally Posted by kod

The Drives are listed on their homepage. Just scroll down...

But, it does not tell you who the manufacturer of the hardware is... I read in some other threads that it's NEC that makes the drives MTU sells so this would be the manufacturer that they prefer that works best with their software.

[kod]

Originally Posted by Rockrz

I use Acronis so I never have to worry about that since I can restore my system back to an earlier time before an event happens, and unlike Windows restore Acronis always restores with 100% accuracy.

But, it does not tell you who the manufacturer of the hardware is... I read in some other threads that it's NEC that makes the drives MTU sells so this would be the manufacturer that they prefer that works best with their software.

It doesn't matter to me who makes it ... IT WORKS!!!

[Lonman]

Originally Posted by Rockrz

Ever get a virus on your computer from that yet?

Somebody could knowingly (or unknowingly if their computer is infected) could wreak havoc on your show by killing your computer when you plug in their flash drive and access it.

BTW, anybody know what brand of CD-Rom drives MTU sells?

I run no antivirus on my show computer as it is never connected to the internet - except for brief periods to update. Have never recieved any virues. I disabled all auto play features.

[Rockrz]

Many viruses can run just by plugging in a USB drive where it activates as soon as the drive gets power regardless of autoplay settings.

Acronis True Image is the best tool out there for restoring a computer back to an earlier time which takes care of viruses computers errors, etc.

Can hoster run with songs being on a different drive than the C Drive where Hoster is running from?

[Lonman]

Never had an issue.

[Rockrz]

Hope your good f0rtune without protection continues....