Karaoke Forums

I'm glad to know that someone is working on a Linux hoster.  Let us know if and when it's done.

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Okay, who took my pants?

I have downloaded the trial version and am quite impressed. The biggest concern I have is the need for the USB dongle. What happens if it gets – corrupted, lost, stolen or washed (I leave loads of things in my pockets).
Is it not possible to make a backup dongle – this would alleviate all the above.

No, as far as I know you cannot make a backup of the dongle. Wouldn't that invalidate the whole purpose of the dongle? I know we here are all honest (yea right), but many software users think nothing of making copies of their software and sharing with others, either online or with friends, and then publicly admonish the software industry from trying to protect themselves from such practices.

Anyway, with that off my chest, if you're concerned with losing or damaging the dongle, you can aquire a very inexpensive 6 inch USB extension cable, and if using a desktop route the dongle inside of the case (out of sight, out of mind) If using a laptop, you can route the dongle either into the battery compartment if room allows, or securely attach the dongle somewhere outside the laptop.

tbreen

He didn't say he was working on a Linux hoster, just wishing there was one.

I keep my eye out on this topic all over.

There is a python code player, that sort of works with xmms, but that's all for the moment.

I've dabbled with the idea of translating the player to C and working up a KDE solution. I just don't have the stamina anymore to do real coding.

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Wolfie

Yes, if you are talking about me. I have actually written a Linux hoster, but it uses a Windows backend.  It builds the rotation, choices, and key selections, then uses a protocol to send the commands to a Winamp on another machine via CLAMP.

The basic concept is a server-based program which has the music library. It is connected via network to a Windows backend.  It maintains a user database with complete history, one that can be modified by the users at a kiosk or remotely.

Users can log in via the web and transmit their song choices prior to the show.

If the site is not connected to the net via a fast connection, you would have to copy the database over to the on-site server prior to the show. I suppose there would then have to be  a show-history transmission back to the server to make it complete.

Yes, I have set up pycdg, and it would be good enough for me to work with except for the lack of a key changer -- that is the killer.


I would do the same for Perl, but only with the key changer part. I don't see the point in doing a bunch of work without that key piece.

As far as I am concerned, Compuhost has set a high standard for hosting programs.

I just finished my second show with it, and all I can say is -- wow! The concept is good, but the execution is better. They have paid a great deal of attention to detail, and when there is something I struggle with in hosting I usually find that they have anticipated it and have a solution. (Tonight I found the A/I button, which solves the problem of deleting people from the rotation.)

Nice features:

 * Time last sang and estimated time of next performance for each singer
 * Highlight new singers so you can work them into a large rotation
 * Retains history for each singer name
 * Gives song counts so you can see what is popular
 * Find and replace versions of songs easily
 * Well laid out, not many buttons you can hit that break things
 * Stop-go on rotation as well as song
 * Active/Inactive button to skip people while keeping their place in rotation

I have some minor things I don't like:

 * Filler songs not retained on startup
 * Filler volume resets to 100% every time you turn around
 * Can't sort a lot of things by clicking on the column
 * No drag and drop in lists
 * Manufacturer not listed in most song listings
 * Somewhat unpredictable if you suspend/resume

But all in all, I find it to be way ahead of Hoster, which was my previous software. It makes the rotation brain-dead simple, and the history is going to be great as more and more people sing and get their songs in.

It is the most expensive out there, but well worth it. If it had a network API, it would be about perfect.

So did you have to re-rip all of your music to MP3G or did you convert from KMA to MP3G?

If you converted what did you use?

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

Didn't have to re-rip, because I didn't use Hoster to rip in the first place. (I got frustrated with it's poor library and inability to use freedb.org.) I ripped to MP3+G/zip to begin with, then imported into Hoster from that.

So I had all my disks in MP3+G to begin with, and just imported into Compuhost. Took a few minutes.

Hi mckyj57

I have been using CompuHost for quit some time now and thought I could offer you some assistance related to your minor issues.

Filler songs not retained on startup
Filler volume resets to 100% every time you turn around

Once you set up your filler tunes playlist and volume settings go up and click files on the top menu bar then click save current setup and save the setup as the default.cfg file. Now every time you start CompuHost all your settings i.e. playlists, volume settings etc. will already be setup.


No drag and drop in lists

CompuHost does allow you to drag and drop filler tune files directly into the playlists from the Windows File Explorer.


Manufacturer not listed in most song listings

In order for the manufacturers to be displayed the actual file name must include the manufacture id (example: AH8001-10 – Chapin, Harry – Taxi.zip). If it doesn’t then the manufacturer will not be displayed.

While I am not using hoster, I have been using MTUs suite of programs for creation of karaoke songs via vocal removal. The software creates a .KMA version of the song when you create the  karaoke program. MTU makes an additional program "songverter" that sells for $39. It allows you to batch convert .KMA files into more conventional .CDG + .MP3 or .CDG + .WAV.

It works in a batch so it should not be too dificult to do all of the conversions from someone with a large library from .KMA. It takes about 20-30 seconds a song, and I have never done more than 2-3 at a time (since these were the songs I added lyrics to myself), but I suspect it should easy to set up a large job. It would still be a problem to convert all of your songs if you have them in a lot of different folders based on artist or whatever, but based on my experience it should be able to convert about 5000-7000 songs a day if the directory structure does not confuse matters over much. (and most of that is hands off time). Unless you have a truely insane songlist it seems like a problem that could be solved in a few days.


As for filler songs I just use I-tunes. Sure that is not really optimal either but Compuhost is not really good at it either....


My main annyoance with compuhost is if you have a song that is not in exactly the correct format for song name with all of the "-" in the correct place and number it sometimes fails to recognize the song. Sometimes it will be able to import the song into the program and even search for it, but when it comes to playing it, it will say something like "file not found". The solution is to just go and correct the file names to the right format, but it is annoying and not something you can correct easily midshow. I keep a backup program to run these in an emergency.

Aside from that I am always worried abut misplaceing the software dongle.

Thank you for this. I will do this.



Not what I am talking about in this case -- I am referring to the singer play list and the singer list, and re-ordering them.


I have all that -- I do get the manufacturer when I search, or when I do the NNNN+ thing in the song edit. It is in the singer play list I am referring to -- I could give a rat's heinie about the internal integer song number. I want to know the manufacturer number. To get it, I have to remember the integer song number then search for the song again -- or edit the song and put the + after the number there.

Thanks for your help!