Karaoke Forums

I currently have a full karaoke system with two APC DVD players and more discs than I want to haul around (or clean, or buff scratches out of). I want to switch to a laptop. I would prefer to not even have to haul my mixer board around, as I know there is software that can do that.

I've perused this forum to find as much information as I can from current postings. Some of it I understand, but much of it I don't (I've been a PC gal for way too long, and extending the functionality of a laptop has me stumped).

I read in other postings that Knightshow recommends Winamp's Pacemaker plugin for tempo and pitch changes. What other software do you recommend? And does anyone know if it's possible to rip Pioneer DVDs to my hard drive while keeping the vocals channel from coming in and maintaining the video? Should I be posting these questions separately? And what is the average airspeed of an unladen swallow?

I have a Dell Pentium M 1.4 GHz with 512 MB RAM and an 150 GB external hard drive. Can someone please tell me what other items I'll need?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

_________________
~Cindy
Karaoke. Because it's a lot cheaper than therapy.

I play with Winamp only... USB out to a soundblaster mp3 device... that gives you rca connections. From there, it's just like having your dvd or cdg players.

As for ripping the dvds, yes, but remember, a dvd holds around 4GB of data. Once you rip them with most dvd ripping software, you'll have a lot of storage issues. I don't think the 150gb drive is going to work for you. I'd recommend getting at LEAST one more, or a much higher drive, say a 250 or 300gb one.

You'll need a mixer for your mic stuff... but I'm guessing you have that with your current setup.

Make certain your Dell has the SVideo out... and a video card that will allow dual video.

Knight as always is right on the money. However one way of overcoming the DVD storage issue is after ripping the DVD reencode it using a divx or xvid codec, you lose very little quality and the size will cut down from 4gigs to about 1 gig or less. Still a lot of space but not nearly as bad.

Use a DVD decryption program an another codec to recompress the DVD videos. I usually recommend using MPEG2 compression so you can put them on Video CD's if you have to and it will put 2 hours of video in about 1.3GB.

Another possibility is to use something like DIVX Dr. to compress the video but playback options will be limited to the computer or a very small select number of DVD players that support the DIVX codec.

As for the drive size, you didn't mention how many tracks you're converting or at what bitrates so it's hard to determine appropriate size. I have about 3500 unique tracks so 150GB would probably work for me, but KS has over 14,000 and would eat up and spit out that drive in nothing flat. BTW, I'd also be sure to have 2 drives with ALL the media files on them. I've had more drives fail in the last 2 years than most people see in a lifetime.


edit: doh! PK responded while I was typing this!

May I suggest the new SB Audigy2 ZS PCMCIA card for your Laptop? This card is the best card available for a Laptop as we speak, it will let you work around in 24 bit and has a great DSP with EAX so this way, not only will you be able to play your karaoke file with a great sound but you'll be able to use the reverb from the EAX software

Now, speaking of great sound, unfortunetly Winamp will not be able to give you that, why don't you download a program call Karawin Standard or Pro, it uses the best sound engine in the industry call BASS Audio & it plays all format including Mid, Kar, wave+g, Wma+g, mp3+g, direct cdg reading with almost any drive and it has a much better keychanger than Pacemark!

Just play a good wave file with this software and compare with anything out there on the market, won't get a better sound, believe me

Oh, I beg to differ... if you come out of the usb port to a soundblaster mp3 device, the sound is crisp, clear and has no interferance. For $40, without having to crack the laptop open, fiddle around with settings, etc.

Much easier, IMOHO

Thanks Matt,
I just installed a Soundblaster MP3 on a new Dell Laptop after reading several different post you had made,,, very happy with the results I had a hum problem when connected to one of my mixers, hum is gone, sounds great, I'm a happy camper.
Easy installation, small,,,, and 40 bucks, definately on the "Best Buy" list.

JB

yeah, we fought the hum for a while... that solved all our sound problems! Glad you liked it. I'm a FIRM believer in that one product! !

How much diiference does it make going to the soundblaster and rca's vs just the 1/8in out to rca

depends on the grounding at the venue... and the quality of cabling you're using.

Tigrr27's my partner, and he really had some issues with a couple places. At home, never a noise hum. But out at the venue... sheesh!

Anytime you convert from one connection size to another, you're opening yourself to an interference issue. even using gold connectors, there's always something that might slip in.

The usb connection gets rid of all that. We've yet to experience any negative issues. People have always complimented our computer setup as extremely sweet.

O.K., let me see if I've got this straight.

The Soundblaster MP3 has a USB-out? If not, what piece of equipment do you connect to your USB ports?

I feel pretty dopey about all this.

Edit: OH! After re-reading a few times I think I understand what you're saying. The Soundblaster MP3 is an external device, connected via your laptop's USB port, right? And the MP3 has all the connections for audio out via RCA.

Did I get it?

_________________
~Cindy
Karaoke. Because it's a lot cheaper than therapy.

Yep you got it.

The Soundblaster Extigy (and similar products) is a device that plugs into the computer's USB port and does a digital transfer of the sound to the external device. It does the DAC (digital to analog conversion) on the external device and then provides an unbalanced RCA type connection on the external box.

The new Audigy 2 NX notebook card is a PCMCIA card that offers SPDIF and headphone outputs that has THX certification and provides 5.1/6.1/7.1 surround sound. If you opt to use the SPDIF outputs they don't work if you playback content that is DRM protected using Microsoft's DRM technolgoy. It's nice though - over 104dB of SNR!