Karaoke Forums

Barry ...thats the funniest thing Ive read on here in a long time I just hope you lug around an aircoditioner with you....I can't see you doing a show in Phoenix... that was a great read for this morning's smile

I read that when I came home after my show last night and chuckled for a good while...being a big fan of sarcasm myself.

I do come from a time when a 100 Watts was 100 Watts and if you hooked up a 100Watt L-Pad to it and cranked to full attenuation it would fill the bar with smoke. I know I have done it..

I also rattle cocktail glasses hanging upside down in racks If they dont break I hitem with a ladder!! Done that too..

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Barry, you ROCK!

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

I used to answer posts like these with a HUGE list of reasons. However, THANKS to PC based hosts I don't have to. THEY provide what a thinking person need to make a decision on forums just like these. How?


A gazillion threads and posts discussing problems such as software blips, incompatibility, hardware problems, HIGH COST compared to players, HUGE amounts of valuable time ( a cost like any other) and lots of other problems- thousands upon thousands of posts with problems.

Go back to the time PC shows started, add all the CD+G problems from that time until now, and you will find maybe 1% of the problems posted about PCs.

Leaving all the "subjective" info out of a debate, that alone added to common sense keeps me disc based. Also, since I run a business, profitability is paramount. In my opinion (and only that) I find nothing SO FAR that justifies the cost in time and money to return to the use of a PC. Remember, I ran PC for a YEAR. I think that was a fair test. I still do it at non-public functions.



And some subjective stuff: Yes, discs are also My personal preference for both sound and the tactile sense of handling them.

The so called "benefits" of programmed rotation, etc... mean nothing to me ( again, I know this is subjective). I just happen to multi-task well. I can remember my regulars songs fairly well. I don't find discs hard to carry ( but I am in shape).

I understand that there are those who have become PC dependent may need them now to do their job.

I understand that those who just LIKE their PCs just find them convenient.


What I DON'T understand is that while disc based hosts don't try to push and shove their way down people's throats, there are thousands of posts by PC hosts that DO THIS. WHY? Especially with all of the thousands of PC problem posts?

Howzabout you run your show, and I'll run mine?



I

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

I use discs, a rareity in my area, with nearly everyone else on a cheap poor quality computers. . . my show shines because of this. My brain is usually as fast as a computer, and on the old JVC player I am quicker than every other show. The main reason for this is poor hosts and shoddy systems (not one person in my area has compu host for example) . I'd love to go onto computer, but legally in the UK it's dodgy ground and expensive (we have to buy a license to copy karaoke discs and the people selling the license have no understanding of karaoke). I'd love a show like Mckyj with no filler music and constant songs but untrained customers (due to the computer show host who can't get their head round a fair and fast rotation) and that damn 10sec intro make it impossible

I also dread the day I have to convert 800 discs over. But as soon as it's possible i am.

I just see myself converting about 1,400 discs to PC. I just don't have the time or money (computer, software etc) to invest in it. And carry the discs are no problem for me and my best friend Dolly.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

I guess it's all been said. but here's my 2 cents.

To each his own. I won't run your methods down, in return don't run mine down. The way you run your show does not affect my life in anyway so keep on truckin'!

I've personally seen show both ways. IMHO what I've seen, computer based shows have less issues (skipping, dead air, wrong song pulled up, etc), get more songs in per hour, make it easier to do, gives a host more time to mingle confidently, and that's it without going into detail.

Thousands of issues posted? Not since I've been here! Maybe 15 or 20 and usually from lack of technical knowledge and are quick fixes. What do I have invested in my digital program? Well over $200. I'm covered for life! LIFE! Unless I decide there is a better program out there or my company goes under. $200 spread out over hundreds of shows amounts to less than a buck a show. I'm no math genius but seems pretty cheap to me. Of course that doesn't cover the cost of the computer but that's a wash against the player right?

Biggest disadvantage? The inital investment of ripping the music. I cooked supper around this, watched tv, cleaned, and whatever. It's not like I sat at my computer for hundreds or thousands of hours ripping. I would spend maybe one minutes of actual time with each disk. Was not a big deal if you know how to multi task.

I tell customers that I don't need the manu # on the songslip unless they want to put it on there. I don't need it. Less scribbles to translate. I also encourage them to change their song at the last minute if that's what they want and feel comfortable with. I'll have it changed out in less than 10 seconds.
I carry enought stuff to the show, I don't need any more stuff or have to worry about my cdgs disappearing. My music is all backed up. Plus not counting my audio set up and singer monitor, my set up footprint is 30 inches by 24 inches. My table that I set my rack up on folds up into my gator bag. I need absolutely nothing from the venue except a plug in and a place to set up. Take your tables and put them in the closet. I don't want them and I don't want to have to carry any of them OR stands in.
I like convenience and this method is convenience all around TO ME. If it isn't to others, so be it. I respect that.

Trying not to leave an after taste but as I said, I've seen issues at every disk based show I've been to. I've only seen issues related to the computer or software twice. Both were at my shows and both were due to as I said earlier to technical knowledge and were not show stoppers. Happy Memorial weekend to all and to all, goodnight.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

1) Opposite Experiences

2) Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant on all the forums I visit. However, even on this forum, You can easily find a whole lot of problem posts for PCs. One heckuva lot harder for players.

3) Mine too, on disc...

4) The single most important point. Run the show in the most convenient way- and the host will do the best job- disc or PC.

I hope everyone had a safe weekend!

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Karen, beg borrow or steal a hard drive! Don't chance your current hard drive with the music on it frying. Very cheap on eBay and I'm sure you can find one cheap elsewhere. I bought a 500 gb drive for about $60 if I remember right and they are probably cheaper now. One of mine fried last yaer before I got into karaoke. Luckily I had it all backed up on my iPod or I would have been screwed.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

100% CDG's and nothing else.

Hi Ripman,

Just finished upgrading my laptops hard drive and also picked up a second 500 gig external drive. I'll be spending the next couple of days transferring everything over to the new drives, then I'll put the second external drive back in the box and put it on the shelf.

I will admit that one thing I miss about being disc based is being able to actually handle the discs and see what's on it. Kind of like the difference between film and tape. With film you can hold it up and checkout the pictures and you can't do that with tape.

Karen

Hey, some folks are computer literate, and others ain't.

I don't care how well a host takes care of disks, they get damaged and skip, have video issues, etc.... Computers have issues too... there is no perfect system...

However, in the two years I've been running on computer I've had maybe a handful of minor glitches that took maybe 30 seconds for me to fix. 99% of the time it runs great, but if you're not computer literate enough to fix something if it goes south (usually entails restarting the program), then yes avoid changing over.

Ripman hit the nail on the head though in regards to the advantages of computer based hosting... I liked is point about the foot print of the show... very nice. I especially concur with the computer freeing me up to mingle rather than switching disks. But, to each his own.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

To this day my wife refuses to use call waiting or caller id. Just a gizmo. Not needed. Life goes on.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Whew. Glad to hear you have back up. It shouldn't take you that much time to backup to another drive. Once it starts of course, just let it run it's course and check it from time to time just to stir and spoon taste.

On compuhost, if I want to know what other songs are on a disk from the song I have selected, I just type in the manu # and it shows up.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

I think it's just being able to actually grab a random disc and check out what's on the label, if you know what I mean.

Hoster allows you to look up by manu code (or the # I assigned to it) so you can see exactly what's on a disc. Once you get over that feeling of not being able to handle and look at a disc, you're on your way! I guess the main thing I appreciate about being PC based is that if a singer changes their mind you're not pulling a disc out and putting another one...just takes virtually seconds to restart a new song. No mistakes with a dual deck, either, accidentally stopping the song that is playing...just silly stuff, and I suppose you inherit another new series of issues that can develop with PC but footprint (no big long table loaded with heavy disc cases and discs), no empty case where a disc SHOULD be but it isin't, etc., etc., are pluses for us.

Don't know or care about your looks, age, or anything else- Marry me!

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

The bride entered the church with her Father who was bringing the dowry of 812 karaoke cd's.

1) I don't doubt it. Many PC hosts have very few problems. The thing is, is general, through all shows, PC problems seem much more prevalent then player problems, even if we only go by post percentages.

2) The footprint, is definitely a HUGE plus, no argument there.

3) As to the PC freeing you up.....I don't get it. I'm WELL known for interaction and mingling with the crowd, making them feel a part of the "karaoke family". No problems at all. Just lay out the discs on the felt in advance, and start walking around. What's the problem?

However, I admit that some multitask better than others... Who knows?

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."