Karaoke Forums

This was something that I came up with  some time ago for the singers display.  I never liked a screen or TV being UP and in front of a singer.  This is an old drummer's throne that I use. It stays low and out of the way of the singer.  Thought maybe I would also add a simple set up picture.  I would think that this type of information would be helpful if everyone could post a "setup" picture. This is the type of info that is most helpful to anyone.  

Kelly

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/ ... Stand2.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/ ... Stand1.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/ ... GigRig.jpg

Kelly,


  My concern would be at just around 2 feet off the ground, and being that size, it'd be quite vulnerable in crowded conditions.  Around here people stumble upon ANYTHING imagineable.  During slower nights that seems like a good idea. Would the throne base be anchored to the stage floor somehow ?  Although I see the cable is quite secure I'm wondering if attached to wall or ceiling, or even higher up on a VERY heavy-duty stand is the only way to protect equipment during busy weekend nights.

_________________
Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I am interested as much in what you use to drive an LCD monitor...do you have two
video cards, an extra VGA out, or have some sort of video->VGA conversion?

Steven, believe it or not but I have used this for about three years now.  Never been hit or turned over.  And it's not anchored.   The cable is simply allowed to lay on the floor and then runs along the short wall, back to my rig.  What looks like a cable fastened to the stage is acutually some blue rope light that the club has mounted to the sides.

In fact, the screen it self is only held on the stand buy a small U Channel piece of metal that is fasten with two screws just under the DELL.  The LCD is hanging onto the plate that is fastened to the throne.  I simply set it in the channel and the weight of the screen rest back against the plate.  The screw heads in the channel keep the monitor from slipping off from horizontal motions.The throne of course (the legs) folds up.  It packs away with my speaker stands.  The monitor is carried in a bag along with my laptop.

mckyj57,

My laptop has a dual video card that allows the singers to see one image while I see the actual program.  I go from my S-video out to a (forget the name) sorta like a small video exchange hub.  From there, a monitor cable goes to my singers screen.  Also from the hub a RCA cable goes to a large TV screen that sets in the corner above me so the crowd can also see the lyrics.

Kelly

Nice stand. I am sure you had hard time finding a good solid stand for LCD display as I have. I built mine as well because after weeks of research I didn't find what I wanted. Hereis a picture of what I made. The monitor in front makes it more stable and keeps it from tipping over. It works great and I am very happy with mine.

_________________

Seize the day and SING!!!

Nice job eben!

Kelly

Yes, I have a dual-output laptop too. But I don't know this "video exchange
hub". I have looked for such a thing, but they are difficult to find --
mostly because I don't find that the specs for those things spell out exactly
what they do.

Kelly,


   You have an interesting concept there.  I just checked my TAMA drum throne (which isn't a heavy weight throne) and without the seat the low center of gravity actually makes that base sturdier than I originally thought it would be. I wasn't able to just visualize that however.  I needed to check the height and how that weight distribution would actually exist.  I started wondering if a heavier rolling boom stand might be better, (since rather than topple breaking the LCD monitor, it'd just push and roll out've the way) but given the cost, and cumbersome size, likely not good for your application. Additionally you stated you didn't like certain monitor positions.

I think heavy duty Drum hardware such as your idea, perhaps a snare stand with a wide enough leg configuration would indeed work just fine.

_________________
Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Maybe these photos will make it easier to understand.

The Plate on the back of the DELL. Note the U-Channel
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/ ... kPlate.jpg

The Stand by it self
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/ ... /Stand.jpg

The two together
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/ ... gether.jpg

Kelly

That's basically what I did. Bought a monitor stand from karaoke.com, bought a LCD wall mount and bolted it to the stand. Holds a 19" monitor right in front of the singers, and I keep a 15" monitor at my dj rack for my programs

I want to run an lcd monitor as well as a tv how doI do this

If the are both co-ax capable you just need to split the signal.   If the LCD only takes RCA then you will have to use two different wires split from an RF Amplifier box.  Just put different connectors on the outlets.

You've got a great idea for getting the unsightly monitor out of the singer's face.  I have noticed that singers at concerts look down while they are singing.  It turns out that they have LCD monitors encased in speaker-like cabinets that look almost like wedge monitor speakers.  I wonder if we could do something similar?

I am also intriqued by the possibility of converting my TV monitor stand to hold an LCD monitor.  There is an LCD karaoke stand on ebay, but it is so darn expensive.

By the way, is that a laptop stand you are using?

Bigdog,

The cable going to the lcd is a regular computer cable.  It goes from the converter to the screen.  From the converter I use RCA to the TV for the crowd.  I have bouth the video and power cord wrapped together so it looks cleaner.

mckyj57,

I stand corrected. I don't have dual video cards.  Just one that supports extended desktop.

JDrifter,

The stand for the laptop is also mostly home made.  I'll try to get a picture of it.  I had a metal bracket that simply is designed to slip on the egde of the Gigrig.  It's sorta horsehoe shaped and slips over the edge.  welded from a 90 degree angle is a square tube bar.  It extends about 8" straight out from the gigrig.  About a 1/2" from the end is a hole about 3/8" or so.  I took a metal plate that was made to hold the big old time monitors on a arm.  I took the plate and welded a bolt to  the bottom of the plate.  It simply slips down through the hole and is held in place by a big wing nut.  I also drilled many holes in the plate.  This assists the laptop fans in keeping the laptop cool.

My customers love the low angle.  It gives THEM more of a "professional" appearance.   I watched a show "Soundstage"  (one of the new HD channels)  celebrating George Jone's 50 years.  They had 2-at least 21" monitors just for the lyrics. I kept seeing them looking down and wasn't sure what was going on.  Later in the show they showed a camera angle from behind and there it was.  They appeared to be speaker monitors.  So,...even the pro's do "karaoke" with a live band.  The funny thing was that they were have other singers do George's music.  I sorta understood them using it.  But later he got up there and he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of it either.

Kelly

Kelly, what a coincidence!  I also watched that same show on HD, which briefly showed the LCD monitors on the floor.  By the way, Alanis Morisette is currently on Soundstage, and she is using a bare LCD monitor on the floor.  However, she is not even looking at the monitor.

Here is a small LCD monitor mounted on a mic stand that won't be as obtrusive as a full monitor:

http://www.ab-cds.com/Queries/lcd_monitor.htm



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To me it still obtrusive.  It would still be easy to tip over.  And in addition, you are putting your mics at risk also.  IMO.

Kelly

I still like the idea of having the stand on wheels, so if some idiot does trip over it, it has a better chance of surviving if it can roll out of the way.

The microphones are always in danger if they are in somebody elses hands.