Karaoke Forums

i am thinking of setting up a laptop for karaoke i need to know what software and the best laptop for the job i am new to the forum

monty, do a browse of this particular forum. You'll see many threads dedicated to this kind of discussion...

from hardware to software...

there is a program called compuhost I use it and love it  you can find it on www.kjtools.com

frantz

I think that you need to determine a budget ahead of time for this. If you have a minimal budget I would recommend different setups than if your budget was large.

If you want a great turnkey system and did not want to have the hassle of putting all of the components together ie Laptop, burner, software, soundcard....MTU has some really nice turnkey systems. I will warn you that they are a little pricey but they are well put together (high quality components) and are specifically designed for professional KJ hosting. If you purchase one of these units and load it up with your
music....you have one of the finest units available on the market to work with.

www.mtu.com

If you decide to be adventursome there are an amazing amout of options available to you with regards to laptops and sofware available.

My first system was a Toshiba Laptop and MTU's hoster coupled with a Soundblaster soundcard. I have been running this unit since Late 2002 with no problems other than a power supply cord that required replacement. My Hoster software has been bulletproof the whole time..and I'm very pleased with the performance.

There are many good threads on this forum on hosting software and karaoke computers that you could read forever. There are many varying opinions on which is the best choice. Do a search on this forum and you will see what I mean.

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

1. Deterine you use for the laptop.
If you are just going to be usinging for HOME USE, that is a whole different situation that if you are going to use it in a PROFESSIONAL environemnt.  THen there is the "I wqant a home system now, but may want to get in the KJ biz at a later date" thingy, and again, a entire different set of rules.

2. Determine your budget.
You can spend anywhere from almost noting to thousands on getting setup.

3. DO NOT take advise from anyone in this forum on which karaoke software is the "best".
The BEST is subjective.  Do download and try all the recoendations of software provide on this forum, and then DECIDE YOURSELF.

I agree with twan on the subjectiveness of input on the software. As he said you can download demos of all of them and try them to find the correct fit for you.

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

There are some good free programs around. ie Winamp

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

In Winamp, how do you locate your files?

A little off the subject, can I just plug a sound card in to my card slot?  How about video?  What do you do there?  I want to try laptop KJing, but I don't want to invest in a new laptop just yet.

You don't need a NEW laptop.  It will run just fine from an old one.  Of course, you are better of with a rack mount machine but I'm sure you won't listen because no one ever has and why would you be the first.
If you are going to do this in a professional environment remember that your karaoke computer is your karaoke computer and it should have no other function.
You should also read the recent threads on software piracy in this forum.  Some of the disk manufacturers are about to come down hard on the computer based folks.  It could be that you loose everything you own and go to jail for a very long time just for having music on your hard drive.
If you're still determined to be computer based, shop software first.  Most hosting software does pretty much the same thing.  Winamp front ends can save you a bunch of money over stand-alones but they are harder to configure.  Find the web sites for MTU, Compuhost, Roxbox, VDJ, PCDJ/KJ, autoKDJ(freeware), and anything else you might find along the way.  I run Sacks-O-Nuts but that is off the market.  Shopping for software first will save you a lot a headaches in the long run.

exweedfarmer has good advice.
An old 286 laptop will run it all very smoothly.
Dont forget CDG is very low quality graphics.
You will have to get a faster machine though because
you will need adaquate disk size.

Just put them in the media library.


Most modern laptops have a sound card and an S-Video connector already; they are
ready to go. I have a $650 Toshiba Satellite that does all I need it to
do.

Well no, not a 286.  But a PII 233MMX with the right software.

Just curious, why would they come down hard on laptop KJs if they purchased the music legally and ripped it to their laptop?

because of the way the law currently reads... for commercial uses, it's illegal.

I personally agree with you, though, and it's why I went digital... but since they have decided to pursue litigation against folks like that, I retired.

for winamp searching for songs and keeping a rotation is done better witha free addon called AutoKDJ.  Their latest version works with the latest version of winamp.
Autokdj works inside of winamp's Media Library and allows you to search for your songs as easily as you search the web for information.
Something to consider: with winamp, you need these plugins:
MP3+G plugin - to display the graphic file,
PaceMAker - for changing the key and
cdg Disc Plugin- for playing off of discs.
You also need a way to import your songs.
Some will suggest Audiograbber but with that you need:
a program to name your files and
a program to zip the files.
www.kjamp.com has a program called KJ RIP N ZIP that does all of this.
The only other things you need with your system are a big external hard drive for your songs and a cd-rom or writer that can read the CD+G subcode.
I am not saying that these are the best but are what I use.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Well  :thinkin: , In order for anyone to make a sound decision one should consider the recommendations of others that have used the product. Yes, any opinion is going to be subjective by nature. You should consider everyone's advise in this forum as well as anyone else (not on this site) that has used these types of programs and if possible download any programs your considering. After you have researched the software to make sure it can do what you want it to do consider ALL the advise you received from all sources to determine the reliabililty of the product I.E. Consumer reports, Reviews of various products. These sources are there for a reason to give us the consumer an idea of how the product is preforming in real life situations. Demo's are great but you can't solo base your decision on it or any other one thing you must consider ALL of these factors to make a educated decision.

Guess I'm showing my age. A 286 has loads more processing power than is needed to run mp3 + cdg but there aint karaoke software to run on windows 3.
Not that I in anyway advocate using antiques...

I never said dont take advise on software, I said don't take anyone's advise on which is THE BEST.  I personaly think Sax&Dotty's is the Best, Lonman thinks MTU's Hoster is the BEST, others love RoxBox, ect....  To just go drop $$$$ on a product casue someone said it is the BEST, is stupid, but some people will do it.

I totally agree with you. You never want to go on just one persons opinion. It's good to know what people think is the best out there and why they feel that way to gauge how the products performing. Thats why I said you must consider ALL the opinions for it to be helpful in making a sound decision but yes I do know what your saying "Do not base a decision on one persons recommendations" you must always research.  :)

Really??? 16 bit 16MHz processor, 1 MB of soldered DIPPs on the motherboard for RAM, ISA buss, EGA  16 color graphics, 20 Mb hard drive, and you're going to burden the thing with Windows?  Yee Gods, that would be a programming challenge.  If you can make it work I will be the first to stand on my chair and applaud.