Karaoke Forums

Hi All,

I am a new poster to these forums, so please forgive me if I cover some ground that has been covered before.

I have been a KJ for 12 years. I started out with a single disk JVC player and a DK Encore set and some crummy speakers and a Fender Mixer Amp.

I gradually built my core disk set to a couple hundred and got sick of shuffling disks, so I bought a Pioneer 300 disk changer and a Voco Pro converter so I could run selections by remote control. By then I had a better amp, EV speakers and wireless mikes.

Then I bought my 301st disk. I decided that rather than string another 300 disk changer together and have more stuff to haul around I would go digital.

I put together a computer system for Karaoke over 5 years ago. There wasn't much help in figuring it out back then. Plus most KJ's were against it for all the Copyright issues.

I have a library of over 1500 disks, that I own, and keep in a safe place. They have all been converted to digital format and are on my computer. I run my system through a Yamaha mixer connected to a TC Electronic M350 Dual Engine Reverb Processor, A TC Helicon Vocal One Voice Processor and Electro Voice SXa250 Powered Speakers. All of my gear is in two small Gator wheeled cases, that I as an old man of 55 can easily carry and set up at my gigs.

My sound quality is superb. I can make any singer sound the best they have ever sounded, and I get nothing but compliments on my system and shows.

I can keep track of everything electronically, find a song instantly, and have numerous singers ready in the cue. There is no question about singing order, etc.

My life is much easier, and this allows me time to "work the crowd" and make the show quality better than I ever could with my disk systems.

I would never go back to running a disk show. I would not be afraid to challenge my position in court, by presenting my receipts and disks to substantiate that my system is totally "legal". In discussing this with a number of legal experts, there are no disk manufacturers that would take on a case where the digital system is backed by the legal disks. Pirates and downloaders are another cup of tea.

I have read a number of the threads here that discuss this issue, and I just have to say, if I own the disks, then I should be able to choose the format that I present them in. This is the digital age, and once you run a digital system, you will find that the old way just doesn't make sense anymore.

Just my two cents worth.

Anda, heeeeeeere we go again!  

CAN OPEN.............WORMS EVERYWHERE  :shock:    :whistle:

Keep the horse beating to a minimum with this newbie  LMAO

Welcome to the forum!

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Must be a way to program software on the bboard so the words "legal and Karaoke" can't immediately follow one another in a sentence  LOL

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

How about everybody give the newbie one short post and then leave it alone?

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Okay, who took my pants?

Welcome to the forum Dennis....I agree with you completely, however this is a totally beat to death subject. Please be aware that posting on this subject can be hazardous to anyone, let alone a newbie on this forum. There are few folks who walk the middle of the road on this subject....they are either for digital or totally against it. Some will even get in your face about their views.

I respect your opinions however this is probably a subject that will likely get responses you may not be looking for.

Again welcome to KS  :wave:

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

Flipper,

Thanks to you and others for the welcome.

I totally understand the positions people take on this. I really didn't want to start a new battle on the subject.

I think the key to this is, if, I as a KJ have spent thousands of dollars on software, then from a competitive standpoint, I am no different than another KJ who chooses to run a disk system. I'm not trying to undercut his/her business, by using software I downloaded from the internet. I just choose to use a system that is more efficient and flexible than the competition. At some point this will be the standard.

The gray area is how do you control the software. the fact that I am buying my disks, doesn't preclude someone else from using copied burns. I am trying to do it the right way. It is very concerning to me that someone might undercut me with an Ipod full of downloads.

I think that is the real issue, the threat to our business. The Karaoke manufactrers need to get together and figure out a functional way to limit use. Code the files so that they can not be distributed. It wouldn't be that dificult to do.

I know this is a sore subject, and I really didn't want to open old wounds. I've been around the business for a while, and I have been around the digital side of it for longer than most. there was a time I couldn't make this post on a Karaoke forum at all. At the very least, it is now at least something that can be discussed.

I think whether it's legal or not is really not the core of the issue, it's controlling the distribution that is the real issue.

Let's stear this  a little... WELCOME

Dennis - What software app are you using to host your shows ?

Welcome Dennis!!!

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Will sing or fish for food!!I'm not quite right!!

 I agree totally, but it would be easier for the KJs to encrypt the music files so that they only play on a specific machine than for the manus to do it.  Now then, this is my opinion and I will not post in this thread again.

The concept of ripping CDG content is legal in my opinion as it meets the standard set forth in the "Fair Use" decision and the resulting changes to the copyright law in that as a CD is intended for use by an individual a CDG is intended for use by a KJ.  While there is now a substantial home market for CDGs, if they can't sing in public no one is going to buy them.  I submit that if you're using your computer as a player and not as an archive, it's legal.   Direct 1:1 conversion to MP3 has no market impact as CDs properly handled will last 30 years and there is no known limit to the number of times a replicated CD can be played.

As for the idea of format shifting.  CDs format shift at least four times in the process of getting the digital information off the disk so what's one more?  If you take exception to MP3 as a "Copy" then call it an audio filter becasue it does filter the audio after all.  To summerize; the disk is copyrighted, the sound produced after normal processing is copyrighted, but the flow and processing of digital data between disk and sound are not at this time governed.

And Welcome to the Forum....

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Okay, who took my pants?

I use WinAmp with CDG plug-in.

I've been doing this for quite some time, and I set all of my Excel song files to link directly to Winamp. If you click on the song in Excel it loads to Winamp. Once I got started doing this, it became hard to switch to other software when it came out. I have tried demos of the different software available, and still am kind of partial to my set-up...call me old school.

Winamp was the only one out there when I started. Hoster might have been there, but it wasn't well known and/or refined enough to warrant the price.

I still normally load files from disk folders, but on a search I load from Excel.

I also have the key-change plug-in...can't remember the name of it right now.

I run from a standard SFF desktop mounted in a (4 Space) Gator roller case with a server TFT LCD keyboard tray. I found that laptops just weren't stable enough. In a desktop, you can put in a high end sound and video card, and hard drive upgrades are much cheaper. That's just a personal choice, but it has been durable and stable. I think the sound is better than when I play through a laptop.

Say pay no mind that copyright laws say you can't copy (into any format) for commercial use, since you feel you believe you have the right, that's what's going to happen.

Got it!

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[shadow=deepskyblue]I'm impressed, I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before.[/shadow]

 LMAO


I'm just saying welcome Dennis -

Babs runs away scratching her bum

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Thanks to all those who welcomed me!

Welome Dennis.... Ollie runs after Babs wanting pinch her bum.

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