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I redo books usually in Jan I didnt buy many new songs  this year so now I'm investing some money to catch up a little. I'm not wholesale buying cd's anymore (the list I gave in top 200 is available on CB)...I want to do custom cd's.

Once ripped I dont want anything to do with disc numbers or tracks.. Naming method is  Sugarland - Stay(CB).zip. It might be an idea inside the zip to have both cdg and mp3 named with disc and track number.  One method I have now is a  karaoke folder with A-K & L-Z zips..  This makes it easier for copying to backup etc. All new songs are put in the karaoke parent folder to keep them separate and ease of printing new sheets for the books. After new books they go into the proper A-K L-Z folders.

Thank god for one Microsoft developer that made it possible to sort files by date or modified..

Last couple of years I have used Access to print books 3 column (landscape) I dont know if I can figure that crap out again. I was looking at a software that takes the files and makes books with a lot of options (forget which one) but it is about $80 and hate to spend that much for something only used once a year..

Most binders need replacing and a lot of sheet protectors are not that hot. Babs said something about laminated protection in the book thread. I might be interested in that.. (cost etc)

I hate books!!! Anyway these are meandering thoughts any other thoughts or ideas??

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Have you been following the recent long-running books thread?

Personally I like no sheet protectors. I have seen books last for a long time without them at other shows, provided the book is "perfect" bound.

I get my books printed for 3 cents per page (6 cents double-sided) and perfect-bound with two color covers and transparent plastic outside covers. (I have the artist on one side, flip and you get title.) Cost is $13.00 apiece, for about 125 sheets/250 pages. Two columns.

Of course I don't use them several times a week in a bar environment, but the books I have seen that were used like that survived pretty nicely.

WRT software, I have been using the MTU Hoster book creator, which makes a nice two-column listing that is space-efficent. I am going to have to replace that some day, since I switched to Compuhost and am no longer adding tracks to Hoster.

I disagree with your plan to eliminate disk/track numbers -- it is pretty common for manufacturers to have two different versions of the same song, and it will be difficult to coordinate selecting the one-and-true version of same. I have several Chartbuster dups, and at least one is different between different disks.

Ok Mike I'm not the office type When you say "perfect" bound I'm thinking of these gals out here in tight fittin' jeans...Please elaborate.. What is "perfect" bound?

I could google but I'm having too much fun now!!!



If a singer is that particular they usually have their own cd's Now we sort of ask them to have them on flash drives. Thats like running a taxi company and providiing different color cars for preferences. To me it is not economically feasible. (uhoh another argument coming) At some point common sense and standard business practices dictate success and longevity.. I use to pour money into a system now if I am not at least breaking even I'll retire again.

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If you go numberless at the very least have a manufacturer denotation somewhere next to the song title.  i have been to shows in the past that don't use numbers or they have a custom generic numbering system that does no good in telling you if it's a quality version & tend to avoid these shows as a rule - which seems to be more common nowdays as more & more shows are going no numbers.

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(SC) (CB) (THM) (SD)  Sugarland - Stay(CB).zip It's like Picture We have SC and THM The regs know the difference... Most songs I dont carry dups the popular ones I designate this way It works.. It's like seeing a slip with +1 that means key up 1..

In the book it is Sugarland Stay(CB)

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Most karaoke singers do understand the two letter code as it's fairly standard.  Even if there were no dups, at least the main listing so someone could know if it's a SC or CB or THM or, etc...

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Lonnie I dont understand your thinking  If they are particular about the difference between CB and SC then they are savvay Most of our singers even college students have been doing karaoke for years and are not that naive They know brands and know designations in the book If they dont one 10 second answer solves that.. A disc designation takes up room and clutters an index or a book They want 2 things Artist Title If somebody has a book with disc track # I'll just go up and ask them do you have So-So?

I prefer MM Only You by Travis Tritt But If I come to your show and have it on flash drive Can you play it ?

I am going to haul 40 million cd's to Washington!!

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See we get alot of college age as well & at least up here they know and understand different manufacturers produce different sounding tracks.  Now I don't list everything either simply because of space, my books are dual columned, but someone that is 'saavy' can identify the manu listed & then can ask if another version is available.  I have been to many shows that have no identifier of any kind & took a crap shoot & ended up with the most horrid midi/synthy versions.  If I would have known that it was a SGB vs a SC I would never have picked it.  

If you bring it in on a flash drive, yes I can play it provided it's in a compatible format to my system - what that has to do with anything discussed I am at a loss.

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I'm just pullin your leg!!!  I would love to come out and see you people!!!I would start off in Canby and party North!!!

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You are welcome anytime!  

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That would be ok, but there are more than 4 karaoke disc companies.  They have been going in and out of business for the past 20 years. One look in KJPro will tell you that. There are many similar disc designations. So it could get very confusing. A seasoned pro singer might know the difference, but most college kids still can't spell.

Yep, been at this since 92, know all the different companies, but funny thing is many still do know (even some of the young kids as they have been singing at home on their personal machines since before they were 21 as the home market has exploded in the past few years) & ask for & know different versions.

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Really, for most people who care, knowing SC/CB/DK/PH/THM/SGB/SPC is enough. If the code doesn't match their favorite, they can skip it if they care.

my books do not have any id for what manu the song is. %95 of songs i get requested I use sound choice next option is one of the _HM options,Chartbuster or DK depending on the age of the song and genre. there are not many songs that arent covered in one of these and it becomes a wash. not many of my singers really know the difference (that I know of), but being that most of what I play is sound choice (seems to be prefered) they may know and are just happy , and have not brought it up. still i think somebody would have made a comment by now.  as far as i know I dont have any or many of the crappo midi and synth tracks. I dont normaly try tracks with a manu I do not recognise unless i dont have any other option on the song. mostly these are really oddball songs n people are just happy I had it.

  heck Im trying to figure out HOW to make sure my new files have the song number and manu on the title just so I can tell between different duplicates. also my karaoke program does pick up some of my DJ music when I do a search so not having song numbers could really mess me up.

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

Well, I don't know what your singers think. I know most don't care or know.

But I think listing songs in a book twice or more without an associated manufacturer is kind of pointless. Who cares that you have two versions, one with the number 442-11 and the other with the number 1504-05? I certainly don't. But if you put SC8146-07 and CB45013-06, I know what I am selecting between. (By the way, that describes a song I simply won't do with Chartbuster version. I have a couple of CB songs I strongly prefer over SC, too.)

Putting the MFR number is the kind of authoritative info that helps everyone. Of course if you don't care, that is fine. I just note it and go on to the next show, when I am a singer.

At the least a MFG code is required as mentioned.

You need an EXPLANATION PAGE in the front explaining what all the codes are !!  
Before you get a 100 questions a night

I used to think page protectors with binders were the only way to go, if your not computerized. It looks professional and should keep you books looking cleaner and neater.

I experimented with a couple different techniques and discovered when I used laminated covers and no page protectors the books lasted longer and were better looking than the binder method over time. It didn't make sense to me, but it's true. When I used page protectors moisture would get between the pages and actually mold and the binders would show the use more than the laminated covers. It took a while to fully convince me. I just couldn't believe the less expensive way was better.

The nice thing is it was so much cheaper to not use the page protectors and binders. Plus the books are a lot lighter to carry. Now when I update my new songs I simply make new books. The price is usually $20 - $25 a book. The key was using the right binding. If you use the thick plastic bindings the first few pages seem to tear out. Office Max uses more a spiral wire which works great. I haven't lost a page in six months and the books still look new. The bindings I use look like this. It is a single wire binding. I print on both side of the pages. The front and back covers are simply laminated pages I designed on my computer.



My books get constant use in a bar setting.

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I can see how using manufacturer denotation can be helpful although I haven't had a need to use it. The mass majority of my songs are Sound Choice. I only have a few THM, CB and sunfly. I can count on one hand how many times in the last 4 years people have asked me what manufacturer the songs are. That doesn't mean others wouldn't have liked to have known.

When I sing somewhere I am curious also what version the song is, but don't ask. I figure I either want to sing the song or not. I'll know soon enough when the song starts.

I don't carry a bunch of different versions of the same song, so if I'm asked what version I have I simply say it's probably Sound Choice. Then I tell them when the songs starts if it isn't a version they are familiar with we can change the song.  :D

I think it's great when KJs include the manufacturers name. I just find it is unnecessary extra work for me.

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I did a version of Born On The Bayou - CCR a couple years back, the book had no code.  I know it's out on a couple of discs & 1 of them is absolutely unsingable & doesn't even resemble the original.  Guess what version it was, if I would have had the manu code, there is NO WAY I would have picked it.  Once I heard the song start I just told the kj to stop it & walked off, which he didn't, let it play all the way through anyway.

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I agree that manu notations in the books aren't necessary.  As the KJ, I usually know which version is going to be the best.  

The only ones it matters to are those who know the difference.  Not too many of my audience fall into that category.  If a seasoned karaoke veteran asks for a particular version, I'll let them know if I have it and play it for them if I do, otherwise, my show sounds a lot better because singers who don't know the difference aren't requesting the crappiest version because they have a choice.  I think it would require more management on my part educating karaoke ignorants on the best versions of their songs.

If a singer sings a song and the version sucked, I'll let them know if I have another version and that we'll try that one the next time they sing.