Karaoke Forums

And again I say.....they are all wrong if they aren't listing Last, First.



How many people were behind you waiting?

You see, with a book at my table, I can spend just about as much time as I wish browsing for songs without holding anyone up. Unless you have a kiosk at every table, then people don't have that kind of freedom.

Sure, a phone app gives that freedom back, but in a form factor that (IMO) isn't nearly as pleasing as a book, or even a larger screen of a kiosk.

The thing about karaoke is that there is a LOT of flexibility in how a show it run and presented.

Some use discs.
Some use computers.
Some use CAVS.
Some print books.
Some use kiosks.
Some have phone apps.
Some have lights.
Some have lasers.
Some have fog machines.
Some use wireless mics.
Some use corded mics.
Some use Elvis mics.
Some use a singer screen on a stand.
Some use screens from the venue.
Some use DK.
Some use Sound Choice.

All of these are perfectly viable options. You can pick and choose different things to use from the above and run a great show.

But mine will always be better because my way is the right way because I am a KJ and I am always right!

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-Chris

Yeaaaaahhh KJ's

Yes!
Elvis Crespo – Grammy award winner Latin singer
Elvis Andrus – MLB shortstop Texas Ranges
Elvis Dumervil – linebacker, Denver Broncos
Elvis Sinosic – MMA, UFC Fighter
Elvis Perkins – singer, son of Anthony Perkins (Psycho movie)
Source: google.
(Why? I've got nothin' better to do, just got too much time on my hands).

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

Let's not forget.....

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-Chris

I just KNEW you were going to bring up that argument!!!

And unless you have a book at every table, the same thing holds true. I have been to many shows where the KJ only puts out 5 to 10 books. The KJ may circulate the books at random tables and at the Bar, but only has so many to go around. I have found myself going over to another table, where they have had the book open to a page (and didn't appear to really be looking for anything), and I asked if I could use the book. SHOOT!!! There's been many a time that I just had a book open to a random page and would start glancing, but wasn't really looking at it while others would be looking for an available book. As for how many people were on line behind someone else who was looking at the "G's," well, most people have a certain amount of common sense, and awareness of their surroundings. They kinda sorta know that there are people standing in a line behind them (that's getting longer), and will give up their spot to get back on line again, or pick a song and be done with it. I'm not saying ALL PEOPLE will do that (some people just don't give a Rat's A$$)... just MOST.


I thought your equipment was on the Right, thus putting you Left.

I actually print enough books for all (or most of the tables). Since I only do books by artist now, everyone has the same book. Most of my venues are smaller so 10-12 books blankets a venue.

Besides, I have been asking to borrow books for 20+ years and never had an issue doing so. Never had a problem giving up a book either.

If there aren't enough kiosks to go around, there will ALWAYS be pressure to pick and get out of the way.

I can't think of any significant benefit to having a kiosk over a book. But I can come up with several negatives.

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-Chris

One big positive I can think of is that with a kiosk or list that can be accessed via phone, the song updates can be integrated in right away instead of having a "Main Book" and "New Additions" section. Plus if you do run out of books then there is always the phone option.

I don't have either option but we used to have our list on line when the partner maintained a website. Since I am now running solo I just have a FB and no website but want to add that back in eventually.

And remember Metal Elvis and El-Vez.

I don't agree. At the one show that I went to (where they used a Kiosk), I did not see more than 3 people on line at any given time. Going tit-for-tat, like Song Books just sitting on a table with nobody looking through them, there were plenty of times that there was nobody on the line by the Kiosk. Yes, there will always be that ONE who ONLY CARES ABOUT HIMSELF, and to hell with any line he may be forming, but as for feeling pressured to make a selection and get the hell out of there, well, I didn't witness that. In fact, I witnessed quite the opposite. If a person seemed to be taking too long, others would come over to assist. More often than not, it wasn't a matter of indecisiveness, but more of a matter that the person was a little confused with how to enter the selection. Once someone else showed them, they became experts themselves. It wasn't rocket science.



My opinion is, you just don't care for the Kiosks, and you will take any example/excuse you can think of to poo poo all over it. Maybe it will never work for you (at your shows), but it seemed to work fine at the show I went to.

Brian, I've never heard of those Elvi, and I bet everyone of them was named after the King. The only reason I know of Stojko is that during the Winter Olympics all you heard on the Canadian news was him. Of course he could walk right pass me and I wouldn't recognize him.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

one huge benefit to Songbookdb...........................
if i have 30 singers, i have 30 books sitting in their pockets
everyone has their own book and can take all the time they need without bothering anyone, they are going to be on their phones anyway.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

I still have printed books (always will) but if they are going to choose to be on their phones, I'd rather them looking at my book on their phone - which many do. I do not take requests by phone, they still need to come and either write it up or tell me.

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

It isn't a matter of not liking kiosks. For certain style and volume shows, I think a kiosk would be fine. (except that it takes away singer/host interaction which is an absolute showstopper for me. I am not willing to concede on this.)

But let me pose this to you.....

I regularly have 25-30 person rotations at 3 of the venues we work. Two of these are 30+ just about every weekend this time of year.

How many kiosks do I need to ensure that singers can search for and submit songs without feeling pressured? To select and submit a request without having to wait to long?

I provide more than enough books at every venue, supplemented with the ability to look up tracks on their phones. I am willing to pay more for books (which isn't as much as you might think) to ensure that we maintain a customer service connection between host and singer. THIS is one of several things that sets us apart from other karaoke outfits in the area.

My opinion - Kiosks are more for the host than the singer. What benefits do the singers get from using a kiosk?

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-Chris

You are so wrong! A kiosk does NOT take away from singer/host interaction. I use both books and a kiosk and spend just as much time interacting as if I wasn't using a kiosk at all. If you're a good host, you will interact with the audience. Makes no difference what method of song submission is used.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Let's put it like this; when my singers see this sign hanging from the ceiling over the kiosk, they get very excited and can't wait to use it. They happen to love it.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

but wait....you are using both books and kiosks. So of course you will have interaction. Books users will still have to come to you with at least a paper slip or just to tell you their song.

Why use both? Isn't one of the benefits of using a kiosk to save money on printing books? For the Song list to be 100% up to date?

You have added cost, not taken away. Troubleshooting and maintenance, not taken away.

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-Chris

I would need 5 signs and 5 kiosks * 3 clubs to properly services them. Just not going to happen.

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-Chris

That's not what I meant. And that's not the kind of interaction I'm talking about. But let me explain once again my friend...

I, as a host, do not just stay at my rig announcing names. Whether I receive a song request from the kiosk or someone bringing me a slip, I don't consider that interaction. What I do consider interaction is greeting all guests and spending time with them on the floor. I will interact with the ones who the kiosk AND the ones who used a book. I just don't stay behind my rig, I'm out there with the audience. I'll usually stop and chat and interact with everyone. Like I said, someone who brings me a slip, in my books, is NOT interacting. Me going into the audience and greeting and socializing with everyone, is. I'm sorry if you think that your interaction comes from someone bringing you a slip. (So Sad)

On a different note: Did you every get skirts for your speaker stands?

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Same here, here Tim - except Crespo. I have 5 karaoke songs from him.

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

I generally have 20-30 singers, and even on the party nights where it breaks 40, my two kiosks handle it just fine with maybe one person waiting for a minute. when I show them they can do it on their phone just as easily they just go do that. I don't have to wait at the equipment for them to hand in slips or return to find a pile of slips in no real order on the table. all requests are in order on my screen time stamped as to who got it in first while I am out mingling. the copy and paste feature makes loading songs quicker without having to decipher drunkeeze, and slips can't magically vanish under the table, Along with having a completely up to date book for every person in the bar sitting right in their pocket. when I used slips, I would go mingle and come back to two or three people standing patiently at the rig with slips in hand waiting for new to come back to hand them to me, except for the few who just threw them on the table...usually in the "already loaded" pile so they got missed. the books were mostly up to date, within a month or so, and more often than not people forgot about the updates area so they had to ask me anyway. the kiosk is updated within 5 minutes of buying the song, no book gets updated daily so someone can sing that new sing tomorrow night.
when they send in a sing, it stays not only in my history, but in the history on their phone so instead of "can I see my list", they already have it whenever that want in the palm of their hand. when they hear sing xyz on the radio, they it up to see if they can sing it next time and add it to their own list without having to wait and forget what sing it was by karaoke night (we have all forgotten that new sing we wanted to try countless times). I see these as benefits for the singer as well as the host.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

Yes. White Skirts with nice uplighting in them. EVERYONE (but you) loves them.

I do the same kind of interaction by going out into the audience. But I am also busy enough at some locations that I can't spend too much time out there. Thus, when the singers have a song, they have to come to me, then I interact with them.

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-Chris