Karaoke Forums

Looking for the best remote control operated system out there for use in a bar. Most important is a maximum storage of songs (with unlimited space to add songs); songs transistioning quickly; something with wireless mic capabilities. Please let me know thanks!
And, by the way, is there any legal issue with using songs for commercial use?

I would go with one of the Computer based systems, with large hard drive storage, you can store 10's of thousands of song and access them quickly, there are ready made systems or you could put one togeather yourself.
There should be plenty of replies to your questions so just wait and read.
I am using Hoster, I compress to the best sound compression and not the most songs. It averages about 7mb per song so on a 200 GB hardrive for just song storage I can store over 27,000 songs and that's not counting your first hard drive.

Yep look into the computer systems. There is no such thing as "unlimited space", it's how big your drive is, the quality you rip the music & can you expand on the system.

As far as legalities, it is technically illegal to use the computer systems in a commercial setting due to copyright infringements & publishing violations. However if you pay your yearly ASCAP, BMI & SESAC fees, chances are you won't have any problems. If you don't pay these fees, then you may run into problems - this goes for any kind of entertainment on any type of format BTW!

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Legal Issues
http://www.ipjustice.org/karaokefairuse.shtml

System
PC e.g. http://www.mtu.com/basics/karaoke-hoster-rack.htm
Hosting software e.g. http://www.mtu.com/basics/karaoke-hoster.htm
Audio equipment

Now the question, how much money are you willing to spend?

or you can build your own pc, and use any one of a dozen pc hosting software systems that you custom install.

Winamp is free
Sax n Dotty's is $40
PCKJ is very pricey, and mtu's stuff gets up there as well.

Karaoke Go Round is yet another...

do some research under "karaoke hosting", and you'll see all kinds of options.

Yep, Mtu's hoster is expensive If you conside $100 expensive But it catalogs the music, makes the songbooks, plays mp3+g, mps3=G zips, mp3's, wma's,and of course their propritary Kma files. Keeps track of rotation, an puts a onscreen list of songers up next. all in all a pretty professional system. The also have vcd format to be added soon.

But if you want to go bare bones and as cheep as possible......... look at all the free stuff out there. you might find a McDonalds remodeling you could get some free speakers from. a mr. Microphone would work in a pinch also.



How professional do you want your show to be?

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I'm Not Dead yet...... But every day Im getting Closer !

Dr. D. I find that post OFFENSIVE in the extreme.

I would put the very same audio files in winamp and be able to run the same damn show, McDonalds or no.

NO way did I infer that running a show with free software was in ANY way "less" of a show, or not a pro run show.

Everyone knows that MTU is your baby. And you have pointed out that $100 is the going price. Last time I checked, mtu was running $179.

Get off your high horse already.

Where can you find it for $100? I've been looking for it as well & the best price I found was $178.

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OOPS,
Sorry I didnt mean to offend, and yes, I just noticed the price is $179. Sorry, back in december, they had a special before they had the major up grade and that was $100. I havent been there in a while.

and yes, winamp will play mp3+g files.........

This is a personal decision, But for the customer support, and the bells and whistles, and the features, I don't feel that is an unreasonable price. I spend that much a month in new Cdg's.

Off the horse, and the saddle has been removed........

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I'm Not Dead yet...... But every day Im getting Closer !

Shortly after I decided on Hoster, it went on special from MTU for $128.95
That was Ver. 2.219, so I bought it even though I wasn't ready to use it at that time. After I started using it the new version 3.0 came out for a $20.00 upgrade, then the 3.006 was a free upgrade, I've got just under $150.00 spent for it. The original sale was $50.00 and after the upgrade I still saved $30.00.
I looked into some of the others out there but decided to go with hoster as it meant less work for me, some of the others out there are plenty capable of giving proffesional results as Knightshow has said it is just a matter of prefferance, I opted for ease of use and was willing to pay what MTU wanted to get it.

I am MORE than willing to admit MTU puts out a terrific product. I've played around enough with it, and while no expert, I found it fairly easy to use, and as Dr. D has so eloquently pointed out, the features on it make it very, very nice.

BUT it's not the only option out there.

I apologize for being too sensitive, and for coming down like a ton of bricks. I just found the phrasing of his sarcasm of "mcdonalds" and less than pro useage highly insulting.

I will be the first to admit that MTU will play far more types of files that winamp does. But if you do your ripping with audiograbber or cdrwin, and convert downwards to the .mp3 and the .cdg files, winamp can be a very GOOD option to use.

Matt

Can I get frys with that?