Karaoke Forums

I am looking to transfer my karaoke laserdiscs to some other fomrat so that I can still use the music that I already have.I know there must be a way, I just do not know how to do it. And how do you burn karaoke tracks on the computer ?What software etc do you need in order to do so?Any input is greatly appreciated I've been asking everyone locally and noone knows.Thanks.

you need an outside software capture device... SOMETHING to grab the video. I use "Pinnacle Studio" with it's own software and hardware. It records to the computer with a blue window exactly like a VCR!

Thanks for the input Knightshow.I really appreciate it.I've been asking around my area here, but noone seems to know anything about that sort of stuff.Thanks again.

I put them to DVD with a cheap recorder from walmart (Around $99), then rip the dvd into the computer and make the tracks mpegs.  Works well, except they are large files to keep on the harddrive. TMPGenc Suite works well to rip/burn/split the tracks.  Good luck its a very long process because it must be done in real time.

The best way is to use a DVD recorder and transfer them to dvd. It's not worth transfering them to pc.
In my opinion there are not even worth useing at all anymore, but some people like them.

they're a SOLID part of my show! I'm personally very happy I did the conversions!

Like i said some people like them.

Most people do not have a powerful enough computer for them to play without hanging up.

My new machine for Video DJ. I use Virtual DJ
Hardware: Dual Xeon 3.2ghz processor
4 gig 800mhz ram
36 gig 10,000 rpm System Hard Drive
2 -  500gig 8meg buffer  sata data drives
Ati dual head 512meg video card
Maya 44 sound card

3u rackmount case. all at the reasonable price of $3500

It's overkill but, mixing video live is no joke. It was chaper than buying 2 pioneer dvd players $3000 each a mixer and a tri-screen video preview monitor.


As far a lasers...
I'll stick to Soundchoice, I don't think the pioneer sound any better than star disc.

my buddy Tig and I had a conversation a while back and we refer to it every now and then... about what you were raised on.

If you were brought up on DK, then the annoying pan flute melody is easy to ignore... in fact, it helps you with where you're supposed to be in the song vocally!

If you were brought up on SC, then nothing else other than them will suffice.

If you started out with Pioneers, then THEY are an inescapable core that you have to havle. Even the pioneer cdgs aren't adequate! Ya HAVE to have the videos! !

I agree with you and Tig, Matt...Pioneer Laser is the benchmark!  And most customers from when we KJed agree, also! It's a good thing personal choice is.....personal.  Pioneer Laser quality the same as Star Disk?!:  Geez!

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If you can't have fun...why bother?

to be honest, I know where he's coming from... some of the "pop" hits of the late nineties that they did... I prefer the PHM THM versions to those...

"Barely Breathin'" comes immediately to mind. The Pioneer versions of some of the pop music from that era are just... weak!

Just checked my Laser collection, Matt, and I find it is 97.5% country.  The remainder being oldies.  I have 7 or 8 Star Disks that I purchased for a particular tune (from ebay...very cheap) and the SDs are country, too.  Guess my comparisons are based on both company's country offerings.  Since I'm out of the KJing business and don't have to get disks for others, I only get country or oldies.  So the comparisons of other genres, I'll leave to competent folks like yourself, Tig and Lyquiddye.  :)

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If you can't have fun...why bother?

It is preferance. There are many KJ's that use pioneer lasers still to this day. I am used to sc that is what I judge everything against. Some people like the videos I think they are cheesy, but again If you use the the audience is used to them and generally gets a kick out of them.

The pop songs can be rough but the country and oldies are not too bad.

I transferred about 75 LDs to DVDs and I use a CD-G/DVD player. What I did was purchase a Pioneer DVD Recorder, model number DVR-520H. I chose that model because it had a 80GB drive internally and had an IEEE-1394 (Firewire) built in. What I did was connect up the LD player directly to the Pioneer unit using S-Video and RCA audio cable. Unfortunately, the only way to do it is to transfer to the HD via analogue signal. Also, that means that HD will continue to record past the LD and it has to be done in real time.

It's fairly easy to edit it however. You just cut out the front and back section you don't need. Also, if the LD is two sided, you will need to cut out the middle where it flips over. Then you go chapter edit each song, which can take a few minutes but using fast foward, pause and step functions, you can do this in about 5 mins. Then you just insert the DVD-R blank and record to it. Then the final step is finalize the disk, which takes few minutes. Then you are done. I made two copies each so I don't have to do the conversion again if the the DVD goes bad. If it fails, I can do a disk copy from DVD to DVD and I have another copy.

The player is about $250 or less if you shop around. It took a while but I am glad I did the conversion so that I won't let those LDs go to waste.

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Seize the day and SING!!!