Karaoke Forums

Make your system too automated, and easy to use by the singers, and SOON someone will realize that the KJ is not needed, and you have been replaced.....


Now DJs still have jobs but jukeboxes certainly are more appropriate in some niches/bars. Do we expect karaoke to go the same way with the bartender just turning the system on at the start of the night?

Im not in fear of that happening to me because I interact with my singers.... BUT design a system where the personal interaction between kj and singer is gone and then the kj may follow to be sacrificed as an economy of progress (and save a few bucks for the bar)....

That might be true in Japan where that happens now in some places, but here in the good 'ole USA, karaoke needs a host to make order out of what would otherwise be chaos. Imagine what would happen when 2 drunk people put in the same song and got into it about who is supposed to be up?

Until the U.S. has the same social structure and interaction as they do in Japan or other Asian countries, I don't believe it will happen here.

It has already been invented for years by Cavs.

No personel needed - http://www.cavsusa.com/product/H_player/jb199RG.htm

The fact is you can't replace what a host brings to the show. Just like a jukebox will never be a replacement for a live band.

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c.staley, i think the technology is awesome and thanks for posting that great video and picture.

However, upon imagining myself using it, i would tend to think that my singers who do not have the correct artist or title would mill around too long, or worse, my 20-something singers might think it's too cool and spend 20 minutes just seeing what songs are in there, all the while not noticing there are 30 other people waiting to sign up.

Has that ever happened with you ? Major- Kiosk-Hogging??

I DO admire you for putting something SO COOL together- and glad it works for you! j.r.

You'd be surprised that it actually does NOT happen.. (come to think of it, so am I) But after the first few weeks -- when the novelty wears off -- all the singers are very good at going one after another... People will (surprising as it was to me) only "browse" when there are none ready to use it.

Glad you liked the video.... it ain't the best, but I did want to give you an idea that I'm talking about something real and not just vapor-ware...

I second that - video was very good, and it is a great idea, and I suppose some day I'll be FORCED to go with something like that...sigh.....

I think I'll have a topless gal running the kiosk and taking requests!!! Well it's a thought!!!!lol

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I sat and watched one for an hour once, and that is about how it worked. In about 20 minutes, there was a 12-person rotation and growing, and a lot of people stuck in two or more songs.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
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Kiosks are the only way to fly. Use them once and you'll never go back. There's no reason you couldn't interface them with the internet. They are sitting idle most of the time, what the heck.

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I would personally hate to go to a show that did not have books & be forced to use a computer to enter my songs. I personally enjoy to sit down & look through a book & think about songs and not have to be 'Johnny On The Spot" to figure out what I want to sing at that moment. Luckily there are no shows like that around here to avoid!

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I have to admit that all this talk about "kiosks" is somewhat unknown, to me anyway, in the UK (no doubt someone will put me right about this) and it all sounds very grand and technically the way forward but it all sounds a bit like going to buy an ice cream !

I always look at technology this way - if its a good idea and the people like it it'll work and it'll last - if not it will just die out.

Like when the computer replaced the CD - Fantastic. Everybody liked that. Certainly us KJ's - No more carrying all them boxes of CD's around - No more 'skipping' especially when the fat bloke singing also starts his carefully choreographed dance routine on the stage where the CD player stands - etc.

But I personally still like the interaction as KJ with the singers and if I'm a customer the interaction with the other singers. As someone said previously if it gets too automated theres a danger that no one even lifts there head to applaud anyone and then the whole point of Karaoke is lost.

I still use the books and paper slips but also encourage them to ask me if a song they want isn't in the books cos the books can never be 100% up to date.
Now I just enter the requests into the computer as quick as I can so I can dispose of the slips.

I wouldn't want to go back to the days of carefully queing up all the paper slips on the table top in singer order. I still remember that wise guy who thought it would be funny to blow them all away. He thought it was hilarious - I not so.

Anyway I fear I'm going off topic somewhat so I'd better go now.

Bye all

welcome to the site!

Not all KJs love the computer. Not even all singers! There's quite the debate and arguement over those. There are still many CD purists out there.

Reminds me of a scene in the movie "The Rock" where the character Stanley Goodspeed received a Beetles LP off a collector... his coworker commented on why he didn't spend 15 bucks for the CD, and Stanley replied "These sound better"...

So are the kiosks meant to make LIFE EASIER for the KJ or the singers initially? Or both?

Would you rather maintain a kiosk and supply an extension cord for it, possibly use a handtruck to transport (unless a lappy is used), and clean the screen or repair it if a drink were spilled....?

Or....clean and maintain, update and haul karaoke books?

I guess this is all preference....i've never seen one being utilized yet, but it does sound a little intriguing....

cstanley uses refurbished laptops/notebooks.

Not anymore. I have a bunch of old desktops.

oh... then I stand corrected. Sorry!

I taught i saw a pootytat desktop on the video!

I could be mistaken dough.

yep, big old desktops.... if you look at the picture (above) of the cart, you'll see the computer... As a matter of fact, the cases for these are so big that there are no fans installed... the insides are so cavernous you don't need them.


But the price was right.... free. As a matter of fact, you'd be surprised how many old garage sale computers will work.

I'll see if I can take a decent picture of one one a microwave cart that we use the most.

c. staley you are a person after my own cheap heart. I agree there is no reason to spend big bucks on kiosk computers when you can dig them out of dumpsters for nothing. Is karaokesongfinder your software?

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Okay, who took my pants?

yes sir, it is....