Karaoke Forums

Just built a killer 2400 watt system for under 1500, but a used a used modded desktop comp, maybe i can help, no fear here, in Tn, catfish1@nctc.com
heat is a killer for laptops, but there are a couple of ways to coolit, need more info on the case enclosure and equ in it, and the enviorment it will used in.

you can't post emails... just put your email addy in your email part of your profile, and have people click on that.

As for Ebay, here's some that just stick right out as a good way to start gettting music.

Supercore Set for $29

ALL Hits and Max Pack 4 $35

having a core set is undeniably ubber important.

fully 70% of my songs sang when I first started came from the SC Foundation set

Foundationfor $288 (and I paid about $750 for it when I got it!)


Then get discs on sale, if you can find reviews, read them. I love karaoke.com for that. People like you and I have bought them and are giving honest opinons on the discs.

Best of luck to ya!

85K songs without owning the original discs will be illegal. Already been touched on. You won't need near that many songs though to run a successful show however. Get a good 'core' disc set of popular karaoke songs of the past - standards that everyone has sang or started singing with. Then fill in gaps with some newer music, the Pop Hits/Top Hits Monthly discs are good for current stuff. Chartbuster also comes out with newer music pretty regular. I would recommend the Sound Choice Foundations for your core set. Then when you get the shows running, announce for people to give you requests of songs they'd like to see added to your selection & then try to get them.
I have just a shade over 12K 'individual title' songs (no duplicates) over a 15 year span of buying discs & get the comment MAN YOU HAVE EVERYTHING at least 3 times a week - these are all ripped at the best quality & sitting on a 250GB hard drive with over 3/4 free space BTW. 85K songs are going to be nothing but duplicated versions 5-10 times over depending on the manu that are on the drive.

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What do you mean "are you kidding"? I know these systems may appear expensive but how valuble is your time? When you do your shows how much weight are you lugging in and out, and would'nt you get paid just as much if you're set-up & teardown time was cut in half or more? What about all that weight, do you leave it in your car all the time or do you carry it in & out of your house, garage, or whatever when your done (most of us do because of thiefs - insurance does'nt always cover contents unless you're paying xtra, better make sure) . That's all wear and tear on you & your stuff for time you're not getting paid for.
When you carry your system into a building does someone have to get the door for you because of the conglomeration your in your hands while arching your back for strength? Or are you carring a system that weighs 33lbs like a breif case with one hand? I don't have much experience on these boards & I hope not to offend anyone but there are alot of other ways to do things succesfully that don't involve the cheapest price - consider the price of your time invested when you're not doing the show. Consider who your getting your cheap gear from, internet? Good luck with getting any support or advice from anybody with real experience & if you have a problem don't forget the return shipping cost, just be carefull of who your buying from. Go to the proaudio section of those big box music stores and get some advice on doing pro karaoke from a zit faced kid who's been (& still is) playing his drums in his mom's basement for 10 years, he'll know what you need as long as you're buying it from him today (no thanks!)
My point is that there are other options and better ways to do this for begginers, look at the whole picture and consider the cost of selling the stuff you bought when you find out that all that weight and time add up to doing something that isn't much fun anymore. For those of you doing the occasional show, no big deal, but if you work 4-5 nights a week then you know what I'm trying to say here.
A couple of things that I've read here that I definately agree with - If you can sing well, be modest, you're there to give them a shot at stardom, not to show them up.
Quanity of music is not why you're going to get hired &/or called back, in fact if you don't have the song they want, now you have an opportunity to show them that you will take care of them by having it next week (keep your promise & you'll have another fan of your show). Even more impressive, tell them you'll have it in a few minutes & download it from the internet on your laptop while someone else is singing (that is if your venue has wifi). Another fine reason to use a laptop, need a new song? download it & save money on dups, driving, shipping, and time (that you're not getting paid for). Very simple & cheap to do if you're learning the business from somebody who's not in the karaoke dark ages or in their moms dark basement doing a bong hit......
Gotta run, again, Very Sorry if I said anything offensive to whom ever reads this!

The price on that ebay sale is pretty high though considering - think that might have been what he was asking about as far as are you kidding.
The mixer is prety small, uses knobs over faders. A 10" monitor is pretty small when people complain now about my 13" CRT that I use. Planning on moving to a 19" LCD for the singers. Good thing is they don't sell it with music (hopefully).

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to you. I 10000000000% agree. I am still using original discs at my show.

I have all original discs as well, they are just on my computer But all the discs are still with me at every show.

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1. The mixer is too small
2. The singer monitor is too small
3. The price is staggering

It would be good for home use, if the price wasn't so high. The main bulk of my set-up certainly ISN'T the laptop and mixer.

I hope you get the price you want for it, though

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the feedback on my recent post about the system. I’m curious about a few things in your reply(s). Keeping in mind these systems are specifically designed to be extremely FAST TO SET-UP, TEAR-DOWN, LIGHT WEIGHT, and PORTABLE. And primarily for working KJ/DJs who do more than 1 or 2 shows a week.

Some of the comments were:
1) Mixer too small – not sure about this, is it because there are only 4 mic channels? Two wireless mics for the occasional duet and a wired mic (w/6’ cord) for the KJ is about all I ever needed and if you want 4 wireless, the case can accommodate this with 2 half rack receivers (built several of them). A note on that many mics: Personally I don’t like having larger groups of drunks screaming into 4 of my mics at once & they usually don’t have much to say about being handed only 2 mics. So the trade off is I don’t need to pack the extra stuff and I still get paid the same.
2) Knobs vs Faders – This I understand and it’s a personal preference. That’s why the system is also offered with the Mackie ProFX8 mixer. The reason that particular mixer was chosen over all the others is because of it’s overall size, weight, and features. It has less height than other choices, which allows for the closed case size to maintain a level of compactness. The trade off is that the complete system is a few pounds heavier & overall case dimensions are 2 inches wider & deeper but only 5/8” taller (with lid installed). And of course it’s a few bucks more than the Yamaha with knobs due to increased cost of the unit itself, larger case, and a few special modifications requiring additional labor to install (for some of us the trade off is not worth it). Another Note: Mackie is in the process of relocating production facilities so they are back ordered for now, should see them in a month or two.
3) Monitor size – Think the 10” is too small, there was a previous 8” version (tons of them sold) - I still use it because even in it’s own case it fits inside my speaker stand bag (On-Stage) – so one hand carries speaker stands (Ultimate TS-70B), mic stand (Ultimate MC-78), and the monitor (in it’s case with stand & 18’ power/video cable). Sure I’ve had people (usually other KJs) come up and say “how are you supposed to see that?” but after they sing they realize it’s very easy to see, even from 10-15 feet away (then I’m asked where I got it). So the 10” model was introduced just to appease the masses. But really, how many of your singers that use the monitor stand further than 5 feet away anyway? All of my regular gigs have some type of 2nd and/or 3rd TV that I’m tied into - most of my regulars don’t even look at the monitor, they glance at the big screens on the wall. As far as anything bigger than 13” – you’ve got to be kidding, or haven’t experienced doing 5-6 shows a week and lugging all that weight & bulk in & out every night.
4) Purchase Price – Consider first, your time – is it completely worthless? Of course not. How much time is spent just collecting all the things you’re going to need from all the different sources available – has anybody ever added it up? (Don’t forget the gas & all those little trips to get a cord or a screw). Consider the purchase price of all the components & then racking it all up in a case. Takes time to tie up all the slack from those prefab cables that are never just the right size and most times aren’t very good quality (comparing to the studio quality Mogami wire & Neutriks fittings that are carefully cut to size and professionally soldered – not soldered on some 3rd world assembly line). The price is not so staggering when all things are considered. Also, remember that customers are getting complete phone and/or email support for the entire system, nearly 24/7 which is Extremely Valuable especially to those who are just getting started or who are making the inevitable switch from disc to digital. A reasonable profit is not too much to pay when you’re getting good service and immediate resolutions to your particular problem.

One Last note on bulk/weight – Personally I carry powered speakers (FBT MaXx2a 10” 250w bi-amped and only 26lbs – www.fbtusa.net) Compact, light weight, very high quality sound & construction, the clarity of sound at high volume never ceases to amaze those who experience them – their small size & light weight are the reason I use the Ultimate TS-70B stands which are also lighter and fold smaller than other stands, they make a perfect combo with this speaker and are priced very right.
There are other powered speakers out there that are much cheaper but they are usually MUCH Heavier and Larger (and require heavier stands to carry). For me the overall performance (including ease of hauling) of this speaker is well worth the premium price especially when you consider the additional bulk/weight of carrying an amp. But I understand not everyone has the budget for them. But again, if you’re doing a lot of shows, well worth the investment.

A little bit about my personal experience in the karaoke realm.
I started like many, I found out by accident I like to sing in front of people (not very good at it, though!). I spent my first year doing 1-2-3 shows a week and buying, trying, returning, or selling just about everything available to KJ with. I finally came up with a combination of standard stuff that worked well and wasn’t too bulky. After a while, a few of my shows got very big (talkin’ 40-50 singers every week & somewhat small venues experiencing 5-6k in sales). At that point I started to hire “wannabees” and let them run part of my shows to learn and build (my) confidence. Meanwhile I would be marketing other venues until I landed another gig to put them on. Eventually I had 10-15 shows a week and 3-5 KJ’s working with me at any given time. The biggest complaint from my kj’s was the time it took to set up and tear down as well as return the equipment to the storage facility (indoor, conditioned, 5x5 video & password monitored space for each system from Uhaul Storage). That’s when I really started coming up with ways to reduce the workload for (us). This made it easier for us to enjoy what we do and the venue managers love the fact that my kj’s were out of the way in record time. We were also the first (& for a long time, the only) KJs using laptops in the capital city of OH (I own a laptop refurbishing company and have bought, sold, and used every laptop pc known to man - so it seems). I’ve also used every kind of karaoke software out there and have found no better support than that you will get from Invincion (Compuhost) – the program has great little tricks (& I use them all) and is constantly being made better w/no charge upgrades.
Made a ton of money but eventually it started to wear heavy on me and my family so sold the KJ business, (but kept one show that I really liked & still do it). I then became an authorized dealer for many pro-audio brands (and still building). Speaking of money, 10% of sales (with a guaranteed bottom) is not an unreasonable price to ask for your shows so long as you make it clear up front. In most cases (of night club work), our job is to increase their revenue (hmm, like a sales person) & most professional sales people have a base + commission so why shouldn’t you. It takes a tremendous effort to make it happen for them so be sure you are compensated properly and do what it takes to make every show big!
If anybody happens to be in central Ohio anytime, I’d love to meet & treat you to lunch or dinner to share experiences (and, of course, demonstrate what I’m talking about)!

As far as the comment “would be good for home use” uhhh, I would suggest something from Vocopro for this!

If anyone cares to comment, I certainly appreciate the feedback, and please let me know about your experience and why you’ve chosen the gear you currently use! (Forgive my ignorance if your info is already public as I am new to using forums – but willing to learn!)

As far as the mixer I use 16 channels. PA I run over 2500 watts with 2 18" subs & 3 2 way 15" cabs - 2 on main floor & 1 for another part of the club that don't get the full sound - not needed in some clubs. The reason I use this gear is because of sound quality, not so worried about compactness. I can be completely set up & running in less than a half hour including load in time.

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Yep, just visted your website, I see you have a lot of stuff and it appears that you're not really doing much "Mobile" work. It looks like the Thunderbird is & has been really your only thing - nothing else on your scedule and when looking at "prices" your site says something like "no bookings available" (don't remember the exact wording). And that's cool man, I'm not knocking it by any means, another great way to do it for sure! There's not a lot of venues out there who do (or want to do) karaoke every night, so the rest of us that can't find that type of venue need to pack it in and pack it out at a different location every night.
So, yeah I can see why size, weight, and effecient set-up really isn't of concern to you, Rightfully So!
Btw, what do you do with all those mixer channels, I mean as far as karaoke?

Also one other comment regarding you setting up in 30 minutes (which is 3 times longer than with x system).
I hope you're packing a change of clothes & some deoderant when you set that rig up (at least what I've seen of it), because they aint no way you're doing it in 30 minutes without getting completey soaked with sweat!

I'm completely mobile and I can do it under 30 minutes. I run one six space rack. The only connections I have to set up is speakers, computer, tv and hard drive.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Can you carry your rack, computer, hard drive, mics, etc. with one hand and open the door for yourself with the other? Why isn't your hard drive installed in your computer?

1:No I can't bring all in at he same time and open the door for myself. I still get it done under 30 minutes.
2:Because it is an external for my songs. the hard drive in the computer (laptop) isn't big enough to handle them.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

If it's an older laptop and uses a hard drive with the "IDE" or PATA interface then the largest drive available is 250gb which will hold 60,000 karaoke zip files, your operating sytstem and leave you around 15 gig (if you were to actually put 60k songs on it). Shuold be all any of us need!
If it is a newer laptop with a SATA interface you can get a 500gig drive which will obviously hold around twice as much. Some newer laptops will hold dual drives as well giving you 1tb - but who needs that much!
Both drives (250pata & 500gb sata) can be purchased for under $100 w/free ship at newegg.com (I use them all the time - very fast reliable source!)
If it's an IBM "T" series laptop you can use the 250 pata in the main and install the 500gb sata in the ultrabay (swap with optical) with a special caddy and have 750gb all on board.
Point is, Nothing else to carry, no drives, power cords, usb cables, etc and nothing else to set up and wire up when you come and go.

The drive that came with the laptop is an 80 gig harddrive. I purchased it in 2007. I prefer the external since all I would have to do in case of a crash is unplug the external from the laptop and insert it into my backup computer which is running a 40 gig hard drive. What happens if yours crashes on you? Is your show dead in the water? I would assume so. Granted it hasn't happened to me yet, but I prefer to be prepared than dead in the water and lose a night or more's pay waiting to fix the problem.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

What happens if your external crashes? That back up laptop of yours is worthless. Do you carry 2 laptops and 2 external drives with you (and all the crap to hook 'em up)?
If you're going to talk about back-up then why not have two identical laptops both with the larger drives installed? Then you you can really recover in a hurry and carry less crap, even use the same laptop power supply that's already plugged in?
LIKE ME? I'm on to my next singer while your fumbling around with your externals and usb cables and adaptors and brief cases and whatever else you thought you should bring (maybe some deoderant because your beginning to sweat).
As far as me being prepared for this event, I have stacks of these laptops, although none of my customers (nor myself) have ever had a problem especially one that I could'nt fix over the phone.
Everybody seems to already have the best thing possible for every possible senario and they're all different than each others and everyone seems to know more than everyone else, , I really feel sorry for somebody looking for real help here, what a complete waste of time so far!
I suggest you don't waste your time trying to belittle other people, especially me, when all I'm trying to suggest is that there are other methods to this business that maybe you or someone else have'nt tried. I guarantee you that there will always be somebody in this business better than you (and me of course), Although I know you don't believe it because you have all the answers, what a joke. Don't reply to my post without thinking, at least a little bit.

There is nothing wrong with your system, except the price

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

I disagree on the waste of time for some on asking questions. For someone that's a recent addition to our site, you're quick to find flame where there really wasn't any.

Since you've lumped the whole site as a waste of time for those, I guess I have nothing more to say to you here.

Shame, because I enjoy meeting newbies, finding out where their skills exceed my own, and where if they have an open mind, maybe they can learn a few things along the way themselves.

Even the best masters can themselves be taught.