Karaoke Forums

I am about to substantially upgrade my system. I use a computer and Sax and Dotty's show Hoster program. I don't like the key changer in that program, because it seems to slow down the music or speed up the music to change the key. I have seen that Compuhost has a key changer and tempo changer. I assume you can change the key and keep the tempo the same. I have also looked at a powered mixers made by Phonic, the KA920 that has a digital key changer built into the mixer. I have also seen several separate units that are key changers made by vocopro. I feel like I could buy any number of amps, mixers and speakers but I want to make sure the key changer is the best available. Any advice on Key Changers would be appreciated.

I have a lot of experience with three software key changers. I have no complaints about the one in CompuHost. I also like the one in MTU Hoster, but with that one I hear some artifacts from time to time, especially at 3 steps change or more. I am not a fan of Pacemaker, the one you don't like. Partly for quality but mostly for lag time and bad communication with other programs.

I have limited experience with Doblon (Siglos) and their key changer, but it seems fine. I don't think I have ever run it at more than 2 half-steps.

I have experience with a VocoPro hardware key changer, and a Pioneer. I thought both were awful, especially at more than 2 half-steps. The SYM600 key changer (a real cheap karaoke mixer) was better than either of those, but not great.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Are you saying that the one included with Compuhost is the best you know of?

That and MTU. Paradoxically, I don't listen to the Compuhost one as much in good listening circumstances. I use CompuHost for gigs, and most people don't use a key changer. I use MTU for practice, and I get to listen to that one all the time since I frequently change key on songs. I also am listening in better acoustic conditions on practice, to songs I know better.

I also use MTU KeyRite to change key for my custom disks I burn for use as a singer at others' gigs. I believe it is the same technology as the one in Hoster.

_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

I really don't think that there is a good key changer. I don't know how a good one would work without a mathematical description of the relative wave forms and once the sound has been digitized into the current format there are no wave forms. In attempting to write a better hoster I have played with phase vocoders and FFT and a few ideas of my own and all the results sucked. Until there is some sort of break through I suggest just singing it in the key that the song is in.

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Okay, who took my pants?

I don't know how S&D uses Pacemaker, but I use it with WinAmp. When I do the key adjustment, it does NOT change the speed. There are three adjustments: Tempo, Pitch and Speed.

http://www.surina.net/pacemaker/doc/index.html

* Tempo control speeds up or slows down the music tempo without affecting the music key (pitch)

* Pitch control changes the music pitch (key) without affecting the tempo

* Speed control changes the music playback rate as if a vinyl record or an audio tape were played at a too high or low rate.

Sax and Dotty's uses Pacemaker with Winamp also, but it definitely changes the tempo when you change the key. I have never gone in and tried to up the tempo after changing the key down. I will play with it more.

There is a good key changer but not adapted to any of the karaoke software It's EAX Console that comes with a SB Audigy audio card, it's what I would call perfection, no glitch, quivering or any artifacts found in all others that comes with the karaoke software.

In my opinion, based on my own experienced, MTU has the worst, but I believe they have a new version which I haven't tested yet, so they might have corrected the problem?

Ideally, Keyrite from MTU combine with the excellent performance found on the EAX Console would be the solution, but I don't believe it will ever happen... or, perhaps Creative should offer a karaoke software with their key changer

Karma is supposed to have a very clean keychanger but I haven't had time to test it.

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

I just noticed on the 2.1 version of Pacemaker that it has a vocal reduction. Has anybody used this on this version?