Karaoke Forums

Ok it looks like Compuhost now I have to get to the business of getting My CD&G"s downloaded into the laptop using Compuhost.
questions+
1. Would Karaoke Songbook creator be helpful? I already have song books with Manufact Codes.

2. Will I have to Manually enter each song and artist? I have a large window of time so it will get done

3. I intend to use Compuhost for my non karaoke, DJ Music. Will this do the trick?

4. Itunes file is where my non karaoke music is stored. Say I have a night with no singers is the filler music file able to hold say 2000 songs?

I've been doing karaoke for about 6 years now with CD&G format so this switch to laptop is a leap of faith for me

tripnic, That's the first subject I feel I have enough info to be helpful to someone else. I spent all weekend and tonight getting familiar with this program. The people at invicion think I am an idiot but I now know the program.

I downloaded and paid for fasttracks through the invicion people. The song library they pull from has over 350,000 cdgs in it. I found every one of mine there so putting together my song book was a breeze, the software was easy to use, it makes a nice book and I paid the extra 30 bucks to get lifetime updates. No manually typing artists and songs unless you find an oddball song that is mistitled. Pretty slick.

You can use the filler music, it always fades one song into the next. I'm not sure how many you can put in for one play list but you can create multiple playlists, play them and pull them up in just a few seconds. I know I had at least 30 songs in one of the playlists yesterday. Personally, I think iTunes would be better.

I used an all in one karaoke player several times up in Canada for a family thing and a friend thing and it was a pain pulling out cdgs putting them back, keeping them in order, the dead air between songs. Compuhost is so smooth. You can't go wrong with a software hosting program.

Even easier. when you import your songs into the database click export songlist. This creates a csv file which you can then import into fast tracks.
As to the filler question, I have had over 5 hours worth of music in the playlist without any problems.

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

I need you help. I'm half way through ripping CD's into the Compuhost program. I hooked all of my equipment up and the sound it terrible. I have an HP Notebook, a mixer/amplifier and speakers. Is there specific cables that I should by from computer to amplifier/mixer? Should I plug into the amplifier differently than I did with my karaoke player?

I'm very frustrated and not very savvy with equipment....

you might need a diffferent sound card. Might I suggest a behringer U-Control 202. I use that and the sound os good. Also don't play with the laptop's sound maxed out. Be willing to max out your mixer's mains and you should be good. I personally don't think there would be a need for a diffferent connection than what you were using before for your karaoke player. It might help more to let us know the model of your mixer/amp as amplifiers vary in inputs.

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

This brings up a question for me. I should get my mixer today. How do I hook my laptop and compuhost into the mixer?

What output does your laptop have? I will assume a jack plug. From there into whatever input your mixer has.

But I'd suggest a dedicated external soundcard...

Nlouch, I'm still not familiar with the terminology but I have an s video, 4 USB, 1 VGA, and a couple that look like phone jacks although one is bigger than the other. What will an external soundcard do for me and how much can I expect to pay?

It will improve the sound and provide the right jacks to hook into your mixer. I suggest the behringer U-Control at musicians friend.

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... &src=00633

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

You need the proper cable to go from your headphone jack to the mixer. I suggest a 1/8" to two 1/4" cable so that you can hook to one of the stereo channels on any type of mixer:

http://www.zzounds.com/item--HOSCMP15

That's the one I use, 10'.

To go from the mixer to the speakers, you will need a either a balanced 1/4" out to XLR male, or a regular microphone cable. Refresh our memory on what type of mixer you got...was it a Yamaha MG124CX? If it was, you need two microphone cables.

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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.

Yes that is my mixer. Still hasn't arrived. So I need two mic cords and 1/8" to two 1/4 cable. So the 1/8" will connect to the laptop and the 1/4" will connect to the mixer. I connect the speakers to the mixer via regular mic cord? What is regular mic cord, 1/4" on one end and female xlr on the other end?

regular mic cord - XLR male - XLR female!

I would opt for the external sound interface as well.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

To me it depends on the sound card. On my desktop, I use an MAudio 192 as my card. On my laptop, I find that the Realtek chip on my laptop is pretty good, and I have had good luck using the internal. I gig out with that 10-12 times a month with no trouble.

But there are advantages to using the external interface as well, one of which is that you can use a regular RCA-->RCA cable to hook to the mixer. If you buy the external, then you can use a normal audio RCA cable to hook to channels 9/10 if you want. But I liked using 7/8, because it has midrange EQ. That requires a RCA-->1/4" connector.

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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.

Mcky, I have a Realtek Chip in my Laptop, too. And I bought the Behringer UC-202. It is in fact a HUGE difference. You can really hear it right away. I can really recommend it, especially since it is only $30.

I have both of them, and in my case with the Dell laptop I have and the latest Realtek driver, I can't hear the difference. On my Toshiba Satellite with the Intel internal sound chip (CrystalTek, maybe?) I can hear the difference, and so if I use that I use the UCA202.

But I respect your ear for sound, and I will listen for the difference again.

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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.

External sound interface $30 at music stores?

If you can find the UCA202 at Guitar center, yes. You can definitely get the 1/4" to RCA cable that fits it, or the 1/8" to 1/4" that goes to your laptop Realtek.

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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.

Found it, will it hurt to do my first gig without it? It's just a little family get together.

oh it's QUITE possible to use the simple headphone jack to send our music to the speakers. Just most of us wouldn't recommend it.

I personally love a USB product that's discontinued... was slammed on here by many audiophiles for it. Heck, it worked for me and my customers LOVED it! I STILL use it!

No, won't hurt at all. You may not be able to tell the difference -- I can't on my Realtek.

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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.