Karaoke Forums

I have decided to try setting up laptop for my karaoke. I have loaded the free download from compuserve to begin ripping my cds and winamp to play them. I have not decided which program I will eventually use but am leaning towards compuserve. Right now I have more time than money so I just want to rip everything.

My question is how should I set up my defaults.

Output file should I use zipped or unzipped mp3?

Should I use 256k or 320k compression? I have been using 192k on my regular music files for several years and it seems fine so I am leaning towards 256k for this as disk space is no longer as big a factor. Would 320k just be overkill? I bought a 320gb drive to put all my music on karaoke and otherwise aabout 9,000 songs.

Thanks

Jim_n_TN

_________________
Don't burn your old house before you build a new one.

Do you mean "compuhost" ?

Mojo

Well yeah compuhost. Don't know where compuserve came from. Also I meant to post this on the tech forum. Not getting old no no still young.

Also have new problem portable hard drive will not run on my computer. Works fine on my wife's computer so it is my computer. Computer is 9 years old but has lots of upgrade including a USB 2 board and windows xp.

Jim_n_TN

_________________
Don't burn your old house before you build a new one.

you might have to hook it up internally rather than going USB. It could also be the enclosure... some Operating Systems have trouble with a few USB enclosures. I had a hard drive that for the life of me couldn't be seen with a certain enclosure. Put it in another of the ones I've come to trust, and it worked fine at that point.

Unless you're talking a whole unit you bought that way.

When you hook it up, can you explain what you have.

The Operating System
Computer, RAM,
IF the green arrow comes on in the lower right area that shows a USB device has been turned on and is ready for use.
Go to your My Computer and check out the Disc Drives section... maybe you just need to reload USB drivers.

The computer which I hope I can replace at some point is a Sony 800mhz AMD Duron 200 mhz front size buss running widows xp maxxed out at 512 ram & 80 gig hard drive. usb 2 card added. nearly everything but the motherboard and processor has been replaced over the years. The drive is a Seagate Freeagent portable I bought yesterday. When I plugged it in my wife's year old laptop it installs and works fine when I plug it up to my computer it lights up but won't install. My new job will be somewhat part time until september so I thought it would be a good project when I am not working. Then when I can get me a new laptop everything would be ripped. I can use my wife's computer when she is not using it I guess.

Thanks,

Jim_n_TN

_________________
Don't burn your old house before you build a new one.

Good news I got the drive to work on my computer. Because the usb 2 board has the plugs in the back of the computer (hard to get to) I mounted usb2 plugs in the front that plug into the back. For what ever reason the drive would not install until I pluged directly into the board in the back of the computer. So we are back to the questions about settings.

Thanks,

Jim_n_TN

_________________
Don't burn your old house before you build a new one.

That's probably because the drive is powered by the USB bus. However, unless you have a powered external USB hub, you need to plug directly to the computer for the hard drive to work.

_________________

Seize the day and SING!!!

compuhost is what I'm sure you mean.

use this format for files... trust me.

SC0001-01 - artist - song.zip

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

Jim:
If you have been using computers as long as I have I know where you got Compuserve from. It was the predecessor to all the other gateways that are now in use.

I used to rip at 128 and am now in the process of reripping to 192 which I decided to do after reading the replies to a post I made.

Final disc count was 330 that I had to redo and have done about 100 so far, takes a lot of time but glad I have two computers that I can rip with and TV to watch while they are doing their thing.

I'm not sure if you have enough speed and memory to run Compuhost.

I hope you have good luck with that Freeagent, I've heard there have been troubles with them.

As to format that really depends on what hosting program you use.
I use winamp with autokdj and it does not like the
discid - artist - song.zip format, so I use artist - song.zip.
Make your mind up once as it becomes a real pain to change them later.


Hope this helps a little and good luck

Lone Wolf

_________________
I like everyone when I first meet them. If you don't like me that's not my problem it's YOURS!
A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet

Ok I have got started but it is a slow go so I can still start over if I need to. This is how I have it set . I left the error correction on. Zipped MP3+G. Constant bit rate of 256k. Disc id track artist title. Perform CDDB lookup at refresh. CDDB Server freedb.freedb.org Random freedb server. Ripping speed is set to optimal. Destination folder is F saved to a folder named karaoke songs.

Looks like freedb is not going to find some of my cdgs. Any free options?

I have used compuserve. My computer usage goes back to Radio Shack TSR 80 and Atari 800.

Any Suggestions?

Thanks,

Jim_n_TN

_________________
Don't burn your old house before you build a new one.

What ripper are you using?

Discs are best ripped at a speed of 4x or lower.

Yep freedb does not always have your disc, not only that sometimes it is wrong.
Freedb depends on users to upload stuff to their site. If the person can't spell, or they are from another country the spelling might be wrong.
example I see Barbara also spelled Barbra and lots more so you will have to check just about every title.

I hope that you are saving each disc to it's own folder as in the future you will wish you did. I started out putting everything in one folder and it became a nightmare.

Yea I remember the TRS-80 and the Arari 800. My first one was a Commodore 64 upon which I ran a bulletin board. Had 8 5 1/4" disc drives running on it at one point. I still have it and the drives along with a C128 and 4 of the 1541 drives.

Ouch really dating myself.....Ahhh the world before the internet.

Lone Wolf

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I like everyone when I first meet them. If you don't like me that's not my problem it's YOURS!
A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet

You will indeed have to check the things, as FreeDB is not 100% by any means. But I believe one of the most common Barbs in karaoke, Barbra Streisand, is indeed spelled that way.

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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.

I am using the ripper compuhost has as a freedownload. Rip speed chioces are 48x and optimal. Wolf I still have the Atari 800 don't know why other than I am a packrat. Mickey if I ever get to Cincinnatti I hope to see your show.

Thanks

Jim_n_TN

_________________
Don't burn your old house before you build a new one.

I would pick optimal as long as you get good rips (no graphic artifacts).


PM me by all means. If I don't have one I will go with you to one.

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