Karaoke Forums

In another thread, I mentioned that I have two laptops at my show. When I was asked why, I mentioned that I have two of everything critical to run the show.

Tonight was a perfect example of why.

About an hour into my show, the main computer simply stopped routing sound through Karma. I guess I should say, Karma refused to play sound. My Zune software played just fine as did Media Player, but Karma would not play sound at all. It was just sound that was impacted though. The graphics played on both monitors.

I rebooted, re-installed Karma/repaired Karma to no avail. I swapped out for my backup laptop to get the show going again (total down time about 7 minutes) and then did some troubleshooting on the main laptop. I ended up doing a system restore to just before show time (I do a restore point after sound check at every show) and got the main back up. I then swapped the laptops back a few songs later.

Without the spare laptop, I would have had closer to 20 minutes of downtime.



Whew...

-Chris

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-Chris

Sounds like you have bad Karma...

Jon

Back up equipment saved my New Years show 2 years ago. I had back up to my back up too. I swapped out my regular amp-couldn't figure out why out wasn't working all of a sudden. Then swapped in another amp-it didn't seem to be working either.

Finally I went to the old standby that never fails me-my original powered mixer that I bought when I was first starting out-Yamaha EMX512. It worked and the show went on. New Years here is a big deal and a big pay day. If I hadn't been able to get the show going it would have been a MAJOR disaster for me.

You can't have too much back up. Whether it's an extra laptop or a back up amp or a back up mixer. I have two identical mixers that I carry to every gig. I have wireless and wired mics plugged in just in case the wireless bugs out on me or the battery dies. I carry at least half a dozen mics.

I even carry back up cables and usually one or two back up speakers with me.

Any DJ or KJ who doesn't carry backup equipment to every gig is either a fool or naive or both. If you can't afford backup equipment, stay home and stop giving the rest of us a bad rep. It's one of my best marketing tools, especially for weddings. Besides, if you don't perform, you don't get paid.

At a private party, many miles from any spares, a drunk spilled a full beer on my Toshiba laptop.. just 30 minutes prior to showtime...

As luck would have it, the homeowner had a laptop, and the internet allowed me to download some files, and I was back in business..

These days, I have spares..

(I replaced the keyboard and all was well)

I have never had a total failure, but i've had some close ones. Though, i've never had to switch laptops. I've only got one license for compuhost and VDJ, so switching to another computer really isn't a good option. I have all my music backed up, of course, but I'm fairly tech savvy, and can usually route the problems easily enough.

It sounds like your sound card wasn't being recognized by the software. I would have looked in control panel, sound setting and looked at what sound card was active, and then looked in Karma configuration to see if it recognized that sound card. Had to be a reason for it to do that.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

@MMO - That is the odd thing. The sound loss only occured with Karma. I closed Karma, opened my Zune player and it played sound through the PA just fine. Same thing with Media PLayer. But Karma didn't not push any sound. Furthermore, it hapened between singers. One guy sang, I called the next and when his song was supposed to play, it just didn't. I have Windows Update set to manual so I know it wasn't a silent install in the back ground.

I was just one of those fluky things that computers/software tend to do.....when you are on the spot, of course.

-Chris

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-Chris

Confused here...

You let you gig laptop get on the WWW?

If you do, that is the dumbest mistake any kj/dj can make.

...Hey? You talkin' to me?...Just kiddin'. Must be a typo.

....I have Karma in demo and like it for the most part but RoxBox sound a little better. Kara does have some other features that RoxBox doesn't. A couple of times Karma did freeze up on me, could have been me. Neither plays CDG's. I just downloaded Siglos, am trying it in demo mode.

In addition to being a KJ, I am also a very experienced computer user. As such, I am quite comfortable connecting my laptop to the Internet.

-Chris

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-Chris

How else was he going to get Karma if he didn't connect to the Web?

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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!
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Now there's a question I have always wondered about. Back up laptop or back up external hard drive, that seems to be no longer a 1-1 ratio.....1-2? Hows that work? 1-1: One song on disk, one song on hard drive, either internal or external drive right? Just askin

I use a computer now and my old CAVS system serves as a karaoke backup. It also is used to play customer's disks.

For filler/DJ music, I use an SD Card music player by American DJ. I love it! It's easier to use a separate player than to play filler music from Virtual DJ.

I agree wholeheartedly on having backup equipment available. For stage monitors, I use a JBL Eon powered speaker (a very expensive choice for stage monitor). If something happens to a speaker or an amp, that one speaker can be turned around and temporarily used as the primary sound source for small-medium sized venues temporarily in an emergency situation.

I've had an amp blow out twice (ironically, on the same song). In both cases, I had a backup available on site. The bar staff was very impressed with the fact that I actually carried backup equipment with me and was back up and running within 15-20 minutes in both cases. Had I not had a backup, I would not have gotten paid, so as far as I am concerned, that amp has almost paid for itself.

Back to the whole "two computer" thing - I also use two computers. One is for playing, the other computer's primary function is for Power Point presentations in the bar "Welcome to xxxx Pub!" and for downloading music.

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

I am not sure of the official position, but I don't think anyone has any problem with a copy for backup purposes. It's whether you run one gig per one copy. If you used an external hard drive you could have two computers and one drive. But then you would still have a single point of failure.

I carry a laptop with my music on it. It would only ever be employed if I had problems with my rack-mounted rig. I have had to employ a backup once due to a Windows problem. It's nice to have it, I'll tell you...

Like Troy, I also carry a Yorkville monitor speaker which is capable of backing up my main rig in a pinch.

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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.

we always carry spares....we use external HD's and have the ability at this time to swap system 3 HD if system 1 or 2 fail and always have a spare computer, wires, speakers and even singers monitors if needed....only smart way to do it.

Athena

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
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"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

so 1-1 is what your using at the time? can one have as many "back ups" hard drives they want,...in the van....in the trunk? 1-1: 1 disk collection, 1 playing collection and then unlimited backups as long as your not using them?

Audit, hows that work, 1-1 audit, do they count all the back up drives?
1 to 1....+ backups?

just thinkin out loud, dont post much, just read and absorb.....over the years seems this is always danced around

I didn't say that. I specifically said "I don't know what the official position is". Perhaps I should say "the official position is one copy". But in practice, what they are trying to do is prevent gigging out more than one system at a time.

I guess your ultimate backup copy is the disc. But that means you have a several-weeks lag time in case you need to reproduce a downed disk -- not really reasonable. So I think that having two copies is very reasonable.

I have a couple of other copies just for convenience and backup.

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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.

Be careful there Mickey. There are a few things within being compliant with manus for media shifting that many think is not really reasonable.

Are backups OK if your 1:1?
I dunno, but if a/the manus say it is, I'd want it in writing from them to cover my behind. The rules have changed and keep changing.

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My statements, opinions and conclusions are based on my own personal experiences, observations, research and/or just my own $.02. I'm not a "cheerleader", but that doesn't make me a Pirate.

I will repeat myself for the second time. I said "I don't know what the official position is". I am telling you what I would do and have done. Use it as you will.

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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'm sorry, Mickey I did read "I don't know what the official position is" both times. I really wasn't trying to be controversial I was just simple saying that what seems reasonable doesn't necessarily fit with what the manus want, and why I said I would want it in writing from them.

No disrespect intended.

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My statements, opinions and conclusions are based on my own personal experiences, observations, research and/or just my own $.02. I'm not a "cheerleader", but that doesn't make me a Pirate.