Karaoke Forums

Just opened the box on a brand new RSQ CDG player and set it up at Saturdays show.   For the last 2-3 weeks I told customers that my player was broke and most understood and were able to find the songs they wanted out of my book and my show ran smoothly with less set up and hassle ( using and additional player as most know I have to set up an a/b video switch and hook up  the player into the mix and now have to worry about those adjustments etc.)

anyway I had 2 problems with customer discs this week - The 1st one skips and the graphics go bonkers and the singer makes it sound like it is my problem over the mic ...   needless to say I find the exact song on my pc and we move on.

2nd time with differant singer the song just stops halfway thru the song and again I get embarrased as there is DEAD AIR while I fumble for the replacement on my system

In both cases they were not originals but copies and you could tell that these discs have seen some use ( if you know what I mean)

I am seriously considering not offering the service of playing customer cdgs.
I have a decent selection of songs and most customers have been able to find what they need in the books.

The truth is I guess it could be the brand new player but I just don't know -- all of the other discs seem to work fine.      HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO BE ABLE TO PLAY CUSTOMER DISCS--IF YOU HAVE 8 OUT OF 10 SONGS ANYWAY .....open for discussion..........

I'm assuming that the customers discs are burned compilations. Did you get a good look at the customers disc? Many folks use cheap media and it scratches easily, sometimes the discs are very dirty as well.

Could be that your player does not accept or read CDR's. I have had this problem on some of the newer players. You might want to contact the vendor you purchased it from and ask them. Perhaps you can arrange a swap out with something that will work.

For those who bring their discs I have always allowed them to be played, however if the disc cannot be played without error and they get upset then I reserve the right to revoke the privilege. It's a simple case of their media not communicating with my player, not that my equipment is defective. Some folks really get upset and I just say hey, it's a burned disc..I'm not responsible for the quality or compatibility with my equipment. If it becomes a problem I'm gonna have to say no from now on.

I have the older JVC Triple Tray as well as MTU Hoster for importing so it is usually not a problem.

I have one gig that I have done now for 4-1/2 years and have never had one person bring in their own disc.....weird huh?....so I don't even bring my player with me. I do have a drive in my gig case to import/play/then dump for just that song but never had to use it. I guess my selection and quality of Mfg's hits everyone just right or something

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

I can find stuff in the books. I don't even mind it *if the host puts the manufacturer in the disk number*. I do mind it when there are multiple listings with some stupid random book ID number, or when the host says "I am too busy to look up this for you, fill out a slip".

I have people give me discs to play that look like they played hockey with them.  You can literally see big deep scratches and grooves in the surface.   I quickly point these out and tell them that i highly doubt if it will even queue up, let alone play without a problem.  Then i tell them they might have to sing my version if theirs skips.  I don't let it play long if it starts skipping.  

If you have a computer, queue up their disc, if it skips have the song from your selection queued right behind it.  You can jump right in to their song again in a second.  No lost time.

I back myself up like that on every OPD (other people's discs) if i have a version of it.

I always ask them what they want as a back up song if there is a problem with the one they want.   It's ready to go too.   Or i'll tell the next singer to be ready in case of a problem.  I'm a trained professional and that's how my show is run.  Always ready to take quick action in case something goes wrong.

The only time you look like a jerk, is if you are one.

Hi, as a singer, it goes both ways, I have only had one KJ, refuse to use my disk because they had the song on their computer, about 3 lines into the song we where so far out that I just stop that song. their system was running way slower than my disk, and when they tried to catch up the song was just lost.. Now I will say I have all orignal disk, no copies. If the Kj and I can get on the same beat cool, but I have had great repour with our KJs here....Tom

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glow=yellow][scroll][shadow=red] Correction..."LIZ" says..  :whistle: You just can't go wrong with TomTom onboard !![/shadow] [/scroll][shadow=gold][/shadow][shadow=cyan][/shadow][/shadow]

I get more people bringing in discs because they prefer their own version or just have songs that wouldn't be worth for me to really purchase as they wouldn't normally get sung - usually pretty obscure tunes.  
I do always clean the disc before I put it in the player - also look at it & let them know of any potential scratches that may interfere (sometimes they are not even aware), it's rare that I have any problems, even with some of the used and abused.  If it does happen, I just announce that it was their disc & not mine.

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

The discs are mostly burned compilations that seem like they have gone to a few hundred shows, they are ALWAYS given to me without a sleeve or jewel case.

My books have the MFG number in them so finding the right version should not be a problem ( if I have it) which 9 out of 10 times I do.  If it happens to be an obscure song that most KJ's wouldn't have it's a little differant.   My biggest PEEVE it makes my show look BAD when something skips or the graphics on the big Tv are half missing.    Don't get me wrong I have my own problems rarely when I get an ERROR trying to load up a file  but at least I KNOW its my problem.

I just wish people would take better care of the discs they bring in or at least BURN better copies once in awhile.

You can always just have a couple of empty jewel cases handy to set the discs in while they are in your posession.

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

I have some legal compilation discs, and Lonnie you are right, a lot of these songs are oddball or simply newer songs that I wanted and didn't want to pay for a whole CDG for one song. Some of these discs ( mostly Pro Burn ) new, with not a single scratch will not play in an RSQ ( unless it's a JVC triple tray clone ) without skipping. They will all play fine in an older JVC player.

Honestly though it's not going to ruin my night if you couldn't play my disc, I'll just pick another song, of course not everyone feels that way.

That's because I carry them in a case, and pull them out to give to the KJ.

I tell KJs to clean 'em if they want and don't worry about them -- I will be throwing them away soon anyway. A lot of times, I burn a set disk just for that day. I've got the songs I do ready to go, in my key. Drag and drop 6 into Power CDG Burner, label with a sharpie, and
burn. Takes 10 minutes. I have 5 or 6 sets ready to go, plus six 20-song disks that have the majority of what I sing in case I get a request.

The hosts that still use disks love this -- they don't have to look things up, no chance of bad numbers, etc. The disks always seem to play flawlessly -- if mine have problems then some of theirs usually have problems too.

I was a KJ at bar that insisted I used ther RSQ super cdg player and most of the burned copies that the singers brought up wouldnt work. I finally had to refuse taking burned cdgs from singers. The bar didn't like it too much and well I dont work there anymore. I wonder how the new KJ is handling it. Maybe I will give them a call.

[/quote]You can always just have a couple of empty jewel cases handy to set the discs in while they are in your posession.[/quote]

My handling of someone elses disc is never the problem.  It's how it was handed to me.

People think that discs are in destructable.  They handle their regular CDs the same rough manner.  Just because they keep playing, they think the CD+G will too.   They don't understand that the CD+G is so much more fragile.  Because of the graphics.  The song may not skip, but the words will scramble.  Not an issue that they can see or hear on a regular CD.

As a singer, I rarely sing songs from the KJ's book. I use my own discs because they are the versions I like, in my key, and I don't have to bother looking anything up because I know which disc / track.

I will not go to a venue where they won't accept my discs.

But then again... my discs are burned....  the originals stay at home and never see the light of day.

I also take my own disks as I prefer the arrangements I have over the karaoke versions most KJ's have.  I don't consider it a right to have the KJ play my disks... it is their business, their show and their choice to play them for me.  So, in return I show them the respect they deserve by ensuring my disks are going to be OK by checking them in the player and checking for scratches before I take them out.  Any suspect discs are replaced (yes I only take burned discs... my originals are pristine and will remain that way!)... after all it costs how much for a blank CDR?

If the KJ ever plays one of my disks and it skips and jumps (hasn't happened yet, probably never will)... hey that's my bad and it's also my turn in the rotation, next singer please... I wouldn't expect the KJ to have to bother covering for something that I should have dealt with before I left the house!

But as a KJ, when a song skips whether it's mine or yours, the crowd doesn't usually know.  So i ultimately look bad.  Even if it's only for a little while.    I still play OPD but i back it up with my version or a back up song they choose.   The time delay is very minimal.   Skipping songs or jumbled words at karaoke are just like asking someone on a cell phone "You still there?"     It's a part of our normal life now.   It happens and you move on.  But if you entire show consists of jumbled words and skipping songs, you are in trouble.   And so is your reputation.

If I have a customer disc skip I make sure to announce that it was their own personal disc & not mine that skipped.  I will play anyones disc even if it's the same version I have.

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[shadow=deepskyblue]I'm impressed, I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before.[/shadow]

just to follow up - This past weekend I left my player home.

The one regular who brought in his case of 100 discs I explained  to him I no longer had a PLAYER in my setup.  I was able to accomodate all his songs and versions for the night.   This was the only singer with their own discs .  The only other regular who sings off of CDG ( usually mine as he prefers DK versions and I never quite finished ripping all the DK versions so for HIM in the past I just brought them along)
This week I'll  finish ripping the balance of my DK collection to my hardrive and this should keep every one happy ...AT THIS MY ONLY GIG.

I'll leave the player at home and if I ever get another GIG with more call for CDG's I'll cross that bridge then.   but for now --- No cdgs.

Set up was easier - flow of the show was smoother and faster and no garbled graphics or skips..not to say it can't or won't happen with a bad MP3+g file.

I use a duel deck Cdg player and a Super Cdg player. Any customer brought Cdg discs I use in the Cdg player.

I bring my own cdg's, because I like to sing a lot of obscure stuff that most KJ's don't have, but I also sing out of the KJ's book if he has what I'm looking for. I realize that he is doing me a favour letting me use my own discs and I appreciate this. If for any reason he wasn't able to play my discs it would bother me, but not to the extent that I would get upset about it. In my experience the KJ's books have more than enough songs and getting to use your own cdg's I look at, as a bonus not a right. On the other hand I have seen many an unreasonable person walk out of a show if they were unable to use their own discs, but hey you can't please all of the people all of the time.

yeah Jam, that's the rub...

I personally always carried a cdg player, but I ALSO used that for mix music.