Karaoke Forums

ok I'm sure this has been discussed alot before but you  give me some help on going to computer ?
I'm getting a laptop to use strictly for dj /kj
but I've got to admit after djing for years with disks I'm alittle unsure about this computer thing
What do I need to connect the laptop to my powered mixer ?
what programs do I need to run music as well as karaoke ?
Thanks in advance to all the great people out there willing to help out a
"dumb pollack"

Out of the software choices you may check Siglos Karaoke Professional finally released yesterday.

I strongly recommend CompuHost. It has the best features and performance of any program on the market, and is exceedlingly stable.

Unlike programs that rely on Winamp, it is all-inclusive and requires no fragile interaction with another player or component. It is rock-solid.

It far exceeds the other major all-in-one choice, MTU Hoster, in features. The promo trailer alone pays for the program in no time, allowing you to promote future events and communicate other missives to your singers.

powerkaraoke, I just looked at your link and you have really done a great job on this new version! Your program features are great and it looks REALLY easy to use. Only one feature I didn't see, the tempo adjustment. I may have just missed it. Does Siglos have it? I hope so, I've been looking for something worth spending my hard earned money on. Also, will it run on VISTA without any problems? Thanks

Thanks for the kudos. No, tempo changer is not available yet, we are working on it. And yes, the software works on Vista (in fact it has been developed on Vista and tested heavily on both Vista and XP).

Well, I really like what you've done but I MUST have tempo adjustment for my particular situation. I was also considering Virtual DJ Studio and it's only $39. sigh...

winamp with pacemaker has tempo adjustment.

ANd it's free.

The other dude seems to always slam winamp, but I've not had one complaint on mine in over five years of shows!

Winamp by itself is pretty stable, at least for me. Winamp in combination with <insert controller application here> is not, at least in my experience. Especially when it comes to key change, where the supposed key change indicated on Sax & Dotties or AutoKDJ may or may not apply in actual practice. I have been bitten by this in many cases with many hosts running it.

For instance, I tried AutoKDJ again after hearing good things about it. Now my Pacemaker doesn't work properly at all, switching to "disable tweaking" after every song despite my settings. I will again have to uninstall AutoKDJ and re-install Pacemaker, sigh.

And I am far from the only person that has these problems.

Knightshow,

Again I agree with you. I use the old version 2.81 I think. I don't put other software on this computer, and use it only for karaoke. Never had a problem in many years of use.

Right after I got my new Dell laptop about three weeks ago, with VISTA home premium, I went to windows update and downloaded every new update including SP1. I got rid of anything that might consume resources or turned them off.

The laptop was clean, fresh, new windows installation. I wanted to install only a few programs and only what I will need to DJ, Host Karaoke or do my singing show. I was reluctant to put winamp with the autokdj onto the laptop becasue over the years I have tried winamp and always deleted it for one reason or another, but I had been using it for a month or two on my XP desktop and I had gotten used to it. As soon as winamp installed, the very first time it started up it crashed. I tried to use it a couple more times and it was buggy and unstable so I got rid of it. I'm done with winamp/autokdj. I looked at Sax and Dotties, didn't like it, Debs, didn't like it, I looked at a BUNCH of different programs both free and for pay. One of the best was the free one from Tricerasoft, but it doesn't have tempo adjustment. It looks great, it's stable, simple and powerful.

I installed Karafun and it's doing fine, but I want something better. I want a real, professional program that will work EVERY TIME. I want something stable, simple and powerful. I'm not willing to spend $200 for Compuhost. As much as I like the look of the new Siglos it's even more than I want to spend right now and it doesn't have the tempo adjustment. If it did I would probably break down and get it and their other program to rip and burn Karoke CDs, but for $100 if it doesn't have all the features I want I will probably get the Virtual DJ Studio.

First I'm going to try the demo version this week. For $40, if it has key change and tempo adjustment, if it's simple to operate and has a good search feature, if doesn't crash and no weird glitches pop up, then I'll be done looking. If I had more money, if I hadn't just spent thousands of dollars on all of my other stuff I might consider compuhost, right now, I just can't spend that much.

the problem wasn't autokj or winamp... the problem is VISTA! ugh!

Stogie: Why do you need to adjust the tempo?  Beat matching?

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Okay, who took my pants?

I get asked all the time if a song can be slowed down or sped up.  It's not that big of a deal most of the time, but if a program offered a good tempo changer that didn't degrade the sound noticeably, it would be a nice feature.

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I perform as a single vocal performer. I sing to Karaoke tracks. There are a lot of songs that I feel the need to speed up or slow down to suit my personal performance style.

One example is Fly Me To The Moon, uptempo version. I speed that song up an additional 20-25 percent. I find certain slow songs to be dragging along and I don't want to put the audience to sleep. I want to make the songs bouncy and more up beat than the original recording. I do this with lots of songs.

I slow down certain songs which are so fast that I have difficulty getting the words out of my mouth like A Boy Named Sue and a couple of others. I speed up Somewhere Over The Rainbow about 28% and lower the key 3-4 half steps. I need to tailor a lot of these songs to my vocal range and how I feel they should be performed. Really slow songs are more challenging to my voice. I'm not an opera singer, I don't have a powerful voice. Slow songs require more voice control than what I have, so I speed them up to make me sound better and to make them easier to sing. This is why tempo control is so important to me. I consider it vital.

Pay a little more up front, get a very stable platform

kJams Pro software (rips-imports CDGs, titles the tracks, EDIT tracks, burn discs, manage rotation, no catalog YET)
MacBook or MacBook Pro

Too late. I just got a Dell laptop about 3 weeks ago, no turning back now.

Not for me....once i went MAC i never looked back!

i'll check it out Randy- thanks!  J.R.

I have never even looked at a Mac.  What's the biggest difference?

The price.

Macs don't do anything better than what PCs do. They were WAY ahead of PCs in the early days of computers, the mid and late 1980s and then MS stole the GUI from Apple.

At this point the differences aren't that great, but Mac users are fiercely loyal. I was once one of them. I won't touch an Apple product of any kind especially itunes anymore. Now macs are just overpriced and overhyped. I just want something that works. I don't care if it's a Toshiba, Dell or Apple, but I'm not willing to spend 2-3 times as much. Check out the prices on Apple laptops. If they can get away with it, more power to them. Everyone needs to make a profit.

I agree on iTunes. I disabled it on day 1.

I agree they are pricier, but not 2-3 times, once you add up everything that comes included. 2+ Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo (not the stripped-down Centrino etc.), serial ATA, DDR2, decent graphics chip, video out extended desktop, great sound chip, wi-fi 802.11n (6x faster than 802.11g, 30x faster than 802.11b), blue tooth EDR, firewire, usb, gigabit ethernet, dvd burner, built-in webcam, media remote control

and a really cool trackpad that accepts 2-finger gestures

But the real benefit is the Mac OS -- unix based, FAST, SECURE. It has its share of problems, but re-installing Windows takes way longer and you have to do it more often. An extra $500 every 3-4 years for fewer headaches? It's worth it ($11 per month)

You can watch for great deals on Apple refurbs that include a 1-year warranty (sell out in a day or two), or of course used ones on eBay etc.

Disclosure: I am a (happy!) Apple stock-holder...