Karaoke Forums

I have read many discussions on this forum and have checked out one of the biggest karaoke retailer in SoCal, and found that:

(1) All the discussions so far were about karaoke using CDG disks. CDG disks I felt are antiquated version of karaoke systems. The screens are boring and cannot compare with the video karaoke VCDs, DVDs or even the old LDs. Certainly having dedicated MTVs accompanying the karaoke text will captivate more audience attention and appreciation than just simple CDG font text over a color background!

(2) The so-called karaoke-on-demand systems available at retail stores have very limited capabilities. Even the ones from CAVS actually plays CDG tracks and uses common stored video overlays as backgrounds. It is not true KTV quality standards. Others from many Chinese makers runs into almost one thousand dollar but have very arcade search function and menu system.

I have been exploring computerized karaoke systems that can

(a) deliver a slick graphic interface and menuing system like those in KTV lounges in Asia that customers can browse and select songs on their own through touch screen.

(b) Songs can be selected by language, artist, song type (country, pop, folk,...) and of course by song titles. To make it even more pleasing, selection by artists are pages of artists' photographs on screen, and when touched will bring up all the songs from that particular artists in the database for selection.

(c) And the software will play the MTV karaoke video or even CDG on TV connected to the computer, while the menu screen remains available on the computer monitor.

I am a bit surprised that the level of software development mentioned many times in this forum is more geared towards the old CDG only. Paying a hundred dollars for a CDG software is just insane. It is about time that karaoke in this country move on to vidoe MTV karaoke for more visual and audio fun during parties.

I am in the final stages of development of this system. Yes, the PC still needs to be connected to a mixer amplifier and wireless mics. I am in the process of digitising and converting all my LDs, CDGs, VCDs and DVDs into the hard drive and compiling them onto the database.

Stay tuned......

As far as CDGs being antiquated: 1) Electronically, whether you hear it or not, MP3s are inferior. This isn't subjective, this is fact. Put an oscilliscope on your outputs and you will see random keychanges, compression errors, dropouts, and timing changes.

2) Download laws are still murky, causing legality questions.

3) No consistancy in MP3 due to different download rates and transmission mediums


SO: CDGs may well become antiquated, but only after a superior medium has been devised.

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" Disc based and loving it..."

Hi fidelity in DVD videos is the way to go hereon. What I am proposing here is that CDG karaoke is an antique form of presenting and enjoying karaoke. I could not believe that there is so much following of CDG technology here in USA. In Asia, karaoke goes straight to music videos with all the prompts of onscreen karaoke text. The computer software support in USA is also very focused on CDG... which is a pity. Which is why I am working on a KTV computerized touch screen, graphic image driven search system that can play karaoke videos from DVDs and VCDs ..... not just CDGs.

I don't see the cheesy videos coming back into mainstream at least in the US, most people - singers & kj's alike didn't like the videos behind the music as it detracts from the singer. People focus on watching the video and pay less attention to the singer. Not to this doesn't happen with just the lyrics appearing on the screen, but not as bad.

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There is also the extra cost in producing the bacground video, thereby raising the cost of buying the disc. Licencing is expensive enough as it is.

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karaoke is just for the enjoyment of the singer and the audience. I beg to differ that background videos distract. In fact I think they enhance the ambience. Of course it depends on the videos... If say they consist of the original footages of the BeeGees performing Words... wouldn't that be nice? Certainly MTV are not cheesy from the original singers are they? They will be more memorable. CDGs are just too cheap and unsophisticated. To me they are a poor man's karaoke system.

VCD and DVD karaoke discs are as cheap as the CDGs when you shop around. I do not think that VCD/DVD karaoke discs cannot be used for performances in public just because of licensing issues for the background videos... These background videos are meant to be shown because they are karaoke versions...

I am sorry that I am a proponent to move away from CDG and let everyone enjoy karaoke instead of expecting a professional redention of My Way everytime someone steps up to the mic. Karaoke is just for fun - singers enjoyment to sing (whether he/she is good or bad), and the audience to enjoy both aural (if the singer is good) and visual (watching the videos if singer is bad) aspects. Frankly, why everyone is so serious?

I think your show will be unique to those who dig the videos, however I feel that the main stream karaoke crowd has become accustomed to CDG format and it's fine with them. Some of the older Pioneer videos were very distracting for the singer others were not. It will be interesting to see if your idea is a hit in multiple locations. Based upon many years in the business my opinion is it will be a novelty for some and not for all, after a while it will play like any other show. It does seem to be something that is important to you so by all means pursue your ideas!

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

I cracked up at Lonman's show when I was singing the laser disc version of "Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown". There was a very comical representation of the denouement of Leroy, and I wasn't expecting it.

Chewonit,

I'd be very interested in knowing what personal experience you have, and in what context your experience is actually in, to make statements and observations such as you have. Or is your "nickname" a subliminal message to those who may respond to your posts?



Donny "B"

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We started off with Win 98SE a 650 CPU and 256MB of ram. This would handle the Cavs PE player but windows would get flaky now and then. When Cavs came out with the SP player you could put slides under the graphics which really drained the resources. I finally upgraded to a 1.2 CPU and 2k PRO and we could even record with no audio dropouts. Somewhere along the way I shifted to SnD for a year or two.

Right now I use 800X600 for the graphics display. This uses the least amount of resources and bandwidth. I actually run composite or RCA video thru a 50 or 100 foot snake. I can check the box record all and record every singer for a whole show and never miss a lick The CPU usage runs less than 5% and I have everybody shutdown except for what it takes.. I want resources devoted to audio. decent graphics and the ability to record.

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Almost forgot.....I like to think of the Pioneer laser discs as "vintage"....not cheesy. Hmmmm...is lonnie and I the only ones who still carry them? I think that would fit into the idea behind the OP. It would give some more insight into what the OP has voiced a "personal opinion"/observation about. If not, I'm sure one of the "mods" can/will PM me to let me know. Not attempting to "hi-jack"....just looking for THAT part of the equation.


Donny "B"

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It's a wonderful life!!

I welcome new technologies, innovations and improvements.

Chewonit, BRING IT ON!!!

A wise man once told me, "Don't talk about it, do it!" Don't sing it, bring it.

If there is a new and better way of digitally packaging Karoke it will make it's way forward and into the hands of those who are in this industry. I don't know why the US is somewhat behind Asia in certain technologies, but things are happening at a faster and faster pace today so if a better technology or methodology is already in use there, it will be coming to the US soon. Will you be the one to bring it to the US and become rich doing it?

Don't come here challenging us, we're potential customers. If you have something to offer, then offer it, don't start an argument. If you really have something good then go to the Karaoke manufacturers and sell them on the concept. They are the ones who put out the disks or whatever new medium will replace Karaoke CDs. We buy and use what is made available by the Karaoke producers.

Well being one that still uses the laserdiscs with videos - even some of the original footage, I hear all the time from singers that they can't stand the videos behind the words & can I turn them off.
And like mentioned licesning would be a bear to get original MTV videos not to mention the sync rights on top of that. I quit buying videos for a reason YEARS ago & the reason was the majority didn't like them. Most if not all of the companies that were using videos beit laserdiscs, vcd or dvd karaoke has prety much retired them and went back to cdg.
Now maybe there is a market for some of the newer singers for videos again so wish you luck in that respect.

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Lonnie you know how certain songs takes you back and brings back memories? If I was to sing certain songs using the old lasers the video would do the same. I might even stop singing for a second. It's probably been 8 years since I sang with a pioneer laser disc.

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Lonnie's Pioneers are a perfect example. There are a couple that come to mind....one I can't remember the name of the song but many folks refer to it as the "Woody Video" where some guy is walking his girlfriend to the end of a dock on a lake and after a couple of kisses he turns and begins walking back and you see that a certain part of his anatomy has grown "quite large" it's a hoot but try and sing that song without cracking up etc. Also many of them have "Hot Women" and can be very distracting for any male singer. Some of them are just plain stupid.

I still think you are playing to a limited crowd that would share your same appreciation for video karaoke. But hey it's your $$$ and your passion so who am I to rain on your parade..

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

As a sufferer of ADD that has been singing karaoke since 1989 and running karaoke since 1993, I can tell you that I found the videos distracting and was very pleased when CD+G became the norm. A friend of mine was also effected by the distraction while suddering dixlexia. And besides that I want the attention when I am singing and am not willing to give that up to a distracting video. It is one of the reasons I only run one performer's monitor.

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

Thank you all for the feedback.
I appreciate the points and opinions raised before I can decide on rolling out my this venture.
I shall post some screen images of my computerized touch-screen karaoke system soon to share so that you can see what I meant. Maybe all of you can contribute to point out the pluses and minuses of what I am planning to do. Best regards to all. Keep them coming.

I have a friend who is a musician for a pretty major rock band. He looked at karaoke, and said -- "Wow! We could jazz it up with video, DiamondVision screens, totally improve the production values. We could really make it something!"

Then I tried to explain the real economics of karaoke, that it was self-limiting. You can't sell out a thousand-seat theater with it. (American Idol and such notwithstanding.) You can't make 200 people pay a big cover to listen. It is about bad-to-decent singers getting up and singing, 10-30 per night. Beyond that, your reward is going to be limited. Not only that, it ain't about the whizzy video -- it is about the singers singing. Bad singers, mostly. And all the fancy graphics in the world will avail you nothing.

He looked crestfallen, and finally realized that what I was saying is true.

This is why you don't see it, plain and simple. People don't care about the video. The only attraction of DVD is fitting more songs on a disk, and disks are going the way of the dodo very soon.

That would have been Blue Bayou! Once again when that video comes on - good singer or not - somebody points out to the crowd & the focus shifts from the singer to the video only.

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