Karaoke Forums

Ok, I currently run a small karaoke business and have ran everything manually up till now. I am looking at laptops and software to run everything on, what things should i look for to make sure my laptop does everything i need it do including letting me do things and see things while the audience and the singer only sees the words for the song, please, any help would be greatly appreciated.

The laptop will be connected to an older amp and TV.

Audio will just be in RCA stereo

Video will need to end up as RCA yellow plug, but it can be adapted if needed.

so i guess im wondering if i need to ensure that the laptop has dual output or what, and thats what im leaving up to yall, thanks much.

My best suggestion is not to use a laptop. Go rack mount instead. The advantages are many. Cheaper parts, more expandable, readily available parts etc. But, the biggest advantage is that with a rack mount computer most folks would not be tempted to do anything stupid like use their KJ computer for any other purpose or connect it to the internet.

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But lets assume I really want to only carry a laptop, amp and mics into my gigs, what am i really looking for?

Get a laptop that is going to have the horsepower to run the software you intend without hassle. Going the cheapest you can with a laptop is generally going to have some pauses and perhaps the occasional stutter. I have that issue with the home system using an old laptop running Compuhost, I use a rack mount at my main venue and a fairly powerful Dell XPS laptop for travel without issues.

I use the VGA -->composite adapter for my secondary display and this avoids me having to use an s-video --> composite adapter in the rather flimsy s-video port. It also allows me to use it with any laptop, even one without an s-video port. Just a personal preference here but your mileage may vary.

I prefer to use a full sized hard drive (3.5") with a very good enclosure and it's own power. I have had USB powered passport drives go into standby mode while singing at home and I don't like the interruption it causes. Small, but noticeable and also personal preference.

I use an Ipod for transition music but any mp3 player will do. Put on a discreet channel on the mixer and it allows me to get music up and running fast without hassle, always works and doesn't matter what you do with the PC. I'd do that running a CD or PC based system anyway.

Things I look for in a laptop when buying:
- It has the general power to run the hosting software and anything else you might run. Generally 2 GB RAM and at least 2Ghz 550 celeron, I have a Dell Inspiron 1525 that works well even if I prefer to use my work XPS simply for speed and flexibility.
- Ensure it has the video outputs to support your display's visual appetite. HDMI out is an expensive cable but DVI or VGA can be converted to s-video and composite while s-video converts to composite easily.
- Ensure you have enough USB ports for what you want to connect. I like a mouse over the touchpad so I make sure I have a port for it. Hard drive, dongle and Ipod charging port need to be allocated also. I need 4 minimum.
- Turn off auto updates on any PC you use and manually update it as needed.
- Run a good virus scanner at all times especially if you allow folks to bring songs along on a thumb drive.
- Make sure your system's DVD drive can read the G track on CDGs. All the Dell systems I have used do, but are slow to rip them. No assurances that it will/will not read them no matter what brand.

Well, that's all I got. Hope it was helpful.

Hmmmm, double post

Very, thank you, my biggest concern is being able to run a monitor for the crowd and still do my thing on the laptop is there anything special i need to get for that because i have an older toshiba with an intergrated video card and it does not support a dual display....

I haven't run anything except the standard dual display enabled by the system. It doesn't have a VGA port on the back of it at all? What model laptop and what number (eg: Satellite a205)?

Well it has a VGA output on the side of it but the laptop can only switch between one or the other being used (monitor on the laptop, or the one plugged into the VGA out) there is no option in the display settings for dual display.

it is a Toshiba Satellite M55-S135

Hmmm, So it's not even a clone display? I don't know anything regarding the video on that machine but I see an s-video port on it so I'm going to ask if you've actually hooked it up to a second display and run things yet. I would be very surprised if it did not have some sort of multi-monitor feature that only activates when it detects an external display.

If you can't get an external display active while running the host on the laptop display I'd call that particular machine unsuitable for the needs of a show but your mileage may vary.

Yah, agreed, that particular laptop is severely underpowered, which is why i havent even tried to run things on it just yet, ill just have to get the laptop i want and give it a varsity effort, thanks a bunch I really appreciate your input.

my suggestion is to build a system according to your needs, or buy one that can do it without having to add all sorts of adaptors and worry about compatibility.

That's why the rackmount systems (or a shuttle) work VERY well, as you either are set up with what you want when you build it yourself, or you request the specs you need and they build it for you.

I'm extremely leary of laptops. I lug in the desktop unit, because I know I can troubleshoot it if I have a problem. Laptops - not so much. I'm getting better, and I helped a friend the other week with one problem, but no way did I do it on the fly at the show!!

Never go underpowered, nor run applications you don't need... that will cause ANY karaoke software undue problems... avoidable problems!

Thousands of KJs are successfully and reliably hosting shows with laptops. Whatever it was at one time, it isn't any more. Laptops are real, they work, and they are reliable. And they are cheap enough now to have one as a backup -- you can get two laptops for the price of one rack-mount PC.

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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 use a shuttle but will soon acquire a lappy that I can back up on. I am getting tired of carrying monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and having to have a larger foot print, but it was what worked at the time. I am absolutely computer ILliterate so any of it scares me to death when things don't go exactly as they should for any reason at all.

Albert

Since you've already mentioned LAPTOP ..That's the way to go
I suggest you get a dedicated laptop just for your Karaoke. NOT SURF THE NET or DO YOU BANKING ON.

I suggest deciding on what software you plan to use and make sure you system meets or exceeds all the reccomended power NOT THE MINIMUM but th recomended. Most laptops will have dual video outputs and a decent audio engine already but if you want an external pro-audio card is always a good thing.
Depending on you library size an exteranl hard-drive may also be needed.

GOOD LUCK

A laptop is MUCH easier and more convenient. It's so simple. Take the laptop out of it's carrying bag, plug it into the mixer and the external display- you're off to the races.

You'll need a new laptop though. Get a decent one with at least a 15" screen. I have a 17" and I love it.

Here is my advice on software from someone new to hosting. Get a program that is simple to operate. Simple searches, simple input, simple, clean, clear interface.

What program? You need to try several out by using the demo.

Start with one of the easiest, Sax and Dotty's. It's also inexpensive, $60 last time I checked. Latshaw's is $99 I believe. Hoster is almost $200, Compuhost is $200 and you still need to buy the book software for another $100.

One nice thing about Hoster is the book software comes with it.

There is a FREE hosting program called autokdj that some professional hosts use and it has some good features, but I found it kind of hard to figure out. I'm still fiddling around with it trying to learn it and I'm starting to get more comfortable using it.

THOUSANDS?? NAME them! Now the laws of mathematics say that if there are five computerized kjs with laptops in every major city, that there may indeed be close to that.

But please don't quote facts you can't back up to make a point!

The point I was making is "I" am leary of laptops, and I can't fix them on the fly like I can diagnose a PC. The point I was making is if the original poster feels confidant in troubleshooting hardware or software glitches, hey GO For It!

As for myself, I just troubleshot my wife's pc that started giving her fits... she threw her hands up and walked away in anger. Had I not have known what was going on, I'd have to turn it over to a company that can fix such things... and pay for it out the nose while I'm at it.

As for the comment about not wanting to drag out a mouse, monitor, keyboard... yep... absolutely. But what are you going to do when the mouse breaks or needs service on a laptop? The monitor gets damaged... these are all items that are interchangeable on a desktop or shuttle. Not really so with a laptop.

Laptop memory is usually more expensive, the smaller hard drives they use may limit you and you may have to go external for supreme storage... and it's very easy to rip one of those off, where a desktop can't be hidden under someone's coat very well.

No beating a laptop for convenience.

There are. I have visited over a hundred of them myself. And I can guarantee you I haven't covered 5% of the country.


I am completely confident in my statement. I can back it up, since I have visited *lots* of different shows. I have personally seen a hundred laptops in action.

If you add regular-old DJs in there, it is even more so. You can try convince people I am wrong, of course. But I am not.


I am probably as qualified as anyone here in doing that, and I wouldn't even want to try without parts on a modern PC.


They don't fail much. When they do, you wheel out your replacement laptop. I haven't had one fail on me yet, and you don't hear about it much here either.


Those are all yesterday's problems. You can buy a laptop with a 160G drive and 2G of ram for under $500.00 nowadays. You can barely get a rackmount case and a monitor for that, much less the rest of a PC.

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

Agree, and keep in mind, it's possible to upgrade your laptop, Seagate has a nice 320g drive that spins at 7200rpm with 16meg cache for under $100.00 CDN

A laptop with a good Intel cpu, 2 gig ram and a good drive like I mentioned will perform just has good as a desktop Just keep it clean, your karaoke software and the tracks only, no net surfing and all these security software running in the back...