Karaoke Forums

I didn't say it was cheaper than the sleeve protectors by a long shot. However they have been less maintenance and while we use the easy to update item as a selling point on binders I never upaded them as much as replaced them. The binders take up nearly 2x as much space. I now fit 6 books in my 3 unit drawer on my rack instead of needing additional transport for them.

My observations on binders:
- They take up more space
- Their versatility is a hassle when some drunk drops them and the pages go flying (only happened once, true)
- I never really updated them as much as put out an addendum. Updating required me to take all the page out of the sleeve and redoing them all, major hassle.
- I hated doing it

Oh, my singers like the spiral bound a lot and have an easier time using them since they can get folded back on themselves using 50% of the space of a binder. Yeah I get beer on the pages but it typically dries out and the page is fine, bit wrinkled and colored, but fine to read. My experience says it's better than it moldering in plastic after it wicks up the page.

For about $60 more, I freed myself from the hassle. The hours saved justify the price to me but again, your mileage may vary.

My opinion- DON'T! Regular singers like to sing their favorite versions. No one likes surprises.

My regulars have complained to me how other hosts have done this, and it makes the books almost useless to them. They will then try asking the host to use THEIR discs. If the host won't or can't play their discs AND has no mfr. identification- they leave. As a singer as well, I completely agree.

To this, some will reply that they only have the "best" versions and it won't matter. The fact is that the only "best" is the one the customer prefers.

Even Elvis couldn't sing SCs Devil In Disguise.

Keep the mfr. numbers.....

_________________
"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

If your books are too big & need to scale down, removing dups is going to help alot. 9 out of 10 times the singer is going to rely on you - the kj - to pick the best version for them anyway. Keep a master book with everything & a disclaimer in the front, we have some songs produced by different manufacturers, if you do not like the particular listed version, ask if there might be another available. Then list what you feel is best 1 time.
I personally see no reason to list duplicates, other than some kj's trying to make their books seem bigger than they really are. I went to one show claiming 50+K songs & swear almost every song was duplicated at least 5 times if not more. And they still didn't have half the songs I normally sing.

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

I had intended to go to spiral bound no sleeves but I have been to shows where they use the spiral bind books - they just don't seem to stand up with medium use.

I clean up my binders every now and then - replace worn ones from the Goodwill for $2-3 each for very good binders. Replace sleeves (which I have also found at the Goodwill and other places for VERY CHEAP). Between the two of us, we somehow find the time to do the maintenance. I picked up a few packages of sticky backed photopaper (guess where, G/W) for $1.99 a package - I printed our front page info on there and slapped it straight on the binders that didn't have the plastic front. The books like great. I don't like to see an ugly book. I do have one section that is bigger print and single column (the original 99-page both sides book) but went on to 2-column for the next few years. Since we are computerized, I don't list song #s on new stuff and frankly very few people ask about versions - which kind of surprises me. Occasionally someone will ask 'what's the difference' and I give them the 1-minute manufacturer lecture. I add music probably once a month so it makes sense to me to stay with the binders and just add a plastic sleeve.

It would be nice to have a smaller book but the tradeoff just isn't there yet for me. Not saying it won't ever work...just not now for us. 3-4 nights a week seems to require workhorse binders with sleeves. Have to expend a little elbow grease once in a while but that goes for anything. Quicker for me to do that than drive to a copy facility.

I always just explained to the person asking - it's like going to hear 2 or 3 cover bands, some will seem to nail it, while other kind of sound like it but could be better. Their response was always, just give me the one that sounds the best - leaving it in my hands anyway.

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

I'm thinking of going digital for the book..

As few as I have, a Palm pilot should handle it..

exactly, which is why I made my edited singer's book!

Thank you all for your responses now I just gotta take it to "the boss" (hubby) & figure out what to choose Thanks again

_________________
Kelley
Star Sounds Karaoke & Mobile Recording Studio


[shadow=black][scroll]You have to respect your audience. Without them, you're essentially standing alone, singing to yourself....KD Lang[/scroll][/shadow]

If you run a computer based show, Latshaw makes a songlist creator that removes the dupes, but leaves the manufacturers code, e.g. if you have three versions of "Light My Fire", it will list Doors, The - Light My Fire SC BS LG , etc. That way, there is only one listing, but people in the know will realize if you have more than one version. It just reads your hard drive and doesn't require you to enter any info.

You do have to make sure all your files are labelled correctly, though.


I'm about ready to go to the spiral bound books, because it's time to re-do them, and I just don't have the time or patience to deal with 16 3" binders. The added cost is worth it to me.

My thoughts exactly and I haven't regretted it.

Robbie Williams is a non-issue for my room too. Angels was featured on AI and has been sung a few times by my best singer for that style but that's it. And I can't remember even him singing it this year.

I've been going through your book Lonnie and it's been interesting to see which brand you use for some problematic songs. I'm stumped by Play That Funky Music though. What's ES?

This one comes up once in awhile (like last Sat) and the SC version really comes off flat compared to everything else. I've tried everything to pull some low end out of that track and the subs are still practically off even with 60Hz at +12!

The DK version is pretty good -- that's what I have. (Of course as with most DK, you need to eq the low higher and increase the volume.)

I listened to the Sunfly version, and it is terrible. Very MIDI-sounding. So don't get that from Tricerasoft.

ES == Essential Karaoke, maybe?

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

Essential Karaoke is EK, Easy Karaoke is EZ. I can't even come up with a good guess for ES......

_________________
"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Doesn't Chartbuster use ES for their Essential Disc collections?

ES is the Chartbuster Essentials - complete disco pack (bought for a 70's theme party). I just used the catalog number on the disc itself. It's a decent version, I like it much better than my Pioneer or Sound Choice.
What other 'problem' songs are you referring just out of curiosity.

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

Girls Girls Girls comes immediately to mind. Legends is much better than SC but isn't the whole song - a problem with many Legends tracks.

I've got others. I'll think about it a little here.

That would be one of those tracks that i'm not too worried about as it doesn't get done enough to warrant a replacement & I don't have any dups of that track, however I think the SC version is actually better (closer to original soundwise) than the Legends (which is also Sunfly version), the Legends version put alot more bass & treble overtones on the guitars & the drums to me sound more sampled. When it does get done, the SC version sounds very good when turned up.


Yeah I was just curious, you can PM me rather than us taking over this thread - I would find interesting what you might think I need to replace - maybe because they get done alot in your show or whatever.
Alot of tracks I know that are problems (either soundwise, lyrics or both) is simply because they don't get done enough or at all for that matter to warrant going out to replace the track. I have a terrible version of Johnny B Good off of an SAV/BMB disc that I keep meaning to replace, but never think about it until someone actually puts it up which is maybe once a year. I do have it in a new custom disc I am compiling now however.

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

I have the same problem with Johnny Be Goode! I have it on a starter set I got early on called Karaoke Hits. It gets done once a year and every time I think "You know I really ought to replace that..."

I was glancing over your book this morning and was mentally picking up some clues on things but it's so nice I'm going back outside right now... Wow what a change in the weather.

I like the guitar snarl and kick punch of the Legends Girls... better than SC. And I sing this one myself. If Sunfly has the same version, I'll bet it's the whole song with them. I'm putting together a track download order for across the pond and probably'll throw it into the group.

Tell me about it!

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

Robbie who?