Karaoke Forums

Well, I haven't been on here for several days due to the fact my laptop took a dive Friday morning... man what a day that was!

Fortunately, I had everything backed up on an external drive, but I surely couldn't afford a new laptop. The other thing was, I had talked to a KJ friend of mine at my Thursday gig and he had told me about a new bar/ restaurant that had opened and was doing karaoke... that Sunday. He couldn't do it due to other obligations so he gave me the guys name and number and even called the guy and told him to expect my call!

Anyway, I set up an appointment for 2:30. I got up early (8am) to get a haircut figuring I could take a nap before my Friday night gig. I got home, made the appointment for 2:30 pm with the new bar and deceided to get on the laptop to update some files. Its dead! Won't turn on... nothing! OMG!

So now, I've got to go to the appointment, which due to midday traffic and city driving took 3 hours to complete. I got the job. Great, how am I going to run the show???

Well, I used my home computer. I had Compuhost backed up on that computer, but what I failed to realize was that it had no s-video output or dual monitor capability! I got the thing ready just in time to make the show ON TIME!

As luck would have it, this is the one show I do where it was cool to run the lyrics off the computer screen as the singer are behind me. It was a real pain in the a$$ though as I couldn't enter anythin in the computer while someone was singing. Did I mention this is my busiest show of the week?!!! I had 30+ singers that night, but I got through it and everybody had a good time... hardly even noticing my peril....

Well, I got a refurbed desktop for $140 Pentium 4 with a gig of ram, and the got a 19" flatscreen from Walmart for $150 Saturday, and then had to go by a graphics card with s-video so I could run dual monitors. Hooked in the external drive, and boom... I'm back for Saturday's show at full capacity.

Man, I LOVE this big monitor!

I think I'm going to stick with the desktop from now on... I like the way it runs the show over the laptop... no heat issues.... and I honestly believe the music sounds better even though I'm using the same external sound card.

My new Sunday gig was a success, and I'm onboard on a weekly basis. The downside is now I'm working SIX nights a week. But hey, its a recession, and I'm working my little butt off, so I'm not complaining.

Picked up a USB WI-FI adaptor, and now I back to on demand download too... so all in all, except for a serious lack of sleep, $400 outlay I didn't have, and stress over the weekend, I came out pretty good! Good thing I got this new gig so I can pay for eh? Its an endless cycle... money comes in, but goes out faster than I can earn it... argh!

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Eventually I put my rack mount MB into a tower and still used the wireless keyboard and mouse. It has a Dellta44 sound card and I can use extra slots to add external displays. Currently it has 3. It is primarily for backup as I use a laptop too but I sometimes use it instead. I rarely have a computer crash any moe but it sure is calming to have a backup which can be hooked up and going in minutes Remember you can hook up 2 computers to your mixer. I had to do this at a wedding reception because the CD Player broke in the tower and used the laptop for CD'S only. It actually worked great...

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Eventually I put my rack mount MB into a tower and still used the wireless keyboard and mouse. It has a Dellta44 sound card and I can use extra slots to add external displays. Currently it has 3. It is primarily for backup as I use a laptop too but I sometimes use it instead. I rarely have a computer crash any moe but it sure is calming to have a backup which can be hooked up and going in minutes Remember you can hook up 2 computers to your mixer. I had to do this at a wedding reception because the CD Player broke in the tower and used the laptop for CD'S only. It actually worked great...

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I had a lappy take a crappy on me on Saturday, too. No video. But I don't think it is only video because I tried to externally hook up a monitor. Nada. Thankfully it is not my karaoke lappy but it does contain a ton of my DJ bumper music. Do have 2 others but now have to pick up another refurb or get this one fixed.

Nothing is worse than that uncertainty when you're under the gun and trying to create a fantastic first impression. Glad everything worked out for you - probably wouldn't have if you hadn't gotten that haircut...

I carry 2 laptops with me at all times just for that reason.
Your story reminds of 2 years ago -- NEW YEARS EVE was on a Saturday and I was scheduled to DJ and KARAOKE the bars party. I just hosted a show at the same bar FRiday night and the system ( LAPTOP) worked flawlesly. I get to the bar and set up and turn on the LAPTOP in time for the New Years Eve Pary about 8pm and I get nothing but a BLUE SCREEN. After a few frantic calls to a techie friend of mine and a short drive to his house only to find out the internal HD was TOAST. By the time I went HOME ( didn't carry a back up then) and unplug my desktop and bring it to the bar..set it up and start the show it was 11:30 ......very embarrasing
As they say LEARNT MY LESSON

I also always carry a spare. My former "partner" used to think he was too good to need a spare. he got himself in trouble once a friend fixed the non catastrophic failure , but still didn't carry the cavs unit he had as a backup...dumb@ss.

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

I would think that most LEGAL KJ's, in a pinch, would just break out their old CDG players and their CDG discs and run their shows that way until they got a new PC. Seems odd to me that someone would be out of business if their PC crashed if they acquired their tracks the old fashioned way?????

Things that make you go Hmmmmmm.

Things that make you go Hmmm are your inane posts bruce.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

Truth sure does hurt, doesn't it? If Lonny had the same situation as you had, he would have just run off discs until he had another computer to work with. You never mentioned that option when faced with the predicament of having a computer crash. Hmmmmmmm I wonder why that is? Shiver me timbers!!!!

Lonnie has a different situation than most of us. I am totally mobile and my cd's are in the closet. What most dont realize about cd player players is this. As the optics are subjected to bar conditions esp those with smoking gradually have a film on the eye. This reduces overall quality which is not noticed. Also the karaoke players have non commercial mechanisms which are not designed for extended use. (I know I have been to pioneer and others seminars and worked on their jukeboxes) The alignment also suffers with night after night of use. I have proved this several times by hooking my lappie into a system with a cd player. The mechanism is hardly better than the cheap home karaoke systems. As usual I am not sitting here guessing I am talking from years of professional service and experience.

I changed to digital because it is handy, economical and over the long run gives me a system with better quality. I am doing nothing illegal because their is nobody that can prove that I am. I do shows outside in the dark and under severe conditions. If I had to change back to cd's I would retire for sure.

Most have a different definition of redundancy than an engineer. I am redundant in the fact I have backups or units which I can revert to if one fails. I have 2 laptops and a tower which I can do shows with. I might travel 100 miles to do a wedding. For you to comment on hosts that have dependable redundant systems is childish and ludicrous. Tell us about your system..

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Even when I was completely mobile, the discs still came with me and I always use a separate player for customer discs & back-up purpose! I have them in a coffin style case with casters on the end & in a pinch I would open the case up & run off discs - but never had to.

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I do have my stuff backed up, but not exactly ready to go. I always take a case of my mixed music with me and could do a night with it...if need be. I also bring a couple of case of my karaoke discs. I could get through the night with no problem. I always like to have a back up plan. The only thing that I couldn't do with out is if the mixer crapped out...I'd be done. Everything else I could rewire and have back up to get through the show in a matter of a few minutes...MrD

I do however think that it is a 'good' idea to have a complete and ready to go back up cpu/harddrive incase of failure...I'm not there yet....

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[highlight=midnightblue]MrD - KJ/DJ Specialist
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What I found odd was that the OP never even mentioned the possibilty of doing a few shows with his discs until he got another PC to use. I don't think anyone would think about retiring if they only had to do a weeks worth of shows with their discs until they got a new PC.

I have more back ups than you can shake a stick at when it comes to music and computers. I have a Pioneer twin tray CDG player and thousands of CDG discs stored away up in my closet just in case all of my computers die on the same day. My equipment never leaves the house though so I don't have to worry about losing any gigs if a laptop breaks down on me. If that happens, I just plug in another one and I'm back singing again.

I had a computer problem on the day of a show ... I use a pc shuttle. Went and threw myself at the mercy of my computer repair dude and he got me hooked up again. I was ready to drag out the CDGs but it would be laborious because I quit numbering them over a year ago and have probably 50-60 discs that aren't numbered. I used to be able to reach in the case and pull a disc within 1-2 and not miss but it's been a year and a half. ARGGGG...the prospect of playing discs again is just revolting.

The simple fact is this this. What lonnie prefers is nobel and I respect it. What I do is nobel and because I live in this country I do have a choice. You will not question my integrity or accuse me of doing wrong or insult my business. Do you understand me Laddie Buck?

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I had a drunk spill a beer on my laptop keyboard..

Guess what? No workie..

Luck was with me, and I was able to borrow a laptop, download Sax and Sasquatch, and continue the show..

These days, I carry a spare..

We're completely mobile and carry all our discs in our 25,000 + collection, collected over 19 years in the business and it is certainly NOT a chore. Computers have their uses but I definitely don't trust them.

Oh and in those 19 years, we had to replace 2 (two) discs because of damage on one song on each disc (KJTools) which were played practically every night, 6 nights a week. Since were replacing two, it was just as easy/cheap to replace the set and sold the old discs so it all pretty well paid for itself.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Yes Tim I have full respect for your modus operandi. I also have full respect for the mennonites who still farm with horses. I am one of the few here that still could hitch up a team and cultivate a corn field. However in my life time I have witnessed tech advances and i refuse to be harnessed by those that refuse to adapt. Tech advances have made my vocations obsolete. I will continue stay ahead of my competition and keep abreast of the times. By the time congress has addressed our methods and needs we will be doing better and more efficient things. Welcome to the 21st century..

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I would be hooped without my lappy because, like Karen, I quit numbering my discs and my books don't even have numbers in them. How would I ever find the correct disc to play a certain song?
Until a few weeks ago, I didn't even have a real stand alone player. I just always used my computer.
So, no, Bruce. Just because someone is not ready to do a show without their computer and use discs instead, does not mean they're pirates.