Karaoke Forums

How much is that?

There is software out there where you can look through a karaoke book on a simlar kiosk, enter your selection one the screen, and it will wirelessly print a song request to a receipt-type printer at the DJ/KJ booth.

A bar up the street from me has had this system in place for about 3-4 years now, and I'll tell you, it is not all it is cracked up to be. The major problem is that when you are not having face to face interaction with your singers, they are more encouraged to enter "fake" names to get multiple spots in the rotation.

At this particular bar, the bar owns all of the equipment and hires hosts to run it. Alll of the host HATEEEEEEE the kiosk request system, and state that it ends up causing more extra work instead of saving work like it is designed to do.

It is even a GREAT karaoke bar with a great system and great hosts, but I don't go there as often as I would simply because of the abuse of the kiosk system. On any given night, the good hosts will have to stop the show 5-6 times due to people abusing the koisk requests, and a BAD host will just let the same people keep getting up over and over under different names.

SO, the kiosk request system is a GREAT idea, but in reality is very hard to implement effectively.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Seems like it might be pretty expensive. Kiosk software is already available specifically designed for karaoke. Chip Staley is the author of one very nice system actually that can be run with an old PC (no specials) and adapated to a touch screen monitor so no mouse or keyboards to come into play, send the request wirelessly to the host & works with most of the hosting software if i'm not mistaken. Total cost probably under $500 for all.

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To bad there's not a way to force the singer to turn in the first request in person to get into the rotation and then once there added by the KJ allow them to use a kiosk for additional songs.

That's actually not a problem at all for me. I keep my Touchscreen right next to me in case people have question and also to monitor who is requesting what. So Fake names, no big deal here.

So far people/regulars love the Touchscreen. It also saves me from reprinting books. The touchscreen is always up to date.

what kind of system do you have ?

I use an MSI touchscreen. Got it used on ebay for $250. AE 1900 something...
The Software is Karaoke Songfinder.

There is... or was.... or still is if you use an old computer. The keyboard is locked out and the singer selects his/her name from a drop down menu and clicks the songs he wants. The only way to get into the drop down list is to hand in a slip to the KJ. I suppose I should update that so it works on computers built in this century huh?

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Okay, who took my pants?

That takes some balls to put in multiple fake names just to get more slots to sing, and it's hard to imagine that would be a real issue in most venues, anyway, but the solution to the 'fake name' thing would be to instead of have the song request print out at the KJ booth, have it print out right there at the kiosk, and then the singer physically hands the request to the host, just like a traditional slip.

Besides, i'd think a kiosk system would simply supplement the traditional slip and book system, anyway. I know most of my older singers aren't going to want to mess with a touch screen kiosk, and still other singers like to thumb through the book at their table looking at the songs for ideas for new songs to try.

I wouldn't ever implement the kiosk as the sole method of making song requests.. or for those busy nights when you're talking on the mic and someone walks up and starts to ask you, "Do you have...." you can point to the kiosk.

The big plus of the kiosk system in my mind is the ability to have an up to the second database of your available music that the singers can search without having to fumble through a large paper book in less than optimal lighting conditions.

We've taken care of multiple ID's in autokdj by using ID cards and having a signup process. Anyone getting a card doesn't want to go through the signup process twice, so they usually won't.

I would like to hear more about your setup.... I have been toying with the idea of a kiosk but I do have the problem of 1 singer wanting to put in different names. I really like the card idea..... where do you get them and how is it set up?

i would be curious as well on you ID concept. how does it work exactly?

I've been wondering about this too. Touch screen, wireless, up to date. How to stop different names or signing up others. It would be easy to create a membership access that requires a thumb-print scanner. Your thumb-print is your identity. You can change your "Stage Name" but you have to provide your real name when you register your print on the scanner the first time. The kiosk could also display your karaoke show when not in use.

Seriously? Fingerprints? I think that would go a little bit too far, don't you think? It's Karaoke, not the border/customs...

Haha.. why mess with fingerprint scanning? Let's go full on with retinal scanning, or perhaps heartbeat recognition.

Seriously.. it seems like maybe some people try and over engineer/over think a solution.

If singers trying to slide in under bogus names just to get called up is a problem, then simply have the slips print at the kiosk and let the singers bring the printed slips up to you as they would the traditional method.. or better yet.. don't print slips at all.

Simply use the kiosk as a quick way for singers to search quickly for a specific songs availability.

Membership cards, fingerprint scanning, jeeze.

He!!, why not just get one of the new "full body" scanners that are being used at the airports now. No... on second thought, if you got one of those, NOBODY would be paying attention to the karaoke, they'd all be wanting to see who was next to use the scanner.

Rosario

I could see fingerprint scanners working for a program. The singer just touches their thumbprint & all their songs come up immediately under their name. They pick & choose.

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

I suppose your level of shock is relative. I suggested the fingerprint scanner because they are very inexpensive. One of my venue's that I used to be employed at as a bartender used a touchscreen POS system that had a thumbprint scanner for access so that you could track who rang up purchases. NOT a big brother thing where your fingerprint is used in investigation or surveillance.

The fingerprint thing also prevents lost or forgotten passwords or membership cards. It also prevents others from signing up for you, or without your knowledge.

I already use digital songbooks on old (xp) laptops to keep my list updated between annual song book printings. The system I use also maintains a singer's history under the name they signed up with. The flaw there is that people sign up under different names and at different venues so their history gets spread across several different "stage names".

It just dawned on me that this solves the duet dilemma as well. You can do a duet, but it takes your turn (whoever signs up the song). I don't care if you have 10 people on the stage during your song (unless they are stomping my mic cables and sloshing beer around), the song is going to be the same length. This way, everyone gets one spot in the list to do with as they please.

And you can sleep knowing that the KJ isn't using your fingerprint to steal your identity


and CHEEZ.... overthink? is that what it looks like from the underthinking perspective?

I like the thumb print idea. That would solve a lot of problems. What about facial recognition? More user friendly and fewer identity theft worries.

I never have liked the idea of touch screens for kiosks. The hot spots have to be too big and too far apart. Everybody knows how to use a mouse.

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Okay, who took my pants?