Karaoke Forums

Yes.
Stop having too much money to spend.

Easy answer: Many singers (myself included when I'm not working) want to know what will come out of the speakers when their time comes. Also, many singers don't want to be perceived as a diva for asking ( I'm not a diva, but limited in talent, and so prefer to sing versions I am used to), or want to go the extra effort.

Most databased songbook software ( Like KJ Pro for instance) is mfr. number dependant ( enter the disc number, and all the tracks are added with info). This means that DELETING the mfr. numbers is MORE work for absolutely no reason.

My question is, what is the BENEFIT of deleting mfr. numbers? I can't think of a single one...

What's the loss? Possible new singers.

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

I want manufacturer codes so I don't get surprises. If you are offering up a Music Maestro or Stardisc track, I want the chance to avoid it before it hits the screen in front of me.

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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.

Simply request and/or brand when you put your song request in, just because it isn't listed in the book doesn't mean the KJ doesn't have it.

Exactly my point. People like what they like, and the customer comes first.

One other thing: Though I may not sing at a show without the codes, I may still stick around and party. HOWEVER, ( and this has happened to me on occasion) if I ask the host for a version, or ask what version(s) they have and they LIE, playing another version, I'm outta there.

Example: If I were to ask if they have the Sound Choice version of "Kind Of A Drag" ( yup, believe it or not, the only version I sing- go figure, huh? ). The say CERTAINLY we have SC's version....and it ends up being SGB's version, and COMPLETELY different in timing, music, etc...- DONE.

Nope, I want to see the mfrs. code in the book, simply because the situation described above has happened to me too often to ignore.

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

I have decided that while I will eliminate dupes, I still will have MFR's id's for my songs, even though they really aren't necessary. If it isn't the version you are use to then ask me if I have the version. I will tell the truth and if I have that other version, I will put it up for you. Granted I run a strictly SC and CB show so that may tell you ahead of time whether I have your version or not.

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

Exactly, I don't see the issue... if you want to know what's coming out of the speakers JUST ASK! What's the big deal is saying, "Hey, you got Unchained Melody in DK?" I will either say, i have it in that version or i don't.

The benefit to me, is that MOST singers don't care about manus, or have an idea what they are, or what it means. I'm way to busy to deal having to explain that. Just my style and what works for me.

As far as "Getting new singers" That's not an issue i'm having, my show is one of the most popular in the area

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

"Exactly, I don't see the issue... if you want to know what's coming out of the speakers JUST ASK! What's the big deal is saying, "Hey, you got Unchained Melody in DK?" I will either say, i have it in that version or i don't. "

I've been to a local show that is being run from a computer and even the guy running the show doesn't even know what's going to come up on the screen until it gets up on the screen. I've asked the guy ahead of time what version of the song I will be singing from and the guy has told me that he has no idea what versions are on his hard drive. Apparently, when he bought his pirated hard drive, it didn't come with any manufacturer's codes. Everything is just listed by title and artist. He's another guy who thinks that I should sing whatever he has out of his HUGE 100,000 plus selection as he provides no ability to play a customer's disc.

From a customer's standpoint, and I think that KJ's would feel like wise, I get really tired of hearing the same people sing the same 5 songs week after week after week. I would think that everyone at any show would be pleased to hear something different than what they hear all of the time. That is one of the main reasons why I think the ability to play a customer's disc is a good thing.

There are some great singers out there that are afraid to try a new song because it isn't in their comfort zone and they don't have the ability to practice it anywhere so they can get comfortable singing it in front of an audience. The people that want to expand their reportoire of songs and are willing to go out and buy a karaoke disc so they can get proficient at singing those songs are now being told to not waste their time or money because these hard drive KJ's refuse to accomodate their desire to sing something that they have practiced at home. Now you have to ask the KJ what version of that song he has and then buy that version of the song if you want to sing it at his show. What a joke!

God forbid you go to the trouble of creating a CDG file of your own from a backing track purchased from one of the many on line sources if you want to sing it at one of these PC shows; and PC doesn't stand for politically correct in this instance. You are automatically labeled as some sort of DIVA or worse.

You get the old..."why can't you just be like everyone else(sheep) and just sing something from my Pirate Manual". after all; It's just karaoke. I'm sorry, but I don't go to karaoke to embarrass myself. I go out to enjoy myself and hopefully bring some enjoyment to others as well. I can't possibly be the only person who has purchased software like Karaoke Builder Studio so I can't be the only person who makes karaoke tracks for himself. Why do karaoke hosts seem to think that I should just give them copies of these home made songs in ZIP files if I want to sing them at their show? I don't spend that kind of time creating something for myself just to give it away to someone that will probably be sharing it on the internet the next day. I realize how many of these Captain Hook Karaoke shows get their music from Sound Choice for free. I'm going to do my best to keep them from stealing from me.

The Show that I went to recently that wouldn't or couldn't play a karaoke disc has already been canceled. I hope that my complaint to the manager had something to do with it. Maybe they'll hire someone that I recommended to do the karaoke there soon.

Bruce,

I will answer a couple of points on both of your post.

While you may be correct that the host had a pirated drive with no manu codes in it, it is doubtful. More than likely it was someone who has never dealt with disc and doesn't know what "SC8192" means. While I do not have the manu codes listed in my book they are certainly part of the song name on my drive (including track number) So I can identify what version I am playing and if it is a bad rip I can find it and rerip that disc.

Point two,

If you created a "KARAOKE" track either from a backing track or from your own guitar and a drum machine I will load that track from any USB sorce and play it. What I will not do is allow anyone to bring in a song that is not specifically a "KARAOKE" song with the lyrics displayed on screen. And I have already stated my reasons for that. I myself have created and produced many karaoke songs right here in my studio for myself, bands and different singers that want something of a more personal nature to sing at a show.

First, let me quantify my thoughts. If the guy doesn't know what's on his harddrive, he doesn't deserve to be running karaoke. This is the kind of guy that is ruining for the rest of us.

I know what i have, almost from memory. For example, a guy came in wanting "If you could only see" by tonic. Well, I only have 1 version, the karaoke version. Its a good version, sounds like the original, and i know the levels and how to mix it.

He wasn't sure, but he went for it, sang it and nailed it, the bar went crazy. The next song, he didn't even question, just gave me the name of the song (with arms wide open), and i put it in. Listing manu codes for me, the way i do things, is simply a waste of time FOR ME.

It doesn't matter where you are at, or what bar, or who is singing, the number of DIFFERNT songs that are requested is minimal! To me, song slips are a PAIN, they clutter up my station, and are just a mess. With that gone,so goes manu codes.


Of course, I know WTF I'm doing, and can't speak for the rest of the bozos out there.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

I done the slipless thing but it worked half and half. If I was doing something while someone said to me their selection, I would either forget what I was doing or forget what they just told me. Of course I'd fess up to the person that told me to put in such and such a song for them with the excuse that I was busy entering another request and I forgot what you put in and they happily responded with the request.

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

OOPs Double post

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

http://dkusa.com/video/songfinder.wmv
Kiosk example.

A point is being missed. It's wonderful that you guys are honest, but there are plenty of KJs who aren't, and will lie to get a customer to sing. I think it's stupid, because that person probably won't sing again, but there you have it. Sometimes it's not even lying, but ignorance. If someone duped a drive, they don't even KNOW what they have. As a matter of fact, when I see no codes in a book I get suspicious. Again, there is no real benefit to deleting them, so it always makes me suspicious...

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

That looked like Rosie the Robot from The Jetsons on the screen.

Nice system...

That happened to me one night that Joe stated. I asked for a song & they TOLD me it was a SC version, when I got up to sing it was not! When I saw the title screen I KNEW it was not a singable version (Born On The Bayou - asked for SC, gave me MM - which resembles NOTHING like the original and NOT singable). I sat back down after the title screen and told her & the manager (that was a friend of mine) that I wouldn't support that show. They fired her the next day!

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

I love this!!! Having slips which enable the singer to put a MF code down. Genius. I will adapt it so that it's written in the front of my book to write down your prefered MF code by your song... and it means I can highlight the "nerds"... <<< Nerds used affectionately since I'm one of you>>>> and means if I don't have the right version I can locate you, and come have a chat during a long song to make your experience as fun as possible.

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'A genius is one who can do anything except make a living'. Joey Adams.

1) A slight misunderstanding here. I am virulently customer service oriented, so by benefits, I mean for the customer. I'm being paid to work. The point is to make the customers' life easier and happier- not mine.


I would also add that in my area MOST singers ( simply meaning more than half of them) DO care about the mfrs. I'm guessing that since karaoke has been around longest on the coasts, maybe more singers are more knowledgeable about karaoke?

That's strictly a guess, and certainly not a knock on anyone's customer base.

Also, for those who DO care, it's WAY faster for them to look up their own songs than for me to do it. Answering a question takes less time.

Not only that, but many of those who DO care about mfrs., as shown here, simply don't bother to sing at shows with unmarked books. This may also be a reason that most of your singers are the ones that don't care. Nothing wrong with that, as you are a successful host, but it may affect your sampling as well as put just an unneccesary ( if small) limit on the show.

Either way, I don't mind answering customer questions. only takes a few seconds.


2) Agreed. MOST good hosts are in the same boat I wasn't including you in my statement, but was referring to unscrupulous hosts ( If they lie, I tend to put them in the unscrupulous section).

That being said it's not ever really about GETTING a new singer. Anyone can to that. It's about making the experience so worthwhile that the want to keep doing it.

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

The one thing I have noticed is that the KJs here who do put MC's in their books think the singers have to have it and those that don't have experienced the fact that most singers either don't know what they are, trust the KJ to put in the best version or ask for a specific brand when they sign up or simply just don't care one way or the other.

There is basically only two reason for not putting them in a book.

1. is it take up space on the page that could be used for actual song titles thus making the book much larger.

I just checked what the difference is between adding the M codes (just the codes SC, CB, MM etc. not the full designation) to my books and using the same font (10) that I am currently using, just adding the space for those codes reduces my pages from 4 column to 3 and increases my book by 60 pages.

2. people that do not know what they are are confused by them and have to ask.

I would rather have the one or two who are brand specific ask me if I have a brand than the 20 who don't have a clue asking what they mean.