Karaoke Forums

Last night I turned my karaoke kiosk request system into a more mobile system. I have a permanent stand-alone stand for it and it works but in some cases, it just doesn't jive with the set up. When I put it right behind my booth, people can ask me questions easily while I'm at my rack but sometimes it takes away from the singer on stage and I don't like that. So I created a little 3" high stand for the kiosk laptop and I can attach it to some surfaces. Last night it was the wood railing just around the corner from me. I used velcro to attach it to the railing, it was very robust and easy to pick up and carry when it is time to go.

My biggest concern with this turned out to be nothing. People had no problem running it for the most part, I only had one person that needed me to assist them. I attached a pic and you will see a document attached to the lid of the laptop, this tells how to operate the kiosk. I also keep a usb light hooked up so people can see the sign as well as the keyboard.

Overall it turned out very well with no problems. I had two books in house but no one wanted to use them, the kiosk is now a permanent part of my set up, I will still bring books just in case but only plan on bringing two into the venue.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

I should add, I had a 15 person rotation, pretty good for this place. Only saw someone waiting on the kiosk once.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

What Kiosk Software are you using for this? Does it integrate into your hosting program?

-Chris

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-Chris

He's using CompuHost

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Yes. It instantly sends the request to me and I place the singer in the rotation. If they are already in the rotation, I place the song in their que.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Congrats Rip, This is definitely the direction we are headed in as well. We use a similar set up at our biggest show, as well as the use of smart phones. The books rarely get used, most of the time if they are used it is only for a reference. They still use the laptop I provide or their smart phones.
Great Job!

Thanks. Mine has the ability to use smart phone. I hope to get it going for my next gig.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

once they use the smart phone kiosk, they'll love it.
it's a big hit cause most have a smartphone now a days...

my sing it more than they use the kiosk station

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It's all good!

i use songbookdb.com and it has been working just as well.
i never would have guessed, but more and more it seems to be taking off.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

I have been using smart phone books for a couple years now, but most people that come in (young and old alike) still prefer the old standby of taking a book to their table. I get some that do utilize the phone book search, but not many.

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

Phones are small (even though I have the Galaxy 3). I don't look for phones to take over anything but they do provide another alternative. Like I said, no one wanted to use the books Friday night and in fact if I hadn't cropped that photo, you would have seen them behind the big guy on the PA, and they sat there all night. Just like anything, going to differ from place to place, time from time.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

i agree, i have a laptop set up with songbookdb going for those that dont have or want to use their phones. my books for three weeks have been 100% untouched even though i put them out. gonna stop doing that soon though.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

Weird, every night I have people still looking for books because they are all out and I have 15.

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

it has to be location......
i have only had 4 books for about two years, and only two ever go out and that is with a 40+ singer rotation.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

There are many factors that come into play here.

Is your show frequented mostly by regulars? Or walk-ins?
Are your customers 20-30? Or are the old school 40+ karaokers?
Are your customers technologically proficient? Or has their VCR been blinking 12:00 for 20 years?

In my downtown Seattle location, I get a lot of new singers that are walk-ins and have a smaller numbers of regulars. At every show I have to announce several times that I don't use paper-slips so just come talk to me. This is a younger crowd and everyone has a smartphone so they make use of songbookslive.com pretty well, buy many others still want/like books to look through.

In my Kent, WA show, I use paper slips now because most of the singers are regulars, 45+ years old and they grew up in a karaoke world with paper slips. They practically demanded them even though it is a tiny club and I know every person by name so I accommodated. They also like books, but it is a small club and I have been able to show people 1 on 1 how to look up tracks on songbookslive.com. The problem is that only about 25% have a smart phone. The rest have older flip phones. I would consider a kiosk here because it is a small club, lower traffic, and will be easier for me to train folks on it.

In my Issaquah, WA show I have a mix of old and new. Only been there 3 weeks though so I don't know the full demographics and demands yet. I use books and no song slips. I suspect I could put a kiosk here and it would go very well.

The problem I have with a kiosk is integration. Until Latshaw Systems (or someone else) develops one that integrates with Karma, I won't use a kiosk anywhere. OR.....the day someone walks in and asks me "Where the hell is your kiosk!?!?". I don't see that happening any time soon.

-Chris

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-Chris

Chris I am with you on "when Karma integrates a song book" I'll use one. I'm sure Bob is "on it" as we speak....I don't know that for sure, but it would be logical to assume.

Both - my regulars still look in the books (although my regs will sometimes put up a blank slip and ask me to pick for them out of their history, so I will generall pick something they haven't done in a year or 2) and walk ins almost always ask for a book - occasionally they will just tell me a song, I at the very least make them fill out a slip with their name & song title but will point them in the direction of the books & give them the phone app stuff as well.

21-40 are the avg age.

I can nomally see that EVERY one of the customers have and use their smart phones for everything else.

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

Just emailed back and forth with Bob. No plans for kiosk integration.

-Chris

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-Chris

I just tried to use Song List Generator. Can't utilize due to the fact it doesn't have an option to import my video files without renaming every one of them to 'standard' format. Nor does it have the ability to import just the kmh file header (which has the correct information needed) like it does with the kma files. Too bad, it looked kind of promising for a sec.

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

I do use Song List Generator, but I have also spent hours and hours painstakingly renaming files. KJ File Manager makes renaming and working with the files a much easier process. But it is not for the faint of heart especially if you have a different file naming convention.

If you have a well established routine for naming files, it probably doesn't make sense to rename everything just to get into SLG. In my case I have been using the "DISCID - Artist - Title" format for 10+ years already.

-Chris

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-Chris