Karaoke Forums

looking at some of the Chartbuster Essential sets on ebay that I'm missing. I know the CAVS versions run pretty cheap. Will I be able to burn them into MP3G format ok? I use CDGRipper from Compuhost. Will I need an additional program to convert CAVS?

Or do I just stay away from them and find CDG bundles?

Compuhost is coming out with a scdg ripper. That said I'd be careful about getting the Chartbusters for legal reasons. Chartbuster let the licensing drop a few years back.

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

It's already available.
http://www.karaokeware.com/scdgconverter.html

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Be aware that Nutech used multiplex files. There seems to be no button to eliminate the guide vocals. Not sure about the chartbuster files.

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

Correct me if I am wrong, but SCDG's are highly compressed. There is no way to get even 128k rips from them is there? Aren't they going to be <96k?

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-Chris

I've been told anywhere from 128 to 192 what most SCDG are ripped at. 192 would be passable, but 128 or less wouldn't be - for me anyway. I rip at max.
Now I haven't used the SCDG rippers, but I am wondering if they have to convert the file to something else then re-rip to the mp3g/zip files - furthering the degradation of sound quality.

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Is an SCDG a CD or a DVD? Because 400+ songs on a CD isn't possible without significant compression. I am guessing they are highly compressed on disc and no matter what the software says it is ripping at, an SCDG is going to sound pretty bad when ripped, especially compared to a 192k+ rip.

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-Chris

The Chartbuster Essentials extract at 128k. The DK Millennium disks extract at 192k. It's not so much that the SCDG software rips the files. It's that it unlocks the format so you can pull the files off the disc. So you get it at the level it was encoded on the disk.

I know in general these disks are frowned upon. Unfortunately I had already bought them and had them in my possession when I found out there were problems involving these discs. Hope this answers any questions.

I just had a conversation last week with CAVS and their Super CDG format. I was informed that anything from 1-6 is ok. CB had MASS produced them. There was a falling out and Chartbuster switched to NEO+G which you can get. The most important thing is to make sure that you discs are factory pressed. If you see any discs floating around that are beyond the ESP 1-6 (IE: 7, 8, 9, 10) These ARE illegal.

The best converter is Rox Box Karaoke File Converter. It takes a while but you can take the files from SCDG/NEO+G/CD+G etc. and rip them to your PC as well as remove the multiplex vocal and it ZIP them.

Companies who made Super CDG's:
CAVS Volume 1-2-3-4
Chartbuster Essentials 450 songs Vol. 1-6
DK Millennium 2008 Vol. 1 and 2
Nutech party Packs Volume 1 2 & 3 (Each disc has 1234 songs on them)
Panorama Top Hits Monthly (They made several volumes but #4 is the only one still around)
Magic Tracks Plus (which are re-branded Sweet Georgia Brown)
Supercore (488 Songs)
Nutech (Elvis Presley 419 Song) Music provided by Music Maestro IE: Velvet Elvis
Tropical Zone Latin Hits 500 Songs
Filipino All-Time Favorites 976 Multiplex Songs
Music Maestro Packs (Usually 50 to 250 songs)

Music Maestro did license their music to Nutech and CAVS. They also licensed their music to the NEO Discs by RSQ.

All of these discs were "legal" when pressed and they are indeed still floating around. If you look around for NEO+G, you will find that CB moved to NEO+G or made their own types of SD Cards or MP3+G discs "in house" just like Panorama did. You will find a lot of songs by CB/MM/and THM in these formats.

Now to the final answer: If in doubt look up CAVS Karaoke and speak with the owner or his business partner. They also offer a new type of "leasing option" on other libraries.

Chris,
The Super CD+G's are dual layer DVD's. 8.5 GB capacity. If you buy these disc, or especially if you are going to use them in a show, copy them and use your copies. These disc are super sensitive to scratches and wear much more than a regular CD. Once the original is bad your screwed.

Felix

You are correct, I bought a set of Chartbuster super CDG and it's garbage, the songs are sooooo compressed that I simply can't listen to them... I don't know how anyone can be satisfied with this crap!!

The only SCDG's I have are ones I have picked up in bulk buys and one of those Chartbuster 450 Vol. 1-6 sets I found super, super cheap. I have never tried to rip them but I know other local hosts that have and they complain about the low bit rate. One of them said hers came out as 48k or 56k or something equally (and abysmally) low. I believe she also used to use a CAVS system and moved all of that music over to a PC. It was also a super low bit rate. She ended up buying a bunch of discs and re-ripping.

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-Chris

Chris,

The Chartbuster SCDGs extract at 128k. That's what they are encoded on the disc. Power SCDG extracts them at this bit rate. It does not offer a choice of high or lower bit rates when extracting files.

The DK Essentials extract at 192k. If someone is getting bit rates in the 48k or 56k range from these discs they did something very wrong. I agree at that bit rate they would sound awful.

128 is even too low IMO.
192 is as low as i'd ever go.

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It's both. I have created and burned the scdg format successfully to both cds and dvds. You don't need a special type of disc. The format is simply regular data files that any cd/dvd/bluray burner uses. The only difference is the amount of storage, so naturally dvd's hold more data, thus more songs.

When I encode SCDG discs, I have the option of choosing the bitrate of the songs. I have never had any of the sound quality issues the others have spoken of. It is very likely that the company that sold these discs lowered the bitrate in order to get more songs on the disc. They probably lowered it way too much resulting in very poor (and noticeable) sound degradation.

I have found that encoding scdg at a proper bitrate, using good to excellent source files, will produce excellent sounding scdg discs.

I am being biased because I rip everything at 320k which somewhat future-proofs the content against better sound reproduction hardware. When I first started out I was ripping at 128k and lower just to same time. Ultimately it cost me time because I had to re-rip to obtain the quality I desired.

I only have a dozen or so SCDG's but no reason to rip them since I have 320k rips of the content from CDG's.

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-Chris

Just being honest here - I have the CB CAVS ESP1-6. I use them in my shows if I don't have a song ripped at a higher bit rate. I ripped my SCDG tracks with Roxbox and so far I've never gotten a complaint from a singer about any of them on the occasions when I have resorted to them.

Whenever I can replace a track I do, because i know there are folks here and on other forums who say they can hear a difference and I take your word for it.

Personally, I've never heard enough difference myself to be upset about them. Maybe I should and I can't because I worked on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. But truthfully, I can't.

I'm curious as to what general differences you folks tend to hear who CAN hear the difference between a ripped SCDG and a cdg ripped at say 192 or higher.

It's quite possible you lost some of your high frequency hearing. The problem with the lower rips is more in the upper frequencies, it starts to sound like all those frequencies are kind of like under water or off sound artifacts - especially in cymbal hits, high hat hits, etc. The lower & mid frequencies are affected but not as noticeably as in the higher end.

I prefer a higher rip not so much because of customer complaints - it's a matter I have to listen to the music every night, I at least want the music to sound the best it can in it's compressed format.

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Thanks for your answer Lonnie. I only hear up to about 12khz these days do that could be it. Age takes its toll as well...