Stumbled on this program: Digital Karaoke Search System.
Can be found at http://www.digitalsearchsystems.yolasite.com/
has a youtube video demonstarting the product and is on sale til july 15 for $49.99.
Makes finding a song that much easier and also allows them to see what they have already sung before so that if they are a creature of habit, They don't have to bug you to find out what they have sung before.
It is an addon to Compuhost only so only Compuhost users can get any benefit out of it.
New program might make books obsolete for Compuhost users
First I don't use Compuhost. But that doesn't matter.
I run a professional one man show. Having 20-30 singers or more coming up to "ask" me to look up a song is not going to happen.
You are talking about more than 60 searches per show on top of the other work I have to do. I think it's pretty stupid unless you have a staff of dedicated employees using seperate computers to do the searches. (60 searches just to complete the night let alone doing many more multiple searches per person until they find a song they finally want to sing.)
Most average singers only sing the same 5 songs every night anyway. I can remember everyones songs because of that reason.
Having song books will never go out of style. Song books serve several real good purposes.
First, they advertise my business on the cover and every place I play on my calender on the back.
Second, a nice big song book looks impressive.
Third, people can look up their own songs leaving me alone to run my show. Mixing and other more important things.
Forth, every singer already knows the 5 songs they sing every night for the last 10 years.
Fifth, the song book can be a memory jogger for new songs for them to sing...LOL yeah right...
It could happen.... 
Sixth, $50 to do that is a waste of money.
Seventh, it is NOT going to save you any time.
Eighth, It will add a ton of work to your already busy night.
Ninth, I don't want my table and the surrounding area clogged up with 20-30 people all night long. In my way, interrupting my work.
Tenth, you will look cheap because you can't afford to print a song book.
Now can anyone come up with "one" good reason to eliminate song books and add a really big headache to your night?
I run a professional one man show. Having 20-30 singers or more coming up to "ask" me to look up a song is not going to happen.
You are talking about more than 60 searches per show on top of the other work I have to do. I think it's pretty stupid unless you have a staff of dedicated employees using seperate computers to do the searches. (60 searches just to complete the night let alone doing many more multiple searches per person until they find a song they finally want to sing.)
Most average singers only sing the same 5 songs every night anyway. I can remember everyones songs because of that reason.
Having song books will never go out of style. Song books serve several real good purposes.
First, they advertise my business on the cover and every place I play on my calender on the back.
Second, a nice big song book looks impressive.
Third, people can look up their own songs leaving me alone to run my show. Mixing and other more important things.
Forth, every singer already knows the 5 songs they sing every night for the last 10 years.
Fifth, the song book can be a memory jogger for new songs for them to sing...LOL yeah right...
It could happen.... Sixth, $50 to do that is a waste of money.
Seventh, it is NOT going to save you any time.
Eighth, It will add a ton of work to your already busy night.
Ninth, I don't want my table and the surrounding area clogged up with 20-30 people all night long. In my way, interrupting my work.
Tenth, you will look cheap because you can't afford to print a song book.
Now can anyone come up with "one" good reason to eliminate song books and add a really big headache to your night?
.
Compuhost supposably is working on it's own to allow the singers to enter their own songs into the que. I don't think I want to go that far because the way Compuhost drops names by default is to drop it at the bottom of the list. What happens if the start of the rotation is halfway up? I'll tell you, the new singer will see the present singer sing twice before they even get up. Not the way I run my shows. It has been suggested to change that default to locating the first singer of the night and automatically placing the new singer before that spot. Once they get that they can institute the remote terminal that they want to get going.
Maybe they'll assume the opposite considering you spent the money to get a computer which costs more than a book anyway.Tenth, you will look cheap because you can't afford to print a song book
Compuhost supposably is working on it's own to allow the singers to enter their own songs into the que. I don't think I want to go that far because the way Compuhost drops names by default is to drop it at the bottom of the list. What happens if the start of the rotation is halfway up? I'll tell you, the new singer will see the present singer sing twice before they even get up. Not the way I run my shows. It has been suggested to change that default to locating the first singer of the night and automatically placing the new singer before that spot. Once they get that they can institute the remote terminal that they want to get going.
I think this could be a good idea if there were several locations where people could do this. I can't see just one working very well. You could end up with quite a line. Some folks enjoy taking a book back to the table and thumbing through it. I could see this done perhaps in conjunction with books.
A place I used to frequent does this. She has only one laptop for folks to use and no books. Her reason is because she believes she has just about any song a person may want to do; all you have to do is write it down and give it to her.
Of course, in this case I happen to know she is running "illegal" songs. Last count she had about 150k. That was several years ago so I don't know if she has updated or not.
I especially wouldn't want something that dumped them in the rotation. I like having complete control of my rotation.
The other problem I see is if they signed up to do a song that someone else has already signed up for.
It sounds as though this system is taking the KJ out of the mix.
A place I used to frequent does this. She has only one laptop for folks to use and no books. Her reason is because she believes she has just about any song a person may want to do; all you have to do is write it down and give it to her.
Of course, in this case I happen to know she is running "illegal" songs. Last count she had about 150k. That was several years ago so I don't know if she has updated or not.
I especially wouldn't want something that dumped them in the rotation. I like having complete control of my rotation.
The other problem I see is if they signed up to do a song that someone else has already signed up for.
It sounds as though this system is taking the KJ out of the mix.
Sabrina the Cat
The idiots can't take care of a song book without getting it soaking wet from their drinks. And you think I'm going to let them have multiple computers to screw up????
An idiot thought up that program. Not a real working KJ.
I'll continue to run my show, thank you.
I can see them deliberately dumping drinks on the keyboard.
I can see them deliberately trying to CRASH the computer.
No computer and no songs books sounds like a perfect night.
An idiot thought up that program. Not a real working KJ.
I'll continue to run my show, thank you.
I can see them deliberately dumping drinks on the keyboard.
I can see them deliberately trying to CRASH the computer. No computer and no songs books sounds like a perfect night.
If I EVER get a bar gig again, I might stick with books but for the gigs I am doing now and they are mostly DJ only so I guess you can't call me a karaoke host anymore although I still do a monthly gig that alternates between karaoke and DJ only. When it is Karaoke it is pure Karaoke. My first experience with a Kiosk setup wasn't altogether successful but I believe it's because it's new. I might even pack up the books so that they only have that one choice or announce that if they want to find the new stuff they have to use the kiosk as that is the only list that is complete and updated. The books are only suggestions only and don't represent what I really have. Yes I have every songin the books but my latest additions are not in the books but in my song kiosk.
I want to address the last comment as that is another reason I don't care for kiosks that send info to the host's computer. The DIgital Search System isn't such an animal. You still have to write down or walk over and tell the host what you want to sing keeping the KJ in the loop. It gives the host the ability to tell the person submitting the song that it is already in que for another singer. Have had it happen before at a bar gig. Never in a private party. The search system once my singers have gotten use to using it should keep some of the questions from happening. Oh yeah I expect the "when am I up" questionbut even that is few and far between at my present monthly show.Sabrina59 wrote:I think this could be a good idea if there were several locations where people could do this. I can't see just one working very well. You could end up with quite a line. Some folks enjoy taking a book back to the table and thumbing through it. I could see this done perhaps in conjunction with books.
A place I used to frequent does this. She has only one laptop for folks to use and no books. Her reason is because she believes she has just about any song a person may want to do; all you have to do is write it down and give it to her.
Of course, in this case I happen to know she is running "illegal" songs. Last count she had about 150k. That was several years ago so I don't know if she has updated or not.
I especially wouldn't want something that dumped them in the rotation. I like having complete control of my rotation.
The other problem I see is if they signed up to do a song that someone else has already signed up for.
It sounds as though this system is taking the KJ out of the mix.
Since this program doesn't take the KJ out of the loop, I can see it used very well in conjunction with books. You would at least want your books available in case the kiosk went down. If you have them available anyway, why not put them out?
This would please those of us who like to "thumb through" the books, and the older crowd that may not be comfortable with those "dad-blamed computers".
Those who want to look up a song or two would probably enjoy being able to do so quickly with your kiosk. And we all have the people that seem to be too lazy to look a song up in the book. It would be great for those folks; once you had them "trained" to use it instead of asking you.
It might work out well ... keep us posted, please, on your experiences with it.
This would please those of us who like to "thumb through" the books, and the older crowd that may not be comfortable with those "dad-blamed computers".
Those who want to look up a song or two would probably enjoy being able to do so quickly with your kiosk. And we all have the people that seem to be too lazy to look a song up in the book. It would be great for those folks; once you had them "trained" to use it instead of asking you.
It might work out well ... keep us posted, please, on your experiences with it.
Sabrina the Cat
You pretty much hit the nail on the head there. People like to sit at their table and browse through the song books. Many of them would not even consider using a kiosk.Sabrina59 wrote:Since this program doesn't take the KJ out of the loop, I can see it used very well in conjunction with books. You would at least want your books available in case the kiosk went down. If you have them available anyway, why not put them out?
This would please those of us who like to "thumb through" the books, and the older crowd that may not be comfortable with those "dad-blamed computers".
I put out (10) 9 books (1 disappeared a few months ago.) Would anyone want to "steal" a computer? Remember someone ran off with a KJs speaker...
People are always coming up asking if I have anymore song books.
How many kiosks would be enough. 5-10-15....way too expensive. Way too much set up. Most KJs haul their stuff in the back seat of a small car. You would need a bigger vehicle to haul your kiosks than you use to haul your system.
Do you want to wait in a long store line? Do you want to wait in a long drink line? Nobody is going to stand in line to look up songs. Singers will leave that show for one with more books.
KJs complain about the money they have to spend on song books and they are going to buy kiosks?
Here we go with the ...how cheaply can I eliminate all my song books with one cheap kiosk? Eliminating 10 song books will take 10 kiosks.
It may look state-of-the-art, but nobody will be able to find their songs before the night is over. If I thought it was a great state-of-the-art business building idea...I'd have 10. That will never happen. I'd be worried all night long about something happening to the kiosk/s. Remember all the damage to your song books? I see it as a great state-of-the-art waste of money. Spend the money upgrading your sound system....
People are always coming up asking if I have anymore song books.
How many kiosks would be enough. 5-10-15....way too expensive. Way too much set up. Most KJs haul their stuff in the back seat of a small car. You would need a bigger vehicle to haul your kiosks than you use to haul your system.
Do you want to wait in a long store line? Do you want to wait in a long drink line? Nobody is going to stand in line to look up songs. Singers will leave that show for one with more books.
KJs complain about the money they have to spend on song books and they are going to buy kiosks?
Here we go with the ...how cheaply can I eliminate all my song books with one cheap kiosk? Eliminating 10 song books will take 10 kiosks.
It may look state-of-the-art, but nobody will be able to find their songs before the night is over. If I thought it was a great state-of-the-art business building idea...I'd have 10. That will never happen. I'd be worried all night long about something happening to the kiosk/s. Remember all the damage to your song books? I see it as a great state-of-the-art waste of money. Spend the money upgrading your sound system....
I am beginning to wonder if the reason they chose to wait for the books was the font of the freebie viewer that comes with Fast Tracks was small. I got the new program yesterday and the font is big enough to see from several feet away. the other thing is that it can't be accidently turned off because you need a passcode to shut it down. Right now I am not worried about drinks or drunks cause I don't work in bars anymore.
Basically dumb owners who wanted to control how I ran my show when my way brought in more customers. Having to come up with a way to know who they did not want to sing. The last bar I did I inherated from another KJ. I also inherated his rate which is about what I am willing to take for using someone else's system and library.
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searcherone
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 11:39 am
Remote singer signup
I use MTU Hoster and a FREE remote sign up program. I still still put out books so singers can browse, but they sign up on the other computer, The font in large and easy to read. The artist and title field do automatic dynamic searches and it tells them about how long the wait is. I have a manager screen from which I move the songs into Hoster so I am in control. All songs show up with the Hoster BookID and actually use a copy of hoster's song database. If a singer select a title already in the list, the screen asks them to pick another song. Toward the end of the warnings pop up that we're running out of time and I can quit accepting new song from my PC by forcing a maeesge on the other screen. so far I've used this on my regular gig with 40 singers or more a night and it's a LOT less work than trying to read someone poor writing. I run the program on one of my old PCs and network back to my Hoster unit. I have slips available in case of a failure but so far I haven't needed them. I have more time to help people that need help instead of them demanding I look up their song for them.
just thought you might enjoy a screenshot of the program.DanG2006 wrote:I am beginning to wonder if the reason they chose to wait for the books was the font of the freebie viewer that comes with Fast Tracks was small. I got the new program yesterday and the font is big enough to see from several feet away. the other thing is that it can't be accidently turned off because you need a passcode to shut it down. Right now I am not worried about drinks or drunks cause I don't work in bars anymore.
www.freewebs.com/dannygkaraoke/apps/photos/
