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Discuss/Compare DJ/Karaoke Hosting Programs

H

Harryoke

New DJ
I am ready to build another computer KJ rig. Laptop prices have dropped, quality is up so I am shopping for a new laptop....ready to buy as soon as I find one.

Once I buy it, my first purchase will be a hosting program. I am trying to decide what one will be best FOR ME.

Keeping that in mind, here are my needs/wants.

I will use my laptop for hosting karaoke shows and some DJing. Ideally I would like one program to handle both chores. Crossfading would be a need, and beat matching would be great!

Rotation programs would not be necessary, but if available and easy to use would be appreciated (I dont work in many places where I tie into the venue TVs so the graphic/rotation display functions would be lost on me at this time, but could work down the road).

I am looking for ease of use, simplicity of interface and something that is not a resource hog. Would prefer getting from a company with a history of positive customer support.

I only have a history with one program that I am looking to replace as it is not fitting in to what I am needing.

The options at the top of my head seem to be Roxbox, Sax and Dotties and Compuhost. These are programs some folks I know are using with no complaint.

Just wanted to throw it out here for discussion...AND if anyone has any suggestions for laptops I am all ears as well. Looking to buy from a big box store...since I have an Office Depot a block from my house, that is the easiest...prefer NOT to buy the computer via shipping, would rather walk in to a brick and mortar store to pick it up and potentially return it. Circuit City and Best Buy are a comfortable distance as are most office supply chains.

THANKS IN ADVANCE for your help and opinions/comments.

(It may seem like a tired topic, but things appear to have continuously change and I dont want to miss a trend for working with old info.)
 
I have found it best to use multiple programs.

I use PCKJ for my karaoke hosting.

Winamp for my filler music inbetween singers.

Virtual DJ for my DJ and VJ needs.

There is no real problem running more than one software for me as I have not found anything I like.
 
DJ and KJ software in one is a misnomer. The two have completely seperate goals. With that being said...

I've been using Numark Virtual Vinyl for my background beats, autOKdj for my karaoke. autOKdj is one of the few that has rotation, and the rotation rules are completely customizable to your liking.
 
Virtual DJ will do everything you're looking for. The only drawback as far as karaoke is concerned is no built in rotation.
 
I have never found any DJ software that does karaoke well.... there are many that try and do play karaoke but none have a decent rotation much less do they even list the singers in their respective playlists.... PCDJ is the only program with a karaoke plug in that at least makes an attempt at putting the singers name in a form of rotation order but does nothing as far as multiple song entries or any sort of automatic rotations....

AutOKdj seems to have the best rotation handling compaired to any, and I mean any software out there at any price point. However, where it excels at karaoke it fails sharply with straight DJ'n.

So, like toqer I employ a different program for DJ'n duties... I use Ots DJ.
 
RoxBox/KJAmp and Sax & Dottie's both need WinAmp, plus the CDG/MP3+G and Pacemaker (optional) plugins, I believe. WinAmp & the MP3+G are free, but if you need them, you may as well save the money and use the autOKdj plugin, save yourself some money & donate to Toq for his work. His plugin is specifically designed for Karaoke and I can't think of another program that manages rotations in the sophisticated way his does.

I'm not familiar with Compuhost ($180), but I've used Mimic Audition 2 from Tricerasoft ($180), tested MTU's Hoster ($99/$200), tried S&D ($45), CAVS PlayCDG KJ ($70) and KJAmp ($100), and looked at ActiveASP's Karaoke-Go-Round ($300).

At those prices, I've stuck with WinAmp (free, even for professional use, or $20 for the Pro version) and its karaoke plugins: CDG (free, donationware), CDG Disk ($25) and Pacemaker ($12 or $15, I forgot). (I tried Sax & Dottie's free Karaoke Zip Manager, but it locked my system up so I got rid of it.) For about $40 I have a hosting system that fits my needs.

My advice: spend the money on your DJ software. I haven't seen a professional-level DJ software solution for less than $200.
 
Kayleigh is absolutely right.... there's nothing to lose trying AutOK first.... but I can tell you from experience that the others are just high dollar fluff with none of the intelligence that is AutOKdj... just read the forums for it... at www.autokdj.com there I have laid out a few topics for newbies to advanced users as far as setup and using it in what most consider the normal way... then there is the Toqer way which works well for some... me included. Add to it their new FE singer Kiosk and you've got quite a combo. Best of all it's free.... for now.

I imagine once they or someone else notices what a money maker they've really got it wont be free for long.
 
As most of you know, I'm disc based for any normal show. However, I do use the laptop for tiny venues ( read "house parties" ). The only tolerably decent software that I've found for mixing DJ and KJ ( not really possible so far, but...) is PCDJ/KJ. Since I'm used to running karaoke rotation by hand, everything else works out. Again, I won't use this for an outside venue, but it works better than anything else that I've tried, and it's ease of use is a major plus...
 
Joe,

That's great and it works for you... but if you truely want to go PC then PCDJ with the KJ plug in is really a novices software in terms of rotation control and other factors that a KJ has to deal with at every show... I'm not knocking your methods as they do work for you just fine. I too made the mistake of buying PCDJ and the KJ plugin... for me it was a waste of money.

Not only does AutOKdj handle rotations but it also can tell you how much room you have for new singers and or repeat singers... It can also answer the annoying questions like "When do I get to sing... and how long before I get to?" No other program does this... and did I mention it's FREE? If not BTW AutOKdj is FREE....

Its also easy to use... maybe easier than most.
 
i owned pcdjfx karaoke plug in...never used it.
i bought otsdj karaoke plug in...have not used it

we don't do much karaoke...but when i do, i've used sax and dottie...it's been great...i own 3 licenses....

if I need another karaoke program...i probably would try autokj first.
 
jfactor1 said:
Virtual DJ will do everything you're looking for. The only drawback as far as karaoke is concerned is no built in rotation.
Click to expand...

[hijack]

Sorry, pet peeve here. You should not depend on your hosting program to run your rotation for you.

Paper slips and a table are still good enough for me. I order the rotation on the table and edit as I go.


[/hijack]
 
GoodKnightDJ said:
[hijack]

Sorry, pet peeve here. You should not depend on your hosting program to run your rotation for you.

Paper slips and a table are still good enough for me. I order the rotation on the table and edit as I go.


[/hijack]
Click to expand...

Hmmmm.... to each their own I guess.... I just can't see why anyone would want to do more work at the computer then necessary over getting out in the crowd....

If a program handles rotation well, why not let it do the work for you? It can... and I can prove it does it well. Once you see it in action I'm sure that most here that oppose full automation will change their views 180 degrees... and even if you don't go full auto and just use it for rotation handling that is well worth it in of itself.

Plus with song stacking singers can have multiple songs enqued up much like stacking their written song slips on a table... no need to open anyother programs to maintain and control a rotation....

I've got AutOK tweeked to the point that it behaves fairly and completely as if a KJ were doing it...

R1 - First come first serve
R2 - New singer preference placed third after current singer then dropped into later rotations behind the last singer from the previous round in R3
R3 - Repeats R2 in behavior giving new singers priority and dropping behind the offical last singer of the previous round.

You just can't get any fairer than that.... Now Duet requests still require KJ interference but other than that... what could be easier?

Sorry for the Hijack
 
GoodKnightDJ said:
[hijack]

Sorry, pet peeve here. You should not depend on your hosting program to run your rotation for you.
Click to expand...
HAHAHA I bet you still use slide rules instead of spreadsheets. Nothing wrong with tech assisting you in your work.
GoodKnightDJ said:
Paper slips and a table are still good enough for me. I order the rotation on the table and edit as I go.
[/hijack]
Click to expand...
Yah, I can really see you handling a 30+ man rotation well. While you edit as you go i've got my entire night planned out when we sellout at 11:30.


If this link doesn't work just take out the #2m:15s at the end of it, load the link and just >>FF to 2 minutes and 15 seconds.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4662456470226054787&hl=en#2m:15s

You should use paper as backup though, I won't argue that. Before we had crash recovery systems in autokdj paper backup saved my ass a few times.
 
jokerswild said:
Joe,

That's great and it works for you... but if you truely want to go PC then PCDJ with the KJ plug in is really a novices software in terms of rotation control and other factors that a KJ has to deal with at every show... I'm not knocking your methods as they do work for you just fine. I too made the mistake of buying PCDJ and the KJ plugin... for me it was a waste of money.

Not only does AutOKdj handle rotations but it also can tell you how much room you have for new singers and or repeat singers... It can also answer the annoying questions like "When do I get to sing... and how long before I get to?" No other program does this... and did I mention it's FREE? If not BTW AutOKdj is FREE....

Its also easy to use... maybe easier than most.
Click to expand...


Lke I said, I'm disc based. The laptop is only for tiny venues, I do rotation by hand, singers know when they're up 'cause they know who came before them, and PCKJ is fine for the other stuff . I will never go full time PC unless discs disappear, as it's too time consuming among other things, so I probably have a little time yet.....:sqcool:
 
toqer said:
HAHAHA I bet you still use slide rules instead of spreadsheets. Nothing wrong with tech assisting you in your work.

Yah, I can really see you handling a 30+ man rotation well. While you edit as you go i've got my entire night planned out when we sellout at 11:30.
Click to expand...



30+ rotation handled EASILY and well. Been doing it for years. As for "editing"- you're talking about moving or removing slips. No time taken.

One other thing T: The "bribe" concept that changes your rotation so often is only prevalent and acceptable in asian bars such as yours, and not elsewhere. Thus, a standard rotation is a much more stable thing.

Toq, I originally posted because I LIKE PCDJ/KJ for the small PC based shows that I occasionally do.

That being said, I seem to have gotten sucked into the PC vs Disc thing again, dammit. Toquer's right. I guess I better stay outta this thread. :sqembarrassed:
 
JoeChartreuse said:
That being said, I seem to have gotten sucked into the PC vs Disc thing again, dammit. Toquer's right. I guess I better stay outta this thread. :sqembarrassed:
Click to expand...

Nah, your input is just as valuable as the next guy... whether we agree or not is irrelavant.

I do enjoy our discussions.

As far as PCDJ/KJ I've used that and it lacks a few very important features for a succesful rotation. .... an actual rotation... hehehe the kj plug in mearly makes a list of singers and the current songs they will sing but you have to manually go and put in the singers next song other wise they will simply sing the same song all night long... and if you have to do all that work I'd agree what is the sense of using a pc when you can do it just as easily off disc and paper slips...

If you join the discussions on the autokdj forum you'll note that I have made a post on how to make AutOKdj behave in the most recognizably American way as regard to rotation handleing. http://www.autokdj.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=743

That being said, for those that are looking to go PC based I'd recomend trying as many different programs as you can many have demos... That is what I did and also why I finally settled on AutOKdj... not because it was free but because it did exactly what I was looking for in a karaoke program.
 
Personally, I don't think there is any computer based karaoke software that does everything I would like, but the closest thing so far out of everything I have tried is Swift Elite 4. Pretty pricy for the average person, but it does do video, karaoke, dj, lighting and remote request/ enqueing..


Now if they had AutoOK's rotation and kiosk type features, they would absolutely dominate the entire market..

just my two cents

-James
 
toqer said:
Don't give them any ideas JC :p
Click to expand...

*LOL* I don't think you have anything to worry about Toq the average executive for various karaoke doesn't seem to think the same way that you do. Not yet anyway..

Off topic:when did you become 'the satan of karaoke" I abolutely love it! It suits you so well! ;)
 
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