Hi all
i want to set up a pc karaoke system. need advice on the best way to go about it
thanks
rattlersnr

Well!, where do i start !.
Firstly you will need to have a hard drive full of Karaoke, or several if you really want to go too town !! !!.
I suggest MP3+G Format, i personally use some external caddies to run the karaoke from running from a USB 2.0 port (ViPower Caddies).
I have run my show for over 2 years by computer and i believe that i have just about got it right now, and ironed out the wrinkles !!.
I am now using PCDJ FX KJ, which is a brand new program , i am currently awaiting the required pluggin from Visiosonic to run my show, this particuliar software is new to me.
But i have used PCDJ as a fill in of mp3s between singers to cut out the silent spots !!
(This program is not cheap tho, at $300 total ) but it IS going to be the future of PC Karaoke, of that i am sure !!
believe me !
i would suggest a GFORCE MX440 graphics card with TV OUT in the system and a good quality sound card (SOUNDBLASTER LIVE!) i also run my main drives in my Karaoke server on a mirror array on the raid bus . this is so i
have a backup all the time of my karaoke tracks, the external drives are for adding to what i already have in the machine, but i can if i require, run my show from a good spec Laptop I have in an emergency on the night should i require to.
You can use Winamp with the MP3+G pluggin if you want a cheaper option and use the PACEMAKER pitch /speed controller pluggin aswell.
apart from that it is all down to personal preference to what spec machine you use.
I am a firm believer in a GOOD quality M/B and a fast chip (I use the AMD 2500+ BARTON ) and 512 MB of 333 hz RAM, My M/B is a MSI NVIDIA CHIPSET with onboard RAID CONTROLLER
i have a 16/10/40a Plextor Burner installed and a Sony DRU-500A DVD Burner.
I run XP Professional OS and it runs like a dream, it has never ever keeled over on a gig, and i have tried a variety of combinations of peripherals, but i would go for the best you can afford.
I should add that all, but the Boot hard drive are housed in Fan cooled removable caddies in the PC.
I strongly suggest having a second boot drive ,identical to the first so should you have a problem with it 2 mins and 2 connections to swop, and away you go again !!.
Hope this has been of help to you , i personnaly would go for a full pc option as against a Laptop, they really are not man enough for the rigors of the road !!, the only exception i know to that is probably the PANASONIC "TOUGHBOOK".

I have supplied many people on this Forum with Pre-Loaded Hard Drives of various sizes full of MP3+G files, to enable them to run there shows and its a lot quicker than having to spend (like i did !) many weeks on conversion to MP3+G
and i am sure all these people will all agree , ITS SO MUCH EASIER , AND QUICKER !! , THAN DISCS !!

CEEJAY

I agree with what Ceejay has said.

I run my show from a small platform PC as opposed to a laptop...for the reasons Ceejay outlined, and it gives you a cheaper upgrade path...hard drives, sound cards etc. Also, I run a total media show with a TV card. allowing me to plug in VCR, DVD, whatever. I use an external digital to analog converter to get to the TV screens. I like this better than an internal TV out port, as it has better adjustment and control.

The PC I am using is a Toshiba Equium PIII 1gig with 512 MB ram and 120 gig HD and an additional 120 MB HD external. This computer is about the size of a VCR, so it fits into a standard gig rack.

I also have a server drawer that has a 15" LCD monitor and keyboard that fits one slot in the rack. It folds up and totes in the rack when not in use.

You should have a good quality sound card! Don't run off of onboard sound cards...they are usually junk!

Processor speed is not critical for MP3+G karaoke, but if you want to run videos, VCD's, DVD's etc. you will need a PIII 500 minimum.

I am in the process of setting up a PC based DJ/KJ system. The rest of my hardware will arrive Monday. The setup I opted for was a VIA EPIA M motherboard with a 1GHz C3 Nehemiah processor. I chose this board because it had integrated video, TV-Out, LAN, 5.1 Audio, and supports dual output. It also runs exceptionally cool and is incredibly small. The $150 price tag really put the icing on the cake. For drives, I have chosen 2 80GB Maxtor 7200 RPM drives with 8MB cache, and a Plextor 52x24x52 CDRW. I had a 256MB stick of 266DDR laying around, so I will use that for now. I also picked up a cheap 14" XGA LCD monitor (from Wal-Mart of all places!). Not including Windows XP Pro, the system price tag came in at just over $500.

I am very anxious to see how it will all work, but I have just one small glitch: No Software. I have been looking around at various places, and I see Mimic Audition 2, Swift Elite, PCDJ, Winamp, CAVS, etc. but I am confused. Most demos don't give me enough functionality or leave me wondering how it will perform on my future platform. I'm guessing from your post CEEJAY that you would recommend PCDJ FX. (I must admith that I originally scratched it off my list because it wouldn't play CD+Gs that singers might bring, but if they have a plug in available I will reconsider it.) Has anyone done a good comparison of the various software packages out there?

2 laptops networked together with switchable tv outs(rca to scart),3 x 120 gig usb external hardrives full of mp3g,sound blaster extigy,winamp.play a track on one lap top while you pick the next on the other lap top.if one pc goes down you can soldier on using the other.

As far as software gopes to run a show...if you want ease of use and very cheap ...go to www.sax-n-dotty-co.uk

the guy there has a Hoster program that uses winamp and the cd+g plugin...but his software also has a very easy to use searchable database and performer screen and rotation list...for 35$

I use a desktop pc that I put in a rackmount computer case.. the best one I found that isn't to big to fit in rackmount DJ cases is @ www.evercase.com

i use pcdj fx to play regular music but might swithch to the app the guy at sax & dotty is developing it is a DJ/KJ software

I just run a 700 mhz puter w/ 512 ram and a geforce maddog videocard w/ the s video out ruinning to my tv..works like a dream...

I use to use those pull out bays..but have come to the conclusion that they really slow down the data transfer from the hard drives (At least on my small machine they do)...

another thing I do is run a little flash animation with little announcments for the bar that im working at...and runb it in the back of the karaoke screen so whenever i am between singers the ads run on the TV's

I made my own custom case for my equipment and have been thinking of doing that for anyone that wants one...

I will post pics once I get my case carpeted

I will alos have pics of my system up at my website http://proimageent.tripod.com sometime after this weekend..im taking a crap load of pictures at my show this weekend.

anyone that needs help with building a system let me know...I have put alot of research into this and know quite a few different ways to do it form CHEAP to EXPENSIVE..I went cheap cause im poor LOL

Later

I Do my shows from wincdg the play list number corraspond to the numbers in the book so all i have to do is type number in and press enter dont even need mouse.. tuck a lot of setting up weeks to get playlist to correspond to book..