Karaoke Forums

1) File > Preferences > Display tab > turn down Background brightness.

2) you can change the preset backgrounds by simply right-clicking on the song > properties > preset and background tab

3) goto C: > programdata > recisio > karafun2 > presets and remove the ones you don't want or add your own.

Those were the best solutions I could come up with too. If they would allow complete disabling of that and just be able to run graphics off an existing library, the player itself is pretty good.

You can with option 3. Just delete all the preset files and leave folder blank. Then all songs play using their own graphics.

Keep in mind whatever you add for custom preset in that folder will be used for all songs.

Using option 2 allows you to browse and add your own background or each individual song.

I still use Compuhost V2.0

I count on it crashing once. So I open it. Turn it off. Open it again. It runs smooth the rest of the night.

I use Karma 2014.09.01 and have not had one crash since January of 2012 (when Bob went with a less CPU taxing video driver). Once an evening is not a big deal but it is something that would drive me nuts until I fixed it.

I am in the same boat as the original author. Just Karaoke 2.0 was pretty good, but it did freeze a little too much on me. Just really couldn't understand Hoster 2.0. Karma seems to run pretty smooth, but won't play a mpg file I made. What about Karaoki. Seems to update on a consistent basis. Plays my mpg. Anyone have issues with it, especially freezing. That's probably my one main issue.

Also, does Karma allow tempo changing without the key being changed like karaoki?

Appreciative in advance.

Jeremy

I've tried the trial versions of several (OK, a few) programs, and even purchased JK-2.. but I found them all unacceptable for one reason or another. I'm not really a luddite, but rather a person who tends to follow the "Keep It Simple Stupid" (KISS) principle. And so I keep going back to good old Winamp with the CDG and Pacemaker plug-ins.

It has served me well for over a decade, and has never crashed that I can recall. I know it is no longer supported by MS, but I really don't care. By the way, I also follow the school of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", and for my purposes Winamp ain't broke.

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Earl
(BS, PHD & Certified CurmuDJeon)

[font=Times New Roman]"Growing Old may be mandatory... but growing UP is still optional."[/font]

I just switched to Siglos from CompuHost and found it very easy to use from the start. I had to ask one question before I bought it from a friend who uses it and after he confirmed that it does do what I wanted I was sold especially over the fact that I have the optionsto skip, delete or put in a request for a singer who hadn't put in a request for an empty que. If you liked how Justkaraoke handled the rotation or was just used to it, Siglos does it the same way. The only real difference is how you put in the request but even that is very easy to learn. I use Super Remote Request Tool and enter the requests from the server part of it. I wish that I could just drag and drop the songs but Siglos won't accept it. Had the same problem with CompuHost so I wouldn't have had to purchase their kiosk add on.

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

I believe that is also changible in the settings but if you are like me and have multiple naming conventions then KaraFun is not for you. Their naming setting is global on the entire database. Plus there's no rotation feature to it, just a playlist. Siglos has the choice of either.

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

C'mon, Danny. Are you serious?? CompuHost is the most comprehensive, feature filled and easiest program out there. Yes, easiest! The others are so convoluted and unnecessarily confusing. I've had 9 year old girls able to run CompuHost after watching me use it for less than an hour. That's right. Without any prior experience, they can add their name to the rotation, search for a song and add it to the queue.

You've just downgraded from a Cadillac to a Chevy.

Not singling you out, Danny but I'm amazed that some of you think it's so hard to use, especially if a 9 year old can grasp it in less than an hour.

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

oh come on now, my 7 year old runs a party for his friends on siglos, siglos is not difficult.
want to add a singer, click "add singer"
want to add a song, click "add song"
want to start the song, click "start"
what is convoluted there?

and for feature filled, what can Compuhost can do that Siglos cant?

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

Why don't you download CompuHost V3 and see for yourself? Personally, I've tried Siglos and wasn't impressed. To each his own, I guess.

All I'm saying is, Danny went from the standard by which all others are measured. If he did so because he found CompuHost difficult, staggers my mind. What is so difficult about:

1. Enter singer's name.
2. Enter song.
3. Hit Go.

Three simple steps and you're in business. Of course, that's just the basics and the program can be as advanced as you want it to be. It can even run itself with you sitting in the audience. Anyway, I'm not going to go on and get into another war about which is the best hosting program. Everyone has their preference. But when I hear someone say it's difficult to use, I have to step up to the plate and question their mentality, because it's far from difficult.

I've been doing this for 20 years. And in that time, I've tried just about every hosting program including Karma, Siglos, Hoster, Sax & Dottys, Just Karaoke, etc., etc.. and find that nothing comes close to CompuHost.

Anyway, like I said, everyone likes what they like. I just want to know what's so hard about using CompuHost? Seriously, if you think it's that hard, then maybe you shouldn't be driving a car.

*Note to self: I guess here's some more "likes" I won't be getting.*

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

Gee what took you so long to get the gist of Compuhost. It took me five minutes without having to go to the manual to figure out Siglos. Guess CompuHost isn't as easy to learn as Siglos. CompuHost sucks for the person who doesn't get their request in before it's time to call them up if you have the inactivate the singer when they have no song in que. They would have to wait until their turn comes around in the next rotation because missing a turn because you forgot to put a song in is not one of my reasons to skip a singer or to move a singer in the rotation. Siglos pops up a box asking if you want to either skip, delete or put in a request for them to sing. Much more singer friendly. The only thing that it doesn't have that CompuHost does and they aren't deal breakers for me is the ability to take requests from a kiosk computer or from a cell phone app. Saves me $99 a year for the app. I only have to rebuy Siglos every two years just to maintain revised versions of the software but unless I need to add the kiosk or phone app capability, I am happy with the version I have now. Oh and instead of a color code to tell me that the song is almost over they actually give you the time left in the song. So no, CompuHost is not better than Siglos when it comes to ease of use, time it takes to learn it. The only feature that I haven't tested is the filler player but I haven't needed it because I am straight karaoke, no DJ music whatsoever. In fact I think that I may just go back to the old way of doing it and sing when I have no singers instead of just sitting around playing music. Oh and as to adding singers and songs to the rotation, in CompuHost you have to add the singer by popping up the add singer box. Then once you close it you can add their songs. In Siglos, you hit add singer/song and add the singer and their first song without having to open two boxes to do it. Justkaraoke was just as easy to use and learn as Siglos. And just so you know, I don't consider Cadillac that great a car even though Cadillacs and Chevy are part of the same parent company. But then again I would personally prefer a Chevy Corvette over any Cadillac any day. Oh and it took my roommate the same 5 minutes to learn Siglos and Justkaraoke and she is normally a slower learner than I am. I will quantify that when it comes to software programs, I am a very fast learner. I can have a handle on the program in a matter of minutes without going to the help files or forums for support usually. CompuHost is a program that I had to go to the manual to figure out how some of its features worked. I won't miss KJ MEDIA Pro because I prefer only having to spend only the money necessary to get the songs my singers request and not have to spend $50 for songs that I might not need right away. I would rather pop $2.99 or $1.99 depending on which vendor I am using. I can still get the Digitrax songs as downloads if I really want to.

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

Have no clue what you're talking about.

Again, misinformation by the uninformed. When a singer's performance has ended, you are given a choice of "Stay", "Rotate", or "Delete". As far as singers who have sang but haven't put in another song request, you would either have to delete them or make them inactive. You're always going to have a singer miss a turn. Whether they're in the bathroom or outside smoking. YOU are going to have to change that. And it has nothing to do with what software program you're using. You either skip them, flip-flop them, or get them up again when they come back. Again, that is something that YOU control, not the program. But CompuHost gives you the option to automatically delete singers who haven't turned in song requests.

Again, misinformation. Why don't you fact check before making these false statements? If you purchase the Karaoke Kiosk option for $99 (NOT PER YEAR, BUT FOREVER), singers can use either the remote Kiosk and/or their Smart Phones to turn in their song requests. I use it and love it. This is NOT a third party subscription based option. You buy the add on, you own it! It's all run through your own network that you create. But I know that this may be over your head since you tend to make simple, straight forward things so complicated.

That's your problem.

OMG! Seriously?? Personally, I would rather have the color code. Less distracting and doesn't put any unnecessary pressure on the singers. Personally, I have it turned off.

OK, let's change Cadillac to a Rolls Royce.

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

You have to either pay 14.95 a month or 99 a year for the phone app which actually is better than what the kiosk add on offers. I have never been able to make the kiosk work on a smartphone. So to have smartphone capability I would have to continually pay for their service. I would rather use Tricerasoft's Super Remote Request Tool than have to pay for the phone app. I don't want to have to click rotate, stay on singer for every singer, just those who don't have a song in. I would rather use the features that make my work simpler than make it harder than it has to be. I also prefer knowing exactly how much time I have to be in the audience assisting a singer with a song request or maybe convincing a shy singer to sing.

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

been using siglos for several yrs now and really like it

DannyG, you CAN use kiosk and smartphone app, i use Songbookdb with it. it does not add directly to the rotation, but that is something the host should do anyway (Mike puts in a song...not the Mike already there, but a different one, Angel misses a key and sends the request as angl...i can put it where it belongs, etc).
i don't DJ either, but for the 10 seconds when the singer gets theri applause and the next one comes up while i talk with the audience, there is no dead air...kinda like they do with radio and TV. it auto fades in and out with it's own volume setting so no big deal.

Alan, i think you misunder4stood what he meant with a singer who has no songs.
Dave forgets to put in a song, so on his turn it shows a popup to either add a song, skip and keep in the rotation, or skip and remove. it can also be set to do any of those automatically. not when a singer is done with their song (i would not delete them from there because they can put in another song before their next time up) the singers without a song request can be handled automatically, if they are in the bathroom WITHOUT a song, it just skips over them, if they are in the bathroom WITH a song, then yeah, i have to change that and i think you agree it should be that way.
and the timer on screen, it is ALSO color coded and it is customizable, show just color code, show just time, show both, show neither, what colors do you want to show (i use black for over 1:15 so it does not distract, then a light yellow under 1:15 minute and red for under 0:40... i like a bit more time to get back to the board). i'm not sure abut Compuhost, can you turn off the color code without turning off the scrolling message? i never checked that myself so it's a legit question.
and don't think i'm dogging Compuhost, i'm not, it's good software. i'm just responding to your claim it does more and better and wanting to see what you had to say it did that Siglos did not do when it costs literally double (Siglos is $99 for 2 licenses, Compuhost is $300 for two licenses like for a second computer )

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

I plan on using Super Remote Request Tool for my kiosk. I choose not to use Songbookdb for the simple reason that it cost money to continually use it while I only had to pay one time for Super Remote Request Tool. No monthly fee.
Thanks for the info on how many licenses you get for the cost of the software. I think that might sway a friend who is contemplating changing from KaraFun to something more reliable. They have had KaraFun lock their computer up several times.

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

Right now, CompuHost is $149. That includes 2 licenses. It's always been this way. To clarify though, you can have CompuHost on 2 computers but you can't use them at the same time. So, while you're given 2 licenses, one would be used on your back-up computer.
You can however purchase an additional license allowing you to simultaneously use CompuHost on two computers for $50 less than the regular price. So, for example; for $250 (based on current selling price) you would have 2 licenses that can be used simultaneously and 2 back up licenses.

As far as the program itself, go to their website and Click on "feature set" to see all that it can do but the best would be to just download the demo and check it out for yourself. There is no time limit. Keep the demo as long as you like. Learn it, love it.

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

Sorry but except for the kiosk or phone app that sends the request into the player itself and KJMedia Pro or the cloud Siglos has every feature that CompuHost has and still costs less than CompuHost. Even if Siglos forced you to purchase a license per computer in use, it would still be cheaper than CompuHost. With the ability to tell me when their turn comes up that they have no song in, I don't have to rush around doing all the other stuff that I do without having to remember to ask for a song in enough time to enter it in before the rotation passes their turn.

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