Creating lyrics (cdg file)

[joakkis]

Hi, and thanks for a great OsX app!

I've downloaded lots of "instrumentals" (hiphop tracks minus vocals) from the web, and want to convert them to real karaoke files by adding the lyrics (cdg) file. What is the most convenient way of doing this on the Mac?

Hope you can help!

- Joakkis

[dave]

Sort answer: you can't

Long answer: well, the *most* convenient way is to get a new MacBook (intel CPU) and get one of the many fine windows emulators (which can now run at full speed), (eg: parallels) then boot into windows, and then use one of the CDG creator programs for windows:

http://www.powerkaraoke.com/
http://www.mtu.com/basics/karaoke-home-producer.htm
http://www.karaokebuilder.com/

there are a couple more too if you look around.

Depending on the success of kJams, you can look forward to "kJams Producer", which will utterly rock, you can be sure, but that is years away yet.

[joakkis]

Well, thanks! I guess I could do this on a windows machine.

However, isn't the cdg file essentially some binary formatted file, containing time-stamped phrases? Much like subtitle files for Divx movies you download from the web? No way to hack this using some text-to-binary conversion tool?


- Joakim

[dave]

"isn't the cdg file essentially some binary formatted file, containing time-stamped phrases?"

No, it contains tiled-bitmaps, there is no text in a CD+G file.

The "text to binary conversion tool" would be quite a hack indeed, if someone does it, they'll make some money. Actually I plan to one day when I finish kJams.

If you'd be interested in writing this little "hack", however, the info you need to get started is here:
http://jbum.com/cdg_revealed.html

[joakkis]

I'd like to help you out on this project, if you'd be interested
Let me know, and I'll mail you my contact info.

- Joakim