Another Newb full of dumb questions!

[kwip]

Hi Dave & Co;

First off, Dave, you really do an incredible job supporting this software. Before I even looked at the actual software, I came to the forums to read up on it (I tend to like reading forums rather than documentation at first, because it gives me a better idea of what sort of support I can expect and what kind of problems I might run into). So yes, before I've even TRIED the software, I'm completely impressed by you! So... Well, kudos.

Second, I have some really dumb questions, and I apologize right off the bat for not properly researching them. Feel free to flame and scold me for being lazy, but I'm tired - I've been reading the Wiki and boards but I'll readily admit I haven't done NEARLY enough research. So I'm just posting here and being lazy, I duly confess! But hey, I do want to buy the Pro version

So here we go:
1) I'm having a hard time understanding how to purchase karaoke songs and I feel dumb! I see the KJams Music Store, but if I want to get started KJ'ing, it seems like it might be prohibitively expensive (sorry to sound like a cheapskate, but I'm looking to set this up for my VFW, and while I'm happy to pay for the software, I'm intimidated by the song costs). Is there a way to buy a bunch of "albums" of popular songs at a cheaper/bulk rate? And no, I'm not trying to bootleg - I have no trouble paying honest pay for the music; just... Not THAT much honest pay. =P
2) When you purchase songs from the Music Store, do they ALWAYS include videos w/ lyrics, or is there something like a flag I should be looking for?
3) I actually have a bunch of equipment that would work perfectly for this (mixer, mics, speakers, etc) - but I'd love to get a projector to hook up to the Mac to project (duh!) on a big screen to make it easier for people to read the lyrics. Does anyone have a recommendation for one that's cheap & suitable for a very simple setting (I'm not looking to project it 10' tall or anything, just bigger than a laptop screen!).
4) Again, I have NO idea what I'm doing (have you picked up on that yet?) - can my Mac, running kJams Pro and with a compatible drive (I did read that page in the Wiki!), read/rip both the audio AND the video of a CDG disc? Or will it only read the AUDIO?
5) Another dumb question I would know if I just installed the software: when I do rip a song, can I specify where to rip it to? Just thinking I'd like to store all the Karaoke songs on an external drive, so I only hook it up for KJ'ing, and don't tie up the hard drive normally.

Thanks again for your help, and I apologize again for my laziness. But hey, if I can figure everything out correctly, I will purchase the software! So...that's basically a bribe...

Thanks for your time, patience & understanding!
Shawn

[dave]

YAY!
1) look on ebay for SuperCDG or NEO+G discs. they're cheap and come with thousands of songs.
2) songs purchased from the built-in music stores ALWAYS come with the sync'd lyrics (video). some even come with m4v video (higher rez, nicer quality, but you can't burn them to CD+G disc)
3) i like this: Optoma PKA21 Pico Pocket Projector
4) with a NOT compatible drive you get only audio. WITH a compatible drive you get the "video" as well (CDG sync'd lyrics)
5) yes, you can rip to anywhere you want. see: Moving

[DeusExMachina]

For simple, cheap, and WAY brighter than the Optoma pico projector, try this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rio-HD-LED-LCD-Proj ... 3816wt_982

[dave]

[kwip]

Ok, so, about THREE MONTHS LATER... I finally buy the software! Dave, thank you, man. Not just for being an awesome guy and really supporting your product with support that can, at best, be called "rabid!" - but for just making such a great goddamned product.

I tried my very first KJ-ing (is that right?) this week. Although it was an abysmal failure (NObody came forward to sing - well, except for my mom [and yes, I'm that pathetic, I'm not even kidding]), I figured it would just be a warm up. And it gave me time to start learning the app, and figuring out how to build my library.

Right now, my (very, very basic) setup is this:
a macbook
a seagate 250g usb drive
a 3M MPro120 projector (only $99 from Woot! I love this thing!)
a 50INX50IN Versatol Tri-pod Screen Matte White Keystone Elim ($88 on Amazon, great deal!)

It has to be a pretty dark room, but it works fantastic. Now that I've warmed up on complete strangers, I'm ready to spring it on our friends at our next party.

Thanks soooo much!
Kwip

[dave]