Poll: What Feature should I work on next?

[dave]

For an explanation of what they mean, click here.

[DJ Guy]

Okay, I voted for other. My point of view is one of professional KJ, here's why for my vote:

Quicktime export & play -- would be nice but not terribly needed for.

iPod Inegration -- I have way too many songs to worry about stuff coming from an iPod (I have a 400GB WD MyBook for some breathing room).

iTunes Integration -- don't need it, that's what MegaSeg is for. Maybe if some guys DJ from iTunes they would find this useful but iTunes is way too limiting for me to DJ from.

Independent Streams -- This might be interesting for previewing a song for someone but that's about all I can imagine. People can't hop up on stage fast enough for me to crossfade karaoke songs so I don't see a need from that. Now, crossfade to background/filler music, that would eliminate the need for MegaSeg (for karaoke shows anyway).

OGG Vorbis -- fringe element open source stuff that, frankly, I don't have much interest in. Also oI think that rendering the MP3+G as video files instead would exponentially increase their size, the size of the graphics file is small and should stay that way, changing them to OGG Vorbis with video would make me start looking at terrabyte hard drives.

Burning with pitches -- I love this, "totally free open source" in one side and copyright infringement on the other. I have never been interested in the burning side of kJams (but you know this already Dave). To me this is a karaoke diva feature and not a KJ feature (which isn't to say that kJams lite shouldn't cater to karaoke divas, it should I think).


What I would like to see instead:

Integration with CoreAudio effects -- similar to what Rogue Amoeba does with Nicecast I would love to see an effects pane where I can start dropping AU effects in -- compressors, eq, the whole ball of wax. At the very least an equalizer like iTunes would be most welcome

"Next Singer" Screen -- once the track finishes the screen goes blank, Sax n Dotty's and other hosters have a "Next Singer" screen that shows the next singer up and track, at the very least it would be nice to put a graphic promoting myself up there instead of the blank screen.

Multiple video displays -- I would love to have a mini-video display on my laptop screen that mirrors what's on the TV, once I drag that window over to the TV it's there and gone off my laptop screen. It would be nice to see what's on the screen since it's not always within easy eyesight.

Database Goodies -- more tools to tweak the database (find duplicates, easy information changes, full ID3 tag tweaking ability (somewhat limited now)).

Okay, think that's it for now!!

--Guy

[dave]

I'm surprised you don't like the ability to play QuickTime. I know many KJ's who want to convert their LaserDiscs and DVD's so they work inside kJams. Okay, not you, that's fine.

iPod: I meant *export* to your iPod, not really import, but that would be neat too.

iTunes: I meant you can see your iTunes library INSIDE kJams, so you no longer have to switch to MegaSeg or whatever to play plain old audio files, you can do it inside kJams.

Streams: Yes of course I also mean crossfading between karaoke and filler music, from inside of kJams.

OGG Vorbis: I only mean to rip the audio with OGG, the video would stay CDG. so it would be an "OGG+G" zipped file. Right? No bigger than an MP3.

Burning: It is not copyright infringement to make backups of music that you have purchased. Now, public performance is quite another issue, however.

CoreAudio: Hey yeah i should have put that in the Poll, been planing for that for a long time, i just forgot! Everyone Feel free to write this in!

NextSinger: Another thing long planned. Oh and static filler graphics too! Everyone Feel free to write this in!

Multiple Video: Another thing long planned. Everyone Feel free to write this in!

Database: Another thing long planned. Everyone Feel free to write this in!

[otterbob]

I am one of those DJ's that uses iTunes and kJams.
I am a database developer also for a State Agency in CA.
I don't do club or bar DJ'ing. Mostly Weddings/Anniversaries and Corporate.
But I have dabbled a little with Traktor to test the benefits.

One reason I use [b]iTunes[/b] so extensively is the DATABASE functionality. Smart playlists, the ability to enter info that I use at other gigs is priceless.

One feature I would greatly appreciate is the ability to edit on the "OUTPUT" form without having to jump into the Get Info dialog.
Ripping in CDG that has no FreeDB data available is a pain. Especially when we talk about disks that have 20 tracks, half of them with and half without vocals. I just want to copy/paste the song name and add a blurb "WVoc" to the song name.

Basically I'd like to see the same interface as iTunes for the most part that would be an elegant addition. This also gives it less of a "Alpha" test feeling to the user.

[ChrisJacek]

For me, all but the OGG sound like features I might use. I am, however, a karaoke hobbyist, and not a KJ. I just like to play with my machine at home.

I chose "other" on the survey, but of the choices, I think full QT export is the most appealing. I would be nice to be able to export meg2 for DVDs. Then you could fit 2 hours of songs onto one disc, and not need to use a CDG capable player. It would be fun to take with you to a party, work, etc.

As for the "other" features that I think would be cool, and not necessarily that useful to everyone else, 1. Midi/Control surface integration, and 2. Keying over live video source.

[Rayco]

Hi,

As a working DJ and KJ the facilities I need may vary a little from the others.

I use Megaseg for live work as kJams is not stable enough yet;

hence feature 1 is more stability.

I have tried many programs for conversion and now use only kJams for converting files so more QT features are at the toip of the list as well.

It would be handy to change key and save the key change when exported to QT so the file could be played in Megaseg with any key and tempo changes. I also sing in clubs so this would be great for my own sets.

I use iTunes for music and kJams for karaoke for integration is not important. It would be handy to have a 'find duplicate' feature and a little X checkbox in the 'search' box the same as iTunes though.

I would not use kJams for burning as I have the discs already and can use either program to play songs (I have over 7,000 karaoke and 16,000 MP3's)

Streams and OGG are pointless and I onlyuse the karaoke on my ipod to learn new songs.

It would be nice in any re-design to echo iTunes more if copywright permits, as both are working with music it just seems more natural if everything is in the same place.

THere are a few things in kJams I don't use (some I don't even know what they are for), these could be junked to concentrat on reliability perhaps.

An iTunes like 'browser' might be nice and maybe the graphics could be played in a full window like the music store.


Cheers

[Rayco]

PS just remembered MAJOR wishlist item;

to cue to (selectable maybe 1 sec.) start of music.

Great if this can be done and then exported to Qt, I would not have to edit in Streamclip then.

Also normalisation of volumne would be cool.

[DJ Guy]

I'm surprised you don't like the ability to play QuickTime. I know many KJ's who want to convert their LaserDiscs and DVD's so they work inside kJams. Okay, not you, that's fine.

I think the number of people this would appeal to would be very very small Dave. The karaoke business has been mainly CD+G for coming up in 15 years now I want to say and I don't see any signs of it changing. Yeah, CAVS is out there but it doesn't have much penetration.

The question, once you have a firm foundation, is not how much you have but the quality of it. I'm anal about what versions of stuff I play, some guys will just throw SoundChoice up there every time and I know damn well there's a DK version or Chartbusters version that is better. Anyway, the point is, if there's a few guys clinging to those old Pioneer LDs they have much bigger things to worry about like the fact that Pioneer hasn't made a player in almost 10 years now (and yes, I have a large collection of LD movies downstairs and the last LD player Pioneeer made). No player or software in 10 years means no songs from the past 10 years. Aside from that the Pioneer LDs are really bad and if someone wants them that bad I have the Pioneer CD+Gs which I am certain are exact replicas of the LD versions.

I would say well over 98% of the people out there have CD+Gs they want to use so I would find any time spent on this small number of people while not working on other features wouldn't be a good application of resources.

But then, I'm a DJ and a KJ and I'm used to telling people "no". Hahah.

iTunes: I meant you can see your iTunes library INSIDE kJams, so you no longer have to switch to MegaSeg or whatever to play plain old audio files, you can do it inside kJams.

Okay, good, I kindof got it while I was writing my first post. This would be useful so I wouldn't have to use MegaSeg to do filler music, would still be a big decision though, I don't think you have had designs of doing a DJ program and essentially that's what you would start doing.

OGG Vorbis: I only mean to rip the audio with OGG, the video would stay CDG. so it would be an "OGG+G" zipped file. Right? No bigger than an MP3.

I'd be far more interested in AAC than OGG. I'm anal, I have a $500 firewire box I route my audio through when I watch guys plug their stuff into their laptop mini-jacks all the time. I rip my PrimeCuts discs at 192 AAC because I'm just a pain that way. So, that's the QT integration I would like to see, ripping into AAC.

Burning: It is not copyright infringement to make backups of music that you have purchased. Now, public performance is quite another issue, however.

I can burn copies of stuff in OS X, don't need a separate app to do it, I don't really have any desire to burn stuff, never have, I think that's a feature more for the divas -- they can make their own discs and then bring them to shows with the versions they like to sing or with the key already changed. That's not a KJ feature really. And, again, I know it's not ONLY for KJs but that's the POV I come from.

--Guy

[mactarkus]

I've got a few DVDs I don't play anymore since I went to a kJams only setup. I also have a ton of of MIDIs and kar files I'd like to roll into my library.

A close second is iTunes integration. Many times when I'm learning a new song, I'd love to be able to quickly pull up the original artist. Usually I play the original in iTunes while simultaneously playing the karaoke version with the volume down so I can see the lyrics as I listen to the artist.

Would the iPod integration include putting the lyrics on the iPod? That would be cool -- imagine a portable karaoke machine. That plus a mixer/amp/mic and you're good to go!

Thanks for the great work!

James
karaoke hog

[joeparadis]

What if you could increase the size of the text in your playlist and library entries so us older folks don't have to put on reading glasses and bend over with our freshly-operated on bones to read the small print?

What if you could burn a CDG with the original audio with the original artist followed by the karaoke version--I think this is what you mean by iTunes integration?

[cutmoney]

Okay, I would have to say one of the biggest features I would like to see would be the multiple video out. If nothing else, the ability to see the video on both my laptop screen and the output screen since there are some times when I can't see what the singer sees.

Now, as far as the QuickTime play ability, I would like that too but for a completely different reason. I don't really care about converting laser discs or anything like that, I would actually prefer to have the ability to have a pre-set movie that would play during breaks in the singing. Then, I could have a a logo or information playing on the screen whenever nobody is singing. I think that's about all for now.

[frede]

Multiple video out

"Next Singer" Screen

Filler graphics

Full QuickTime Export Options - Not if lite is limited, (but maybe I would upgrade). Otherwise right now I make the QuickTime file, import into toast, remove the border, resize to 320x240 and export as a dvix file for use on my PocketPC (Bigger screen then iPod).

[djpurple]

(:

AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!!
AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!!
AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!!
AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!! AUTOCUE!!!!!!

----A-------UU---UU--TTTTTTT---OOOO-----CCCC--UU---UU---EEEEEE---!!!!!
---A-A-----UU---UU------TT-----OO---OO--CC-------UU---UU---EE---------!!!!
--A---A----UU---UU------TT-----OO---OO--CC-------UU---UU---EEEEE-----!!!
-AAAAA---UU---UU------TT-----OO---OO--CC-------UU---UU---EE------------
A-------A---UUUU--------TT------OOOO-----CCCC----UUUU-----EEEEEE---!!!

... & multiple video windows...

[dave]

One feature I would greatly appreciate is the ability to edit on the "OUTPUT" form without having to jump into the Get Info dialog.

not sure what you mean by "OUTPUT form" but I'm guessing you want to edit in place? Well, you can. Under preferences->advanced->allow name editing. Yeah, it's not quite done, the reason it's a pref is that the UI is a bit dumb, it starts editing when you click. what it should do is wait a second after you click, and only if the mouse has not moved would it start editing. As it is, simply selecting a song by clicking it's name causes it to go into edit mode, which is a hassle. Also it's hard to start an edit session on a blank entry.

It would be nice in any re-design to echo iTunes more if copywright permits, as both are working with music it just seems more natural if everything is in the same place.

Do you mean what I mean by "iTunes integration"? Sounds like you would like to see all of your iTunes library from within kJams? Yes I know the GUI is one rev behind the real iTunes, i'll get to that later.

THere are a few things in kJams I don't use (some I don't even know what they are for), these could be junked to concentrat on reliability perhaps.

Can you be specific? Junking features doesn't make anything more reliable, only makes fewer features.

maybe the graphics could be played in a full window like the music store.

Well not sure what you mean there cuz you sure can play the graphics in a window at any size or full screen if you want. Can you describe more clearly what you mean?

I think the number of people [QuickTime Import] would appeal to would be very very small Dave

Well, even I am learing things here. Turns out folks want this in order to be able to put up their own graphics during the bumper music between songs. Wow yeah, I was going to do that but spaced the fact that QuickTime could handle that for me nicely. Of course it implies the need for independent streams, so you could have the video showing your graphics and a second stream (unrelated) that plays the bumper music.

I don't think you have had designs of doing a DJ program and essentially that's what you would start doing.

Ohhh in fact I do. Just enough so you can run a full show without MegaSeg at first, but that's just the beginning.

I can burn copies of stuff in OS X, don't need a separate app to do it

Perhaps you just don't know it, but in fact you can NOT burn copies of CDG's using OS X (Disk Copy). At the moment, kJams is the only mac program on the planet that can burn CDG discs.

Would the iPod integration include putting the lyrics on the iPod?

Well yes that would be the point. Not text lyrics, but your karaoke tracks. You can do this now I guess you didn't know about it. It's just a bunch of steps. Here's what I mean by iPod integration.

What if you could burn a CDG with the original audio with the original artist followed by the karaoke version

Yes, you could do this with iTunes Integration. But to get that it also means the ability to browse, cue and play songs from your iTunes library right inside kJams.

[kerryobrien]

1) I would really like to see the ability to show the PITCH selection for each song in the LIBRARY, and then the ability to transfer this PITCH, WITH the song, to any SINGER.

2) I want to be able to use my DVD songs in kJams. I have quite a few.

Kerry