Slips, we don't need no stinkin' slips

DanG2006 · Post by **DanG2006** » Mon Aug 29, 2011 7:41 pm

The days of my using slips are over. At my bar gig I just take requests verbally while a reoccurring private party that I do every month, I am using a kiosk to send the requests to my show computer. Will be using it for the second time in September. This month's try ended early due to technical difficulties, I thought I could get away with running an adhoc setup. Now I have a wireless router that I am hooking up to my kiosk computer which doesn't have it's own wireless connection. This setup seems to work well without the issues that I ran into before. Had I tested it while playing a song before that show, I would have known I needed the router before trying it at the reoccurring private party. After I found out it wasn't working right, I ran the show like I run my bar show, verbally.

spotlightjr · Post by **spotlightjr** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 2:29 am

Kewl. Always wondered how one of those kiosk thingies work. I still use these archaic and antiquated books. They are a pain in the butt and get trashed pretty quickly (5 shows a week). Perhaps one day I will go all digital and have no more headaches looking for song books in the bathroom, outside the venue, etc at the end of the night. Good luck!

DanG2006 · Post by **DanG2006** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 10:01 pm

have created a headache for me with the kiosk and KJ Media Pro. Seems every time I add a song using media pro, the next time I hook up the kiosk the kiosk can't find the song list. To fix this I have to copy a file from the host computer over to the kiosk computer.

mr.dj · Post by **mr.dj** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 6:24 pm

I have a kiosk system myself but I find a lot of people still prefer to sit at their table and browse through a book.
The kiosk is better if you already know what you want to sing as you search for that song and enter it. If someone wants to browse they hold up others wanting to use the kiosk unless you have multi kiosks.
So to me the kiosk is OK but I still have books as well.

DanG2006 · Post by **DanG2006** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:11 pm

but the speed of browsing through the list in a songlist is much slower than browsing through the kiosk. Just type in the artist or song name and every instance will come up instantly.

mr.dj · Post by **mr.dj** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:26 am

I agree it is quick if you are looking for a particular singer or title, I'm not against them, as I stated I have one.
When I say browse, I am referring to people who like to search a book for no particular title or singer but on seeing something listed may jog their memory to try a song. The other point is it is more relaxing to sit at a table in a crowded bar than push your way through a crowd to use the kiosk.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:11 am

So now you have one electronic book...

If it stops working, then what?

You run out to the car and bring in the books and slips...

Post by **wiseguy** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:29 am

A kiosk would be to impersonal for my style of karaoke. I want the interaction with the people handing me their song requests. I will always have songbooks for the same reasons that mr.dj mentioned.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 1:50 pm

I will never stop using slips.

#1...The personal contact aspect.

#2...When they give me a slip I can associate the name with the slip.

#3... With my Freestyle of karaoke..(sing from anywhere and I personally deliver the microphone to the next singer) I can watch where the sit down in a very crowded room. This is especially good if I have never seen them before.

#4..It helps me remember peoples names.

#5...It's part of my psychology about being easily approachable. I'm not on a high horse or elevated stage making me appear to be all high and mighty.

#6...It gives me a chance to tell them about new updates or hand them my new calender. Or to tell them about new jobs or the other places I play. I make sure they know where they are and how to get there.

#7..The last thing I need to worry about is an unattended computer on the other side of the bar with drunk people..playing around. Drop my book or spilling a drink on it sucks but it won't ruin my day and cause me expensive repairs.

#8...My song books hold my calenders on the clear back cover and they hold bar adds and maps on the inside.

#9...I can check out the hot looking chicks, up close and personal.

#10..People get used to returning the microphones when they get done singing. Where I can offer personal "great job" messages to them.

I save peoples song slips. At last count I have the slips of 600 -700 different singers. When they come in many come up to me or I will take them to where they are sitting. They love the fact that I have thought enough about them to save "their" song slips. Customer service.....

I'm also very OK with them just walking up and telling me the song they want to sing or do a computer song search personally for them...

And if it's a guy I can shake their hand. If it's a girl I get hugged....

No hugs from a kiosk across the bar.

mnementh · Post by **mnementh** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 1:56 pm

What Bigdog said!!!

Sandy

DanG2006 · Post by **DanG2006** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:09 am

The last part about saving slips is done for me by the computer. They can even browse through their history to find a song they have already done and submit it.
I have the option of asking for the person's email address when they first sign up so that I can send them a quick email telling them where I am going to be.
There is interaction with them when they first sign up because of showing them how to use the kiosk.
And my kiosk is only a few feet away due to it being wired to my host computer. I don't trust wireless networks to remain connected.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:30 am

Nobody likes to wait in line for anything...not even free money.

If I have 2-3 people standing beside my table waiting to talk to me I see the waiters getting frustrated. Evereyone wants everything NOW.

One kiosk and a long line could frustrate singers to the point of not bothering to stick around. There may be no long waiting line at the competitions show.

You're like the only check girl with 100 people in line & 10 empty registers....

djBe · Post by **djBe** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:36 am

Posted about this on a different thread but applies here too...90s tech leapfrogs over songbooks AND kiosks. Send them an email with your books and updates as oldtimey PDF attachments right to their smartphones!!! They frickin LOVE IT. They will forward it to everyrone at their table. They will forward it to strangers at other tables. They will feel kewl!!! (I can't wait till I get a smartphone so i can kick my 3" thick master book off my table too! For now, I have loving regulars email other regulars the books for me at shows or I send them e-books leter for them to use at future shows)

Regardless though, let 'em fill out a slip! Long live slips!