A few minor breakthroughs today with Karaoke. I do know that finding the right person to help me would mean learning all this in an hour, but damn, you try to find such a person in this vicinity. Although I have not yet succeeded in finding the software that embeds lyrics into the original midi files, I was able to isolate a midi event list. That may be too technical, so I will explain. Right now, I have any number of programs that let me add lyrics to a music file. The problem is, the lyrics can only be read by the program that created them, and what I need is a format that can be read by any commercial karaoke application. Like vanBascoe.Toward that end, I know that a midi file is really just a list of “event” instructions. Your karaoke software then reads those events in order and creates music. The most important event is the timer, that is, the list that controls when all these events take place. If I can find the timer list, I can attach the lyrics to the timing events instead of the melody line. That’s because anyone who listens to Karaoke can tell you some people’s idea of a melody line can get pretty weird and go Zydeco on you.
Teresa called from Wilmiewood to assure everything is fine. The Winnebago her dad gave her is huge, and has been dubbed “The Chalet”. They’ve been doing a lot of family things, like barbeques and such. My family never did such things because any group gathering of them was just an excuse to pick fights and criticize, but I do understand the concept of face time. I told her I’d like to visit again when there is more time. I won’t be taking the Greyhound.
Two of the other travelers have emailed with their names and details of the Greyhound fiasco in Savannah/Jackson. The worst part of the delay was how Greyhound would not guarantee they’d hold the bus if any of us left to go get some real food. Several people could not even get a soda because they were afraid to put their last $5 bill into a machine that might not give change. Greyhound has a “zero tolerance” policy for “rude” behavior, but in a sick twist, they are using it to strong-arm customers who complain about poor service. If they lose your baggage and you dare to complain, they throw you off their property as a “trespasser” despite the fact you have a ticket.
Since Friday morning, I have been putting my new pseudo-Karaoke system through the paces. One thing I did not check was the function of the extended video card, the feature that displays the words on one screen and the menu on another. That was the first mistake, the second was using a Dell laptop. At my “Island Party” gig today, the Karaoke feature would not work. I had to fake the seven-hour gig.
Which I did, playing 126 different tunes. If you heard my show, you would instantly notice how distinct the bass lines are compared (by comparison to normal). They are loud, but very smooth. It is what I do. Despite the missing display, I had a packed house and a packed dance floor. I performed two three-hour sets with some recorded music during the lunch and cake. Five regulars were celebrating their birthdays this week and invited me to perform.
Which was a wise move financially, as in the rent is paid. My custom bass line to “I Believe In Miracles” had the ladies dancing five deep in the aisles. That makes sense, who else would there be to dance with? There was one tall and attractive blonde new lady watching the show. I would have chatted her up, but she mysteriously left just a few songs before I was going to finish for the evening. Guess we’ll never know.
To sum up, almost everything went wrong with my music gear today, but the show was still a big success. One of the better parties ever, number around 40 people, which is really packing that room. The food was really incredible, with Patrick doing the cooking again. Ham, sausages, meatballs, chili, potato salad, mac salad, and a cold cheese dish resembling lasagna that you won’t find in any diet books. I’ve long since noticed they always have more than twice as much food as ever gets eaten. But I did my share.
Not Pudding-Tat. Rigging up the video cam verifies my notion that she will not eat unless I’m nearby. She has so ill-effects and may find alternative food out in the yard. This feline instinct stuff I do not understand but this is the first I’ve known of a cat who will leave food on her plate unless she has human company. I was going to lecture Pudding-Tat about cats in China that don’t get enough to eat, or is it the other way around? Cat food, get it?
Tasteless, get it? Time to quit.
