Ipod

[Frisbee]

Just invest in an i-pod/i-pod mini...you can fit all the music you could ever want for your show on it and you do not need to worry about any scratched discs over time.

-Frisbee

[Tyler]

I've heard good things about those. They were highly recommended in an article in Juggle Magazine. They're not really expensive either.

[Frisbee]

ipod

They aren't so cheap, they will run you about 250 - 400$ plus the wireless remote which is helpful that you do not need to be constantly going to your ipod to adust sound or tracks.
But they are great, I am still figuring out all the little things, but you can have your show music in one category and all of your other music in another.

-Frisbee

[Doctor Eric]

Hey Greg, I keep trying to figure this out online and can't seem to, does apple make an RF remote, or is it just IR?

[Scot Free]

There is a radio remote available for about $70.
here

Flyin' Bob has one, I don't know if this is the same one but his works like a charm from his in pocket or with his back turned.

[Doctor Eric]

That's exactly what I was looking for, and it winds up being a lot cheaper than a virtual soundman+minidisc player. Now if it just had some programmable preset buttons...

[Frisbee]

Shizinaintuiaskl

I wish I had known this rf thing existed before I bought the IR model. aargh...I am always having to point the stupid little remote at my unit...ipod unit that is.


-Frisbee

[Doctor Eric]

Hey, it's only 40 bucks, and you already coughed up for the ipod... hipster.

[Frisbee]

yes but money is money...i have already ordered the new rf model this morning after reading the post...but now I have a useless ir model...no biggie, but still.

-Frisbee

[Doctor Eric]

Sell the IR on ebay, somebody will buy it, trust me. Mix equal parts ipod hype and ebay fever = at least half of your 40 bucks back.

[scot]

http://www.majiloon.com/Order/order.mv

This one has an LED display and you get get ankle switches, and their made for performers. I here all this stuff about using ipods for this stuff, or for TV remotes, and I just think it's a waste of time.

Tyler, if you're thinking of doing this, think again. Get a cd/md player and push the buttons when you need to play music. Don't spend your money on this stuff at such an early phase.

[Doctor Eric]

Originally posted by scot
http://www.majiloon.com/Order/order.mv
This one has an LED display and you get get ankle switches, and their made for performers.

...and they're $750. And packed with useless features, while lacking important ones, the Ipod with RF is a better idea in my opinion.

[Josh Casey]

I've been using the VSM for a couple years now and it's awesome. Recently I was also checking into the ipod remote situation and when I found out about the RF remote I was really interested. Anyway, I contacted Kelly, the maker of the VSM to see what his thoughts were on it and he responded that:

"This [the ipod rf remote] is an AM short range RF controller. The remote is way too small to be useful - and it has no way of maintaining Pause indefinitely- in other words- it does not have an Anti-sleep- so the iPod will shut off after 2 minutes on pause.

It does not also have auto advance- auto pause- auto fade- or tracking for
an LED..."

As for the pause feature, I find it is pretty important to be able to pause and unpause a track instead of waiting for it to power back up and start playing again. By then the moment is gone.

The auto fade on the VSM is also a great feature. It's so much nicer to fade out a track than to abruptly stop it.

I don't know how the range compares but I do know that the VSM has a very big range. I've used it from down the hall in another room.

Granted there is a HUGE price difference but, I guess it depends on what those features (hardly useless) are worth to you.

Another nice thing about using a VSM with a mini disc as opposed to an ipod is that they are relatively inexpensive and therefore easy to have a backup on hand in case of a breakdown.


Josh

[Doctor Eric]

Originally posted by Josh Casey
"This [the ipod rf remote] is an AM short range RF controller. The remote is way too small to be useful - and it has no way of maintaining Pause indefinitely- in other words- it does not have an Anti-sleep- so the iPod will shut off after 2 minutes on pause.

It does not also have auto advance- auto pause- auto fade- or tracking for
an LED..."

As for the pause feature, I find it is pretty important to be able to pause and unpause a track instead of waiting for it to power back up and start playing again. By then the moment is gone.

The auto fade on the VSM is also a great feature. It's so much nicer to fade out a track than to abruptly stop it.

I didn't know about the pause thing, that makes a big difference. The auto-fade is one of the things I was referring to as useless, but then again, my show isn't nice, it's an hour of abruptness. What I really want to see on one of these things, which none has, is a couple of preset buttons that go straight to a preselcted track, so you can break scipt anytime you want for a joke with a soundtrack to it. Someday, I guess. I'll probably just have to build the damn thing.

[scot]

I agree with the extra buttons, but "break script?" why break script. If it worked for Frank Olivier it will work for me.