For those who may want to have their "cake and eat it", I offer the following:
While my new books no longer differentiate manufacturer, my older books are still circulated and they define the manufacturer
My wife has a netbook with the entire database on it, and the crowd is made aware that she can pinpoint the manufacturer(s) of the version we have and that the singers can request their preference if we have more than one version
When the singers exceed 25, I bring along a (free-standing) kiosk on which the audience can peruse the entire database and can listen for an abbreviated period to a bit of any track that they would like to hear.
PS:
Joe C,
I just grin with satisfaction every time you downplay the Sound Choice product line. Personally, I've come to believe that if one were to spend the time really required to "dissect, analyze and compare" the available versions of any particular karaoke song, the results would be eye opening.
Last night, for example, I sang a song for the first time. I asked my wife how it sounded and she wasn't impressed. When I asked where was it lacking she said something was wrong with the background vocals. I was somewhat astonished because I also found subtle but important faults with the background, I just didn't realize how noticeable it was to others. BTW, it was a Sound Choice track.
When I got home I checked my library and found that I had a CB version. So, I tried that version and what an important, but subtle, difference!
My points:
1. My wife, who isn't a singer, picked up on a problem with a song she wasn't even familiar with - a problem that I believe most other people WOULDN'T have noticed
2, While most people would have missed the problem, why DID Sound Choice miss it?
3. If any product line is really held to be head and shoulders above its competitors, it should be rare for that brand to ever produce a "clunker" product, whether it's a car, a TV or a home entertainment system! What is so hard in producing a quality karaoke track to do so EVERY SINGLE time if you are so good? And I don't find being good 90% of the time as having set the "Gold Standard". In fact, I think CB, Pop Hits Monthly, Zoom and DK are also good 90% of the time.