SCOOP
BY ROBERT A. LINDQUIST
PANASONIC'S SL-VM525 VIDEO CD CHANGER CAN DO THE SHOW holidays, that may already be the case by the time you read this review.
0 MUCH FOR MOVIES
We're always a bit skeptical when asked to review consumer line (i.e. "home type") equipment. Unfortu nately, when it comes to karaoke gear, there is no distinction between consumer line and pro line. Most of the karaoke players we've run over the test bench in the past have been, with the exception of lacking a rackmountable face, quite profes sional and roadworthy. The new SLVM525 from Panasonic is no excep tion. While the plastic faceplate looks and feels very consumer line, the metal case gives it a sturdy, wellconstructed feel, while keeping the weight at just 11 pounds. Prior to
PANASONIC VIDEO CD CHANGER No. of channels
2 stereo
Frequency response
20-20,OOOHz ± IdB
Dynamic range
92 dB
S/N
100 dB
Dimensions (WxHxD)
16-15/16"x 4-15/16" xlB-11/16"
Weight
10.4 IDS.
70
setting up the unit for this test, we dropped it several times at various angles from a distance from the ground of about 10 inches. While this is something the manufacturer would prefer we didn't do, it's the only way to certify that the unit is up to at least light mobile use. This is not to suggest that our readers misuse their gear, but stuff happens.
THE DO'S AND DONTS First off, it's important to note that this is not a dedicated CD/CD+G player. It's a multi-format machine that plays 5": audio CDs, CDRs, karaoke CD+Gs, and several types of full motion video discs. So along with handling your typical Sound Choice or Music Maestro lyric-over-coloredscreen CDs, it will also play a full length CD-I movie (it will not play DVDs) and NVS-type CD videos. For KJs, all features except CD-I are useful. As a house machine for a bar or pub, the CD-I feature may prove handy. That's assuming that CD-I maintains any market strength (it's pretty weak now) once DVD gains a stranglehold on the prere corded movie market. With DVD getting a big push in time for the
Interestingly, all of the DVD players we have seen so far will not play a CD+G (there may be some, we just haven't seen it). One of the big advantages to DVD and video CD is the ability to place full motion video behind the lyrics, like the big 12" laser discs. Assum ing you have a video screen set up for the audience, this gives them something more to look at than just words on a background. How is this player for doing karaoke? Ultimately, using two CD+G machines is the best way to do a karaoke show. It allows you to cue the next selection while a singer is in the spotlight. And having a backup player is just good common sense. I am reminded of a karaoke show I attended last spring in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Right at the height of the show, the KJ's JVC player jammed. All momentum was lost as the KJ stopped the show for almost 45 minutes to fix the ma chine. He did not even have a CD player to fill the gap. Aside from the fact that it's a good idea to have a backup deck, using this Panasonic player is very much like using a dual deck. The carousel will hold five discs but, unless you really have the brain for it, I wouldn't recommend loading in more than three at time. Once the drawer shuts, it can be hard to remember what disc is in what slot. I found the best way to use the machine was to load a disc, select
MOBILE BEAT