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Karma Changelog

What's new in Karma 2024.2.23

Feb 26, 2024
  • Added additional denomination options for crediting your Karaosoft account under the slips grid menu. These match the options previously added to the SingNext receiver app (for those KJs who don't use Karma. yes, they exist ☺ )
  • Changed name of settings window tab previously labeled "External Vid2/Vid3" to simply "External Video". Less confusing to new users.
  • Lowered the inner tab control inside the External Video tab because it looks better (less squished together), and helps prevent accidental clicks on the wrong tab.
  • Changed media row forecolor values for "Night Green" and "Night Maroon" skins.
  • Minor alignment adjustments to splash screen.

New in Karma 2024.1.8 (Jan 9, 2024)

  • Updated most of the non-skinned windows with top menus and icons to replace the old buttons.
  • Removed Close button from Settings window and enabled the default Windows close button on the far right of the window title bar. Settings are still saved when closing this way. The default Windows close button was also enabled for the Singer Database and Karma Reports windows.
  • Replaced settings icon on rotation and playlist menus because the settings icon borrowed from the main menu did not look good scaled down from 32x32 to 16x16.
  • Updated Karma Report Viewer menu bar. Added updated 32x32 icons to fit with the new look for the other non-skinned windows.
  • Changed playlist menu item "Shuffle DJ Songs" to "Shuffle Filler Tracks".

New in Karma 2024.1.4 (Jan 5, 2024)

  • Removed Rotation and Playlist tabs from the settings window and moved their functionality into their respective menus on the main screen. This was the result of realizing users wanted to turn the new RTF function on and off quicker without waiting for the entire settings window to load each time. Some of the new menu options have tooltips with a more detailed description, but you must have tooltips turned on in the settings window in order to see them.
  • Updated the tips section of the help file.
  • Removed excess code from player history window for better performance.
  • Fixed parts of help file that still referred to clicking a + symbol for panel menus that now use a ≡ symbol.

New in Karma 2023.3.20 (Mar 22, 2023)

  • Precautionary recompile in Visual Studio 2022 (version 17.5.2) to address Microsoft reported issues.
  • Minor updates to this help file, including updates to the tips section.

New in Karma 2023.0.2 (Mar 22, 2023)

  • Added support for Microsoft Access Database Engine. Currently Karma installs and uses the Microsoft Jet engine as the default, but if the 32 bit version of the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 or 2016 is installed, Karma will now detect it and use it. To see which engine is currently being used by Karma, open the About screen and it will be listed under the version number.
  • Added ability to change the location of any media folder by adding a "Change Folder" button to the Media folders window. This enables you to tell Karma where the folder's new path is now located, and it will update all related records in the database, including history. This is the first new feature to take full advantage of the new Access database engine's ability to update linked records, even those with long histories, in a matter of seconds. If you don't see the "Change Folder" button on the Media folders window, that means the Access database engine is not installed. A copy of the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 is available in the archive at Karaosoft.com
  • Changed default playlist duplicate confirmation option to on.

New in Karma 2023.0.1 (Nov 22, 2022)

  • Added confirmation option on settings window for playlist duplicates
  • Fixed issue with folder browser when adding media folders. Folder browser default root is now My Computer.
  • Updated Microsoft.Net framework to version 4.8 and recompiled with Visual Studio 2022 version 17.4.1

New in Karma 2022.3.6 (Mar 7, 2022)

  • Fixed bass_mix prelink issue.

New in Karma 2022.2.15 (Feb 16, 2022)

  • Added pre-synch routine to video engine AVS for more accurately synchronized video starts, more noticeable on slower machines.

New in Karma 2022.1.21 (Jan 22, 2022)

  • Added confirmation dialog to background image clearing button. The new dialog also serves a second purpose in displaying the current path of the currently set image. This is useful when trying to move your data from one machine to another and can't remember where the background image was stored ;)

New in Karma 2022.1.11 (Jan 12, 2022)

  • Improved more efficient AV synch routine for smoother video starts.
  • Media object file access errors now handled more gracefully.

New in Karma 2022.0.1 (Nov 1, 2021)

  • Code improvements under Windows 11.
  • Added support for flac audio
  • Updated Viscom portion of video engine library to version 14.

New in Karma 2021.5.12 (May 12, 2021)

  • Component update and recompile with Visual Studio 16.9.5.

New in Karma 2021.4.2 (Apr 2, 2021)

  • Installer package update

New in Karma 2021.3.32 (Apr 1, 2021)

  • Fixed issue with pitch and tempo not functioning for videos with new engine in earlier release.
  • Removed MFC71.dll from installation package as no longer needed

New in Karma 2021.3.31 (Apr 1, 2021)

  • Updated video engine to support additional decoders (built-in. Still no additional codecs required)
  • Fixed installer reference to proper download link for .Net framework.

New in Karma 2021.2.29 (Mar 29, 2021)

  • Updated video engine to support additional decoders (That are built-in. Still no additional codecs required).

New in Karma 2021.2.16 (Feb 17, 2021)

  • Improved video AV timing for far all video formats after code changes from last release slightly affected synch timing.

New in Karma 2021.2.4 (Feb 5, 2021)

  • Cleaned up AVS synching code to provide smoother playback for HD videos made with less accurate timing in their compression schemes.

New in Karma 2021.2.1 (Feb 1, 2021)

  • Added new "Dock" option to the scroller control, which allows it to now be optionally docked to the left or right side of the screen as well. Side docking works best for KJs who primarily use MP3+G tracks on widescreen TVs. CDG graphics are closer to square, so there is plenty of horizontal real estate left to utilize, while making best use of screen space.
  • Fixed spacing for SingNext.com and channel number on new scroller by adding hard line breaks. Also added "Requests use" text on prior line.
  • Fixed gradient code in Now Playing window and Player History window.
  • Improvements in window management code when switching between full screen and window mode.
  • Added new "VH" skin, in honor of the late Eddie Van Halen.
  • Flipped KJ message and Venue message on settings window to better reflect the order in which they are displayed to crowd on scroller.

New in Karma 2021.1.25 (Jan 26, 2021)

  • Fixed issue with screen size maxing when settings window was opened for users who like to keep Karma in a smaller than screen window.
  • Users who keep Karma in a non-maximized and non-full screen window state will now see it remember that state faster at startup, and skip the full screen state during loading.

New in Karma 2021.1.10 (Jan 11, 2021)

  • Added ability to set forecolor and backcolor of the message sent to the singer or crowd screen in triple display mode. This setting is located on the new "Message" tab under the Vid2/Vid3 main tab.
  • Removed word "view" from S&M on/off switch popup tool tips, and added word "(recommended)" to option for version checking on startup.
  • Centered local translation group box controls in international tab in settings window.

New in Karma 2021.1.7 (Jan 7, 2021)

  • Updated scroller section of settings window. Venue message and KJ info text boxes are now both multi-line, not word wrapped, and centered text, just as they will appear on the new vertical scroller.
  • Translation words for audiences of a different language are now located in a new international tab in the settings window.
  • Improved speed and efficiency of new scroller to utilize less cpu cycles. Top speed is now faster.
  • Corrected flaw in skin apply code that missed backcolor 2 of the video 1 full screen toggle button.
  • Added new "Default, Reverse Hybrid" skin

New in Karma 2021.1.4 (Jan 5, 2021)

  • Added 38 Background Gradient Styles for applying to screen visual items in appearance settings. Gradient styles are saved in settings and in skin files.
  • Added "Default, Flat" skin, which is a good starting point to make a custom skin by setting all settings to flat so you can see the contrast of other gradient backgrounds.
  • Replaced horizontal scroller with new vertical scroller. All functionality is pretty much the same, except the direction and setup of the text, which, is not only easier on the eyes to read, but tests show observers can read it faster.
  • Added = symbol in front of "Menu" on main menu button. This is a visual cue to new users to make the connection with the other menu symbols on the main screen.
  • Installation no longer requires Visual C++ 2005 runtime, and all previously dependent code has been rewritten in .NET CLR.
  • Fixed issue with international characters in Songbooks Live upload data.

New in Karma 2020.7.2 (Jul 3, 2020)

  • Minor tooltip fix

New in Karma 2020.6.14 (Jun 14, 2020)

  • Fixed issue with SFX paths not updating from old data path.

New in Karma 2020.4.8 (Apr 9, 2020)

  • Changed data folder name from "Karma Data" to "Karaosoft Data" and changed the main database filename from "KarmaDB" to "KDB". The new Karaosoft Data folder is created during the installation process with all the default files. If there was a previous Karma Data folder, the first time Karma is run it moves the old folder (and ALL of it's contents) to the new one with the overwrite flag on. It also renames the old database file immediately after, provided there isn't somehow an existing KDB file. This was done because there are upcoming Karaosoft apps that will all share a common data folder and database, but won't share the same name, and Karma is now one of those common apps, so it too needs it's name stripped from the data storage area.

New in Karma 2020.1.15 (Jan 16, 2020)

  • Removed "Full Screen Toggle" option from main menu now that most users are familiar with the new ╒═╕ (Window) view control above the clock in the lower right. Also changed the default mode on a new install to show window mode by default. This will eliminate confusion on how to get out of full screen mode for new users.
  • Improved efficiency in slip retrieval process by using slightly less of the remote server's resources.

New in Karma 2020.1.11 (Jan 16, 2020)

  • 2 minor visual fixes in main menu.

New in Karma 2020.0.10 (Dec 14, 2019)

  • Improved slip checking code to compensate for channels closed on the server end, which can happen. KJ is now informed and then has the option to reopen the channel for proper retrieval.
  • S&M control and view switch now have the same tooltip text. Previously the view switch said "Screens & Messages". Now both read "Screens & Messaging".

New in Karma 2020.0.9 (Dec 4, 2019)

  • Changed text on main menu item "Internet Resources" to "Internet" and added additional links. SingNext, Karaosoft Customer Menu, Karaosoft Products, etc... for easier direct access to links you may need.
  • Fine tuned slip retrieval timing and reduced connection timeout setting to 3 seconds.

New in Karma 2020.0.8 (Nov 24, 2019)

  • Improved Songbooks Live upload process.
  • Errors on receiving end server (such as attempts at null value inserts) are now sent back and reported to the user and the user is given the chance to cancel at that point, instead of letting process finish only for the user to find out later that all of the songs didn't make it.

New in Karma 2020.0.7 (Nov 21, 2019)

  • Added new "Auto" mode option when opening a SingNext channel for online slips. In auto mode, once singers connect to your channel at SingNext.com, singers must select from your online catalog (requires an active Songbooks Live subscription) and choose a specific version. When the slip arrives, Karma automatically adds the singer to the rotation (if needed) and automatically adds the song to the singer's queue. Tracks that are automatically added will have little music notes as the first character in the message portion. Any track that has been previously sung by the singer (matching TrackID) will also automatically retrieve the song settings (pitch, tempo, start and end points) from the previous performance.

New in Karma 2020.0.6 (Nov 21, 2019)

  • Updated Karaosoft web service interface to version 4. Next Karma release will utilize new services, but server needed to be updated first before testing phase.

New in Karma 2020.0.5 (Nov 7, 2019)

  • Changed wording on prompt to name songbook on first time uploading to Songbooks Live. Removed the phrase "permanent name" and changed to just "name" since users can now change their book name at any time via the customer menu at karaosoft.com.
  • Added webservice check for song count limit on SBL server before uploading list to SBL server.
  • Now uses version 2 of SBL upload protocol. Version 1 webservice will be pulled from server shortly after release, making this the min version for SBL uploads.

New in Karma 2020.0.4 (Oct 29, 2019)

  • Added the ability to upload track list to Songbook Live for users with a Songbook Live account. Option is listed under the "Internet Resources" option under the main menu. Only uploads tracks in the "Karaoke" category.

New in Karma 2020.0.3 (Oct 17, 2019)

  • Improved media update speed and app also now allows for minimizing the media folders window during the update process. This makes it easier to update in the background during a show, still giving you access to the main screen controls. KJs are encouraged to be careful during the update process and not make any changes to the media database (like deleting files) while the update is in progress. Media folder window still closes upon completion, whether it's minimized or not. The entire process cannot completely be run from a separate thread as there is too much cross thread violations that would occur, so towards the end of the process, there will still be a freeze up on the main screen as newly found files are saved to the database. That being said, do what you got to do before it gets near the end of the process. This simply gives you a larger time window to do so.

New in Karma 2019.9.1 (Sep 2, 2019)

  • Corrected capitalization problem in "close slips channel" confirmation dialog.
  • Streamlined resizing code.
  • Changed text on update database button to "Build / Update Database". Adding the word "Build" plants the seed that it needs to be built first, which some new users don't realize.
  • Recompiled with newly updated Microsoft .Net framework (version 4.8.03752) and Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 (version 16.2.3).

New in Karma 2019.7.11 (Jul 11, 2019)

  • Removed text that hard coded slip price in slips menu. Info now available on customer menu at karaosoft.com

New in Karma 2019.5.9 (May 9, 2019)

  • Removed link to old Facebook page from internet resources menu.
  • Changed default view setting of pitch control to off.
  • Added text to slips menu item for funding your Karaosoft account. The default $20 option now also shows the text "(2,000 slips)" so people can understand ahead of time that slips cost a penny per slip.

New in Karma 2019.0.5 (Dec 13, 2018)

  • Added separate margin controls for Vid 2 and Vid 3 in settings window and improved UI, replacing old numeric spinners with slider controls that are arranged intuitively, and increased maximum display margin setting from 100 to 200 pixels.
  • Vid 2 and Vid 3 can now be switched on while video or karaoke is playing and reproduce stream on new display without need to restart or pause currently playing song.
  • Increased maximum font size on scroller control from 60 to 80 point size.
  • Increased maximum scroller speed from 5 to 7. Also changed default scroller speed from 1 to 2, and default scroller font size from 25 to 30 point.
  • Code now turns off topmost setting of splash screen during version check for older non-compliant video drivers.
  • Changed FV control default view to OFF, and CPU monitor default view to ON.

New in Karma 2019.0.4 (Dec 7, 2018)

  • Fixed issue with display count subroutine causing errors uponswitching external video on in scenarios where previous display wassaved in settings but not detected upon startup.
  • Added more infoto help file on S&M controls and basic workings of screen displaylogic.

New in Karma 2019.0.2 (Dec 5, 2018)

  • Fixed issue with chosen background image not propagating to Video3 in triple display mode (in non-slideshow mode)
  • In triple display mode, NSD no longer appears on Singer display.
  • Changed old wording on video link failure message to reflect Windows 10 wording for "Display Settings".
  • Removed "(on Video 2)" from tooltip text on Scroller switch in S&M control. Also removed the word "Center" from tooltip text on S&M view switch.
  • Changed default song clock font to #5.
  • Changed default view of MPX and Font controls to off.

New in Karma 2019.0.1 (Dec 3, 2018)

  • Added new "Screens & Messages" control to secondary controlpanel. Karma now has triple display support with separatedisplays for the Singer and Crowd. Thiscontrol makes it easier to change displays on the fly and controlall messages to singers and crowd.
  • NSD (Next Singers Display) and Scoller controls moved from viewpanel to new S&M controller.
  • View Panel now controls visibility for Font Size control,Temp/Speed Control, Crossfade Control, Filler Volume, MasterVolume, and CPU usage meter.
  • Video 1 full screen toggle button moved from video1 panelbottom to the new S&M control. Still appears at bottom whenfull screen.
  • Added "Media Setup" option to Media Menu. Although it's alwaysbeen accessible from the main menu, this secondary access may seemmore intuitive to some.
  • Added "Open Singer List" option to rotation menu. Theexisting "Add Singer List" option was for adding groups orfamilies as they arrived at a gig and for KJs who wanted to storelarger lists of entire crowds at certain venues, it was assumed thatthis would be used in the "New Show" option when starting a newshow. However, this new option makes it easier to simply clearthe existing rotation and replace with another in one step.
  • Added error trapping for unselected lists in New Show window inscenarios where selected item can get cleared on touch screens.
  • Added new "Sunset" skin file.
  • Fixed history button onnow playing window to match loaded color scheme.

New in Karma 2018.8.22 (Aug 23, 2018)

  • Fixed focus issue in last release that caused inability to rearrange singer's queue via mouse drags from rotation list view.

New in Karma 2018.8.20 (Aug 21, 2018)

  • Added new default color skin for Karma's 10th anniversary. Older default skin still available as "Default, Classic". The new color scheme differences are subtle and add slightly more contrast in areas that needed it and less contrast in areas that didn't need it. This also compensates for hardware screen improvements over the last decade.
  • Added song clock style toggle via right-clicking the song clock. This gives 5 optional visual styles for the clock that can either help to see from across the room or reduce size for KJs who want a cleaner look and prefer to use the song position control for referencing time remaining. The default font style is still Arial Bold, but it's lack of monospace characters sometimes makes the autosizing nature of Karma automatically move the player buttons as the digits change. This is more noticeable with larger font sizes. The 4 new choices are all monospaced fonts, so that the player buttons remain firm in place regardless of the clock display change.
  • Singer playlist on rotation singer window now clears selection upon losing focus.
  • Additional code optimizations to LSPlayer object with faster subroutine releases on volume fading.
  • Recompiled with Microsoft VS2017 version 15.8.1 (released 8-16-2018)

New in Karma 2018.6.3 (Jun 4, 2018)

  • Fixed bug when cueing songs for singers with apostrophes in their names from the .
  • Fixed issue in Singer Database window when showing records for singers with apostrophes in their names.
  • Added "Tempo Control Range" option in the advanced tab of the settings window. This is for people who need even greater tempo range than 20% in either direction.

New in Karma 2018.0.7 (Dec 29, 2017)

  • Updated audio decoder engine (for videos)
  • Initial splash screen now draws faster and smoother on startup.

New in Karma 2018.0.5 (Dec 14, 2017)

  • Fixed issue caused in last release that prevented category change in media grid.

New in Karma 2018.0.4 (Dec 13, 2017)

  • Rewrote code for deleting a single media folder from the media folder setup window.  Previously it relied on the Microsoft Access engine for all cascading delete operations when it came to related records.  On large databases or large folders, this could sometimes freeze or lockup and not complete the operation.  The new code manually deletes the related records in logical steps by first deleting related history records, then the related media records, and finally the folder record itself.  The progress window shows each step as it's processed.
  • Added "Remove All" button to Media Folder setup window.  Removing all folders is faster than removing a single folder due to all of the relational data.  Sometimes the best option.  Also beats deleting the KarmaDB file as the alternate fast option, since this will still save your list of singers.
  • Added minor code to further visually improve program load.
  • Fixed issue where user could not begin typing a search immediately after program loads when mouse hadn't been moved since clicking the app icon.

New in Karma 2018.0.3 (Dec 4, 2017)

  • Replaced old style slider in tempo control on Media Object and Playlist Object windows with newer horizontal versions of the one used on main screen which can be accurately set using the mouse wheel as well.  This also gave room to increase the width of the pitch buttons which are used more often.
  • Clicking on the word "Tempo" on the Media Object and Playlist Object windows will now reset the tempo to zero like the main control on the main form.
  • The SPI text labels on the Media Object and Playlist Object windows now conform to the chosen skin color for labels.  SPI text labels on Media Object window no longer overlap the group box border
  • Added code to check for separate running instance.  This was previously automatic before we removed the older application framework in the last release.
  • Removed old code that helped upgrade data from the original 2008 release.
  • During program load, fixed issue where after secondary controls were set to previous settings, some redrawing operations from a font size change would appear frozen during the next process.  Code was added to catch up this drawing process before moving on to the next step.  This makes for a visually cleaner program load sequence.

New in Karma 2018.0.2 (Nov 24, 2017)

  • Removed older application framework code which now speeds up initial load and enables splash screen to appear first and version checking to occur before building main form.
  • Tempo slider relabeled to "T/S" (for "Tempo/Speed").  This was done to bring the visual width of the control in line with the others.
  • Except for the Font size slider, the other 4 vertical sliders in the secondary controls panel (Tempo/Speed, XF(Crossfade), Filler Volume, and Master Volume) all now automatically receive the focus when the mouse is over them and will scroll their value with the mouse wheel.  This new feature was purposefully skipped on the Font size slider because screen font size changes can take a few seconds so quick adjustments via the wheel are just not practical.  This feature also shows he value of the controls in the title bar label while the mouse is over the sliders.

New in Karma 2018.0.1 (Nov 15, 2017)

  • Added new report that generates list of "Songs Never Played". This report will generate a list of the full paths of every file in your media database that has never been played. This can come in handy for a number of reasons. The report can generate quite a long list and take a few minutes so the user is prompted before generating the report.
  • Fixed issue where videos opened in media object window would display last waveform if previous song was not a video.
  • Fixed font embedding issue in PDF export engine of reports viewer.
  • Revised this help file for windows 10 and improved some wording for less experienced KJs.

New in Karma 2017.6.20 (Sep 20, 2017)

  • Code improvements in database performance
  • Updated Help File
  • Removed link for TheKJshop.com from the internet resources submenu.  Amazon.com will be closing all aStores by the end of October 2017.

New in Karma 2016.6.09 (Oct 1, 2015)

  • Fixed licensing issue with Active Reports engine in last release.

New in Karma 2016.6.08 (Sep 29, 2015)

  • Updated video engine with its own MP4 decoder. Apple Quicktime is no longer required for standard MP4 playback.

New in Karma 2016.6.07 (Jun 10, 2015)

  • Fixed issue with reports on all date ranges in non-US windows cultures.

New in Karma 2016.6.05 (Jun 9, 2015)

  • Fixed issue where report start date was not properly setting the time to the beginning of the day and accordingly not showing all records for that day.
  • Added section to help file on the reports section explaining that the start and end dates include all records from both days as well as all dates between.

New in Karma 2016.6.04 (Jun 9, 2015)

  • Fixed issue when clicking the edit button from the rotation singer window.

New in Karma 2016.6.03 (Jun 9, 2015)

  • Additional touchups to setup package.

New in Karma 2016.6.02 (Jun 9, 2015)

  • Reduced setup package size by removing old DLL libraries that are no longer used for formats that are no longer supported (OGG, WMA, and WMV)

New in Karma 2016.6.01 (Jun 9, 2015)

  • Added new improved custom hybrid video engine that utilizes Windows Media Player for video output for improved frame rate throughput, while still maintaining all of the existing controls like pitch, tempo, and MPX.
  • "cdgT" (CDG Timing) control renamed to "AVS" for "audio/video synch", which now works with videos as well.
  • Added new date range option for reports.
  • Added "Rotation" tab to settings window, and options for where to insert new singers into the rotation.
  • Added support for MOV video files
  • Added "Make Next Song" button to Playlist Object Window. Button is only visible as an option for filler songs or any media not assigned to a singer.
  • Fixed issue when updating database and media list set to view by category after removal of media categories attempts to restore to out of range index.
  • Added new multi-column grid to Singers Database window. In addition to singer name, the list now has columns for First Name and Last Name. List can be sorted by any of the columns by clicking on the column headers.
  • Singer Database list now supports multi-select so users can select multiple singers to delete before hitting the delete button. Accordingly, removed the "Delete All Singers" option as it is a dangerous option, and if users want to delete all singers, selecting all singers first isn't that difficult.
  • Changed default setting for full screen toggle bar on video 1 to ON by default.
  • Fixed CDG stretch option with new CDG engine so that it's able to be turned off now. This option is available on the layout section of the settings window.
  • Fixed Media Object window not showing start and end point control for videos. Although videos don't show waveforms, time can still be trimmed for scenarios when needed.
  • Since the EQ does not affect the audio for videos, the title above the EQ has been changed to read "EQ (MP3 / MP3+G)"
  • Increased refresh rate of SPI (Song Position Indicator) from 8 to 20 times per second. This gives a much smoother flow, especially for shorter clips where it previously appeared jagged in its movement. This adds a very small amount to cpu usage, but since the old refresh rate was calculated in 2008, cpu power should no longer be an issue.

New in Karma 2015.5.28 (May 29, 2015)

  • Fixed issue where retrieving sing history item would set pitch to the setting of last person who sang the song and not necessarily that particular singer.

New in Karma 2015.5.24 (May 25, 2015)

  • Fixed issue for some users where main screen would simply vanish when playing first or second MP3+G file.
  • Re-added the Microsoft .Net framework 3.5 as a prerequisite to the installation package. It was removed after the removal of the PowerCDG engine, but turns out it's also needed for the ActiveX scroller.

New in Karma 2015.5.23 (May 25, 2015)

  • Fixed issue with background image not showing on video 2 when Next Singer Display was turned on.
  • Fixed issue with previously loaded video (before restarting Karma) not displaying on video 2 when first replayed.

New in Karma 2015.5.21 (May 22, 2015)

  • Fixed issue with CDG display remaining after stop completes.
  • Fixed issue with background image not scaling correctly when switching the scroller on and off.
  • Switched Viscom video engine from VMR9 to VMR7 for better compatibility for older video hardware.
  • When turning off video 2, slide show timer now stops running in the background, so when turned back on, the last image shown will appear and timer restarted.
  • Fixed issue with ampersands (&) not showing up in Next Singer Display.

New in Karma 2015.5.20 (May 21, 2015)

  • Fixed issue with slow removal of media folders, and possibly eliminated potential file lock issues by bypassing the internal dataset and directly sending SQL commands to the database for the folder removal process.
  • Added new Viscom video engine which provides native MP4 support. This engine does require Apple Quicktime®, but without the need for additional codecs or complicated setup. This is a beta test of the new engine and must be chosen over the default BassVideo engine in the advanced tab of the settings window.
  • The PowerPlay CDG engine has been completely removed due to it's inefficiency. This also removes the requirement for the Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 runtime, which no longer is included in the installer.
  • KCDG engine on Video 1 can now go full screen via the F2 key. Unlike videos, this engine still can't receive click events, so to compensate, for users who need something to click for full screen, there's now an option in the settings window for a full screen toggle bar to appear under the video 1 display if needed.
  • CPU meter now runs all the time, and not just when a song is playing.
  • Double clicking the CPU meter now brings up Windows task manager. This helps identify other background processes that are using CPU cycles.
  • In the advanced tab of the settings window, the "Backup/Compact/Repair Database" button has had the word "Backup" removed. It still backs up the database, but the main purpose of the backup is to be safe in case something happens during the compact/repair process. Users were given a false impression that this is all they needed to backup as well, and that's not the case. Users who wish to keep backups of their Karma Data should backup the entire Karma Data folder.
  • "Printer" tab on settings window renamed to "Reports" which is a more accurate description since "Page setup" is labeled within the tab.
  • Changed the default list background color on the Next Singer Display from Black to Transparent. This way, when first time users change the background image, they will see it behind the list instead of being confused as to why they don't see it.
  • Removed "Edit Folder" option from media setup window. The new database model links all other data around the file's path, so any change of folder location might as well be the same as deleting it and adding a new one, and the edit button gave users the impression that they could move folders around and keep all related data and they can't.

New in Karma 2015.4.20 (Apr 28, 2015)

  • Added new "Singers by Song Variety" report, which ranks singers not by total performances, but by how many "different" songs they have performed

New in Karma 2015.4.14 (Apr 14, 2015)

  • Fixed bug in media category selection restore after media DB update.

New in Karma 2015.1.28 (Jan 29, 2015)

  • Added 4 new reports to reports generator (Filler Songs by Play Count, Karaoke Songs by Play Count, Karaoke Tracks by Play Count, and Singers by Performance Count)

New in Karma 2015.1.23 (Jan 24, 2015)

  • Added new reports section under the main menu and the first 3 of many reports to come. The compressed version of the singer history report (that groups songs and totals performances) that is visible on the rotation singer window can also be accessed from the rotation singer window with a new "History Report" button. This is convenient if a singer wants a copy of his/her history at a show and you can print it out right there or export and email a PDF copy.
  • Added ability to delete entries from the player history window using the DEL key on your keyboard.
  • Added "Backup/Compact/Repair Database" button to the advanced tab of the settings window. One click will make a backup copy of the current database into the new "Database Backups" folder (located in the Karma Data folder) and properly name it with date and time, then compact and repair the current database, and report to you how many bytes of disc space have been saved in the new file.
  • Added confirmation dialog on "Delete History" button on singer database window.
  • Fixed bug where currently playing song would not get saved upon exiting Karma under certain scenarios, like when played from player history. An extra resave of the datashow file is now executed upon program exit to cover all scenarios.
  • Fixed Singer History view in rotation singer window. Previously, all data including pitch, tempo, starttime, etc.. was grouped in the dataview, which caused any changes in pitch, tempo, etc.. to visually make a separate record, even though it should have been grouped in the count with the other matching records. The program now groups by path, and later retrieves the other info on demand when needed to add to the singer's playlist.
  • Added additional code to XML conversion subroutine for users who upgrade from 2014 and older versions. Previously, the program would take a singer history record and search for the same file path in the current media database, and if it didn't exist, it was assumed the song no longer existed. The problem? Some users have moved files since they were first added to the singer history and now reside in different folders. In the old versions, the program would attempt to play these files by searching for the song in the current database by comparing title, artist, and discid, and hopefully finding a match to play. However, in the conversion process, this wasn't done, but now is. It also no longer requires a complete match on the DiscID field, but only to match the first 2 characters of the manufacturer code. This covers certain rare scenarios like KJs who originally never used track numbers in their DiscIDs, but later added them.

New in Karma 2015.0.15 (Dec 19, 2014)

  • Fixed issue with singers deleted from singer database window reappearing after reload.
  • Player History window now closes with the Esc key like other windows and also now forwards function key presses to the main window like others already do.
  • Player History window can now be navigated with the keyboard and the enter key will bring up the media object window for the selected row the same way it does in the media grid.
  • In addition to right-clicking the now playing title bar, the Player History window can now be called up the using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+H

New in Karma 2015.0.14 (Nov 19, 2014)

  • Fixed issue with removing or editing media folders, which, even after clicking "update database", the previous records would still show up in the media database until Karma was reloaded.
  • When removing a media folder from the media folders list, the program now prompts the user to make sure they know that all associated records will also be deleted.

New in Karma 2015.0.12 (Oct 24, 2014)

  • Fixed issue with not displaying individual song history (in player history window) for songs that contained apostrophes in their path. This also fixes the issue where after attempting to view this scenario, the player history window would show the startpoint and endpoint settings in additional columns.
  • Although the reports section is not yet complete, at this stage, the ActiveReports engine has been merged into the code and all the required assemblies have been added to the setup file, increasing the download package size. Proper copyright notice has been added to the about screen as well.

New in Karma 2015.0.11 (Oct 20, 2014)

  • Fixed issue with file paths that contained apostrophes not being properly added to player history.
  • SFX panel is now hidden by default on new installations. Data shows that the majority of users don't use them, so it makes sense to make more room for the SPI indicator, which is always more accurate to view and set when it has a wider area to display itself. Users can still set it to be viewed and its view state is still recorded in user settings.

New in Karma 2015.0.10 (Oct 15, 2014)

  • Fixed issue with XML conversions done after .06 release, so that correct date and time of last performance is now correct in singer history conversions. Users who wish to correct this should delete the KarmaDB file and run again to convert the times properly in the old singer histories.

New in Karma 2015.0.8 (Oct 15, 2014)

  • Streamlined XML conversion code. Previously, it would read the converted data into RAM and then write it all at once and give the user a message saying it may take a couple minutes. The code now saves the data as its coming in real time every 100 records, so there's no longer a saving "wait" phase where the user doesn't know how long it will take. The user can now watch the record count as its converting and get an idea of how long it will take by the progress.
  • Fixed second issue with singer history conversion from 0.6 release.
  • Added section to tips section of help file with recommendation about not storing files into too many subfolders. This may prevent some users from hitting the 255 character limit on the new DB format, and on old FAT formatted drives.

New in Karma 2015.0.7 (Oct 13, 2014)

  • Fixed issue in 0.6 release that prevented proper conversion of singer history from 2014 or older versions.

New in Karma 2015.0.5 (Oct 6, 2014)

  • Fixed issue where renaming a file from the media object window to a file name that already exists previously caused an error. The program now messages the user that an existing file with that name already exists.
  • Double clicking an item in the new player history window now brings up the media object window for that file, enabling you to play the song, add it to the playlist or a singer.
  • Right clicking an item in the media list after it's been selected (with a left click), will now bring up the player history for that song.
  • Widened Player History window
  • Player History grid now auto receives the focus with a mouseover like the main screen grids so that users using a mouse with a wheel won't need to first select an item to scroll.
  • Player History now displays row count in parentheses in title bar like main screen grids.

New in Karma 2015.0.4 (Oct 2, 2014)

  • Fixed issue with error on removing folders from the media setup window.
  • Program now displays a message box warning when user attempts to add a folder to the list of media folders if it already exists in the list.

New in Karma 2015.0.3 (Oct 1, 2014)

  • Fixed "Index was outside the bounds of the array" error on program start on fresh installs.

New in Karma 2015.0.2 (Sep 30, 2014)

  • Fixed bug in media file edit panel so that predefined functions assigned to keys (like P for play) are now disabled while the edit panel is visible.
  • Fixed bug in media file rename process that affected standalone MP3 files.

New in Karma 2014.9.1 (Sep 2, 2014)

  • This release improves crossthread operations and updated framework version checking in the setup file.

New in Karma 2014.5.25 (Jun 2, 2014)

  • This release contains a new singer history search box, fixes an issue with zip files properly displaying the waveform in the playlist object window, and a couple other performance improvements.

New in Karma 2014.4.5 (Apr 7, 2014)

  • This release contains minor touch ups to auto updater, font sizing and the help file.

New in Karma 2014.3.19 (Mar 20, 2014)

  • This release adds new touch scrolling with inertia, upgrades the .Net framework, audio engine, waveform engine, and grids, and also fixes a bug in the last release with video playing.

New in Karma 2014.3.18 (Mar 18, 2014)

  • This release fixes a bug in the media object window.

New in Karma 2014.3.9 (Mar 10, 2014)

  • This release adds a new SFX stop, "Add to Playlist" button on the media object window, a bug fix and a couple other improvements.

New in Karma 2014.1.28 (Jan 29, 2014)

  • This release adds a new "New Show" options window, better GUI sizing, and additional improvements, but also adds now requires a minimum screen width of 1280.

New in Karma 2013.11.27 (Nov 28, 2013)

  • This release updates the branding under the new Karaosoft name and minor touch ups on the splash and about screens.

New in Karma 2013.8.12 (Aug 13, 2013)

  • This release fixes a minor bug in the singer database window.

New in Karma 2013.7.26 (Aug 1, 2013)

  • Redesigned object windows with larger buttons and fonts in certain areas for easier use with touch screens.
  • Redesigned Rotation Singer window to enable room for larger font sizes.
  • Removed pitch column from singer history for space reasons (and because pitch isn't something needed to be referenced when browsing a history). If you want to see the pitch set for a song, you'll need to queue it up first.
  • Pitch column is now hidden by default on playlist grid.
  • Default Font Size raised from 11 to 12 due to the growth of the average screen resolution.
  • Maximum font size allowed (from font slider) raised from 16 to 20 to accommodate larger screens and touch screens.
  • Removed secondary control panel sizing buttons and replaced with a single visibility toggle. Secondary control panel height now automatically scales proportionately with the changing of font size.
  • Full Screen toggle now defaults to on. This is a much more appropriate way to run the app using as much screen space as possible and helps with accidental closing of the app.
  • "New Show" button has been moved to an item on the main menu.
  • Added performance tip to help file about closing Karma before putting the computer to sleep.

New in Karma 2013.1.19 (Jan 21, 2013)

  • This release fixes a couple issues related to tempo value resetting and display.

New in Karma 2013.1.17 (Jan 17, 2013)

  • This release contains a redesigned tempo control with less of a range for easier more granular control.

New in Karma 2013.1.6 (Jan 8, 2013)

  • Improved code for performance in Windows 8 and Windows 7.

New in Karma 2012.10.8 (Oct 9, 2012)

  • Slightly streamlined rotation logic further to save a few cpu cycles.
  • Audio engine tweaks for clearer pass-through on certain audio changes.
  • Added option to settings window to only show singers with queued songs in "Next Up" lists. Even though we don't agree with the use of this option, the number of people requesting it has reached a tipping point. The "Next Up" display on the rotation list will still advance to the next singer regardless of whether the singer has a song in, and this is to allow for the KJ to have the option to let that person to squeeze a song in during the previous singer's performance, but the view on the secondary monitor will still only show the next person with a song in.

New in Karma 2012.9.28 (Sep 28, 2012)

  • Updated the Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 runtime (required for the PP CDG engine) to the SP1 version which is now included in the setup package. This also fixes a hash tag issue with the last installer when a user did not have Karma previously installed and the installer downloaded the component from the internet.

New in Karma 2012.9.24 (Sep 25, 2012)

  • Some minor coding improvements in rotation logic speed.
  • Added option to settings window to turn off automatic check for updates on startup.

New in Karma 2012.8.6 (Aug 7, 2012)

  • Added iCroons link to main menu for finding new songs or referencing existing ones.

New in Karma 2012.4.9 (Apr 10, 2012)

  • Fixed minor bug in Next Singers Display that would only show "singer 1, singer 2, etc.." when turning on the NSD the first time from the settings window

New in Karma 2012.3.7 (Mar 8, 2012)

  • Added ability to change the words for "Now Playing", "singing", and "by" in the scroller for audiences that speak a different language. This setting is on the scroller tab in the settings windows under the video 2 settings tab. This setting won't kick in until the next song is played but will also be reflected in the title bar of the "Now Playing" box on the main screen as well.

New in Karma 2012.3.1 (Mar 2, 2012)

  • Coding improvements for better cpu performance under certain scenarios and streamlined linkage in audio engine.
  • Corrected CRF reference in help file to XF.

New in Karma 2012.1.29 (Jan 30, 2012)

  • Fixed additional DPI affected screen visuals including the "add singer" dialog, the singer database window, and some objects in the settings window.
  • Added some additional useful information to the help file.

New in Karma 2012.1.23 (Jan 24, 2012)

  • Fixed issue with windows scaling when windows dpi settings are changed from their defaults. This was especially noticeable on the playlist object window where the buttons would previously appear partially hidden when windows dpi was scaled above 100%. At 125%, some text on buttons would wrap, where now the buttons have been scaled wide enough to accommodate. Just as a precautionary measure, we've increased the height of popup window buttons to enable wrapping under unforeseen dpi scenarios.
  • Reduced RAM usage during load procedure, and slightly improved load time.

New in Karma 2012.1.3 (Jan 21, 2012)

  • Fixed issue caused when certain other karaoke products were installed on the same machine and option 3 was selected on the advanced tab.

New in Karma 2012.0.3 (Dec 22, 2011)

  • Adjusted forced .Net runtime versions in app config to alleviate some issues that we've been unable to reproduce here with audio device compatibility.
  • KCdgPlayer.dll updated to version 1.2.9. This is just an official version stamp after certifying the current engine stable.
  • Changed wording on CDG engine hybrid mode from "(recommended default)" to just "(default)" since option 3 is actually recommended for dual screen scenarios where video 1 is not needed to go full screen.

New in Karma 2011.10.2 (Nov 1, 2011)

  • New Filler Volume slider, Full Screen toggle, Video 2 margin settings, and other improvements in this release.

New in Karma 2011.9.19 (Sep 19, 2011)

  • New MPX switch, autoscaling secondary controls, ability to choose number of singers listed in the scroller, and other improvements in this release.

New in Karma 2011.0.2 (Dec 31, 2010)

  • Added WAV+G support, venue message saving, and a couple bug fixes and improvements in this release.

New in Karma 2011.0.0 (Nov 10, 2010)

  • This initial 2011 release contains a lot of underlying improvements to the programming framework. Additional features will be added in the coming weeks and will be updated via the auto-update feature.

New in Karma 2010.4.20 (Apr 21, 2010)

  • A couple of improvements in this release including a wider rotation singer window with a new layout, new mnemonic keys for starting a song without the need for the mouse at all, the ability to drag songs from the playlist to a singer to change assignment and more

New in Karma 2010.0.28 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • Added full international keyboard support and updated .Net framework in this release.

New in Karma 2010.0.16 (Dec 5, 2009)

  • Added options for auto full screen on karaoke and videos and fixed video 1 hiding issue in this release

New in Karma 2010.0.15 (Dec 1, 2009)

  • Fixed a couple visual bugs and some previous installation issues in this release. The installer has been improved and the download size has been reduced by over 2MB.

New in Karma 2009 (Dec 21, 2008)

  • Video Support for AVI, MPEG, and WMV videos ( requires installation of a codec pack that supports DirectShow )
  • 10-band graphic equalizer