I think what the VSM site is talking about on the iPod incompatability issue is the video part not working with some iCue2 units.

Gothick...my iCue2 Soundbox PA shipped out to me today via UPS.

Steve

I am also having a problem with my icue2. I spoke with Kelly over the phone, not the most pleasant person I have ever spoken with. I will be sending mine in for a repair and he said it should only take a day once they receive it. I have two shows this coming weekend and hate to not have it. I like the product, when it worked, but the level of customer service so far does not give me high hopes.

Fast Eddie
Too bad you say "Kelly wasn't the most pleasant person you've ever spoken with."
In Kelly's defence, not that I need to defend him, but you may just have got him on a bad day.
I've dealt with Kelly at the WMS, he was the nicest, most pleasant guy I could have met. He accomodated my every need which even included meeting me in the Dealers room 3 hours before it opened as I couldn't stay the remaining day to pick up my purchases. Trust me, he really is a nice guy.

Never having met Kelly in person, I can't comment on that, but he (and Patti) have always been more than accomodating to me whenever I've emailed or called.

Steve

I've been lurking here for weeks, debating which direction I'm going to go in, as I've decided to take the plunge and invest in one of these sound systems. The two choices have been ICUE 2 and MP3 Tech. I've read ALL the posts, did my share of Google research, and even spoke to current customers of both camps.

Both have great features, both have solid pedigrees. But in the end, I need to know that I can rely on somebody calling me back, or showing me that I really am a valued customer and bending over backwards to make me feel it. If somebody says I'll have something next week or in a few days or will call me back, it simply needs to happen. No excuses.

And, as I'm not very tech savvy, I need to know that I can get quick technical support. And if something should ever go wrong and I have to send it in for repair or replacement, I don't want to be afraid that it won't get back to me in a timely manner, jeopardizing the impact of scheduled performances.

In short, I don't want to have to worry so much...

Wireless Wizardry wins. Tomorrow morning I'm picking up the phone and ordering an MP3 Tech.

Ruben

I got the Wireless Wizardry a while back after hearing about bad customer service from the other mob. Yes it is a hassle changing on the fly with Wireless Wizardry but I never ever need to do it. Sometimes I just look at my screen and skip a track. Besides if your really want you can have 10 playlists of 100 songs per SD card. They are so cheap you can carry many around if you need to.

Just a side note, being into robotics, I noticed that WW uses rougue robotics mp3 player: http://www.roguerobotics.com/products/electronics/ump3, this is just the basic module they use and all the wizardry is done with there own stuff.

Andy

Ruben

Having used WW stuff for years now and have been using the mp3tech now for two years and I love it ove more so than my showtech. If you should have any questions please email I would be more than happy to help you if you have problems. I doubt you will the MP3 is pretty much as easy as they come. The neat thing is something goes wrong with it Kerry is right on top it.

Ken

I had a problem with my ShowTech...contacted WW folks. They basically told me it was my fault and I was programming it wrong. That went on for about a year. Finally, they must've had someone they liked more than they liked me tell them they were having the exact same problem. They diagnosed it, found out there was a series of bad chips. They sent me another chip for me to replace. They INSISTED that I return the old chip so they could reuse it, too. That left a really bad taste in my mouth, especially since for that entire year, my auto pause feature and anti-sleep feature would only work when they decided they would.

That's one (of many) reasons I went with the VSM. My iCue2 Soundbox PA is on the UPS truck to be delivered here today.

Steve

This makes No sense. Why would they asked (insist) you return a bad chip to reuse???

When I received my Mp3 Tech two weeks ago I had a bad remote that didn't hold the program for the reverse function. WW sent me the programing instructions immediately, unfortunately it was a hardware problem and WW sent me a replacement remote, never a question about sending back the bad one. In fact I never even got to the chance to ask for a replacement they just offered to replace it. Can't get much easier than that.

Way to go Reuben, I know you'll get years of trouble free use with your Mp3Tech.

All teh best,

John

It was almost more than INSISTENCE...it was almost an ORDER to send the old chip back. They said they would reprogram it and reuse it. Like..how much does a chip cost?

Steve

Wow, it cost me $30 to send my unit back to VSM as per their instructions.

Well, as with everything else in life, I can only go on what I'm told. I'm not a human lie detector, nor am I a personal friend of Kelly Duro, just a customer who does his research. I don't want anyone (especially ME) to be ripped off. I pre-ordered my Soundbox on 11/4, and I consider it to be worth the wait.

I remember a few years ago when a video was being advertised by a very popular (at that time) magician named David Harkey. I LOVED Harkey's stuff. I ordered and paid for the video. Turns out it hadn't been produced or shot yet. The preorder money was going to defray the cost of the production of the video. Back then, it was VHS, so it wasn't a simple process, either. I waited a while. Some people were wary of why it was taking so long, but I waited. Got the tape, and loved it. These days of instant gratification, patience doesn't seem to be a virtue.

I don't think Kelly Duro is the Jeff Busby of 2008, so I'm not worried. If you preordered, it will come.

Steve

It is obvious that VSM has problems releasing it's new system. I assume, due too operational problems. If they release it before they should due to customer pressure, then what problems can we as customers expect after it is in our hands. The last thing I want is too send it back to VSM for adjustment or repair. After spending this kind of money I want something that works and something I can depend on for years. What makes me hesitant in purchasing the new iCue2 system is exactly that.

How about telling Sony and the Ipod makers and MP3 makers to quit changing their products every quarter. How about shoddy manufacturing practices from China with soldier that breaks if you look at it wrong. Kelly works with what he gets obviously. He tries to provide a service utilizing other manufacturer's items that I'm sure is frustrating even to him. I really don't think he is in the business to rip people off. I have had good luck with mine, knock on wood. I called them today about CD player compatibility since I use a Walkman. I went to the usual solid waste distributors this morning, Circuit City, Best Buy, you know, the purveyors of soon-to-be-junk. Of course, the CD player I purchased last year was long gone from their shelves.

Kelly's product is the same as it ever was, only that he has to keep modifying it for you performers personal choices of audio equipment.

The best bet is to have both types of sound equipment just in case you do need a back up. That is why I just ordered a new CD player from VSM today, my current one works, for now, but possibly next week? They said it would ship today. I will inform you of the delivery.

Dr. Solar

Go for Soundmaster – It’s a small unit that includes the player – Operates over 100 Random sounds at the instant you want em and also unlimited sequential tracks, if fact two unlimited sequential tracks, Fwd and reverse and back to start, it is on the go sound control and operates from a small Sharpie, or a magic wand – or a five button unit that operates from inside your card case. The Unit can operate Portable speakers or your portable amp as it is battery operated. Plug into the theatre sound system for amazing results

It also has a three button Thumb Tip control unit

The unit has a lifetimes guarantee – It is upgradeable, every time an upgrade is available all you do is change the chip.

The 12 button pen sender operates a range of other items, Calculators, light bulbs – It will soon operate a relay switch turning motors on and off and many other exiting things are in the pipeline.

You can start with Soundmaster light and then whenever you want just upgrade it to the Pro model.

We are using it in Australia – It works like a dream - If I want a backing track to start on cue – I have control, I want a roll of drums, click I get it

I then replace the thumbtip in my top pocket and carry on with the magic

E Mail me if you want details - Made by Cesaral so it has to be perfect. It is available now – Have it within 7 days Post free anywhere in the world

My AirClick works fine. I made little adjustment for battery in remote so it's sturder now.

I made iCue2 order also, but no product yet.

My Cd player arived today in the AM just as Patti said it would. I am so happy with these folks. I'll see how it is when I get into the ipod, mp3 player catagory. Until then, They did what they said they would do. Thank you.

Dr. Solar

I think my regular iCue2 already has a connector for a CD player or Sony mini-disc.

Steve

Okay... I said I would post my experience using the product and I have finally had a chance to rehearse and perform using my iCue2.

Despite the delays in receiving the product and the refurbished iPod (which still hasn't arrived- Patti's working on it), my iCue2 does work as advertised.

I perform music & puppet shows for children, and the first show I wanted to use the iCue2 for is a princess-themed birthday show that I've been booking a LOT since I created it a couple months ago.

I created sound effects to add humor and atmosphere, and chose music to create mood and ease transitions from one scene to another. I have also recorded dialogue with "off stage" characters, which greatly enhances the "reality" of the show. Suddenly, I'm not just a guy talking out the side of my mouth. Now there's actually dialogue coming from the other side of my stage.

It was pretty easy to figure out how to set up the playlists on my iPod. I have an iPod shuffle I've used for years and am familiar with iTunes. So that was easy.

The iCue2 wouldn't work with my Shuffle, so I had to buy an older iPod nano on eBay, which has worked just fine so far. I synced it to my show playlist, and the "quick start" page of the iCue2 manual got me going right away. It's important to follow those directions. But so far, following the directions, the iCue2 has worked perfectly.

First I just played around with the remote, testing everything, seeing how it all worked, how far away I can be and still control the unit, how long the dual action buttons must be pushed, etc.

For example, the "volume down" button doubles as the "auto fade/pause" button if you hold it down longer. That has taken some getting used to. (Several times during performances this weekend I meant to fade out but actually only just decreased the volume. But with practice, I think this won't be a problem.)

Then, I did two complete run throughs of the show to see where the remote needed to be at each point during the story. It didn't come with a belt clip, and I didn't have time to find one this week, so I was carrying it in various pockets and strategically placing the remote for easy access during the show. This, too, will take some getting used to.

The rehearsals were crucial, and gave me some experience, as well as indicating which songs/effects needed level adjustments. Some of them were too loud, some were too soft. Those are adjustments I can make within iTunes and GarageBand (which I used to create some effects and record dialogue) to make sure there is a consistent level throughout.

I was admittedly more nervous than usual performing the shows this weekend. My focus was very much on whether the iCue2 would work and (heaven forbid) what would I do if it didn't? I am happy to report that it all worked very smoothly. No problems at all.

I will obviously need a lot more experience with the remote, as I needed to look at it every time I pressed a button, which naturally drew everyone's attention to it. Once I am more comfortable with the button positions, I will be able to operate it without looking and keep my focus on the audience or one of my puppets.

So... after one night of experimenting, two run throughs of the show, and three complete performances, I will report that my iCue2 worked very well and that having more music and sound effects greatly enhanced the production value of the show. This definitely opens a whole new world of possibilities for my shows.

Now... how will company respond if I have a problem with the unit? That remains to be seen.

But it definitely works, I'll say that much. And it definitely enhances the shows. I remember watching a Ken Scott video where he talked about using music by remote, and then discussing it with John Cooper who recommended the iCue2, which he uses in his shows. I'm glad I've taken this step, and I'm excited to experiment and see how much more I can do with remote control sound in my shows!

You'll get used to it!

Steve