I just wanted to let everyone know that I received my Stagecue remote system from Joe Leskovar in the mail today and I couldn't be any happier. It works like a charm. I am also going to be purchasing the power bar in the near future to run my lighting, ect. For the price, you just can't do any better. Just thought everyone would like to know.......

Hello, I thought I would chime in, as I have read a gratuitous sampling of announcements of this Stage Cue, I hope I am doing this right, I don’t want to get anyone upset.

I became excited about it- but tried to contact the Stage cue guy but he had no response- So, I called the VSM guy and he answered immediately- this says a lot to me.

After talking with the Virtual Soundman guy I was pretty much agreed that he has the simplest and most intuitive set up, the Stage cue looks too sloppy and bulky to me.

As a professional speaker, and one who doesn't have time learn how to tinker with a box of stuff, and still has my VCR set at 12:00(blinking, sorry I am an idiot about this stuff) I want my life simpler. The Stage cue looks like a box of boxes- So I think I will go with the Virtual Soundman instead, besides, he's there when I need him at a moments notice. He has a much better price besides, He is stationed in the U.S. and I don't have to worry about Customs, Duties and taxes for that matter!...

Just my humble thoughts—hope it is fair and balanced...

Hey present...

I've e-mailed Joe at Stagecue. He replied right away! His contact info (phone, email)is very clear on his website. http://www.stagecue.com

I'm surprised that you couldn't find it?? I've recently seen one used at a local mall show this week and it is actually very nicely packaged and has a lot of options.

Not sure which unit I'm going to buy this year...Stagecue or VSM...too bad you didn't get a reply from stagecue.

PS I don't understand your terminology "box of boxes" and "sloppy/bulky"..they both >look< similar to me except for the handheld transmitters and the VSM has 'more' switches on the receiver. as far as I can read, the feature sets are similar as well...anyway.

seeya

Whoa, hey time-out, magic guy— I guess I don’t need you in stereo- with a PM and viola, here is your message again. —(It’s making me a little uncomfortable… No offence please)

I must say that I have never seen someone who was more excited about a product that doesn’t own one himself, as you magic guy…I’ve seen your posts all over about this Stage cue, are you one of his salesman in disguise? Or the inventor himself….hmmm (smile- wink)

I didn't mean to be offensive about the "Box of Boxes" It is just how I see it- They really don't look the similar- it's my opinion- sorry...

Anyway- I am mostly concerned about your product being sold from Canada to the US, as I mentioned- there is customs, duties and taxes to go through. Could be expensive- right?

Then, once you have need for a repair- I have to wait for it to go- and come back again- and that could take 2 weeks while it sits in mail trucks alone. If I get this device to control my music- a very important part of my presentation- I would probably become very attached to it- and could not afford to let it go that long… anyone - ‘ELSE’ - have thoughts on that, and had similar experiences buying things from Canada?

Thank you, for your kind attention,
Dave

I am interested in Stagecue as an alternative choice on the lower end of the market. I've read enough on the praises of VSM. Lets hear more about Stage Cue.

Yes, Well thank you Dennis-

I think you have made it clear about how you feel about the virtual soundman, I sence some really bad Karma,

I think we already started the thread, but I do agree that there needs to be a discussion- one that doesn't end so badly! ...(wink-wink)

bry1513- How long did it take to get the unit in the mail-- and how did you two handle the duties and taxes?

Thanks,
David

Dear 'present'

It's funny how Mr. Majiloon disappeared from these posts and you magically appeared...must have been the leprauchans from St. Patricks Day.

you and him share a very similar writing style and even some of the same spelling mistakes..a signature, per se.

And you even share some of the same skewed remarks when it comes to other products that you say you don't own..Hmmm (wink-wink)

Let's do this..let's have a real conversation about Showtech, Minitech , Stagecue and VSM. Let's have the Magic Café audience give their best response on units that they own or info that they have gathered without beating-up on the competition...this will provide a wealth of >positive< information that will be beneficial to the advancement of the magic field.... not someone's pocketbook.

In the end it's personal preference because of a person's needs and requirements. Let people decide for themselves with out the childish banter, slander, flaming etc....it only hurts you in the end! (pun)

I'm sure that each manufacturer has merits in their system and a different design ideology. That's what's great about capitalism we can all do what we want, legally of course, to make a buck and feed our families.

Positive comments about VSM..I'm sure that there are some..I have seen many here.

Positive comments about Showtech, I've read many and it is the king of remote controllers.

Positive comments about stagecue...I've seen some but this product is new, so time will tell.

Let's have fun without beating up on each other...we're talking about peoples livelyhood here.

anyway..have a nice day

The only system of which I can honestly speak (without heresay) is the original, full ShowTech system from Wireless Wizardry/Kerry Pollack. I've owned that (along with several of his other products) for years now. Customer service is incredible, the unit takes a while to learn, but when you know how to operate it, it's awesome! When people talk about having problems with it and it not being reliable, I think 99% of the time it's a problem with programming. Once you've programmed it to do what you want and when you want, it's very reliable! I've seen others (namely Brian Gillis) use other systems, and they seemed very happy with simply the ability to start, stop and fade out with the BIG remote he had for whatever system he was using. The ShowTech does have some wiring and things to hook up, but I always use it in conjunction with my Peavey MP4 and Peavey 112 speaker pair on stands.

Just my two cents worth (unfortunately the ShowTech costs more than that). I do wish I'd waited about a year until the MiniTech became available. That's more to my needs.

Magically,
Steve Thomas

Sorry I didn't see these posts sooner......please don't let Present scare anyone off. (Who is the salesman in disguise?) Whenever I emailed Mr. Leskovar, I received an almost immediate response. His customer service was outstanding. Since he forgot to include the shipping charges when he first gave me his pricing, he decided to ship it free of charge. (A $25 savings to me.) He also emailed me the instruction booklet prior to shipping so I could be informed and prepared before I received my Stagecue, which took a week for him to ship.
There were no duties, customs or taxes. I just paid for the cost of the product. I'm not sure what Present is talking about. Maybe he's just throwing out as many false claims about the Stagecue as he can which is too bad.
Its also interesting on how Present can comment about the specifics of this product for which he does not even own. First of all, I wouldn't call the Stagecue "bulky". It is 7" x 6" x 2". I'm not sure what Present meant by "boxes of boxes" because it's just that one piece and the remote. And as far as setting it up, you just connect the power, connect it to your MD player, and connect it to your amp.
I have been practicing with the Stagecue and it has worked flawlessly. You can fade your track, pause it, control volume, and switch tracks with the remote which clips to your belt. You can also purchase the ankle remote if you want. For $599, you just can't beat it. You can also buy a power bar for $150 which you can plug in lights, fog machine, ect. which then can be controlled by your remote as well.
Be advised, I'm not a salesman. Just a happy customer. I'm a full time Omaha NE police officer and part time magician. I hope to make many friends here as well as help out anyone I can.....Thanks for your time!

Thanks, Bry—However—I am not a salesman in disguise- my name is David- and last I looked- majiloon did not sign his name as David.. I appreciate you response about shipping, however I think you guys can do without the ugly stuff. If you wanted to talk to me- you could have PM me and I would have been happy to call you personally–

I don’t have either system, and thought I was asking nicely- made the request for discussion-yeah I know I qualified it, but I didn't want anyone to polute the thread--too late-- but now I have been thumb nosed out of the topic, because feelings are hurt.

Sorry –
Just goes to show ya, thanks for the experience

Actually Present I did PM and I have not heard back from you??

Ken Scott

My appolgies Ken, I sent you that PM accidentally, besides you never asked for my number nor did you leave yours...

well see ya- think nice thoughts everybody!

I was interested in a remote unit. I called Joe Leskovar and he got back to me promptly on every occasion and dealt with my concerns in a very helpful and informative manner.

I have tried to compare the products in question.

The Show Tech is a great unit. It is just too pricey for an amateur such as myself. I do note Ken Scott's advice about buying the very best and generally agree with that concept. I just cannot justify the outlay of $2,400US at this time. It is a case of priorites.

That leaves the Mini Tech, VSM and Stagecue.

The Mini Tech is a stripped-down version of the Showtech. However, it is missing too many features which I would require.

Kerry Pollack, of Wireless Wizardry is a real gentleman. Very pleasant and helpful and if I had the money and need, I would give serious consideration to purchasing a Showtech.

The VSM and Stagecue are very similar in capabilities. The Stagecue has a great design, a very small hand-held remote and has had high praise from other working pros with whom I have spoken and who are presently using this product. They are equally happy with the prompt and helpful service from Mr. Leskovar.

I am somewhat dismayed by the comments and the agressive tact taken by the owner of VSM. It is a little over-the-top and too agressive for my liking. The product has had good reviews but I don't want to deal with this type of personality. I particularly refer to the e-mail from the owner of VSM to Dennis Mitchell as well as very demeaning comments in other posts, which I for one, find quite offensive.

After due consideration and having tested the Stagecue, I plan to buy one. The cost is quite reasonable.

Hope this helps others having to go through this analysis.

Let's keep this discussion positive, helpful and most of all in the spirit of camraderie for our love of the magical arts.

Cheers.

Hello, Renaldi,

Thank you for your thoughtful analysis; I appreciate the manner in which you handled it.

I however have not handled myself with proper restraint, and I wish to make profound apologies to everyone that I have insulted. I made some mistakes, and wish I could take it back- but the achieves will not relent in displaying my foolishness.

I hope that you can find it within you to judge me not on the mistakes but with how I am able to handle them, God forbid we should all be judged only on our mistakes instead of how we reconcile them.

If any of the people (present) wishes to vent- please do so with my in personal e-mail, and do not attempt to mix it up here,

Thank you, respectfully, and sincerest repentance,
Kelly Duro

Thank you, Kelly. Very nice post.

Ron

Apology duly accepted Kelly.

Let us now move forward on a cooperative and constructive basis.

Agreed

Thank you everyone for your great posts.....I hope that I have not offended anyone or rubbed anyone the wrong way. I just do not believe that you should be able to post unfavorable messages about persons or products that you have never had experience with. I would highly recommend the Stagecue to anyone and I would be happy to answer any questions about this topic or anything else that comes my way........

Take care, Bry