Laserium DSOTM 'eVent'.. 'n ya'll'r invited... :)

[dsli_jon]

Hey Kats -

OK, so I finally have gotten barely enough of a breather to get these clips up - more to come, soon, but for now, thought I'd add some 'fuel to the fire' / inspiration for all of you'z that have been 'intrigued' by 'old skool fx' that have been championed as-of-late via the fine threads and/or werks of DZ, mikkojay, LaserWizard, lasershowsimon, etc, etc, etc...

Now, I called this an 'e-Vent', cause that's, basically, how I'm proposing you 'view / enjoy' it - it is Laserium's full-length production of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of The Moon", all glorious 46 min of it, online...

However, I do feel that I should make a few 'prologue' comments - actually, - suggestion: Start your 'downloads' (see suggestion #3, below..) and while they are 'downloading', you can read this 'category: buffo' comment (kiddin..)

1. These style-shows are not for everybody - yes, some people will find them 'boring' - these likely are also the people who find it necessary to crush/snort lines of 'pop-rocks' and chase them with coca-cola, just to make it thru the morning... kidding... My advice is, if you find that you do NOT have chills / goose-bumps when you get to the first 'torture-tube/lumia overlay' at about 1:33-into 'Speak to Me', you should probably turn it off and not-continue watching - this show is likely not 'for you' (...I am not kidding... ok yes, I am..)

2. While ideally, these shows are watched live (of course), the only 'practical'-way I can 'bring this out to you all' is via YuckTube , and as-such, you should know that this is at least 3rd-4th-Gen video - likely, it was first shot on 8mm, then transferred to 3/4" VHS, then (possibly) to 1/2" VHS, then digitized to Quicktime, then on-into YuckTube - so, this means that watching this incredible laser show, here, will be about as 'close to the original experience' as international-long-distance phone-sex, with a wooden-condom... AND, since YuckTube limits 'clips' to 10 min or less, it will be like that same 'international-long-distance phone-sex with a wooden-condom' - interrupted by the doorbell 5 times!!

3. So the suggested 'viewing-approach' would be to either A. load each of these clips into a new window or tab in your favorite browser, and once 'open' (but not-yet loaded), hit "PAUSE", so they can all finish downloading, before you watch one-at-a-time - this-way, you will 'minimize' the otherwise really-annoying wait between segments... (this approach however, will quickly-reveal how much RAM you really have ) OR - B. download (literally) each clip onto your HD, and 'stitch' together in your favorite Quicktime-movie-editing program, and, then - 'njoy'... (...but obviously, please don't let Ivan find this show being 'sold on eBay or something on DVD' - ASCAP will tear you a new one! )

4. I also don't make any claims that this show could not be 'improved-upon' / that it is THE ULTIMATE Floyd show EVER, etc - but keep in mind that this show, as your seeing it, was made in 1984 (!) so, yeah, it might-could use a few 3DStudioMax frames, here and there (ie: Money) ... On the other hand, this:




... is how we 'played' the show in the recently-departed (RIP, Vine... *sniff*) Hollywood location, and I am sure you, as laserists, will 'see' where, in this show, were perfect-ops, for beam-work ,etc - well, we certainly did and man, it ROCKED in there, even being this 'old'...

Laserium shows were always-about being 'subjective' and not 'filling-in TOO-much of the blanks' / letting people use their imagination, each seeing something different in the 'clouds / waves' - one reason the aspect of the 'live laserist' was always so great - each would bring a 'unique flavor / style' to the same show, with different lumia-sets / scan-glasses or via 'tweeking' the abstracts / cycloids, etc...which brings me to my next 'point' ..

5. In the video-process, apparently YuckTube 'de-interlaces' the video, because these otherwise pretty-killer-lookin cycloids/abstracts (in-spite of the video being 4th Gen, etc) are 'missing' a LOT of segments / sections - so, just try and imagine how awesome some of these cycloids / color-mods were / are in 'real-life' - again, here, think: 'phone-sex with a wooden condom'... just - not - the - same...

6. Lastly, you'll note that some of the abstracts / cycloids, etc appear as tiny 'blobs' in the projection-area, this is because A. these shows were designed for a fairly-long throw to a dome-ceiling, and B. often were kept 'small' / tight, so the Laserist could shoot them thru a scan-glass, if-desired, like an x-grating, which would still allow for some 'separation' (vs a LARGE image, which would all just 'mush-together'..) - in fact, this video was probably a 'training-video', not shot with video being the 'final-product' in-mind...

So, sorry for the long-winded way to basically let you know that video just SUX as a medium to show you all this otherwise, amazing-show - I'll shut-up now, and let you get to making some popcorn ...getting chill with some of your favorite 'reality-altering-substance(s)' and, as we used to say at the theater, ' ...just sit back...
r e l a x... and enjoy your 'trip'... to the Dark Side of the Moon... with Laserium...

Laserium DSOTM Part 1 of 6

Laserium DSOTM Part 2 of 6

Laserium DSOTM Part 3 of 6

Laserium DSOTM Part 4 of 6

Laserium DSOTM Part 5 of 6

Laserium DSOTM Part 6 of 6

...Hope you find the show as 'inspiring' as I do... ..and some other 'oldies but goodies' - (more to come, soon... )

Laserium CSL 'Come Sail Away'

Laserium CSL 'Wild Life'

'njoy...
j

[mikkojay]

Holy crap that is wicked! Thanks for the early Xmas present- gotta go watch some more...
-Mike

[Displaser]

Very nice - thanks Jon for getting those posted.

[carlos3621]

Shit! , the laserium @ vine / hollywood closed down allready?!

[Jem]

Brilliant John, just brilliant... and that's just the start , must watch more

It must be absolutely mind blowing watching it 'live'.

Thanks for sharing it with us and all the very best in your 'new' venture.

Cheers

Jem

[allthatwhichis]

Thank you for posting this Jon! DSotM was awesome! I do understand you on the quality thing; I definatly got a few splinters from that...

[chad]

Thank you so much for posting that! It brings back memory's.
I have seen that show hundreds of times. I still find myself reaching for the minolta and other controls

chad

[clandestiny]

what happend? thats it? its closed

[drlava]

Really great combination of effects you have, very artful and entertaining. Wth the care that has gone into the timing and 'feel' of the effects (including lumia) and how they relate to the music, it doesn't make the mind compartmentalize and and marginalize the effects, but draws it in, looking for interesting detail and relationships.

thanks for sharing!

[chad]

Lava A huge percentage of that is all being done live. Some stuff came from the tape some from the oscillator banks and some from the show opp. Some tape stuff you could consider a seed, that the op would take and do the rest live.

Back then it was not just a hit play on pangolin and sit back and watch. Laserarium would build the show and build in the seeds then a operator would fly out and train the local op on the show with note cards that had instructions on presetting osc banks and effects and switch positions. Then the local op would preform the show live.

That is partially what made the shows so great. There was never s show that was exactly the same, similar yes but not exact.

Dsl, can you get a shot of the console?

chad

p.s. It has been a lot of years please correct me if i am wrong.

[Pitts]

Jon really great many thanks for posting.. its inspiring stuff old or not..
got to find time to get this lumia thing sorted it adds so much to a show..
Cheers
Ray
NZ

[Insanity]

WOW!!!!! That is one amazing show... Love the lumia effects, must get me some of these...

Mark

[dave321]

awsome ! i saw some laserium shows in the late 70's at the london planetarium
great classic shows

thanks for sharing
dave321

[ImageLight]

Wow, reminds me of the old days at the planetarium. Must say LFI never had lumia
that even came close to that. Thanks for posting the show Jon.

Mark

[chad]

True but with LFIs dual color mod they could create color that was out of this world..

Chad

[Jem]

Is there anywhere left in the UK that's still doing this sort of thing.

I only know of two Planatariums in the UK, the one in London and a temporary one at Harewood House near Leeds. Don't know what gear they are using though.. Anyone know?

I'd love to visit a decent Planetarium, I have memories of being taken to the London one by my parents as a kid.

One of the most awe inspiring sights i've ever seen was the view of space from Whistler (Nr Vancouver). I've never seen so many stars in my life as I saw that night, it was truly awe inspiring. Made me realise how much pollution we have in the UK

Cheers

Jem

[dsli_jon]

Hey Kats -

Thank for all the great comments! - I'll pass them along to Ivan, which will, I am sure, bring at least a small smile to his face - sorely needed, these days..

what happend? thats it? its closed

Wow - even Clan came out! yeah, sadly, the investors-management / lunatics took over the asylum and screwed the pooch (how's that for a cliche-cocktail... ) I knew it was doomed when the 'marketing manager' basically hijacked the website and turned it into that hideous sack of entrails that got up - he didn't even ASK Ivan's (or anyones') approval - can you IMAGINE trying to sell LASERIUM - without SHOWING LASERIUMs images?????? 'Stock photography' of $#!%y club-laser-crap, are you INSANE??? THIS is what needed to be put up, (and waaaaaay less text / BS and 'staged' video-clips) :

Supernovi_lo_wm.jpgOscillatin_lo_wm.jpgFutuRchik_lo_wm.jpgStargasm_lo_wm.jpgPlanet Storm_lo_wm.jpgCellular_lo_wm.jpgTriWhirl_lo_wm.jpgSwirlnWhirln_lo_wm.jpg

...*sigh* oh, well - but as it has in the past, this great 'Phoenix' will rise-again - 'don't know how, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again, some suuunnnyy daaaaaayyy'!

Lava A huge percentage of that is all being done live. Some stuff came from the tape some from the oscillator banks and some from the show opp. Some tape stuff you could consider a seed, that the op would take and do the rest live... with note cards that had instructions on presetting osc banks and effects and switch positions. Then the local op would preform the show live.

That is partially what made the shows so great. There was never s show that was exactly the same, similar yes but not exact.

Dsl, can you get a shot of the console?

p.s. It has been a lot of years please correct me if i am wrong.

yes, Chad, you are pretty-much spot-on - the only difference is that 'today', we brought all 'recorded' material into Ableton Live (used like a 'conductor') and then we could turn-on / off midi info (controlling all actuators / scan-glasses, etc) so the show could be 'more-' or 'less-live', on-demand... and thus, we eliminated ADATs, and also, could go-in and cut/paste / tweek / color-mod, etc - not necessarily the 'ultimate' solution, but it did eliminate the 'fragile' ADAT-factor / neatly-harness all midi-data, etc...

Anyhoo, here's that 'console' for ya - DZ - here ya go buddy - the most Ultimate analog oscillator bank twiddler / synthesizer ever built!

Laserium 6B StudioA_old.JPGLaserium 6B Griffs restore.JPG

...Now, who wants to help me 'emulate' this and get it all packed-into a small box / touch-screen?? - 'and together, we can rule the galaxy as Father and Son...'

Please join me in a moment of silence... ok, back to werk!

ciao
j

[Jem]

Hi Jon

Those attachments appear to be invalid

Cheers

Jem

Edit... Oop's i'm too quick... You've corrected them

[buffo]

They're working fine for me, Jeremy...

Adam

[Jem]

Yeah, Jon must have corrected them whilst I was posting

[mophead]

Those consoles are drop dead sexy. So many buttons to mash and knobs to twist......


What do the joysticks do?

[mixedgas]

Anyhoo, here's that 'console' for ya - DZ - here ya go buddy - the most Ultimate analog oscillator bank twiddler / synthesizer ever built!

No, not exactly. Perhaps the best loved and most used. I had access to one that needed three 19" racks of support gear for about two weeks a few years ago. I'm told it was recently destroyed. Its results were highly viewed, but perhaps with not as much sales as Laserium.

Jon, look at it this way, since you have worked on it, the knowledge of how to do it, will not die as fast...

Steve

[blowfly]

Holy flashbacks! Watching this I felt like i was 17 again, staring up at the Planetarium laser show at Omsi in Portland. This kind of sh*t is why I've always wanted to build a projector.

Truely beautiful and inspiring John. Thanks for providing the creative stimulation. This show sets a high bar, I love it!

Mike

PS. Are there just two RGB projectors at work here?

[dsli_jon]

Hey Mike -

Holy flashbacks! ...PS. Are there just two RGB projectors at work here?

Glad you enjoyed the show... got more to post (The Wall, others... ) but too busy with shows right now to finish the ripping / uploading, etc... RE: the projector, nope - just one projector, with 2 X-Y channels and one 4-position 'rail' for fx / lumia... thus the 'Legendary CSL' title... ...the art was more in the Laserists 'performance', since this is a 'recording' of, in fact, a live performance -

More to come, and hopefully, oneday, I will be able to come back and annouce we're putting these on, again, live, somewhere... only THIS TIME, WE'LL BE IN CHARGE...

peace..
j

[laserist]

For the record:Laserium%206B%20StudioA_old_annotated.JPG
some of the functions moved around over the years...
And the joysticks have the damping mod, so there really should be a control box over the right joystick.

Thanks for the photo, it brought back fond memories...

Brian