When I asked for suggestions the other day about a DAC (asked on the basis that I may want a hardware frame buffer and other things I'm nto getting with a Layla24 like extreme portability), Swamidog suggested Etherdream as being maybe the most likely to work for people wanting fully open-sourced systems and plenty of power to do their own thing with them. Given what he can do with this stuff that's a convincing suggestion, and a picture of the device shows a well-built and small piece of kit.
About the current debate on merits of Beyond, I know nothing about it but I will say that many people wrote off the DX7 because the original presets were largely horrible. BIG mistake to do that!
Rather than jumping in with yet more suggestions here, I think I'll just say that you may find that your best resource for DAC research will be the upcoming UKLEM.
I'm sure that most options and opinions will be represented there... so come along and get some "hands on demo" experience!
I'm sure we won't mind sharing our toys!
If in doubt... Give it a clout?
Wow guys! I think I might take WookieBoy's advice and have a look at your toys at the UKLEM.
I think the crazy LSX abstracts that I had seen online were in fact Swami's and it is clear that a lot of skill had gone into them. Mind blowing stuff, which is what I want to give my audiences.... eventually!
Whitelight - you are right. I've watched a few tutorials for Beyond but that's about it. At this stage in the game, the more I see of what others are using and how they are using it, the better. I know very little and don't want to waste the small income I have to fund my laser-addiction on superfluous kit.
Steviobee - that is a very kind offer, thank you. I would like to see what sort of setup and lighting is required for good results and whether the software is capable of ignoring out-of-focus subjects.
Thanks everyone for your input. It has made me realise that I need to see the software in use and go with what I feel good with. UKLEM booked into diary - Italy trip can wait!
Keith
Keith, LSX actually has multiple generators/engines of abstracts. One from LFI player, which is freeware you can download. From the programming work of the Amazing Mike Svob. Once you download LFI player, right click ( I think) on an existing abstract to open the abs gen.
Then get Dean's SpiroDac freeware, works with Riya and other output devices.
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As for other quotes
Funny, I was visiting with a friend last week in NJ and he described the LSX stock beam shows as basically 'kinda naff'. LoL. Small world, and it takes all kinds, we should agree to disagree, all.
Steve
Sounds good Swami. Your abstracts certainly impress!
All I would say is that if you're not using maths, what is there in LSX on the abstract side that can't be done in Beyond? I'm not starting a pissing match here with LSX, I genuinely don't know as I don't do abstracts. I can see a very complex abstract generator in Beyond with banks of modulators etc and I know from Bill one secret is to create complex abstracts then import them into synths to manipulate them further but beyond that I know little of abstract creation. So I'm just wondering what the difference is feature wise or is it simply your skill?
Yeah Pangolin's beam cues are some of the best in the world, I'm sure many would say they are the best in the world given that they form what is the defacto industry standard software - if the majority of the world's pros are using it, they must be doing something right on content, and you do get a lot for your money, around 2,000 cues in total I believe. As for graphical content, well that's personal taste. There is a certain style to the graphics that's for sure. Some say too cartoony, others like them. All I can say is that there are around 2,000 free cues with the programme and you can make shows out of the supplied graphical cues - I've just recently made a simple wedding show using nothing but standard cues and effects. OK, some have been altered slightly and the show probably won't be winning any ILDA prizes, but I'd show it at a wedding (if I did commercial shows) without any embarrassment at all. In fact I'm proud of it for what it is - a simple graphical show made by someone who doesn't have the artistic skill to draw anything independently. I intend to give it away free when finished (just waiting on some tweeks to Beyond to attain the look I want to finish it), so watch this space!
Hi Keith,
First let me say I love your nickname. Why didn't I think of that!?
Regarding BEYOND, it currently has four separate abstract generators and we may also bring the Phoenix abstract generator into it as well, making that a fifth... As far as I have heard, at least many of the abstracts people have done using LSX only use the original LDS features (the code base upon which both LSX and also Phoenix is based), and as such, the Phoenix abstract generator should be able to make those -- not that the other four abstract generators in BEYOND couldn't themselves...
Coloured mirror ball used terms like "insanely expensive" and "ridiculous cost". I think these words are really inappropriate, and I'm glad that our current 25,000 clients also disagree with his assessment ;-)
In any event, people here on PL know that I'm a generous guy, and that we believe that if you satisfy clients, the money will come as a result. It is our philosophy to start with the client first. I will also point out that an awful lot of people here on Photon Lexicon have received a copy of BEYOND absolutely free -- not for some "insane" or "ridiculous" cost.
If you already have a QuickShow package, please contact me directly by email, and we'll chat about this. If you're the kind of guy who likes to push the envelope, we'd love to have you playing with BEYOND, providing good feedback, and sharing your success story on our Facebook page and elsewhere. We often promote the great work our clients do on our Powered By Pangolin section of our web site, and these stories also get picked up in national and international publications.
And yes, BEYOND can control parameters based on mouse motion, external controllers, or even the live audio. We showed some of this at the recent SELEM meeting on North Carolina a few days ago.
By the way, I'm sorry that the choice of software packages isn't more clear. I believe that is a failure on our part, and that we're not doing a good job of communicating about the differences. We do have some tutorial videos and the like planned for the coming months, to help people understand what's so special about our software. Already there are things in BEYOND and even QuickShow that are not found in literally any other product, partially due to patents on things like Beam Attenuation Maps and pending patents on elements of our user interface. QuickShow and LD2000 are the only software packages I know of to receive an ILDA Award for technical excellence. And by the end of the year, I believe it will be very clear that there are technologies that can be only gotten from Pangolin.
Best regards,
William Benner
PS: As I watch the projected images from other software packages, it is very frustrating for me. On all other software packages, if you pay VERY close attention to how things move, you will see jerkiness. This was very clear when laser shows were being played during SELEM. But if you watch things on the Pangolin platform, things are smooth as butter. I'm amazed there isn't more of a discussion about this. I hope I'm not the only one who notices.
Last edited by Pangolin; 08-19-2013 at 15:28.