Recommendations for sub $1500 ilda enabled RGB laser

[Carter]

Im in the market for a laser projector.

Im interested in using it for sound reactive installations, and will be pairing it with an etherdream II.
I would love to get a powerful but high resolution (around 30-40kpps seems ideal) RGB projector for less then $1000, but could be talked into spending more ($1500) if the value was clear.

Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

[Bradfo69]

You mentioned installation and your location is in the US. That basically means you're going to need a projector that's legal for use in the US. That narrows your selection down to almost no options that meet your criteria. At that price point, your best and likely only bet is looking for something used or recertified from X-Laser USA. Contact araugh here on the forum or, use the contact form on their web site = http://x-laser.us/
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Either that or a used Kvant Clubmax 800. The issue is you're looking for Price, Performance and Power. You may pick two and that's it. You will simply NOT get all three without a more realistic budget. Understand and accept the bubble bursting reality that lasers are not cheap. I've spent nearly that just for shipping a projector in the past.

[Carter]

Thanks for the feedback! I understand compromises must be made in that price range...
To be clear, it will be used in an art piece for a few nights so i'm not concerned if it is considered a legal unit (hope that does not spur to much controversy here).
And all in all i do not require that much power... Would that alter your recommendations at all?

[hitekvoop]

Not a great attitude, Carter, since there are rules/regs from the FDA (CDRH) that require both the operator (whether it's automated/part of a static display or not) to obtain and hold a valid variance and for the device to be certified US legal as well. If you want to skirt the rules because you don't think it's a big deal then I'd simply point you at one of the myriad Chinese offerings on ebay. Anything with "animation laser" and "db-25" should work fine, at least for a few days anyway.

If you want to do it by the book then you'll probably want to hire a certified company to provide the laser/setup for the event.

If you want to do it by the book and actually have a laser projector you can use when you're done then X-Laser provides a quick and easy way to get your variance and will also sell you a projector you can use in the future.

[rns0504]

By openly saying you are looking for a sub-$1000 laser and you dont care about regulations - youre opening yourself to huge fines and seizure of property and more. This is assuming, of course, the junk China box you order, and import illegally (another law being broken), actually works upon arrival, and continues to work for more than a few hours.

Either do it right, or dont do it at all. And if you dont follow either of those routes... dont expect much help or guidance from people around here. Especially when inevitably you're asking for tips on why one of the diodes isnt working or a scanner broke.

I see you're in LA - any fire marshall etc can stop your show and sieze your equipment. Enforcement is pretty solid in larger cities.

[mixedgas]

In the LA area, your potential competitors will probably want to see you crushed as a illegal startup. Especially one who reads here daily. Better to lease from a legal local and do it right. 750-1500$ might get you two or three nights (maybe a week) with something powerful, with excellent scanners, and with narrow divergence and correction optics. The expertise, tripods, scaffolds, cables and safety procedures, plus liability insurance are priceless when your getting started.. There is more then one LA person here on the forum, who would rather see it done right, and would probably rent you something amazing. You might even make a good friend, and if your content is good. a potential business relationship. Besides, one quickly learns that friends with backup hardware or arrays of projectors are good to have.
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Something under one grand, these days, might have lousy on/off modulation or pulse width modulation. You do need true analog modulation, especially if you have Etherdream which is amazingly capable with its color gamut.
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The rules require a minimum of Two meters horizontal separation from the audience accessible areas anywhere along the beams, and Three meters Vertical separation. The Three Meter Rule, Its not just the Law, its a Great Idea!
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Help protect this art form by doing it right. In years of posting on this forum, we've seen this request, time after time after time. People who go cheap rarely break into profit or repeat gigs, even for free gigs.
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They may not get you for violating 21 CFR 1040, but the NFPA (Fire Code) has a catch all rule.
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Steve

[Bradfo69]

To be clear, it will be used in an art piece for a few nights so i'm not concerned if it is considered a legal unit (hope that does not spur to much controversy here).

Well.... as you can see, yes, it will. And truthfully it's for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which is we don't want to see you potentially get hit with large fines or have it confiscated or whatever. A lasers is a regulated device - keep in mind they do surgery with them. That's a bit like saying to a group of pyro technicians you're going to do pyro for an event but, really don't need a license as you know how to flick a Bic. When you are dealing with the public, you have a responsibility for their safety so it is truly in your best interest to use a US legal projector and have a show variance (which you will need and may have to show whoever is hiring you for this art piece).

And all in all i do not require that much power... Would that alter your recommendations at all?

Do you have any idea what sort of power is necessary to perform your task? The Clubmax at 800mW is a pretty good all around performer. If you're looking to do graphics, you need tremendously less power than a beam projector so, if you know some things like the throw distance. The amount of ambient light. How large you need to project. We're more than happy to help you find something suitable if we get some of the parameters.

[Carter]

The Clubmax looks pretty appealing, thanks for the recommendation. I have also come across the light space products.. are they decent quality? The installation is a sound reactive max msp audio to laser control type patch that then uses a couple video like light sensors to trigger new sounds.

[swamidog]

The Clubmax looks pretty appealing, thanks for the recommendation. I have also come across the light space products.. are they decent quality? The installation is a sound reactive max msp audio to laser control type patch that then uses a couple video like light sensors to trigger new sounds.

in my experience kvant lasers have much better color modulation than lightspace lasers do.