Help understanding DACs

[QuantumGlow]

Hi everyone. This post might sound a bit foolish, but I've recently acquired a laser (ilda clubmax) at what I believe is a great price. It made me decide to jump head-first into this. [I'm aware of the dangers of lasers, and I'm looking at taking an LSO course w/ ILDA]

With that aside, I am trying to understand what DAC I should get. For context, the laser also has a saturn1. I'm very interested in not just abstracts, but also animation projection, and I'm trying to map my knowledge of shader programming into what that looks like when programming a laser. So I am interested in both literal programming, as well as utilizing cool programs like LSX or mindmapper.

Now, my question is: considering I have a clubmax w/ a saturn1, it seems from what I can tell that the etherdream DAC can drive this without issue?

I am also wondering, I have my eye on a kvant beam brush 7 (not anytime soon... but it's something I have my minds eye on to inspire me as a goal). If I got this laser, would it be a mistake to not have gone with a FB3QS or FB4 instead? Can the brush effects be controlled by non-pangolin software?

Sorry if its questions you've seen before. I've spent several days looking at hundreds of threads on this site, and I'm trying to crystalize all the information I've learned. Thanks!!!

[swamidog]

i'm an lsx+etherdream user and can confirm it's a pretty great combination with kvants and saturn galvos. i do mostly abstract shows, but graphics and beams would also be excellent. i like lsx and etherdreams because they are open ecosystems and have documented protocols that you can build other hardware and software around.

this is a lsx+etherdream+saturn 1 show:

Hi everyone. This post might sound a bit foolish, but I've recently acquired a laser (ilda clubmax) at what I believe is a great price. It made me decide to jump head-first into this. [I'm aware of the dangers of lasers, and I'm looking at taking an LSO course w/ ILDA]

With that aside, I am trying to understand what DAC I should get. For context, the laser also has a saturn1. I'm very interested in not just abstracts, but also animation projection, and I'm trying to map my knowledge of shader programming into what that looks like when programming a laser. So I am interested in both literal programming, as well as utilizing cool programs like LSX or mindmapper.

Now, my question is: considering I have a clubmax w/ a saturn1, it seems from what I can tell that the etherdream DAC can drive this without issue?

I am also wondering, I have my eye on a kvant beam brush 7 (not anytime soon... but it's something I have my minds eye on to inspire me as a goal). If I got this laser, would it be a mistake to not have gone with a FB3QS or FB4 instead? Can the brush effects be controlled by non-pangolin software?

Sorry if its questions you've seen before. I've spent several days looking at hundreds of threads on this site, and I'm trying to crystalize all the information I've learned. Thanks!!!

[QuantumGlow]

i'm an lsx+etherdream user and can confirm it's a pretty great combination with kvants and saturn galvos. i do mostly abstract shows, but graphics and beams would also be excellent. i like lsx and etherdreams because they are open ecosystems and have documented protocols that you can build other hardware and software around.

this is a lsx+etherdream+saturn 1 show:

Thanks for your response!! Awesome video I was just reading your comments in a different thread from 2012

[swamidog]

thanks! let me know if you have any questions. the dac/software question always starts a religious war, but i'm really more interested in folks being able to make their art than who is using what.

Thanks for your response!! Awesome video I was just reading your comments in a different thread from 2012

[absolom7691]

thanks! let me know if you have any questions. the dac/software question always starts a religious war, but i'm really more interested in folks being able to make their art than who is using what.

There you go, Chris! Pushing your LSX garbage again! JK!!! To the OP, it's good to get opinions and even better to see what other people have done with the software and hardware that they use. Unfortunately, Chris and a very small group of others are some of the only original artists out there. Their experience and opinions are worth gold. Most people fall into the groove of just cobbling together different shows with the same clipart that's available to everyone. If someone shows you all of the neat things they can do with stock clipart, I wouldn't consider this a viable reference.

Chris knows I will fly my Pangolin banner and for good reason, but I don't have any of my shows recorded because mine are performed "live". Sure, there is a timeline and a lot of elements on that timeline but I have mapped a ton of variable attributes to a midi console to manipulate live as the show is playing. LSX is great and you can see all of the mind bending things Chris has done. Pangolin is also a good software/hardware combo BUT, to get to a truly artistic plane, it is very expensive. Quickshow is great for beginners but when you want to make some truly ethereal art, you will need Beyond and it's as steep a learning curve as LSX but a lot more expensive. Like LSX though, the rabbit hole will go as deep and you're willing to venture. The reputation Pangolin gets from the hobby side is that we have all seen the same parrot, mermaid, ball-in-tunnel... etc clipart because few people create. For a good representation of what Pangolin can do, look up Mike Dunn. Also, to answer your question, Beam Brush is exclusive to Pangolin.

Here's a sample:


and

Caveat with this video, this is using BeamBrush which is a Pangolin/Kvant exclusive tool. Translation: More money! Still cool though!

[swamidog]

yeah, mike always does amazing work and his pangolin shows are the ones that got me hooked on laser abstracts. i don't know if that was a blessing or a curse.

i will always love doing timeline shows with pinpoint accuracy and elaborate and improbable effects, but i have also been doing more and more live performance work with this little things.




no religious wars. just make art and weird light.

There you go, Chris! Pushing your LSX garbage again! JK!!! To the OP, it's good to get opinions and even better to see what other people have done with the software and hardware that they use. Unfortunately, Chris and a very small group of others are some of the only original artists out there. Their experience and opinions are worth gold. Most people fall into the groove of just cobbling together different shows with the same clipart that's available to everyone. If someone shows you all of the neat things they can do with stock clipart, I wouldn't consider this a viable reference.

Chris knows I will fly my Pangolin banner and for good reason, but I don't have any of my shows recorded because mine are performed "live". Sure, there is a timeline and a lot of elements on that timeline but I have mapped a ton of variable attributes to a midi console to manipulate live as the show is playing. LSX is great and you can see all of the mind bending things Chris has done. Pangolin is also a good software/hardware combo BUT, to get to a truly artistic plane, it is very expensive. Quickshow is great for beginners but when you want to make some truly ethereal art, you will need Beyond and it's as steep a learning curve as LSX but a lot more expensive. Like LSX though, the rabbit hole will go as deep and you're willing to venture. The reputation Pangolin gets from the hobby side is that we have all seen the same parrot, mermaid, ball-in-tunnel... etc clipart because few people create. For a good representation of what Pangolin can do, look up Mike Dunn.

Here's a sample:


and

Caveat with this video, this is using BeamBrush which is a Pangolin/Kvant exclusive tool. Translation: More money! Still cool though!

[absolom7691]

yeah, mike always does amazing work and his pangolin shows are the ones that got me hooked on laser abstracts. i don't know if that was a blessing or a curse.

Just like your work. That got me back into abstracts.... Jerk!!!! lol... $3000+ later!

i will always love doing timeline shows with pinpoint accuracy and elaborate and improbable effects, but i have also been doing more and more live performance work with this little things.

It makes your shows no less jawdropping and amazing. Keep doing what you do, Sir! You work is welcome where ever it is posted/displayed!

no religious wars. just make art and weird light.

Preach! Wait... no religious wars! Keep encouraging the community!


Not sure why the picture shows up in my reply. Oh well.

[swamidog]

Just like your work. That got me back into abstracts.... Jerk!!!! lol... $3000+ later!



It makes your shows no less jawdropping and amazing. Keep doing what you do, Sir! You work is welcome where ever it is posted/displayed!

just doing my part to destroy the laser show industry.

[QuantumGlow]

Thanks absolom! Really appreciate the input. Glad to know that beam brush effects will be pangolin software specific. I'm sure I'll need multiple DACs anyway, but at least I can plan for that vs being surprisedl.

There you go, Chris! Pushing your LSX garbage again! JK!!! To the OP, it's good to get opinions and even better to see what other people have done with the software and hardware that they use. Unfortunately, Chris and a very small group of others are some of the only original artists out there. Their experience and opinions are worth gold. Most people fall into the groove of just cobbling together different shows with the same clipart that's available to everyone. If someone shows you all of the neat things they can do with stock clipart, I wouldn't consider this a viable reference.

Chris knows I will fly my Pangolin banner and for good reason, but I don't have any of my shows recorded because mine are performed "live". Sure, there is a timeline and a lot of elements on that timeline but I have mapped a ton of variable attributes to a midi console to manipulate live as the show is playing. LSX is great and you can see all of the mind bending things Chris has done. Pangolin is also a good software/hardware combo BUT, to get to a truly artistic plane, it is very expensive. Quickshow is great for beginners but when you want to make some truly ethereal art, you will need Beyond and it's as steep a learning curve as LSX but a lot more expensive. Like LSX though, the rabbit hole will go as deep and you're willing to venture. The reputation Pangolin gets from the hobby side is that we have all seen the same parrot, mermaid, ball-in-tunnel... etc clipart because few people create. For a good representation of what Pangolin can do, look up Mike Dunn. Also, to answer your question, Beam Brush is exclusive to Pangolin.

Here's a sample:


and

Caveat with this video, this is using BeamBrush which is a Pangolin/Kvant exclusive tool. Translation: More money! Still cool though!