New to this laser thing - what do i need

[kevb]

Hopefully I'm posting in the right place but no so sure ... After working on a few events I've started to put together a bit of lighting. The laser side of things took my interest so I've got a couple of kam 1000 3d's and also a few other lasers. Being new to this I thought it would be a simple matter of converting something then sending it to the laser but guessing its not as simple as I thought. On a very tight budget what would be my easiest way of converting a logo into a format the laser can use and how do I go about sending it to the laser (hardware / software needed?).

I'm happy to read up on the subject so if there is a good link for a newbie like myself please let me know.

[swamidog]

laser laws, regulations, and dealers vary by geographical region. it would be helpful to know where you are.

Hopefully I'm posting in the right place but no so sure ... After working on a few events I've started to put together a bit of lighting. The laser side of things took my interest so I've got a couple of kam 1000 3d's and also a few other lasers. Being new to this I thought it would be a simple matter of converting something then sending it to the laser but guessing its not as simple as I thought. On a very tight budget what would be my easiest way of converting a logo into a format the laser can use and how do I go about sending it to the laser (hardware / software needed?).

I'm happy to read up on the subject so if there is a good link for a newbie like myself please let me know.

[kevb]

I'm in the UK, guess I should have mentioned that.

[colouredmirrorball]

That depends on your system.

Do your lasers have an SD card slot? Do they have an ILDA input port?
There is a piece of software called Ild Sôs ($29) that might be of use to you. It converts .svg (vector) images to laser format. That means you have to convert your logos to vector images first, using programs like Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator. If your laser has an sd card slot you can place those ilda files in the card.

If you only have an ILDA input port you need a DAC instead, and software to control it. Neither are cheap. There are lots of options available, each with their own price, qualities and flaws. I compiled a list a while back:

-There's the cheap sound card DAC's, but those require some DIY. Depending on the sound card, I guess those are about $50-150, unless you have an old 6 or 8 channel sound card lying around. Look on the Laserboy forum for more information about this. Works with Spaghetti and LSX, and with an audio program you can play back Laserboy waves.

-The Riya DAC. Lite is $145, Basic is $255 and Pro is $305. I don't know much about them, but so far I didn't hear anything bad about them. Riya Lite is really nice, it's just an USB cable with an ILDA connector at the end, but it contains a fully featured DAC. Works with Spaghetti and LSX.

-The Easylase is a really nice DAC, it's the one I currently have. I can't say anything bad about it, rock solid. But I don't hear much about it anymore, and it's quite expensive (€350). Developed by JMLaser, a German company. Again, works with Spaghetti and LSX, as well as a whole lot of freeware programs on the ftp server. A similar unit is the Netlase which works over ethernet.

-Framestreamer 2.0. I had an older version, the Framestreamer 1.1. It worked fine on my old laptop but refused to do anything on my new one so I gave up with it. But for $199, not a bad price. Developed by Norm, a Canadian hobbyist. Works with NLS (its own software) and Spaghetti.

-I don't know anything about Lumax except that they are apparently sold as Laserworld DACs.

-There's the new Lasershark DAC. Not yet supported by software but that's just a matter of time.

-The Etherdream. This DAC works over ethernet and I only hear positive stuff about it. It is manufactured by j4cbo on this forum and he knows what he's doing. Kind of expensive, but a good deal for what you get. DMX support, TTL outputs, OSC support, on board processing, ... you get a lot for that $249.

-Medialas. Originally developed to work with Mamba software, also compatible with LSX. €711.62 for the DAC + software.

-iShow. I have no experience with it but there's probably a reason everyone refers to it as iShit.

-Pangolin QS and FB3. The cheapest Pangolin product (only $600!). Quickshow is known to have a very user friendly interface and is easy to use. Downside is that it's proprietary hard- and software so you can only use the DAC with Pangolin software. It can trace bitmaps for easy logo conversion.

-Pangolin QM board: has a four figure price tag.

-Moncha and Fiesta from Showtacle. I have no experience with them but I guess they are good products.

-Phoenix. Not cheap and also proprietary hardware. Welp.

Also please fill in your profile information regarding location. Lots of countries (including the USA) have strict laser show regulations. Other members can give you advice on how to do shows legally. There are also Laser Enthusiasts Meetings all around the world, and if you want to get into lasershows, a LEM is the perfect place to gather information or buy things. It's nice to hang out with likeminded people!

(Edit: swami beat me :P )

[Dylan]

Wow, that was a comprehensive and interesting to read answer. :P

EtherDream DAC is a pretty good deal for something in it's price range. Pretty much pay for quality.

[swamidog]

i use LSX and EtherDream DAC for the shows i create. it's an excellent combination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVSs..._gyfQM0q6fEdle

Wow, that was a comprehensive and interesting to read answer. :P

EtherDream DAC is a pretty good deal for something in it's price range. Pretty much pay for quality.

[Dylan]

That's looks great. Is that 450 nm blue? Also, what power is the blue diode? Very vibrant looking color, I like it.

[swamidog]

it's two 445 diodes, each optically corrected with anamorphic prisms and then combined with a pbs cube. i have the power adjusted for best color balance, but it'll hit ~2W without problems.

That's looks great. Is that 450 nm blue? Also, what power is the blue diode? Very vibrant looking color, I like it.

[Dylan]

Ah righto. Looks great mate. You sure did find a good balance of color, that's for sure.

[White-Light]

LSX is pretty much the best for abstracts which is what Swami specialises in. It does however require some maths and equation skills to get the results that Swami does as that side is maths based, so the learning curve is very steep. I don't use it but understand it offers live play and a time line as well.

Pangolin software is pretty much the industry standard software for professionals as its very powerful in both live play and pre-programmed show areas, Beyond is probably by far the most powerful package on the market, whilst retaining ease of use.

QS is a high end hobbyist / semi-pro / Disco / Small club level software although many pro's use it for shows. Its simple and easy to use but not as powerful in some aspects as LSX at this price point. Its main forte is ease of use and live play capabilities with some features that are unrivalled such as Virtual Live Jockey (VLJ) an automated playback system and Pangolin's Zoning / Beam Attenuation Mapping systems. So its a case of ultimate power vs ease of use at this price point.

Pangolin Beyond however combines ease of use with ultimate power, its probably by far the most powerful software on the market and can be bought with either the Fb3 or QM boards. However, although it isn't cheap, there is an upgrade path from QS to Beyond though where you simply pay the difference in price.

At the end which package you choose is horses for courses and what your wallet can stand!