Low-tech light show

[millirad]

I performed what I would term a low-tech light show at an underground rock performance. Using handheld red/>300mw, green/>100mw, and blu-ray/>130mw beams I manipulated the fog machine with a fan to blow the fog straight up and then scanned the beams manually through the fog behind the drummer for 2 bands. I scanned the beams straight up so there was little danger of hurting anyone in the audience. That was the first time operating a fog machine for me and I enjoyed it. It was popular for the audience so I will probably do it again. Much easier to do with galvos and mirrors of course. Maybe someday I will have those. Cheers!

 

[jeffd]

So you just waved the lasers around in the air? must of been tiring. you can easily make a time tunnel/ liquid sky projector with parts from radioshack

 

[blackspirit]

wow, gotta give you credit there. How long were the bands playing for? Even a vid would be good to see.

 

[millirad]

Yep, I just very quickly wiggled them to get the scan effect. I estimate that I did a duty cycle of about 1 minute then take a break for three minutes and then 1 minute and so on. I would rotate laser use, scanning 2 at time. My arms were a little tired at the end of the event, but the euphoria made it well worth the effort. Radio Shack diy scanner sounds good too. Maybe for the next event. This is an underground club, so I was able to do it for that reason.

 

[bobhaha]

Nice work.. I am going to start a project in a diy scanner.. any pics? video?

 

[andy_con]

whats the point in me building expensive scanners if all people want is someone to wave pointers around!

 

[yobresal]

LOL, sounds like fun, but you really need to get yourself at least a cheap little single color scanner to truly appreciate the effects that can be made with lasers and a fog machine.

 

[Things]

LOL Nice!

If all they want is beamshows, you could throw yourself together a cheap little scanner using scanpro 20's and a sound card DAC, which is perfect for beams (the Scanpro 20's lack in the graphics department a little).

Creative though

 

[laserist]

I performed what I would term a low-tech light show at an underground rock performance. Using handheld red/>300mw, green/>100mw, and blu-ray/>130mw beams I manipulated the fog machine with a fan to blow the fog straight up and then scanned the beams manually through the fog behind the drummer for 2 bands. I scanned the beams straight up so there was little danger of hurting anyone in the audience. That was the first time operating a fog machine for me and I enjoyed it. It was popular for the audience so I will probably do it again. Much easier to do with galvos and mirrors of course. Maybe someday I will have those. Cheers!

Ok, I'll play. A long time ago I met a guy that made a laser "thingy". It was basically a small motor mount with a board on one side and a mirror on the other. You "twang" the mirror side and it rings down in a complex dampening spiral... It was kind of fun. And it could be expressive - especially with garage band music... BTW good for you (for not pointing at the audience...)

brian

 

[coherent]

Yep!
The beam is just the start. A good show needs various types of scanning and possible the use of crystals or other beam divergers to create cool patterns. Just shining beams around is tired and boring. Plus it catrries the risk of a beam reflecting off something shiny and hitting a person without divergence (or the speed of scanning). Bad idea. If somebody did that while I was gigging, I'd probably stop, and go take the laser away from them..

 

[KGB_Productions]

who woulda thought that this thread was only a year old before you posted

 

[flecom]

lol thread came back from the dead...

anyway if anyone else wants a real-cheap "in" to simple projectors these are a lot of fun

Amazon.com: Pocket Laser Light Show: Electronics

basically like the radioshack motor method mentioned spirograph projector, except its $16 and comes totally prebuild... you could remove the module, drill a hole in the side and point whatever color pointer you want into it...

its actually a pretty neat device... i put a 5mW green module in one and its a lot of fun at parties and stuff, just throw in some batteries and let it run

 

[Tech_Junkie]

That thing is a piece of crap. Its very limited in designs, and mine broke in less then a week.

 

[flecom]

That thing is a piece of crap. Its very limited in designs, and mine broke in less then a week.

well its just a pair of motors with offset mirrors like any other spirograph projector... you could always remove the little motors with the mirrors and roll your own setup...

but for simple/cheap thats probably as good as its going to get for $20

 

[Tech_Junkie]

You can spend under $10 and make a way better spiro than that thing. Only one mirror is really offset, so the designs are limited. Plus you cant stop one motor, which limit it even further. Thats how mine died. I centered the switch to stop a motor, and it blew the whole side out. The auto still works, but on manual only one side works. Which I found odd.

 

[flecom]

You can spend under $10 and make a way better spiro than that thing. Only one mirror is really offset, so the designs are limited. Plus you cant stop one motor, which limit it even further. Thats how mine died. I centered the switch to stop a motor, and it blew the whole side out. The auto still works, but on manual only one side works. Which I found odd.

hrmm... I was able to stop my motors by centering the pot... dunno maybe it just didn't like you? lol

its definitely not ideal... but buying motors and building speed controllers is going to cost your about the same or more...

if you added a 3rd motor/mirror you would get a lot more patterns