can you also do the standard kaleidoscopic things with this laser projectors on ilda?
Are there shows to download and use for specific songs?
thanks
That depends on the model and what is installed. You have to read the fine print, and on Ebay it can be confusing.
ILDA is a trade organization of laser companies.
It publishes voluntary standards for hardware, file formats, galvanometer scanner amplifier tuning, etc It stands for International Laser Display Association.
If Electrofreak was not so busy ranting, he could have told you that "ILDA", as your referring to it, is the pinout and signal level for the ILDA STANDARD DB25 connector that you need to hook a external controller box and software to, if you want to use more then what is built into the unit. Think of it as a expansion port if the projector has its own controller. Some projectors have no controller and no software built into the unit, so you may need to spend more money to make it work.
If you want to use the connector, you either have to spend money for a external controller and software, or spend lots of time and maybe 60$ or more to make the open source gear. Open source gear means you need to know how to solder and make cables, and read simple schematics.
Commercial software that is not buggy starts at 150$ and up with the cheap open source hardware, or 300-400$ for decent commercial software and a ready made controller.
The software runs on your PC, and for the most part, the controller hangs off a USB port, and talks to the projector via a "ILDA STANDARD CABLE"
Open source will let you load freeware artwork, but there are only a few shows using the artware made up for it that are already synced to music.
Commercial hardware/software that is worth buying will come with a collection of artwork and shows. The more you pay, usually the more you get.
There is a difference between shows and artwork. A "show" is the file that tells the controller when and how to display the artwork, or what artwork to put up if you press a button when running manual mode. Artwork is the file that tells the scanners how to move, artwork is the graphics. If you put smoke in the air, artwork defines the beam pattern.
Almost all Graphics and Abstracts are tuned for 30K scan speed at 8 degrees of angle, so you want the best scanners you can get, if your going to use the ILDA connector to connect to a external controller and run graphics.
30KPPS = the speed rating of the scanners under certain test conditions using the ILDA test pattern artwork. Lower numbers are worse, and these days, nothing less then 20K. Why? lower numbers (less then 20k) are cheaper because they remove the feedback part of the scanner amp that makes tighter graphics to sell for less. This is called "Open loop", and open loop is very outdated.
Since I am such a prick, I do not expect you to believe a word I type. So go over to PL and ask the same question and you'll get 6 replies reading about the same. The key to not getting flamed on PL is to introduce yourself in the lounge and tell PLers roughly where you live. If you do that, and some one lives close to you, you'll probably get a invite to visit and see some one else's gear, either at their home or their company. PL has a lot of older people, that older culture wants to get to know you.
Buy the most power and the best scan speed you can get, with ILDA connector so you can expand it. If you cannot afford to spend more on expanding, make sure the projector has a built in controller that does at least something. Even if that is there, you may need something that sends DMX signals to talk to it.
It hurts the resale value if you buy one with slow scanners or low power, as the power you can get for the dollar is always going up. Scanner speed is not increasing.
If you want to make money with the gear, you need at least a watt of green for small parties or bars, and much more then that for larger gigs, plus a fogger of some sort.
I'm not going to reward Electrofreak's behavior with a argument.
He fit in very well at Pl and was part of the "click" until something in him snapped. He is still a member and sends PMs.
Laser projectors can be a addictive, expensive, hobby.
Steve.
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