A fun bit of history

[absolom7691]

Aside from the facial hair and hair styles, I would love to go back in time and work for Laser Images...

[flecom]

meh, sure it was cool, but I would rather have things like Pangolin (or any DAC/software for that matter) PCAOMs, DPSS, diode lasers, 30k scanners for a couple hundred bucks etc

[absolom7691]

But... you would be only one of maybe a 100 or so laserists in the WOLRD, not one of a few million. It would also be back when no one had seen lasers before. All that analog stuff was cool. I would LOVE to have one of those analog boards. To me, graphics shows look like watching a cartoon. Don't get me wrong, I love my Pangolin gear, but I really only use the abstract generator and I spend most of my time trying to emulate Laserium's abstracts... Just sayin!

[flecom]

and how much did that equipment cost back then?

I agree that graphics shows are stupid, but nothing is stopping you from using analog stuff on modern equipment... plus there is a lot of documentation out there so you can pick and choose stuff from different things and create your own

a lot of the laserium effects are lumias and scan through effects

[absolom7691]

Certainly not disputing the cost. I have no doubt that their 1W Ar/Kr ran them about $100,000 in 1970's dollars, but just to be a part of the revolution back then... I think that was what I was driving at. The newness of it all.

[flecom]

oh I cant even imagine the magical newness of all of it

what I find tragic is how complicated projectors were back then, it seems like we have boiled it all down to RGB+Scanners bam done.... back then you had all sorts of crazy color mod procedures, scan through effects, lumias, multiple scan heads, etc etc inside a projector... seems like besides a few people trying to "revive the magic" all that stuff is long gone

[absolom7691]

I agree. Those projectors were awesome. I will never get close to what they had going on in those things, but I am knocking together a lumia projector with some scantrough effects also with some rotating lumia ports...

[dsli_jon]

..I would love to go back in time and work for Laser Images...

..Well, ya know, I happen to know this crazy guy with the 'keys to the time-machine'...

3-comments: #1, Stop by anytime ya wanna fiddle with that *same console* (!!) @ ~1:01.. #2, Hah! @ ~1:25, Cap'n Ivan, lookin' like the 'Aquarius Han Solo', lol.. and #3, @ ~6:02 - Burn-wheel!! Yeah, baby!!! Such-an awesome effect..

Thanks for the post-up..
j

[absolom7691]

..#1, Stop by anytime ya wanna fiddle with that *same console* (!!)

I may just take you up on that some day! Thanks!

[swamidog]

agreed. flickering neon cartoons do absolutely nothing for me.

a little bit of 3d artwork can be nice, but i keep seeing shows with way too detailed and flickery 3d traces and it just really detracts from the experience.

if you want detailed images and animations, use a video projector. if you want mind bending abstracts, use a laser projector.

But... you would be only one of maybe a 100 or so laserists in the WOLRD, not one of a few million. It would also be back when no one had seen lasers before. All that analog stuff was cool. I would LOVE to have one of those analog boards. To me, graphics shows look like watching a cartoon. Don't get me wrong, I love my Pangolin gear, but I really only use the abstract generator and I spend most of my time trying to emulate Laserium's abstracts... Just sayin!