buffo
Ahhh yes. I see where you're headed now Ray. OK - that sounds pretty cool. Only problem I see is that if you try to do RGB *beams* from the center projector, they might end up being washed out (overpowered) by the monsterous greenies you'll have on either side. But if you're thinking of doing graphics with the center RGB unit, then you'll be fine.Originally Posted by Pitts
For RGB beamshow, I think you're going to want more than 500 mw of red, considering how much power you'll have on either side of it. And right now, 500 mw is the absolute limit of what you can get from the Maxyz modules in a dual-laser configuration.
But this also depends on how large of a show you're going to do. Tell me: what sort of venues will you be setting your lasers up in? Are we talking about a nightclub that is maybe 50 ft square tops, or are we talking about something much larger?
In a smaller venue, if you can keep the rest of the lights down low and you have a really good fog machine (or better yet a hazer like the DF-50; see if you can rent one because they're *stupidly* expensive to buy), then you might be OK with 500 mw of red, 200 mw of blue, and 200 mw of green. Color balance won't be great, but the beams will be visible. (Though, admittedly, the greens on either side will still be super bright!) This is a projector that you could put together for a reasonable cost (using the Maxyz modules for red), and it would probably serve you quite well so long as you didn't try to book too large of a gig with it.
On the other hand, if you're looking at setting up in larger venues, or in areas that will have lots of other lighting effects, then you may have to bite the bullet and go with 700-800 mw 635 nm red just to stay visible. Then you could add 250 mw of green and as much blue as you can afford (figure 300 mw as a starting point), and you'd have enough power for a pretty good sized venue. Only drawback would be the larger beam size of the red. (and the greatly increased cost, of course!)
I hear you there, pal... (Boy do I hear you!) I ended up with 200 mw of red, 70 mw of green, and 110 mw of blue in my RGB rig. (Well, right now my blue is only making 40 mw, but Lasever is supposed to be sending me a replacement.) So I'm pushing less than 400 mw total whitelight power. And even so, this rig managed to stretch my budget right to the limit. I get around the (relatively) low power problem by always projecting in a completely dark room with lots of fog. Under those conditions, it looks *fantastic*, even in a pretty big room.I now understand that I need to be more modest with my RGB power (so does the bank manager and "she who would be obeyed" )
But I wouldn't want to try and do a show in a larger venue (like a school gymnasium, for example) using this rig... Even with a ton of fog it would still look lame. In fact, I'm not even sure that I'd be able to pull off a show in a nightclub with this rig - because of all the excess light. Maybe if I only did graphics and no beams it would work... Eh - it's a moot point I guess, because I have no plans to do any commercial shows with my rig. (I'd much rather work with someone else that has better equipment and has already gotten the variance! Then I can learn from them while playing with some really nice gear!)
I've got a second red laser that I could combine to get 400 mw of red, and I might do that later this summer, but for now my color balance is pretty decent. (Plus I'm afraid that once I jump up to 400 mw of red I'll feel the need to bump up the blue to 170 mw or so, and I really can't afford that.) Sigh... Why is green the only color that is cheap? (This really is a money-pit hobby, isn't it?)
It's true that 635 nm is going to appear brighter than 658 nm. However, given that the Maxyz modules have a tighter beam (well, tighter than your average 500 mw 635 nm diode anyway) the power density is higher. That helps to make the beam appear brighter. I've seen 185 mw of 658 side-by-side with around 85 mw of 635 nm with nearly identical beam characteristics, and the two lasers looked about the same as far as brightness is concerned. So as a coarse rule of thumb, 635 nm will look twice as bright. But once you get above a few hundred mw of 635 nm, your beam specs start to go to shit, so at higher power levels that thumb rule doesn't hold true anymore.I guess my concern with the Maxy's is the wavelength (based entirely on my ignorance and a photopic list I have donwloaded from PL here).. the Maxy's look great to me and I am sure they are well made but the chart seems to suggest they will be way down in brightness by comparison to 635.
Bottom line: I'd put a pair of Maxyz modules up against just about any 635 nm diode up to between 350 mw - 400 mw or so and be satisfied that the two lasers would look aproximately equal in terms of overall brightness. But the one 500 mw 635 nm diode that I've worked with is definitely brighter than a pair of Maxyz modules. Unfortunately the beam is *really* big on that one. (And highly divergent too; over 10 times worse than your average DPSS green.)
Funny you should mention that.I also like the idea of using CNI's Green and blue. What do you think.I am currently in the process of reviewing a blue DPSS laser from a member here on the forum. (No, I didn't buy it. They sent it to me to test, and when I'm finished I'll send it back to them. I'm basically doing the review for free, to satisfy my own curiosity. They're paying the shipping both ways, and I'm donating my time.)
I expect to be finished with the review in about a week or so, and once I am done I'll post a lengthy write-up of my findings. While it's still very early in the testing process, I have to admit that I think I've found a laser company that can compete with CNI - excellent quality and a competitive price. Details to follow in a week or two.
Adam
EDIT: PS - Just noticed your post Steve-o. I use the Maxyz module, which technically is 658 nm. It's a very pretty red; it mixes well with just about everything.
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Ray
To expand on what Aaron mentioned, another option would be to purchase a Flashback III controller and use the DMX output from your QM-2000 board to trigger effects that you've loaded on the Flashback III's memory card. That would be a little more expensive than an ADAT deck, but significantly cheaper than a second QM-2000 board.
Thanks
