Hi from a total noob!

[AbbyNormal]

Hi all!

I'm very new to all this, and very overwhelmed with all the info here!

I just started playing around with LivePro, and I'm really in need of some kind of tutorial of something. It does so much it's amazing!

Is the DVD Pangolin's offering worth ordering?

Right now all I can do is confuse my cat and impress stoners and small kids. I've got a Laserword RGB 600mw laser, and it's really cool, even if I can barely do anything yet.

I'm looking forward to learning from everyone here. If there is a user group in the San Diego area could someone let me know?

Thanks!

-Abby

[dave]

The best place to start would be to understand everything in the manual

Once you get your head around it, everything follows the same logic really

[AbbyNormal]

Yeah, that's what I'm doing now. The documentation isn't exactly the best, at least for me. I'm sure to someone more experenced it's really obvious.

Still, I'm starting to figure things out, and I am having fun.

I think it would be helpful to be able to watch someone else. I'm suprised I haven't found a good online tutorial yet, I've found a few for some of the other software package.

I'm sure it will become clear as I work at it. But right now it's just so much to learn, perhaps I am being a little impatient. :-)

[buffo]

Hi Abby! Welcome to PhotonLexicon.

Are you running LivePro on a Flashback 3, or do you have a QM-2000 board? Just curious.

The only tutorial DVD from Pangolin that I'm aware of is the one for LD-2000. And to the best of my knowledge, that DVD doesn't really cover LivePro in any great detail. I think there is only one short chapter on LivePro included on the DVD - right at the end. There is a short video clip of LivePro being used at a Club in Australia that you can download for free from the Pangolin website. That might get your started. (I think that video is from the tutorial DVD, in fact.)

I don't have a license for LivePro, so I can't really offer any assistance. Perhaps some of our other members can help you. I do know that LivePro is incredibly powerful, but it's also complicated... It's easy to get too many effects stacked up, and you end up with hash! Bill Benner put on a nice demonstration of LivePro at one of our Florida Laser Enthusiast's Meetings last year, but I don't think anyone got any video of his little demo.

As for a users group in California... Well, so far most of the interest in holding "Laser Enthusiast Meetings" has been centered on the east coast, or in the UK. Maybe you could organize something in your area though. We do have several members on the west coast... (Trust me - the hardest part is finding a venue that you can use. Once you have a place to meet, the rest is easy!)

Of course, if you've got the time, you might want to consider a road trip to North Carolina in August so you can attend SELEM 2008. I realize it's one hell of a trip for you, but we've had people fly in from as far away as New Zealand to attent these events...

Adam

[Stuka]

Hello, Abby, and welcome aboard!

To quote a previous post I made, you have found a GREAT place get the info you need to support the hobby, business, obsession - whatever you want to call it! The wealth of knowledge that is openly shared on this forum is phenomenal, and frequently includes postings by not just hobbyists, but some of the top names in the laser show and laser manufacturing industries! AND, it doesn't cost a penny!! (Until you start looking too closely at the group buy section ).

I've only been on this forum for about a year now, and it's taken me from very little hands-on knowledge ("Dude - cool laser pointer!"), to many helpful suggestions towards building my first laser projector (950mw RGB, in progress...). And, unlike many other hobby-related open forums, I've seen very little "flaming" or "newbie bashing" going on here - most of it has been very friendly encouragement and advice! In fact, the only reason I've achieved "Senior" status here is because I've asked SO many questions along the way, and I don't think a single one has gone unanswered!!

Concerning LivePro - I've been tinkering with it for a while now, using the LivePro USB version that was available for awhile for the Pangolin Flashback 3 (FB3) controller, which is the controller I am using for the projector I am building. (This version of LivePro is basically the same as the full-blown retail version available from Pangolin, except it does not support any TTL/DMX trigger outputs, which aren't available on the standard FB3 board anyway).

LivePro is designed for real-time, live performance with laser projectors, and is an INCREDIBLY powerful software package with a lot of capabilities. I found the best way to learn to use the software was just to work my way through the help file that comes with the software, and as it mentions a feature, try it out! Also, you don't necessarily have to be live with your lasers to check out the features - as long as you have the controller board attached (FB3 or QM series) that the software is licensed for, you can use the LivePro preview window to get a pretty good idea of what everything will look like with the lasers operating.

LivePro can be controlled directly by your computer keyboard and mouse, AND you can control it with additional external devices like joysticks and MIDI controllers, since virtually every feature of LivePro can be synced to a specific MIDI command - so, you could "play" LivePro as if it were a music synthesizer! To take this a step further, if you happen to be someone who tinkers with MIDI sequencer software, you could use that same software to trigger the cues and effects in LivePro automatically timed with your music.

ALSO - LivePro cues and effects can be synced to audio using a free plugin available for the free WinAmp audio player!

If you want to try out more "conventional" show-related software, you might also want to try out the LAStudio package available from Pangolin - last I heard, it's still free to Pangolin equipment users by requesting it throught their web site. It's a very nice software package with quite a few capabilities, geared towards the new user / hobbyist, and probably worth several hundred $$ more than the free price tag!!

Feel free to ask questions anytime - as I found out along the way, there are no "stupid" questions on this forum! By the way - when you get your system operation, be sure to post pictures!

Randy

[AbbyNormal]

Hi Abby! Welcome to PhotonLexicon.

Are you running LivePro on a Flashback 3, or do you have a QM-2000 board? Just curious.

Flashback.

The only tutorial DVD from Pangolin that I'm aware of is the one for LD-2000. And to the best of my knowledge, that DVD doesn't really cover LivePro in any great detail. I think there is only one short chapter on LivePro included on the DVD - right at the end. There is a short video clip of LivePro being used at a Club in Australia that you can download for free from the Pangolin website. That might get your started. (I think that video is from the tutorial DVD, in fact.)

Very cool, it didn't look like the video had much on livepro, so I'm glad I didn't find out the had way!

I don't have a license for LivePro, so I can't really offer any assistance. Perhaps some of our other members can help you. I do know that LivePro is incredibly powerful, but it's also complicated... It's easy to get too many effects stacked up, and you end up with hash! Bill Benner put on a nice demonstration of LivePro at one of our Florida Laser Enthusiast's Meetings last year, but I don't think anyone got any video of his little demo.

That seems to be the problem I'm running into, it does so much it's hard to figure out how to make it do a couple of simple things!

Of course, if you've got the time, you might want to consider a road trip to North Carolina in August so you can attend SELEM 2008. I realize it's one hell of a trip for you, but we've had people fly in from as far away as New Zealand to attent these events...

Adam

I may have to try to work a trip in, sounds ilke it would be fun.

[Insanity]

Hi AbbyNormal and welcome to PL.

If you have specific Live Pro questions, I can probably answer them. I spent a year doing nothing but playing with it and now know how to do most things..

Mark

[stanwax]

Hi Abby

Welcome to the fold I know you will have a great time here. Good to see another female laserist within our midst - you are a rare breed and at the moment along with Mambafreak (Audrey) you are the only know active ladylasers here.
I cant help you with livepro as I know only a little of its massive talents but I do know all about confusing my cat with lasers

I hope you stick around a while and learn lots about everything laser.

Rob

[AbbyNormal]

Thanks for the warm welcome and all the advice!

I have gotten the winamp plugin working, and I have figured out how to do some simple stuff, enough for what I need to do for now, but I feel like I've hardly scratched the surface!

I'm sure I'll be bugging you all with lots of dumb questions!

I figured there weren't going to be a lot of women around here, but I didn't think their would be this few!

Thanks again all!

[buffo]

Hi Abby;

Yeah, women are few and far between in this hobby. However, don't be too concerned... Most of us here play well with others.

Glad to hear you got the Winamp Plugin working. That's one of my favorite features. Have you tried using the line-in plugin yet? That will allow the beat detection engine to monitor whatever audio source you have connected to the line-in jack on your computer, rather than the audio file that winamp is playing. This works great if you have a live DJ spinning records and you still want to sync your laser to the audio.

Of course, you've still got CDRH rules to keep in mind, but assuming you already have a variance, the combination of the winamp laser visualization plugin and the line-in plugin make for a fully-automatic beat-syncronized laser show.!.

Adam