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Thread: ishow

  1. #1
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    Default ishow

    can some post the full spec of the ishow software? i have looked at the screen shots but doesn't help.is there an option to load a mp3 and sinc the show to the music ? does it allow midi input. or is it just very basic control software ?

  2. #2
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    Lightbulb

    Just say NO!!! Look at some other software, please! Using mirros on speakers is better than this. If you are on a budget get a soundcard DAC; there are many good programs that use them. Just... stay away from iShow.
    Love, peace, and grease,

    allthat... aka: aaron@pangolin

  3. #3
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    Default

    ^^^ +1 ^^^

    (does make a good heatsink/coaster for hot tea though)
    http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3985/laser.gif

    Doc's website

    The Health and Safety Act 1971

    Recklessly interfering with Darwin’s natural selection process, thereby extending the life cycle of dim-witted ignorami; thus perpetuating and magnifying the danger to us all, by enabling them to breed and walk amongst us, our children and loved ones.





  4. #4
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    Default

    its a lot more money but an FB3 with Quickshow would be eleventybillin times better and would not be a waste of money - ishow is.
    If you are interested in FB3 give me a shout
    Rob
    If you need to ask the question 'whats so good about a laser' - you won't understand the answer.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Laserists do it by the nanometre.

    Stanwax Laser is a Corporate Member of Ilda

    Stanwax Laser main distributor of First Contact in UK - like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/FirstContactPolymerCleaner
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  5. #5
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by stanwax View Post
    eleventybillin
    I own the rights to that word and all derivatives. You owe me 10p
    - There is no such word as "can't" -
    - 60% of the time it works every time -

  6. #6
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    Default

    IShow dacs have some firmware issues. I was able to hack the protocol and add support for these DACs to my application and had to work around some odd behavior. But, I did manage to add support for them and got them to work a lot better than in the IShow software that they come with. For standalone DACs they are junk. But, for cheap satellite projector DACs, they are awesome because they only cost $89 a piece and are perfectly fine for controlling a 15K scanner.

    So, although these DACs do have their problems, the low price can be taken advantage of to add some satellite projectors at a cheap price. ($90 IShow + $50 445nm diode + $80 15Kgalvo set = a kick ass $230 homemade 500mw+ satellite beam projector.

  7. #7
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    Question

    Are they better than using a sound card DAC? I guess I can see how they might as the "do" have firmware that is accessable and a soundcard wouldn't...

  8. #8
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    Default

    I would steer very clear of the hardware and the software unless you are absolutely certain that safety features are an integral part of the design. For example:

    • does the DAC immediately shut-off the beams if the PC cable is disconnected?
    • how prone is the DAC to freezing/locking-up during shows and resulting in stationary beams? (I've seen this)

    You'd be much better off with a quality DAC like the FB3.

  9. #9
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by allthatwhichis View Post
    Are they better than using a sound card DAC? I guess I can see how they might as the "do" have firmware that is accessable and a soundcard wouldn't...
    Sound card DACs have much better quality but current software is only capable of addressing one sound card DAC at a time. Multiple IShow DACs can be controlled. Here is where I am goign with it. Get yourself a sound card and two IShow DACs and you have only dropped $250. That's less than half of what an FB3 costs. Get yourself a nice 30K scanner and a couple low end 15K scanners and a cheap software package to control all of it and you will have a system that will blow audiences away. With three projectors, the laser show doesn't even have to be that good. At that point, it is all about being engulfed by synchronized walls of light coming at you from all directions.

    With cheap DACs, lasers, and projectors, I think that the game has changed from single projectors to multiple projectors. That's where the WOW factor is.

    A 3 FB3 package will be better than a sound card and a couple IShow DACs. But, you're talking $250 vs $1800 just for controllers.

  10. #10
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JohnYayas View Post
    you're talking $250 vs $1800 just for controllers.
    Small price to pay if your engulfing your audience in lasers.

    John, I'm not getting the sense that safety features are much of a concern given your last post. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but what assurances do you have that these DACs won't freeze-up under certain conditions and result in stray static beams?

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