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Laser
F/X On-line Newsletter - Digest
July,
August, September 1998
Items removed from the on-line Newsletter
pages during the third quarter of 1998.
NOTE: Links on
destination sites are often changed. We provide the
digest pages for archival purposes and the links to external
sites were working when the material was originally published
but may no longer be working.
What's New
New products and services of interest to
lasersts. Submit your new product information and images in .gif or .jpg
format to our E-mail or contact us.
Laser
Production Network moves
Laser production network is pleased to announce the opening
of our new bigger and better facilities and offices in North Miami. Our new
contact information is:
20209 NE 15th Court
North Miami, Florida, USA 33179
Tel: 305-690-6885 Fax: 305-690-6881
E-mail: info@lasernetwork.com
"Show
Gun" by National Laser debuts at Laser F/X '98
In a new effort to capture the market for the low end user
in the laser show industry, National Laser Company announces their new argon
ion laser, the "Show-Gun". A model 004 tube installed in a
completely refurbished ALC 60X head. This high power tube produces up to 200
mW of all line argon output at 8.5 amps. The output can be non-polarised or
polarised for use with a PCAOM.
Packed with power this permanently aligned, internal mirror tube is designed
for trouble free operation in light show applications. The tube had been
designed for easy drop-in replacement and retrofitting of the popular 60X
type lasers.
The blazing "Show Gun" will be on display at the Laser F/X
Conference in Burlington, Canada May 16-18, 1998.
For more information, contact Debra Hampton, National Laser Company,
801-467-3391 X104 laser@nationallaser.com
http://www.nationallaser.com/
New
Wave Inc. announces Sync-Master controller
New Wave Inc. announces Sync-Master live show controller
designed for Pangolin Powered systems. Imagine being able to assign anything
Pangolin can do, to a single button.... now imagine having 254 buttons all
on line, all real-time, always ready
Software
features:
-
May be used with any Pangolin System for Windows with 16
megs of computer Ram.
Has 64 buttons x 4 pages with pause, blackout and fadeout.
Each button may trigger: A timeline event, an animation sequence
(frames), scrolling text, a TTL output (or a chase sequence of TTL's).
A separate scrolling text page with many new features.
22 TTL "hot" buttons with "Quick chase"
Module page allows loading with one simple click (also timed to CD, Wave
and Midi).
Complete Palette editor (saves as well!).
Master intensity.
4 programmable screens (size and position).
Playback and scan rate adjustments.
Frame viewer.
Autorotate.
Instant test frames.
Safety password for screen adjustments etc. (great for installs /
night-clubs).
Many quick keys (intensity, scrolling frames, display frames)
DMX compatible Send / Receive (coming soon…)
Hardware
(console) features:
The Sync-Master software includes free lifetime updates. The
power comes from you - the users, so we are open to any suggestions for
add-ons or modifications !!!
Price: Software only: $1000 Console: $1800
Package (Software & Console) $2500
DMX option call - All prices are in US dollars, FOB NewWave, St-Laurent,
Quebec, Canada.
For a free demo version of the SYNC-MASTER software please
e-mail us NewWave@aei.net
NATIONAL
LASER INTRODUCES MODEL 800 ARGON
National Laser Company (NLC) will exhibit its Model 800
laser at the CLEO '98 Conference in San Francisco, California. The advanced
design air-or water-cooled argon laser is available in a variety of
wavelengths and features an internal mirror design that produces up to 1
Watt multiline, multimode.
Based in Salt Lake City, NLC is one of the world's largest manufacturers of
small argon lasers, accounting for 30% of 1997 world wide sales of ion
lasers with a power output of less than 1 watt.
The unmatched price/performance ratio of NLC lasers makes them the superior
choice," said Debra Hampton, NLC's director of sales and marketing.
Debra Hampton laser@mail.aros.net
Web: http://www.nationallaser.com/
World
Scan
Laser display happenings from around the world. If you
would like your show or installation information here, please E-mail to our
E-mail or contact us.
Notorious
Sphinx Photo
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| This photo appeared on
the front page of the Boston Globe Tue, 26 May 1998. It shows a YAG laser
projecting over the Sphinx in Egypt. Further Inquiries revealed that Centrak
Lasers performed the show. - Scan
of newspaper Courtesy of Cambridge technology |
es-Lasersystems
merges
Beginning June 1st 1998, es-Lasersystems changes its name
and logo to MediaLas Laserproducts GmbH. This the result of more and more
partnership with MediaLas Events and es-Lasersystems in the last years. For
this reason MediaLas Events and es-Lasersystems merged to one company,
MediaLas Laserproducts GmbH.
The goal is to serve you better and faster with high quality laser
technology.
You are still able to get our products directly from us (Europe and
non-US-countries) of from our distributor Holo Spectra, Inc. (US). Our
complete contact info is:
MediaLas Laserproducts GmbH
Neue Rottenburger Str. 37
D-72379 Hechingen / Germany
Ph. +49 7471 91661
Fax +49 7471 91666
Web: Company: http://www.medialas.com
Components: http://www.showlaser.com
E-mail: contact@medialas.com
Lasers
go Bowling
In an article entitled "Glow bowling:
More than flash in the pan", USA Today talks about the latest trend in
Bowling - which includes lasers in the allies.
06/04/98- Updated 11:41 PM ET
Glow bowling: More than flash in the pan
Who says you can't teach an old sport new tricks?
Bowling, long the butt of jokes and a bastion of the beer-drinking,
blue-collar crowd, is not only hot these days, it's glowing.
Glow bowling - also called Cosmic Bowling, Xtreme Bowling and laser bowling
- has been around a couple of years, but this summer it's picking up steam
as the nation's bowling centres play even more new tricks on young and hip
bowlers looking for the next thrill.
Full text of the article can be found on the USA Today site CLICK
HERE
Pangolin
issues Y2K compliance statement
Orlando, Florida: In a statement issued on 31 May 1998,
Patrick Murphy, President of Pangolin Laser Systems announced: "We are
pleased to state that Pangolin's Lasershow Designer for Windows software is
fully Year 2000 compliant. You do not need to worry about any LD-related
problems in the year 2000.
There is only one date-related function within LD. This is in the Showtime
program. Today's version of Showtime will not run after the year 2033. For
those interested in the technical details, here's why:
DATE USAGE IN LD
When you create a show element (show, module, scene, effect), Showtime makes
an identifier based on two numbers: the date/time created (year, month, day,
hour, minute, second) and the QuadMod serial number. This ensures that every
show element is unique.
For example, if you create an effect called "Logo fly-in", and
someone else creates an effect with the same name, there is no conflict.
Showtime does NOT look at the name, but instead looks at the identifier
(date/time + QM serial number). Uniqueness is guaranteed for two reasons:
1/ you cannot create two effects within one second on the same QuadMod
2/ even if two people create an effect at the exact same moment on different
QuadMods, the serial number will be different.
The date range used in the identifier code is valid from 1980 until 2033.
Thus, there is no date-related problem until 2034. At that time, you will
get an error message when Showtime starts up, indicating that your
computer's clock is set incorrectly. (You can see this if you change your
computer's clock to 2034 and then start Showtime.)
If LD for Windows software is still in use by 2030, then we will begin in
that year to work on the "Year 2034 problem".
NO YEAR 2000 PROBLEM
Just to restate, LD is fully Year 2000 compliant. Any problems which may
occur will be due to the Windows operating system. The only date-related
function in LD is the one described above, which will not be a concern for
three decades" said Murphy.
Pangolin is the first, and to-date only, laser graphics software company to
release a statement on year 2000 compliance for their product.
Spain's
Eye to the Universe
LOBO
inaugurates Europe's largest urban culture and leisure centre
For one day it was the main topic in Spain's media
landscape: In the presence of the highest political prominence the first
building of a new cultural and scientological city was inaugurated. The
avantgardistic and nature oriented architecture of the park was designed by
the famous
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the creator of the new radio tower in
Barcelona as well as of the Expo-area in Sevilla.
The "Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias" stretches along a former
river-bed in the south of Valencia. Like gigantic calyxes Calatrava placed
the buildings in a park scenery dominated by water. In the nearest future
about three million visitors per year will be able to meet with all facets
of arts, culture and science. After being completed the area offers a
"cultural palace" with more than 5.000 seats, which will secure
Valencia its place under the worlds greatest opera and festival houses. Only
within a few steps a science and technology museum of nearly incredible size
is being built. And if this was not enough a oceanographic museum is being
developed situated in an overdimensional water basin where the visitor can
promenade through the oceanic fauna and flora in an underwater town with
restaurants and connecting glass tunnels.
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The centre of the park is dominated by the
"Hemispheric", a building of 90 m length and 50 m height.
When reflected in the surrounding water it strongly reminds of an
oversized eye. Logically, Calavatra designated a mechanism which
opens and closes the "eye lid" over its full breadth. The
interior of the eye consists of an IMAX-Dome combined for the first
time with planetarium techniques. As a symbol for the whole park
this building was inaugurated on 16th April.
The internationally experienced multimedia artist Albert
Ripoll I Coca was entrusted with the inauguration ceremony. With the German
company LOBO from Aalen and the Caballer pyrotechnique company from Valencia
Ripoll I Coca has taken on board two strong partners which are known to be
very experienced in great outdoor presentations. |
The goal was to demonstrate
the population of Valencia und the spectators of several television stations
the great architecture and the designation of the building in a futuristic
spectacle. For external reasons the whole conception and realisation had to
be completed in only 1 ˝ weeks what, as a consequence, ended in a one-week
series of night-shifts for all persons concerned.
On the technical side, 7 tons of fireworks, 70 kW sound equipment, 3
PANI-xenon
slide projectors, 2 Barco 9020 video projectors and overall 600 kW of light
for the illumination of the scenery were available. A central O.B. van
allowed the audience watching television as well as the waiting present
crowd to participate very realistically by means of several Jumbotron
screens. Since Albert Ripoll I Coca wanted to inaugurate a futuristic park
with futuristic technology he designated central importance to a technically
and artistically ingenious application of the most progressive show laser
techniques. At the SIB in Rimini where traditionally every year all
celebrities of the laser show business assemble the Spaniard met with the
German company LOBO which had already made a name for itself all over the
world with its innovative technical solutions and and their laser
spectacles.
With LOBO´s laser truck concept Ripoll I Coca could use of an approved
solution with nearly 60 W white light laser performance and a complete
back-up system, guaranteeing sufficient laser performance as well as the
best operation safety.
On the 16th April at 9 p.m. the time had come: Instead of the invited 1000
VIPs three times as much arrived unexpectedly. In front of the park a vast
crowd pressed closely together. Live transmitted by television the Spanish
Prime Minister Eduardo Zaplana stood in front of the Hemispheric, applauded
by the public, pressed the famous red button and sent laser beams into the
sky which - apparently reflected by the firmament - hit the centre of the
ball and thereby initiated the spectacle with an explosion of light and
colours. Suddenly, an eye drawn by laser and video awakened, looked down on
the crowd until the pupil changed into a globe which directly precipitated
onto Valencia and the city of arts and science.
LOBO´s Art Director Alex
Hennig:
"The burlesque shape of the building was like an invitation to
play with shapes and colours. One time we sketched with the laser
the striking silhouette of the architecture, then we shot out of the
eye lids nearly endless laser eyelashes into the sky; at other
times, the laser accentuated the essential parts of the video
projection on the surface of the oversized eyeball."
After a classic concert of the British music genius Michael
Nyman accompanied by laser and fireworks the monumental spectacle came to
its end. Only a few laser beams skimming over the firmament - to be seen in
a distance up to 80 km - alluded to the magnificent inauguration ceremony.
Photos courtesy of LOBO - http://www.lobo.de
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OCEANS
OF WONDER AT EXPO '98 IN LISBON
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Lisbon's Expo '98, with the theme of "The Oceans,
a Heritage for the Future," runs through Sept. 30, with
exhibitions from 154 countries sprawled over 150 acres. Highlights
include the Pavilion of the Future, which takes as its theme
"Saving the Life of the Planet,'' and the focus of its
presentation lies in a two-part program titled ONE OCEAN. The
program's pre-show, a four-minute, high-definition video, is a
moving depiction of the impact of environmental destruction on the
seas. The main program, a stunningn10-minute 3D production -
complete with mist and laser effects - continues the theme with even
greater efficacy.
ONE OCEAN was produced by the Lightspeed Design Group of Bellevue, Wash.,
and clearly conveys the message that the world's oceans are under constant
threat of destruction, and that the nations of the world need to take
greater care of this valuable, irreplaceable resource. |
Ask
Dr. Divergence
Dear Doctor,
We recently play a very elaborate joke on one of our staff.
The Set-up: About four
months ago, as a joke, my boss (and Harry's) told Harry the next laser show
we would be getting from LFI would be a "Spice Girls-Hansen"
combo. You see, Harry REALLY despises both of these bands. Before Dave (my
boss) could fess up, I asked him to hold off so I could 'elaborate' and he
agreed. We even called LFI to back us up in case Harry called to complain.
The Preparation: I put
Mmm-Bop on a tape as the opening song for the show and set it to a cycloid,
but not just any old cycloid, a really BAD cycloid. Everything from bad
blanking to over-scanning to noisy transitions to off-beat tempos that
drifted. At the end of the song a message was to pop up saying "Gottcha
Harry", but it was inverted and up-side-down (we have two buttons on
the console to correct this when it happens). We even had our publications
person print up a few posters and a label for the tape, complete with LFI
staff names Harry was familiar with.
The Climax: One week
before a new Metallica show was to open, Dave called Harry and said the tape
was in, and since we were 'unable' to get any add time on any of the hard
rock stations, we were putting Spice Girls-Hansen in in its place. This
means Harry has to come in and do long hours to prep the other visuals for
the show on short notice (he's a college boy).
So in comes Harry, less than thrilled, ready to work. A bonus to all of this
is that just before he goes into the theatre to look at the tape for the
first (and last) time, he finds a gift certificate I bought him and asks if
this was for all the jokes I have played on him in the past. My lips said
'Yes', but my mind said 'No..Its for the one I am about to'. As Harry goes
into the theatre, my boss wanted to follow him but I said not to. Harry
wasn't going to make it through the first minute of the song.
Sure enough, a few minutes later Harry comes stomping out of the theatre
saying "Dave, we got a problem...We can't run this show... Its
awful!!" We tell him it can't be all that bad, besides, we have already
started advertising. He starts to panic so we agree to go in and see for
ourselves.
Harry starts playing the tape, and of course there is a glitch, then a
flicker, etc. Harry starts pounding on the table to the music and screaming
about timing, over-scan, and so on. "Where am I supposed to go with the
show when they start with a cycloid?!?", "What were they
smoking?!?", then some expletives. I asked him if he wasn't at the end
of the show, Dave said we could cover it with 3D visuals, Harry just
sputtered and lost the power of speech.
Finally, the message came up and Harry almost screams "They couldn't
even get the simple text right!!!" and he hits the inverts. It took him
three or four seconds before he said "Gottcha Ha...", and the he
got up and left. Dave was laughing so hard I thought his head was going to
explode. I couldn't see straight and had to sit down because my knees were
starting to buckle.
Sometimes I will be sitting at home and just start to chuckle, my wife is
starting to worry.
That all being said, we really do work hard.
Really!
Steve Cooper - Science Centre of Iowa
Dear Steve,
Who said it has to be all work and no play? Sounds like a great practical
joke to me.
DISCLAIMER:
Some of the information in the Backstage area is provided by the
persons or companies named on the relevant page(s). Laser F/X does
NOT endorse or recommend any products/services and is NOT
responsible for the technical accuracy of the information
provided. We provide this information as a service to
laserists using the Backstage area.
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