Was halten erfahrene Laserfreaks vom LA-Studio?

[dagobert_ch]

Hi zusammen!
An alle die schon Erfahrung mit Pango & Co haben, was hält ihr von der neuen Soft+Karte?
Glaubt ihr das wäre ne brauchbare Alternative zur Pango, oder nur ne billige Kopie?
Ich spiele mit dem Gedanke während der x-mas Aktion zuzuschlagen und will halt nicht ne böse Überaschung erleben...<p>Also ran an die Tasten, ich will eure Meinung hören.
Gruß,
Christian<p>[ 28 November 2001: Message edited by: Dagobert_ch ]</p>

[alexey]

Hello Christian,<p>I am sorry, I don`t know German language and probably
I had not correct translation of your message [img]images/icons/frown.gif"%20border="0[/img] .
But I would like to ask - why do you think that LAStudio
may be just a cheap copy? Are you had a look at new demo version ?<p>Thanks
[img]images/icons/smile.gif"%20border="0[/img] <p>Alexey.

[dagobert_ch]

Hi Alexey!
I dont realy mean, that LAStudio is a cheap copy, I want to ask the other laserfreaks, what they think about LAStudio. I know your opinion about your product, but if I look at postings from Pangolin, they say the oposite. Therefore I want to hear an opinion from they other guys.<p>Greetings,
Christian

[alexey]

Sure, no problem [img]images/icons/smile.gif"%20border="0[/img]

[stop]

Hello!<p>I also thought about purchasing the new LA Studio Software. I was very excited when I saw the Demo-Version and I was almost sure to buy it. But now I figured out that the cheapest card won't be able to drive my stepper motors on my optical bench, because there are no TTL-Signals. This is in my opinion a very big disadvantage compared to Pango Intro. Even if you buy the christmas-special you won't get the card which is needed to drive stepper motors. I can understand that there must be some differences between the cheapest and the professionel card, but I don't think this is something worth the money if you can't use your optical bench with this programm.
Sad but true.....
Steffen

[andi]

Steffen<p>wenn Du die aktuelle Pangolin QM2000 nimmst, gibt es dort auch keine TTL- Outputs sondern nur DMX. Du benötigst also auch bei Pangolin einen DMX-Decoder um TTL- Anschlüsse ansteuern zu können.<p>Wenn Du QM32 meinst, investierst Du in ein altes System ohne Softwareupdate, und da ist bei QM2000 doch schon einiges neues herausgekommen innerhalb der ersten zwei Jahre.<p>Grüsse aus dem Schweizerland<p>Andi

[stop]

Ja, ich meinte die QM 32. Aber warum ist es nicht möglich, auch den Laseristen, die das ganze nur als Hobby betrachten, eine einigermaßen vernünftige Soft zu bieten, die den Mindestanforderungen gerecht wird? Es wäre durchaus sinnvoll, eine Lite-Version zu erstellen, mit der man auch die opt.Bank steuern kann. Der Markt dafür ist vorhanden, schaut Euch nur mal im Board um, wieviele Leute eine "günstige" Soft suchen. Ich muß doch als Hobby-Laserist nicht "Coca-Cola" in Originalbuchstaben an die Wand schreiben können. Wer das will, muß halt mehr Geld ausgeben. Aber es werden auch viele Neulinge vergrauelt, weil selbst Pango Qm32 noch locker 3000 DM kostet. Da wäre eine brauchbare Soft zum Erstellen von Lissajous und Frames echt ein neuer Markt...<p>Und die billige Karte von LA kann noch nicht mal DMX, glaub ich.....<p>gruß
Steffen

[richi]

Servus Leute,<p>Also man kann auch nur die Showrider nehmen und die einfache Karte, das liegt dann bei 1000$ netto.
Abgespeckt hin oder her, wenn dann doch auf einmal DMX oder TTL gebraucht wird, was soll man denn dann abspecken ?
Die einfache Karte hat 3 Farbausgänge, also reicht in jedem fall aus für denjenigen der Diodenlaser oder Argon im einsatz hat.
Wer mit Weißlicht fährt sollte dann schon zu 6 Farbbits greifen.<p>Seitens der Software kann man ja die Module die man benötigt einzeln erwerben.
Was ihr dann braucht, seht euch am besten in der Demoversion an, hier könnt ihr alles ausprobieren jedoch keine Ausgabe und auch kein Speichern möglich.<p>Gruß Richi !<p>PS: Ich biete Showrider + einfachste Karte für 1000$ netto an. Alles andere auf meiner HP oder per Mail.

[alexey]

Hello,<p> Regarding TTL OUT ports. I can give an idea. For TTL Out ports there is very cheap solution.
Here in Ukraine there is card called as Multi I/O. The card has
2 COM ports and one LPT port. Typically card cost $2..$4.
I hope you can find this card in your country. LPT port is the
same as TTL Out ports with the difference that if you will
damage Multi I/O card then to replace it not problem at all.
Personally for me is no difference what port to use for writing
- I mean port of LPT (data register) or port of RIYA Cards,
or any other... Practically under Win 9x I can write to any I/O ports.
Can I ask you, how much TTL ports you need? and what you
want that program will do with it?<p> ...really all is simple. Maybe you need chaser for TTL?
or something like that?<p>Best Regards <p>Alexey
[img]images/icons/smile.gif"%20border="0[/img]

[stop]

Hello Alexey,<p>thanks for your suggestion. I am not sure if I understood you the right way... Do you mean you can change the ShowRider to accept two different cards, one "normal" RIYA Card and another one just to steer the stepper motors via LPT? Personally, I was a little disappointed when I saw the cheapest RIYA Card won't support TTL-Outs. If it should be possible to fix that problem with something like a plug-in for ShowRider and an extra Card connected to the LPT, (and this won't cost a million $) it would be fine, I think!
Steffen [img]images/icons/grin.gif"%20border="0[/img]

[stop]

P.S.: supporting 8 TTL-Outs would be enough for a cheap solution.....

[alexey]

Hello Steffen,<p>Yes, you are right. I mean that ShowRider will be able
to operate with 2 different cards - I means RIYA cards
and additional LPT card. Previous version of ShowRider
has the ability to choose addresses of TTL ports in
Configuration dialog. In present version I remove this
because it may cause problem if to set wrong port address.
The problem here is that user who will tune the software must
to use absolutelly right port address. In other case
program will write data to any other PC devices and it
may crash the system. This is a bad side of flexibility [img]images/icons/frown.gif"%20border="0[/img]
Anyway - there is no problem to put back this
feature.<p>I had a talk with RIYA - there is alternative solution.
RIYA ready to make special version of the card based on
Standard card version. Standard version has TTL ports.
I think the best way is just to contact
with RIYA riyalasers@gmx.net.<p>About number of ports [img]images/icons/smile.gif"%20border="0[/img] How I know RIYA has special
TTL card that provides over 100 TTL Out lines. If you need
this card please contact with RIYA.<p>About software. Internally event of ShowRider has 32 bytes
in each Event for a data. This allows to
handle 32 8bit TTL Out ports (256 Lines). Now in GUI
you can see smaller number, but I don`t see any problem
to activate all others. Of course - for free [img]images/icons/smile.gif"%20border="0[/img]
You you need more than 256 lines - no problem [img]images/icons/smile.gif"%20border="0[/img] <p>About LPT. I don`t mean that some card must be connected to LPT.
LPT itself is TTL port. And you can take signals directly from
LPT port.<p>Best Regards<p>Alexey

[stop]

Hello Alexey,<p>thanks for answering. This is a very interesting suggestion. So you could change the new Showrider Software to write TTL-Signals to the LPT-Port? In that case I would be able to use my stepper motors and the cheapest RIYA-Card, together with ShowRider, to projekt a show, right?
Thanks for your fast answers (nice support!)
Steffen

[alexey]

Yes, all is right [img]images/icons/smile.gif"%20border="0[/img] <p>Any questions are welcome.<p>Best Regards<p>Alexey.

[stop]

One last Question (I hope!): What is the Audio-In Connector on the Standart and Professionell Card supposed to be for? Music-Synchronisation is also possible with light-cards, if I use the CD-Rom, right?
Steffen [img]images/icons/grin.gif"%20border="0[/img]

[alexey]

Hello Steffen,<p>At first - questions are always welcome, and I hope that
software/hardware has a lot variuos things that may be
interesting for discussion.
And thanks for questions because it enhance our understing of
your needs and I hope increase understanding of our system.<p>What is Audio In? Audio-In is an input for audio signal
(standard line-in). Card itself can do simple but very usable
effects - card can resize frames (current output) or move it by X
or/and Y axis depend on audio. The card has low frequency filter which
allows to extract the "beat" from audio. This effect may be used in
live beam-oriented shows. The advantage here is that card do it
without software - it works extremaly fast and do not takes any additional
resources. Also is very simple to control this effects:
there is only one slider (pre-amp gate) and 3 buttons for effects enabling.<p>Software and Audio-In. Software do not use Audio-In. For this case
software just allows to control it - from Timeline or from Live window.
Also software allows to do practically the same effect without hardware.
Software includes "Spectra Analyzer" programm. Program take audio-in
from soundcard (just record audio) and analyze one by means of FFT
(Fast Fourier Transform) in realtime detects the values of
frequence zones. As a result we have 8 audio-depended values which
can be used as multipliers. Where it may be used ? As an example in
Effects (see Draw 3D). Effect action may be based on time or
on "channels". Channel is a virtual fader an totally programs has
255 channels. Channel can be controller by audio (from analyzer).
This all allows to rotate, resize, move images depend on audio.
Another application for channels is control of abstractions.
Depend on channel abstraction may change amplidute or periods
number of oscillators. Typically I try to insert channel-based
control at all places where it possible. One more - channels may be
controlled by MIDI (Control Change, Pitch Band) and in nearest
future by DMX In.
There is 'another side' of audio synchronization. In new version
ShowRider has its own spectrum analyzer and it can help with show
development. Here is very simple idea - analyzer allows to detect
music beat (frequency or amplitude peak) and ShowRider allows to write
the peaks on timeline as a Logs (mark on timeline). As a result you have
a marked timeline. How I know no one program allows to do it. Also
recordered Logs may be used for a music beat detection - program
allows to find average value of selected logs. Later all Logs may
be realigned to a specified beat value, an so on... [img]images/icons/smile.gif"%20border="0[/img]
Regading last part of your question. Audio-In is absolutelly
independent from software music-synchronization system. Software
can independently syncronize to CDROM, WinAmp, etc.<p>
...Personally I am still a bit amazed... I am about a "cheap copy".
Ok, no problem [img]images/icons/wink.gif"%20border="0[/img] <p>
Any questions are welcome [img]images/icons/smile.gif"%20border="0[/img] <p>Alexey

[alexey]

Hello Const,<p>Thanks for question. I compeletely understood your question.
You know, all systems has a limitations. At this time it is
not possible. Theoretically this is possible and we had a
discussion about. But in the nearest future we do not have
a plan to implement this feature. From my side for mentioned
case I recommend to use notebook. Also I can to say that is not
a problem to make very-very-small program that will take care CDs,
load and play the shows. Also I suggest that RIYA will makes special
version of the card oriented on notebooks.<p>Any questions are welcome.<p>Best Regards<p>Alexey.

[constantin]

Hello,
I think I'll buy me the professional card in some time ( when I've got enough money ). Is it possibly to run a show only with the card and a CD-ROM , like the stand-alone-player from pangolin ? And what about the sound ??? I've still made some thoughts about it : You've got the soft on your pc (showrider) and then you burn the show on a disc. then you put this cd in the cdrom (which's connected with the prof.-card ) and then start the show . If this is right , I' dbe very glad , 'cause I don't want to carry always my PC with me, when I want to start a show. At the "stand-alone"-player from pangolin you can also start and stop the show . How can I do this with your hardware ? as I said , it 'd be great if it's like the player from pango . <p>greets<p>const