Lasers, lasers, lasers

[Jamtastic3]

In the past couple of weeks I've heard so many different situations involving lasers mostly to do with people wanting them for their purposes and it made me think - what is so good about them!?

 

Ok, just for the record, I'm not anti-laser (being a lighting engineer I've played with a few). But what gets me is that in my opinion, I don't see the real big deal about them. Most of the time it's people who want them in nightclubs and installs that I hear the word laser, so I can't talk for the big beasts that shine to the skies. Yeah lasers look great and produce some cool shapes but that's about it really.

I think what get's me is the fact that most of them are static unlike a moving light for example and most of them come with one colour - either red or green. I think that lasers are like strobes - they are a one off moment effect. Used at the right time you can catch a crowd - but used too much and they just look fairly boring and not exciting.

I work in a club venue where yes, we could do with a laser for another effect. But I'd rather spend the money on the lines of moving lights (even if they were fairly cheap ones)

 

What are everyone's thoughts???

[dbuckley]

My thoughts are that in the right hands with the right equipment, lasers can be breathtaking in a way that other lighting technologies simply aren't. However, that description doesn't apply to typical club lasers.

 

There are lasers, and there are lasers.

 

Ever see the Laserium show at London Planetarium, or the show at Hayden Planetarium (now sadly demolished) in New York? If not, you have been deprived, and if you have, you'll understand :P

[LDODD]

The Co I work for have been a Laser Manufacturer for some 25 or so years.

 

Now I can accept some of the early points made here in that some low-spec laser systems can be quite one-dimensional.

 

The development of Pro systems in recent years has been severely hampered by the market's insistence on not having any concern over educating users/buyers.

 

I have a genuine belief that the advent of internet-based purchasing power has dramatically affected this - and in doing so - has allowed the influx of poor-quality cheap tat into what has always been a healthy marketplace.

 

I'm not trying to get into a debate on the quality of specific manufacturers/products here, but my point is that there is a lot more rubbish (one-dimensional) kit in what was once a professional market.

 

Now this leads an un-educated public to believe that there is little to be seen.

 

Not true.

 

I've actually seen people fall over whilst looking into a warped rotating tunnel effect. (Not that I'm advocating crowd-scanning, nor helping people get injured in any way)

Now there's a certain uniqueness to a properly controlled Laser system that will add value to many rigs.

 

Depending on the kind of atmosphere you are trying to create, and to a certain extent, the kind of music that you're playing - a Pro laser system can be truly breath-taking.

I simply don't agree that all lasers can achieve is a few cool shapes.

 

Spend £10k + and you're really looking at a lot of fun - I promise!