# What lasers are probably being used?



## TKA (Dec 3, 2008)

When looking at one of these performances, is it possible to tell, for instance, whether the green is an Argon laser or Nd:YAG just by looking at the beam? What about other colors? Or do you have to guess?


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## CajunJosh (Dec 4, 2008)

I would imagine that any lasers used at concerts are more then likley going to be similar to this...

http://www.chauvetlighting.com/scorpiongrafx.html


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## RDZombie (Dec 5, 2008)

i dont remember off hand if argons have 532nm lines as DPSS yags are 532, i suppose if you have good eyes and know your waveleingths you could tell just by looking.


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## VillageIdiot (Dec 5, 2008)

Argons are 488nm, there is a huge difference between argon and doubled YAG or KTP/Nd:YVO4, which are both 532. 

Laser shows often utilise RGB lasers which mix a strong red module, a weaker green module and a average-power blue module to make different colours. I believe krypton-ion lasers (or was it Kr/Ar?) are an example of 'full colour' lasers - capable of creating any visible wavelength. Check the eye candy.


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## allthatwhichis (Dec 9, 2008)

Depending on what show that is and who is performing... Could be a solid state, i.e. diode or dpss, projector as CajunJosh stated... I would hope it was a Ligthwave, or Kvant over a chauvet.  Or it could be as VillageIdiot stated and an argon/krypton mixedgas rig. (That is nice candy there. :twothumbs) 

A mixedgas rig will produce several wavelengths, but not "all". Usually 647, 514, 488, 456ish, and a violet of some wavelength; possibly a yellow depending on the optics used :shrug:. The Krypton is the 647nm and the argon has the green and blues. You use a PCAOM to blank the lines at varying degrees to get full analog color. A PCAOM is a crystal that uses analog signals to opaque the crystal at different frequencies to blank the laser. An AOM, acustical optical modulator (I think) is used for single lines or frequency blanking. I forget what the PC means to make it multifrequency... :thinking:

A SS projector uses three SS lasers, usually 635 or 660/650, 532, and 473 or 457, or 445 and with all of them analog modulated you can again get all colors. TTL blanked SS lasers will give you 7 or 8 colors.

I am hoping to make my SS projector have 5 channels here soon; 6 at some point. I have 635, 532, and 473 at the moment. I have a set of 660nm on the way, and am waiting on a set of 405nm violets and a custom dichro to mix the 405 in with the rest.  Then I want to get a 445nm module for complete blue over kill. :naughty:


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## RDZombie (Dec 10, 2008)

AllTHAT: if you dont mind me asking how much are those 405 dichros running you? ill be needing to souce a couple myself soon.


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## allthatwhichis (Dec 10, 2008)

I think they are 30 EUR. The real expensive one is the custom red dichro to pass 660nm and reflect 635. :sigh: $165...


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## instinct (Dec 18, 2008)

CajunJosh said:


> I would imagine that any lasers used at concerts are more then likley going to be similar to this...
> 
> http://www.chauvetlighting.com/scorpiongrafx.html



No way is that a scorpion, those are only 5-10 MW. Scorpions are basically a joke to anyone that would want a real laser show.


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## allthatwhichis (Dec 19, 2008)

instinct said:


> No way is that a scorpion, those are only 5-10 MW. Scorpions are basically a joke to anyone that would want a real laser show.


 
Yea, there is no way a 10mW beam would be used in that size a venue. 

Anyone know what show that is? 

I saw Coldplay in early November and they had 5 or 6 Lightwave projectors on stage. They only used them in 5 or 6 songs but they were very nice projectors. 5 or so Watts each is my best guess.


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## TKA (Apr 6, 2009)

Reviving a dead thread: That picture came from a Coldplay concert. 

http://www.strictlyfx.com/lasers.html


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## allthatwhichis (Apr 7, 2009)

Now that I have seen that show in person I can recognize the stage and ange they used on the projectors. I got a seat practically behind the statge and saw the projectors used; not a great view but enough to know they are probably Ligthwave/Martin, based on Arctos lasers. Definatly high quality projectors, full solid state RGB; 5 to 10x as powerful as my new Kvant Spectrum.


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## The_LED_Museum (Apr 8, 2009)

Argon ion lasers (multi-line ones anyway) will produce a laser line at 514nm to 515nm in the green part of the spectrum.
But DPSS YAG lasers are the more likely candidate here; as argon-ion lasers are rather power-hungry critters and they generate considerable waste heat that must be dealt with.


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## allthatwhichis (Apr 8, 2009)

Yea, they are solid state; 532 dpss, 445 direct injection array and some 640 to 660 direct injection array. The projectors at the Coldplay concert were about 30 feet from me. I had bad seat practically back stage; I was literaly behind the stage. :candle: They also had the same projectors at some lighting convention, LDI, or LDSI, in Orlando, Oct 2007 at an ILDA conference on audience scanning.


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## Illum (Apr 8, 2009)

allthatwhichis said:


> Yea, there is no way a 10mW beam would be used in that size a venue.



um....
that you would have to take the environment into consideration: fog machines, camera adjustments...its hard to determine power by looking at pictures


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## allthatwhichis (Apr 8, 2009)

I was going on the assumption that an arena sized venue would not waste their time with a 10mW projector. I guess I need to clarify my statement...  That beam in particular _could_ be 10mW, but I would but atleast 5 on it that the projector that it is coming from is not a 10mW projector.


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