Frequently Asked Questions

The Mk2 hardware adds the following:

• A 240x320 IPS LCD with a push/rotary encoder knob for navigating and adjusting the CubeOS settings.
• A USB-A socket for direct connection to USB MIDI devices.
• A Micro SD socket for a card storing shows, playlists and other projection content. Firmware upgrade from this card is also possible.
• DMX In & Out. To allow DMX daisy-chaining with additional Mk2 Lasercubes and other lighting fixtures.
• RJ45 safety interlock connectors to allow daisy-chaining Mk2 Lasercubes from one RJ45 E-Stop pendant.
• Audio Codec with a 3.5mm Stereo Line Audio output, 3.5mm Stereo Line Audio input, plus a built in mono microphone.

Yes. All Lasercubes are still compatible with our LaserOS software.

No, the Ultra MK2 is completely different internally and it's not possible to send your original Ultra to upgrade to MK2, however, we can possibly provide a special discount to existing customers who are purchasing more than one unit, please contact us on whatsapp or email.

The DMX channel profile for the MK2 is described on our wiki page. The default profile uses 16 channels which allow the user to change power, x/y scale, x/y offset, rotation, mirror, cue selection, cue playback speed, CUE recolour etc.

The current MIDI devices compatible with the MK2 are the APC40 MK II and also the APC mini MK II. More devices will be added in future firmware releases.

The audio Inputs can be used for stand-alone audio reactive visualisers. The audio output is used for shows with accompanying audio tracks, and may be connected to a portable amplified speaker.

No. Previous generation Lasercubes used a single GX12 aviation connector and required an interlock hub to connect multiple Lasercubes to one interlock pendant. To allow daisy-chaining multiple Lasercubes and use of commonly available cables, the interlock was changed to use 2 RJ45 connectors.

Yes, the MK2 supports ArtNet with user configurable Universe, address offset, playlist CUE selection. The channel profile is the same as for DMX and is available on our wiki page. The default profile uses 16 channels which allow the user to change power, x/y scale, x/y offset, rotation, mirror, cue selection, cue playback speed, CUE recolour etc.

The ILDA input allows external DACs to be connected to the Mk2 Lasercube.

The ILDA specification states that the red, green and blue powers are controlled linearly by a voltage range of 0V to 5V on the R, G and B input pins. 0V should correspond to zero power, but since diode lasers emit some LED like light below there lasing threshold, there needs to be a "mute threshold" below which the laser current is set to zero in order to be fully off and not show a standby or ghost beam. The lower the mute threshold, the more dynamic brightness range is available for the projected visuals.

A problem occurs if a third party DAC is connected where the DAC has poor output offset performance and when set to zero output, presents a voltage higher than the mute threshold to the RGB input pins. This can lead to a ghost beam on one or more colours and a colour offset, whereby low brightness white beams have a noticeable tint.

The digital adjustable driver allows the R, G and B mute thresholds to be increased to fully blank any ghost beam. The corresponding R, G and B diode threshold currents can then also be decreased to restore perfect low level white balance. Thus third party DACs with sub-optimal hardware can be "dialed in" to correct for their output offset errors.

The Ultra MK2 utilises the same, well proven, AT40S scan system used on the original Ultra series.

You can use an external ethernet switch to connect multiple LaserCubes and chain them in one ArtNet network.

SD card can be any size up to 2TB, the only certified SD card for the MK2 is currently this Lexar silver plus A2 card: https://amzn.eu/d/gyKXMPp

The MK2 is supplied with a 64GB SD card containing 23 full laser shows with audio, and also a selection of DEMO playlists for Christmas, Halloween, Birthdays etc.

The SD card contents can also be obtained from our GitHub Here: https://github.com/Wickedlasers/mk2SDContent

We are committed to providing free firmware and free feature/content updates for the MK2.

Active USB extenders are not compatible. Only high-quality USB 2.0 A to B cables up to 5m are compatible and recommended.

The bracket handle has 3 holes that will allow up to an M8 bolt to pass through in order to attach a truss clamp compatible with the pole diameter of the lighting rig. For extra safety, use the Eye Bolt on the back panel to attach a wire safety bond.

Yes, but we would advise against removing it. It would be easy to lose the washer set, and without those, the handle would scratch the case when reattached.

Yes, but it is not advised and will only work if the 7.5W LC Ultra stays turned off. Using LC Ultra with a lower-rated charger than 120W could damage the charger.

Slightly. Since WiFi signals are primarily "Line of Sight", the main reason for the longer antenna is so that it clears the body of the 7.5W LC Ultra.

Yes, the 7.5W LC Ultra just has one, lid mounted battery pack. It is replaceable with simple tools.

The battery pack is user-replaceable. We offer replacement battery packs under warranty and post-warranty. The batteries specs are (for 2.5W / 1.2W): 18650 (3400mAh / 2600mAh), 2S1P w/ PCM x 2 packs.

You just require a router or ethernet switch, no internet connection necessary.

The LaserCube can stutter if used in a heavily congested WiFi area. It is best suited to being used outdoors where range up to 30m is possible. Stuttering can also occur if using the LaserCube in client mode as your router/hub is also handling all your other WiFi enabled devices on your local network reducing bandwidth for the cube. The best mode to use for the LaserCube is using the WiFi server mode, where you are connecting directly to the LaserCube with your mobile phone/tablet/computer. Another source of stuttering is leaving the WiFi network list visible on your computer, as this will cause constant scanning for other WiFi networks interrupting the normal WiFi operation on your computer (UDP packets end up being buffered by your computer for extended periods during the network scanning causing image breakup).

The mode must be set to LAN Server (yellow LED) when using one of the supplied adaptors, as your mobile phone/tablet is expecting to be supplied with an IP address from a DHCP device.

1. Connect your USB Cable to the Lasercube. 2. Connect the cable to the back of the Lasercube and the Big Yellow Box. 3. Turn the key to the ON position on the Lasercube. 4. Turn the key to the ON position on the Big Yellow Box. 5. Make sure that the Big Red Button is in the ON position. The box is shipped with the button locked into the down/off position. To unlock, simply turn the button clockwise until it pops up. 6. Turn the Lasercube switch to the ON position. At this point the two white LED’s above the Lasercube key and the red LED on the Big Yellow Box will blink slowly.

As a pure diode laser projector, the laser lifetime is expected to be 10 to 20 thousand hours, but may be reduced by operating at temperature extremes (-10C / 45C) The internal battery is a high quality Lithium Ion pack similar to those used in laptops. In common with laptops, over time, the available capacity of the battery will reduce. The battery has therefore been made to be easily user-replaceable.

You can shop our full-line of accessories by clicking here.

If your laser projector has an ILDA port, you can purchase a LaserOS dongle to use LaserOS software (PC/Mac, Android)

The fan noise is measured at 40db @ 1 meter from the LaserCube 2W.

The maximum visible range of the 1.2W is 500 meters and well over 1000 meters on any LaserCube over 5W.

The image size will be a 1m square when the LaserCube is 2m away, 2m square image when the LaserCube is 4m away, and so on… With the Expander, it would be 3m square at 2m distance and so on…. There is no maximum range, but the apparent brightness will be reduced the larger the projection. It is recommended to use the LaserCube at half-zoom or less for better image quality.

The included wall-plug power charger is rated 19V DC (100-240V) power supply with 2.5×5.5 DC jack.

The 2.5W is 2.5x as bright as the 1.2W in lumens. The 2.5W has better color accuracy and white balance. The 2.5W delivers the best performance and value for your money. Watch the comparison video.

There is no duty cycle. LaserCube will operate from battery or external power from -10C to +45C. Charging of the internal battery is disabled whilst the battery temperature is outside of +10C to +45C to prevent overheating.

The blur lens defocuses the laser output over range. It has a 250mm focal length. Diffraction lens multiplies your laser visuals causing awesome effects. The Lumia lens is made of textured glass and recreates the trippy lumia experience.

Only 7 colors are possible for TTL compared to 1000s of colors for analog lasers. LaserCube is full analog color.

Yes, the housing is dustproof. There is no air drawn (or able to convect) into the main cube body where the lasers and optics are. All LaserCubes has a blower fan recessed within a separate heatsink plate that bolts on to the bottom of the original cube housing. Air is not drawn through the main enclosure, only into and out of the heatsink plate, which conductively cools the existing base of the cube. Sealing of the lasers and optics is maintained.

Goto settings > system & device > additional settings > OTG > turn OTG on.

Image files in SVG (recommended), PNG, JPG, BMP format can be uploaded automatically into LaserOS. You can create new SVG-based logos, animations, and tracings using Illustrator, Animate and Inkspace. Watch our tutorial videos. Due to the complexity and experience required to create professional-quality laser animations, we recommend you hire a laser graphics artist who specializes in creating custom artwork: marcelo@benitoon.com.

Device requirements: Windows PC: Windows 10 with quad core processor such as Intel i5, 2.5GHz or better, 8GB RAM Mac PC: Mac OS X 10.6 with quad core processor such as Intel i5, 2.5GHz or better, 8GB RAM iPhone/iPad: iOS 14.0 iPhone SE(2020) / iPad(6th generation) or better Android: Android 10 or higher with Octa-Core 2 GHz processor, 4GB RAM or better

Create a folder of SVG files in a program like Adobe Animate or Illustrator. Sample: dancer sample.zip. Due to the complexity and experience required to create professional-quality laser animations, we recommend you hire a laser graphics artist who specializes in creating custom artwork: marcelo@benitoon.com.

MacOS: Open a command terminal and run: rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/LaserOS/config.iniWindows: Run from a command prompt: rm C:\Users%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\LaserOS\config.ini

Please watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ytx17wttMA. Due to the complexity and experience required to create professional-quality laser animations, we recommend you hire a laser graphics artist who specializes in creating custom artwork: marcelo@benitoon.com.

You may find older versions of LaserOS here: https://www.laseros.com/downloads/legacy/

Download here: Windows, MacOS, and Android.

Yes, LaserOS is fully autonomous, requiring no user input. Just choose the modes and an effect. Watch to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8sNmIihUOw

There is no internet connection required, the app works fully offline.

Goto Settings > Color, and select the Mono Color slider to choose a single color. To return to normal color mode, drag the Mono Color slider all the way to the left position.

On Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/LaserOS/imports On PC: C:\Users\ (your username) \AppData\Roaming\LaserOS\imports On Android: ~/Android/data/com.wickedlasers.laserOS/files/imports/

It’s not possible to adjust the X / Y position @ max zoom. Reduce zoom first.

Download: http://zadig.akeo.ie/ 1. Connect LaserCube to PC 2. Open zadig 3. Options > List All Devices 4. Choose Laserdock Interface 0 5. Choose libusbK as driver 6. Click install Repeat 3-5 for interface 1 and 2

LaserOS needs an audio input in order to generate music reactive visuals. Loopback audio is superior to microphone in both latency and accuracy. On Windows, all you need to do is select a Loopback audio source. On Mac, you need to install Sound Siphon and then you have to select Sound Siphon as Audio Output in Sound Settings. For Android, goto Settings > Audio and select ‘loopback’.

Locate the LaserOS app in Finder and Ctrl-Click it. If you select Open from the resultant menu, the app will be opened.

“Under the hood” we use Openlase as a renderer / path optimiser of the vector images. Our hardware DAC rate is 30000 points per second. There are quite a few control parameters fed from LaserOS into Openlase to determine how the image is created. Where we set a minimum or maximum number of points, it has a direct impact on the frames per second. i.e. setting a maximum number of points to 1000 will force a 30 FPS minimum frame rate, but images that would require longer than 33ms to draw will be simplified to fit into the fixed number of points and may look rounded or distorted. In the latest LaserOS, it was (over) adjusted to try render some images at 45 FPS, meaning only 600 points were useable before the image began to simplify. We could just revert to 1000 points, but are in the process of checking that increasing the maximum number of points even more (and therefore internal buffer sizes too) won’t cause any unexpected issues in different parts of the LaserOS software. If you are interested in controlling the cube directly, take a look at our Github.

This is due to Apple’s DRM / audio recording limitations and nothing to do with our LaserOS software.

LaserCube Ultra MK2 can work with Pangolin QuickShow and Beyond by using external FB3 controller. To learn more about LaserOS vs. QuickShow differences, please visit this page

We can highly recommend Laser Graphic Converter, available on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aktuna.utils.giftosvg&pli=1. Due to the complexity and experience required to create professional-quality laser animations, we recommend you hire a laser graphics artist who specializes in creating custom artwork: marcelo@benitoon.com.

LaserCube is compatible with Madmapper, Liberation, Touchdesigner, Ableton Link, Resolume, Modulaser, and Lasershowgen. Learn more about how to integrate into LaserCube API. Visit our official Github API here.

After careful review of our user safety protocols, we have made the tough decision to remove the engraving and balloon popping modes from LaserOS, effective v0.9.57. For those who have used the LaserCube as a component part of a laser engraving system and who are able and willing to take ownership of the laser safety of the whole installation, the features are still supported on legacy version of LaserOS.

Yes, LaserCube has an internal automatic shutoff mechanism that will switch off your laser and disable battery charging if temperatures exceed 40C.

Generally you do not need laser safety goggles when using laser show projectors when following the best safety practices, however If you are experimenting or testing, you need goggle that covers the entire RGB spectrum. We recommend you check a certified laser safety goggles manufacturer such as https://lasersafety.com/ and email them directly to find the most suitable goggles.

There is no general value available to determine the safe distance (MPE). There are many relevant factors relevant: Scan speed, scan angle, scanned pattern, beam divergence, beam diameter, output power etc. The IEC 60825-1 Laser Safety Regulation applies internationally. Do not allow emission in a public area to exceed laser class 3R.

Do not shoot lasers at people. The very bottom of the laser projection should at least 3 meters above the floor, so there is clearance between someone’s head and the lasers. Laterally, there should be 2.5 meter distance. As with all lasers, never allow any laser beam to enter the sky. Laser beams striking aircraft can blind pilots and is considered a felony offense in most countries. Do not scan your audience without explicit approval granted from your regulatory body in your city or state. Check with local authorities before using a laser in public areas. Please watch our safety video.

LaserCube has a much lower power density compared to the static ‘laser dot’ of a handheld laser because the ‘laser dot’ of the LaserCube is moving at rapidly (tens of thousands of time per second) in order to create laser graphics. The actual power depends on several factors such as LaserOS software settings and distance.

There are a variety of things you can do in the LaserOS settings that reduce power. You can lower the master power slider, increase zoom for a bigger image, and setup attenuation zones. You can also use accessories like diffraction lens, lumia kits, and expander. By using a combination of lens and software settings you can reduce power density to any level you desire.

You can attentuate or disable the laser output to zones specified in LaserOS Safety Zones settings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E8B7qowNjI