Lasers for Medium Indoor Venues
Venue lasers for theaters, halls and corporate events: DMX, Art-Net and ILDA control, truss mounting and multi-cube shows with LaserCube Pro and Ultra MK2.
Venue lasers for theaters, halls and corporate events
For medium-sized indoor venues such as corporate events, theater productions, concert halls, bowling centers and skating rinks, the LaserCube Pro and LaserCube Ultra MK2 are the models to look at. Each suits an audience of up to about 1,000 people, and several cubes can run one show together.
Both have a screen and rotary knob on the back and can play shows from their microSD card on their own. In a rig, they take DMX and Art-Net from a lighting desk, ILDA from an external DAC and MIDI from a controller. Laser software such as MadMapper and TouchDesigner can drive them over the network.
At a glance:
- Up to about 1,000 people per cube; link several cubes for more
- DMX in and out with a 16-channel fixture profile, plus Art-Net
- Ultra MK2: full-size XLR DMX and ILDA In and Out. Pro: 3.5 mm DMX jacks and ILDA In
- Mounting bracket with lockable tilt for a truss clamp
Run the laser with your lighting rig
Choose the control mode on the cube’s screen: DMX-512 or Art-Net for a lighting desk, LaserOS for the LaserOS app and programs that support LaserCube directly, or Ether Dream for TouchDesigner. Each cube uses one 16-channel fixture, and you set its start address in the DMX or Art-Net menu.
- The Wolfmix W1 and SoundSwitch have a ready-made fixture for the Ultra MK2. For other desks and apps, build one from the 16-channel layout in the manual.
- Cubes set to the same start address act as one fixture and do the same thing.
- Several cubes can also play one show without a desk: Cube Link syncs them wirelessly (about 20 to 40 m line of sight), and each cube plays from its own microSD card.
- To run several cubes from one computer, connect them with Ethernet cables through a switch in LAN Client mode, and give each cube its own layer on the LaserOS Timeline.
- Never connect a fog machine to the DMX ports unless you’re sure it’s true DMX. Many put mains power on their XLR socket, which damages the cube.
Rigging and beam safety
- Bolt a truss clamp to the bracket’s central hole (M8 or M10), and attach a wire safety bond to the eye bolt on the back panel. The Pro and Ultra MK2 can also hang upside down from a truss, attached to the right mount on the handle bar.
- Set the beam block with the cube off and the key out, then check that no beam scans into the audience. Keep every beam at least 3 m (10 ft) above the floor wherever people may be.
- Keep beams off mirrors and other reflective surfaces, so nothing is reflected toward people.
- Use a keep-out safety zone to keep beams off cameras, video projectors and objects. A zone never protects people: nobody should be in front of the laser.
- Haze makes the beams visible. Thin haze gives the clearest beams; too much turns them into a bright glow.
- With the Hologram Net (3 m × 6 m) on a dark stage, outline drawings seem to float in the air. Place it so the beams that pass through end on a solid surface behind it.
- The Pro and Ultra MK2 can run continuously: with their improved cooling, continuous use should be fine. Run them between 10 °C and 40 °C (50 °F to 104 °F) with open space around all sides.
- LaserCube is fully legal and certified worldwide. In the US, LaserCube is certified through X-Laser, and a LaserCube bought in the USA comes with the FDA variance (issued by X-Laser). For public shows, check your local rules too.
LaserCube is a professional show laser, not a toy: never aim it at people’s eyes, at audiences or at aircraft, and never at anything flammable. More in our safety tips.
Which LaserCube for a medium venue?
Both professional models take DMX, Art-Net, ILDA and MIDI. The Pro is our most advanced model. The Pro 6W has the same laser output as the Ultra MK2 6W, in a smaller, lighter body. The Ultra MK2 10W is our most powerful model. The Pro isn’t sold in the USA yet.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q01Is LaserCube a professional laser show system?
The Pro and Ultra MK2 are made for professional shows: DMX and Art-Net for lighting desks, ILDA input, USB MIDI, standalone shows from microSD and wireless Cube Link between cubes. They work with the free LaserOS and with MadMapper, Liberation, LaserShowGen and TouchDesigner.
Q02How big is the laser picture in a hall?
At full size, the Pro and Ultra MK2 draw a picture about 0.7 times as wide as the distance: about 1.4 m wide at 2 m and about 14 m wide at 20 m. In a small room, the Expander lens makes the picture about 3 times wider and higher. Switch the laser off before you fit or remove it, then set the picture’s size and position, and any safety zone, again. The beam block can’t be used with a lens fitted, so check that every beam stays at least 3 m (10 ft) above the floor wherever people may be.
Q03Can several LaserCubes play one show?
Yes. Cube Link syncs the Pro and Ultra MK2 wirelessly, each cube playing from its own microSD card. A computer can run several cubes over Ethernet, each on its own Timeline layer, and on a DMX or Art-Net desk, cubes set to the same start address act as one fixture.
Q04Does someone need to stay with the laser during the show?
Not if nobody can get into the beams: with every beam at least 3 m (10 ft) above the highest place anyone can stand, it can run with nobody at the laser, as long as whoever sets it up takes responsibility for where the beams go. The safety key is turned by hand each time the cube is switched on (with an E-Stop connected, its START button too); after that it can run with nobody watching, for example in Playlist mode with Power-On Play on the Pro and Ultra MK2. Plan a way to stop the laser at once: turning the key off stops the beams, and an E-Stop (required in the US, optional elsewhere) stops it with one press of the red button. One E-Stop can stop several Ultra MK2s chained with network cables.
See it for yourself
LaserCube is a portable, battery-powered RGB laser projector, and its show software, LaserOS, is free.
Explore the LaserCube lineup