Buying a Laser Projector: A Beginner's Guide

So you saw Modulaser and thought: I should buy a laser.

Modulaser can make lasers feel less mysterious before you connect any hardware. You can patch scenes, preview visuals, and learn the workflow without buying a license. A Modulaser license is only needed when you want to output to a laser projector or record visuals.

Good beginner advice for laser projectors is hard to find, and the specs are not always explained clearly. This guide covers the parts that matter for Modulaser.

Also important: we do not have any kind of deal with laser shops or manufacturers. Our advice is based on our own experience, not on marketing.

Important Specs

• TTL or analog modulation: Unlike screens, lasers usually cannot dim each color continuously unless they have analog modulation. TTL lasers can only turn each color beam on or off, which gives seven basic colors and no brightness control. Analog modulation costs more, but it gives full color and brightness control.
• Power: The wattage defines how bright the laser can be. If you're using it for a small indoor event or a living room, 800 mW is more than enough from our experience.
• Kpps: Kilo points per second. The higher the scan speed, the cleaner detailed shapes can look. From our experience, 30-40 kpps works well for Modulaser visuals.
• ILDA: ILDA is a standard for transferring points to the laser. You need this unless you're looking at the LaserCube, which has USB built in and works directly with Modulaser.
• Grating: A grating effect, sometimes sold as a lens kit, multiplies the beams of a laser. Some lasers have a few of these effects built in. For example, outputting a simple line through a grating can create a star-like effect. This can be fun for small parties, but it is not essential. See these examples.

Laser Recommendations

If you just want something easy and plug-and-play, we can recommend the LaserCube. It works out of the box with Modulaser: plug the USB cable into your computer, start Modulaser, select LaserDock, and you're done. It has a battery, so with a laptop you can even use it outside without power. It's a good laser for house parties and experimenting, but not for bigger parties since it doesn't have good mounting options.

If you want more freedom, you probably want to get a laser that has an ILDA input. We have good experiences with Laserworld lasers. A relatively cheap, quiet and small one with analog modulation is the Laserworld DS-1000RGB. Otherwise try to find a bargain that has ILDA and analog modulation in your area.

From Your Computer To Laser

To send points from your computer to your laser, it needs a DAC (digital-to-analog converter). Some lasers have this already built in, like the LaserCube. Projectors that don't almost always have an ILDA input (check this to be sure). In that case, you need to buy a DAC separately, an ILDA cable to connect the laser to the DAC, and a USB or network cable to connect the DAC to your computer.

Modulaser currently supports these popular DACs:

• Helios
• LaserDock (USB and WiFi/LAN)
• EtherDream
• IDN standard, we recommend the Helios PRO
• Laserworld / ShowNET
• AVB, we recommend LaserAnimation Sollingers products

If you're experimenting at home and want something cheap, we recommend the Helios. You still need to buy an ILDA cable separately.

Smoke Machine

Smoke machines make laser beams visible in the air. Without haze or smoke, you'll mostly see the laser projection on the wall or surface you've pointed it at. That can already be useful, but for visible beams we recommend a haze machine.

Hazers create a fine, subtle haze that stays in the room for a long time. For indoor use, choose a water-based hazer because it is less likely to leave residue on surfaces. You also need smoke or haze fluid, but a can usually lasts a long time.

FAQ

Conclusion

There is a lot more to lasers than what we've covered here, but this is a good starting point.

If your laser doesn't have a built-in DAC, remember to buy one separately, and an ILDA cable to connect them.