|
|
|
 Review: LaserVibe - Home Laser Show SystemChris BereznayPosted 2004-03-07 It's not every day you receive a package in the mail with something as interesting as the LaserVibe. Typically, we are used to guitars, amps, effects units, recording devices, drum sets and the like. Receiving a laser show unit certainly was a treat and after playing with it (and giving it a hard workout during our Music Gear Review New Years Eve Party) we are convinced that this is one sweet piece of hardware at a price you won't believe. Before we get into the review process, however, we'd like to show you some of what LaserVibe has to say about the unit from their website.
"The LaserVibe is easy to use and works just like the expensive laser show systems. Our patent pending technology enables the LaserVibe to create images that move to the music at incredible speed and at a fraction of the cost of a professional laser show system." "The LaserVibe is simple to use. It easily connects to any audio source such as a stereo, CD player, MP3 player or even your computer and the LaserVibe creates a dynamic laser show right in your own home. Watch the LaserVibe laser show with all of your favorite music and enjoy a whole new experience in music with LaserVibe. Rip your MP3s or burn a CD of your favorite songs, plug in the LaserVibe and watch your very own custom laser show. Laservibe is ideal for both advanced users and beginners." Our review process started with removing the LaserVibe unit from the packaging. The unit was well protected and the first thing we noticed was the variety of patch cords that were included with the unit. We knew that the unit was flexible and could be hooked up to a variety of devices, but not having to run to Radio Shack for patch cords made it that much more special. I feel that I am like most folks, in that if there are directions to read I skip them and only refer to them later when I've worked myself into a bind. After having a look over the LaserVibe, I felt pretty confident that I could figure out how to operate it without using the included instructions - and I was right. The LaserVibe unit offers very simple controls. 2 knobs which control various aspects of the laser beam, an on-off switch and audio input jacks and a power supply unit. How hard can that be? Truth be told, just about anyone (including my 8 and 13 year old nephews) can figure this unit out. The short learning curve encourages one to start playing early on. And that's just what we did. We had to keep reminding the kids not to look into the beam, but other than that, the unit was certainly youngster friendly as well. When New Years Eve rolled around, we set up the LaserVibe in the main bar area, shooting the laser beams back into the gameroom area. We set things up this way so we had at least a 20 foot distance from the wall we were throwing the beams at. This way, the laser generated images were nice and large. We turned the unit on at 6pm, just before we were expecting our staff members and guests to begin arriving. As with most of our parties, we let anyone take over the music at any given time and the LaserVibe had an equal workout with R&B, Rap, Country, Metal, Classic Rock - and yes, even Yanni. Folks had fun all night playing with the two control knobs and one of our staffers even managed to run an acoustic guitar set through the unit by hooking the RCA line level outs on our Mackie 808S into the LaserVibe. Pete did a rendition of "Running Over Desert Sands" by Steve Stevens and if you're familiar with that track, you know there are many crescendos, which the LaserVibe aptly reacted to. Although it was fun to hook the unit up to musical instruments and attempt to create various patterns on the wall, the LaserVibe created a more energetic effect when it was synching with some Hip Hop. Due primarily to the great beat driving those tunes, the 'Vibe' seemed happiest dancing to those tracks. Don't fret though, with some fine adjustments you can increase the sensitivity so that even some of the more mellow instrument playing can make the beam dance or even, if you can imagine, classical music. It's really quite flexible. Probably the best part about the LaserVibe unit is the price. For just under $100 you can own one of these cool units and really add some spice to your parties or gigs. I can see applications for DJs, musicians, homeowners who entertain a great deal and others. No review is complete without suggestions for improvement, however. If we could only change one thing, it would be the strength of the surrounding that protects the laser equipment and electronics inside. Although the housing is a sturdy and certainly rigid, there doesn't appear to be any weight to the unit as if there was some padding inside or some protection from breakage due to a fall or drop. We would prefer a tougher protective shell for what houses very delicate components. We're not product engineers but our guess would be that the contents inside the housing are very fragile and could use some additional support especially in the rough environments a piece of equipment like this will most likely end up operating. Our recommendation, just don't start tossing it around at your next gig. Editors Note: We were contacted by LaserVibe regarding this issue. Here is what they said: "This actually was a manufacturing error. The original housing design was a more sturdy plastic which also gave it a heavier feel, but the manufacturer that made the plastic housing used the wrong plastic. We decided to go ahead and use it rather than delay the release of the product. This will be fixed in future shipments of the unit. In Summary Overall we were very pleased with the unit and think that the winner of this months contest will be very excited as well. The LaserVibe is a simple to use, technologically advanced, entertaining piece of equipment that we recommend highly. The laser light show adds a nice touch to any party and DJs and musicians will especially appreciate it. Most importantly, the price is right and it's just TOO cool. You can learn more about the LaserVibe, or purchase one for yourself or a friend by clicking on the link below: LaserVibe Web Site |
Get Your Review Posted on MGR |
