Build a laser show to your music

Before you start

How this course works

This course takes you from an empty screen to your own laser show, timed to a song. You build beam patterns in Beam Creator, place them along the song in the Timeline, and play the show on one cube or several.

By the end you can

build your own beam patterns in Beam Creator and bring them to life with effects;
time an effect to a part of a song in frames, and copy, mirror and save your designs;
load a song into the Timeline and give each cube its own layer;
place, resize and copy content along the song, and add effects on effect lanes;
connect several cubes to one computer for a show;
play your show, and put a playlist on the cube’s SD card.

What you need

LaserOS on a computer (Windows or Mac). This course shows Beam Creator and the Timeline there, as the manual does.
Your song as a WAV file (lesson 4).
An Ultra MK2 or Pro in LaserOS control mode, connected to LaserOS (Start here, lesson 7). Beam Creator designs can be built without a cube and checked in LaserOS’s preview.
For several cubes: an Ethernet switch, and a network cable for each cube and for the computer (lesson 7).

How the lessons work

Each lesson takes about 5 to 7 minutes, plus any video. It has the key points and a few questions, and most have a video or pictures. Get a question wrong? Pick another answer.
Your progress is saved in this browser. There’s no account and nothing is sent to us. Clearing your browser data, or switching to another device, starts the course again.
When all eight lessons are done, take the final quiz: 10 questions, 8 right to pass, as many tries as you need.
Pass, then download your certificate as a PDF or an image.

Do “Start here” first

Every rule from the Start here course applies whenever the laser is on, on every cube: the beam block set before the show, every beam at least 3 m (10 ft) above people, every beam and where it lands in view of someone who can stop the laser, a main and a backup way to stop it, only people trained in laser safety at the controls, and never leaving a running laser unattended. If you haven’t done that course yet, start there.

Sources: the LaserCube Ultra MK2 & Pro manual, above all its chapter Making Content in LaserOS, and our video tutorials. If a video and the manual differ, follow the manual.

Start the course

Lesson 1 of 8

Beam Creator: patterns and layers

Beam Creator builds your own beam patterns and animates them with effects. You make the patterns here, then place them along your song in the Timeline (lessons 4 and 5).

Multi‑laser show tutorial: Beam Creator (10:42 to 16:08)Watch on YouTube, from 10:42

This walkthrough is long: each lesson starts it at the part the lesson covers.

Open Beam Creator

In LaserOS on a computer, the preview and the main controls are on the left, with the list of apps next to them. Choose Beam Creator there: it opens to the right of the list.
You can build a design with no cube connected: the Laser button at the top left then reads NO LASER, and you check your design in the preview.
The cube icon above the preview switches between a 3D stage view and a flat 2D view.

LaserOS on a computer, from the video. Top left, the Laser button reads NO LASER, and the preview below it shows a 3D stage, with a cube icon above it. Next to it, the list of apps, with Beam Creator highlighted at the bottom. On the right, Beam Creator: Beam Pattern set to Simple Shapes with a + button, and a Simple Shapes layer. — Beam Creator chosen in the list of apps, with no cube connected. From the video.

Patterns and layers

Pick a pattern under Beam Pattern and click the + next to it: Horizontal Beams, Vertical Beams, Horizontal Line, Vertical Line, Simple Shapes, Sine Wave, Triangle Wave or Video Spiral Wave.
Each pattern you add is a layer, and a design can have several. Each layer has buttons to delete it, duplicate it and switch it on or off, and + Effect to add effects (lesson 2).

The Beam Pattern list open in Beam Creator, from the video: Horizontal Beams, Vertical Beams, Horizontal Line, Vertical Line, Simple Shapes, Sine Wave, Triangle Wave and Video Spiral Wave. Next to it, the + button and Quality set to High. — The Beam Pattern list, with the + button next to it. From the video.

Beam Creator in LaserOS, from the manual. Along the top: five icons, then Beam Pattern set to Horizontal Beams with a plus button, Quality High, Target FPS 60, BPM Reactive No and Actual FPS 60. Below it, a Horizontal Beams layer with delete, duplicate and on‑off buttons and a + Effect button, and its settings: Beam Count 6, Width 1.0, Brightness 1, Mode Static Beams, Single Color on and a colour slider. — A Horizontal Beams layer and its settings, from the manual. Select the picture to open it full size in a new tab.

Each pattern’s settings

Horizontal Beams: Beam Count, Width, Brightness, Mode (static, or sliding left or right, with Slide Speed) and Single Color, with hue and saturation.
Horizontal Line and Vertical Line: Num Sections, Width, Brightness, Line Border (with border width and colour) and the line’s colour.
Simple Shapes: a shape such as Circle, Square, Triangle, Rectangle, Hexagon or Octagon; Size; Style (Solid, Dotted or Dashed, with Dash Size); and Colours, with a hue for each colour.

A Simple Shapes layer in Beam Creator, from the video, with its Shape list open: Circle, Square, Triangle, Rectangle, Hexagon and Octagon. — The Shape list of a Simple Shapes layer. From the video.

Beam Creator: a dashed hexagon, built with no cube connected (0:33 to 1:42)Watch on YouTube, from 0:33

Brightness, Quality and Target FPS

Brightness draws the pattern several times over. That makes it brighter, but harder for the cube to draw, and it may flicker: leave it at 1.
Along the top are Quality (how densely the pattern is drawn), Target FPS (how many frames make one second, lesson 3), BPM Reactive and Actual FPS.
The icons above them start a new project, import a project into the playlists, save, export and reload a project from its file.
Content with too much detail flickers: the scanners can draw only so many points per second. To check, turn on Show FPS in simulator window in LaserOS’s Settings → General: when it shows 45 FPS or more, the content won’t appear to flicker. Keep Brightness at 1, and make the picture smaller or split it over more than one cube.

Check yourself

Question 1Your Horizontal Beams look a little dim. What does the manual say about Brightness?

Raise it until the beams look bright Leave it at 1, as more can make it flicker Set it to the same as Target FPS

Question 2Your cube is at home, and you’re on the train with your laptop. Can you work on a Beam Creator design?

Yes, and check your design in the preview No, LaserOS needs a cube first Only once the Laser button is on

Question 3You add a Sine Wave, then a Vertical Line, to the same design. What do you have now?

One pattern that mixes the two Two projects, saved separately Two layers in one design

In the manual: Beam Creator·Patterns and layers·The LaserOS screen·Flicker and render quality

Lesson 2 of 8

Beam Creator effects

Effects make a pattern travel, slide, turn, grow, flash or change colour. You add them to a layer with the + Effect button.

Multi‑laser show tutorial: adding an effect (25:05 to 26:40)Watch on YouTube, from 25:05

Add an effect

Click + Effect on a layer and pick an effect from the list. A layer can have several effects.
The effects on a layer can be moved up or down and switched off.

The + Effect list in Beam Creator, from the manual: Simple Paths, Position, Random Position, Fixed Rotation, Movement, Variable Rotation, Scale, Power Fader, Strobe and Color Sequence. — The + Effect list, from the manual.

What each effect does

Simple Paths: sends the pattern along a path: Rectangular, Circular, Ellipse, Figure 8 (Vertical or Horizontal), Linear Horizontal, Linear Vertical or Spiral. Direction sets the way round, Frames how long one trip takes, and Start Pos where it starts (0 to 100; 50 is halfway round). Always Repeat makes it loop, and Stepped Path splits the movement into steps, to hit single notes. Simple Paths has its own position and size settings.

A Simple Paths effect on a Sine Wave layer, with its Path Type list open. From the video.
Position: Offset X and Y place the pattern.
Fixed Rotation: turns the pattern to a fixed angle (X, Y and Z angle).
Movement: slides the pattern from Start Pos to End Pos, for example Horizontal (start->end->start); Always Repeat makes it loop. Positions are measured from the pattern’s centre, so large values push part of it out of the projection area.

A Movement effect from −0.9 to 0.8 that repeats, and a Position effect with Offset Y at 0.8. From the video.
Variable Rotation: spins the pattern around its own centre (Rotate X, Y or Z).
Scale: grows or shrinks the pattern, for example from 0.0 to 1.0.
Power Fader: fades the power. Fade start->end from 1.0 to 0.0 over a few frames makes a single flash.
Strobe: switches the pattern on and off, set with On Frames and Off Frames.
Color Sequence: steps through a number of colours.

Beam Creator: a Power Fader flash, saved as a custom beam (2:14 to 3:18)Watch on YouTube, from 2:14

Check yourself

Question 1A line should rise from the bottom to the top once, during a build‑up. Which effect fits?

Simple Paths, Linear Vertical Variable Rotation, Rotate Z on Color Sequence, with two colours

Question 2A shape should flash once on a beat. Which effect and setting?

Scale, from 0.0 to 1.0 Power Fader, 1.0 to 0.0 Position, Offset Y at 0.8

Question 3A circle’s Movement runs from −0.9 to 0.9, and part of it leaves the projection area. Why?

Its Always Repeat switch is on Movement only works on line patterns Its positions are measured from its centre

In the manual: Beam Creator effects·Example: mapping box edges

Lesson 3 of 8

Timing, copies and saving

Beam Creator counts time in frames. Get the frames right and an effect fits its part of the song. Then copy, mirror and save your design, ready for the Timeline.

Multi‑laser show tutorial: timing a build‑up in frames, then saving it (26:40 to 28:27)Watch on YouTube, from 26:40

Timing in frames

Target FPS sets how many frames make one second. At the default 60, an effect of 60 frames takes one second, and one of 120 frames takes two.
Fewer frames make an effect faster, more frames slower.
To fit a part of a song, multiply its length in seconds by the Target FPS. A 7‑second build‑up at 60 FPS needs 420 frames.

A Simple Paths effect in Beam Creator, from the video: Preview Path off, Path Type Linear Vertical, Direction end->start, X Pos 0.0, Y Pos 0.0, Height 0.5, Frames 420, Stepped Path off, Start Pos 0.0, Start Delay 0, Always Repeat off. Above it, the Frame counter reads 120 of 420. — A Simple Paths effect set to 420 frames, for a 7‑second build‑up. From the video.

Part of the song	Frames at 60 FPS
½ second	30
1 second	60
2 seconds	120
7 seconds	420

Copies and mirrors

The duplicate button copies a layer with all its effects. The copy runs exactly on top of the original until you change it, for example its Start Pos, Direction or Frames.
For a mirror image of a Movement effect, swap the signs of the copy’s Start Pos and End Pos: −0.9 and 0.8 become 0.9 and −0.8.
To set Start Pos or End Pos exactly, right‑click the slider and type the value.

The Slider: Start Pos box in Beam Creator, from the video, with 0.86 typed in, a minus button, a plus button and a reset button. — Right‑click a slider to type an exact value: here Start Pos, set to 0.86, which the slider shows as 0.9. From the video.

Beam Creator: a moving line, duplicated and mirrored (17:53 to 18:54)Watch on YouTube, from 17:53

Save a custom beam

Click the save icon. Save Custom Beam asks for a name and saves the design in Playlists → Custom Beams.
From there you can drag it onto the Timeline (lesson 5).

The Save Custom Beam box, from the video: Playlist set to Custom Beams, Name: riser left, and the Cancel and Save buttons. — The Save Custom Beam box, with the name riser left. From the video.

Check yourself

Question 1A build‑up lasts 5 seconds, and Target FPS is 60. How many frames should its Simple Paths effect take?

65 frames 120 frames 300 frames

Question 2You duplicate a line, but you still see only one. Why?

The copy runs exactly on top of the original The copy stays off until you save Duplicate leaves out all the effects

Question 3A line’s Movement runs from Start Pos −0.6 to End Pos 0.9. What do you set on its copy, for a mirror image?

Start Pos 0.9, End Pos −0.6 Start Pos 0.6, End Pos −0.9 Start Pos −0.9, End Pos 0.6

In the manual: Timing in frames·Copies, mirrors and exact values·Saving a custom beam

Lesson 4 of 8

The Timeline: song, layers and cubes

The Timeline builds a show to a song: you place content along the song, on one layer per cube. First, the song and the layers.

Multi‑laser show tutorial: the Timeline (16:10 to 18:36)Watch on YouTube, from 16:10

Set up the Timeline

Open Timeline in the list of apps. The timeline appears at the bottom of the screen.
Drag your song onto the song lane. It must be a WAV file: 44.1 kHz, 16‑bit, stereo (PCM). LaserOS doesn’t read other files there, so save your song in that format first.
The timeline starts with one layer. Click + to add a layer for each cube.
Click the layers icon in the timeline bar to open Timeline devices, and drag each cube’s tile into its row.

The empty song lane of the Timeline, from the video: DRAG AND DROP SONG IN 44.1KHZ 16BIT STEREO PCM WAV FORMAT HERE. — The empty song lane says which file it takes. From the video.

The Timeline, from the video: the song’s name and length, with its waveform along the top, and layer 1 below it with a + button under it. The pointer clicks the + at the bottom left, under the last layer. Above, the timeline bar with its layers icon, play and stop. — Adding a layer: the + at the bottom left, under the last layer. The indented + just under a layer opens an effect lane (lesson 6). From the video.

The Timeline devices box, from the manual: layer rows 1, 2 and 3 hold the cube tiles 1, 3 and 2, and a Disabled row below them is empty. — Timeline devices: each cube’s tile in its own layer row, from the manual.

Which cube is which?

Put something on one layer and see which cube plays it. Swap the cubes between the rows if you need to.

Check yourself

Put the steps for a new Timeline show in order.

Open Timeline in the list of apps
Drag your WAV song onto the song lane
Click + to add a layer for each cube
Open Timeline devices and drag each cube into its row
Put something on one layer to see which cube plays it

Question 1Which song file does the Timeline read?

MP3, 320 kbps, 44.1 kHz, stereo WAV, 48 kHz, 24‑bit, mono WAV, 44.1 kHz, 16‑bit, stereo (PCM)

Question 2Your show uses three cubes. How many layers does the Timeline need?

One: it plays on every cube Three: one for each cube Four: one more for the song

In the manual: The LaserOS Timeline·Song and layers

Lesson 5 of 8

Placing content on the Timeline

With the song loaded and each cube on its layer, you build the show by placing content along the song.

Multi‑laser show tutorial: copying and resizing items (52:48 to 55:10)Watch on YouTube, from 52:48

Place and fit

Drag content onto a layer, under the song’s waveform: animations, dancers, images, Beam Show patterns and your custom beams (from Playlists → Custom Beams). The waveform helps you see where the notes are.
To change an item’s length, drag its edge. This also changes its playback speed, so it fits.
For a Beam Creator item you can instead change its frames, save it and place it again.
Stop the timeline to see the Beam Creator preview of the pattern you’re editing.

The Timeline, from the video: two lines items on layers 2 and 3 under the song’s waveform, around 03:00. The pointer drags the right edge of the second item on layer 3; labels show 03:00.50 at its start and 03:00.92 at its end. — Dragging the end of an item: the times show where it starts and ends. From the video.

The LaserOS Timeline, from the manual: the song’s waveform along the top, with seconds 52 to 58 above it. Below it, blue custom‑beam items on the layers of two cubes, short ones named riser middle and one long one named riser right, and under the second cube an effect lane with green Colorize GIF blocks. — Items under the song’s waveform on two cubes’ layers, and an effect lane (lesson 6), from the manual.

The item menu

Right‑click an item for Locate item, Copy item, Edit item and Remove.
Copy an item and paste it on another layer to use it on another cube.
Save your timeline often, with the save icon in the timeline bar.

The Timeline, from the video: the right‑click menu of a two lines item on layer 1, with Locate item, Copy item, Edit item and Remove. — Right‑click an item for its menu. From the video.

Check yourself

Question 1You drag the edge of an item to make it shorter. What else changes?

Its playback speed, so it still fits Its colours, to match the song Nothing: its end is cut off

Question 2The middle cube should play the same item as the left cube. What’s the quickest way?

Save it again in Beam Creator under a new name Swap the cubes in Timeline devices Copy item, then paste it on its layer

Question 3You edit a pattern in Beam Creator while the timeline plays, but the preview doesn’t show it. What do you do?

Close and restart LaserOS Stop the timeline Remove the item

In the manual: Placing content·Saving a custom beam

Lesson 6 of 8

Effect lanes and ready‑made content

The Timeline can also place effects, for variety without making new patterns. And LaserOS comes with content you can reuse.

Multi‑laser show tutorial: effects on the timeline (from 45:33)Watch on YouTube, from 45:33

Effect lanes

Click + under a cube’s layer to open an effect lane. Then drag effects from the effects panel (Image Effects, Color Effects or Saved Effects) onto it.
A second effect lane lets you combine two saved effects.

The Timeline, from the video, 2:52 to 2:56 of the song. Layer 1 holds a long riser left item. The effect lane under it holds green Colorize GIF blocks, with a + button below it. Layer 2 holds riser middle items. — An effect lane with Colorize GIF blocks, under layer 1. From the video.

Saved effects

Zoom, Position, Strobe and Colorize Mono have settings of their own. Pick the effect, set it in the left panel and save it under a name: it then appears under Saved Effects.
Position and Zoom together put a graphic or a text in one part of a wall.

Ready‑made content and the 3D preview

LaserOS comes with content you can reuse: the Demo Timeline folders under Timeline, and the Demo Beams playlist with the patterns of LaserOS’s own timeline shows.
Ready‑made shows are under Timeline and ILD Laser Shows: pick one and press Play.
The preview’s 3D view shows the show on a virtual stage, with settings such as the viewer’s position. It gives an idea of how the show will look before you set up the cubes.

More of the multi‑laser show tutorial, on YouTube: ready‑made content and the 3D preview, and saved effects, with Position and Zoom.

Check yourself

Question 1Where do you drop effects for one cube on the Timeline?

On the song lane, over the waveform On an effect lane, under that cube’s layer In its row in Timeline devices

Question 2Your logo should show in the bottom left of a wall. Which two effects do you save and combine?

Position and Zoom Strobe and Colorize Mono Scale and Fixed Rotation

Question 3Before you set up the cubes, how can you get an idea of how the show will look?

The Saved Effects page The Timeline devices box The preview’s 3D view

In the manual: Effect lanes and saved effects·Ready‑made content and the 3D preview·LaserOS effects

Lesson 7 of 8

A show for several cubes

One computer can run several cubes, each with its own part of the show on its own Timeline layer. For several cubes we recommend Ethernet cables in LAN client mode.

Every cube, before anything else

Each cube has its own key and interlock. On every cube: its beam block set as in the manual’s Hardware Installation, every beam at least 3 m (10 ft) above the floor where people may be (Start here, lesson 8), and every beam and where it lands in view of someone who can get that laser stopped at once (lesson 4). A safety zone in LaserOS works on top of the beam block and the 3 m rule, never instead of them. A zone never protects people: keep‑out zones are for cameras, projectors and objects. The laser must never be aimed at people.

Set up the cubes and the computer

Set each cube’s beam block (above).
On each cube, choose Control Mode → LaserOS and Settings → Connection → LAN Client. Under Settings → Network → LAN Client, leave IP Mode on Auto IP.
Turn the computer’s WiFi off and close LaserOS (the manual’s APIPA steps). Then connect each cube and the computer to an Ethernet switch. If the computer has no network port, use the USB‑C to Ethernet adapter from the box.
With no router on the switch, the cubes and the computer give themselves addresses starting 169.254. Start LaserOS only once the cubes show their addresses: the Laser button at the top left then no longer reads NO LASER.
In the Timeline, give each cube its own layer (lesson 4).

The studio, from the video: two cubes hang from a truss, one on the left and one on the right, with cables running to the stand in the middle and down to a small Ethernet switch on a flight case. A label reads Ethernet switch. — Cubes cabled to an Ethernet switch. From the video.

The Connection menu, from the manual: LAN Server, WiFi Server, LAN Client (ticked and highlighted) and WiFi Client. The status bar shows LaserOS and a red cross next to LAN-C. — Settings → Connection, with LAN client chosen.

The Network menu, from the manual: LAN Client is highlighted, then LAN Server, WiFi Server, WiFi Client and Cube Link, which is greyed out. The status bar shows a tick next to LAN-C, and A-IP before the address 169.254.129.54. — Connected as a LAN client, with a self‑assigned (A‑IP) address.

Just one cube?

A single cube needs no switch: connect it straight to the computer and use LAN server mode. The Connect course, lesson 3 covers direct cables, in LAN server and in LAN client mode.

Check yourself

Put the steps for a three‑cube show in order.

Set each cube’s beam block: beams 3 m above people
On each cube: LaserOS mode, LAN Client, Auto IP
Computer WiFi off and LaserOS closed
Connect the cubes and the computer to the switch
Wait for every cube’s 169.254 address, then start LaserOS
Give each cube its own layer in the Timeline

Question 1Three cubes and a laptop are on a switch with no router. Which addresses do they get?

Ones starting 192.168, handed out by the switch Ones starting 169.254, given to themselves None, until you type static addresses

Question 2You start LaserOS, and its Laser button reads NO LASER. What does it mean?

LaserOS hasn’t found a cube The cubes are projecting now The song file isn’t loaded yet

Question 3Your show is for one cube, on a cable straight to the computer. Which mode does the manual suggest?

WiFi client Cube Link LAN server

In the manual: A show for several cubes·APIPA mode explained·LAN server mode·Hardware installation

Lesson 8 of 8

Play your show

In LaserOS control mode, LaserOS streams to the cubes while it runs: that’s how your Timeline show plays. Your playlists can also go onto the cube’s SD card.

Start and stop the laser

The Laser button at the top left: LASER OFF, with a red power symbol, means a cube is found and the laser is off; click it to start. LASER ON means LaserOS is projecting; click the button, or press Esc, to stop.
A cube projects only when it is armed: interlock closed and key on, and with an E‑Stop connected, the E‑Stop started. If it isn’t, LaserOS shows “Interlock is not enabled on cube”.
In LaserOS control mode, LaserOS handles the safety zone: on a computer, Settings → Projector Setup, then Safety Zones in the drop‑down at the top.
Before anyone watches, go through the pre‑show checklist in Start here.

Three states of the Laser button in LaserOS, from the video, one above the other: NO LASER, LASER OFF with a red power symbol, and LASER ON. — The Laser button: NO LASER, LASER OFF and LASER ON. From the video.

Where your content is saved

LaserOS keeps what you make in the Playlists app: Custom Beams from Beam Creator, Drawings from Draw, Saved Texts from Text, Imported (files imported in the phone app, unless you pick another playlist), and your own playlists. It also holds ready‑made playlists such as Demo Beams.
On a computer, right‑click an item and use Add to playlist to put it in a playlist of your own.

A playlist on the SD card

To play a playlist on the cube without a computer, export it to the SD card with LaserOS on a computer. The phone app can’t export.
Switch the cube off and take out the SD card. Put it in a USB 3.x card reader on the computer: it shows up as a drive called WL, with a folder called “Lasercube”.
In the Playlists app, select the playlist and click the SD card export button (its tooltip reads Export to SD Card (Lasercube MKII)).
Eject the card safely, put it back with the cube still off, then switch on, choose Playlist control mode and pick your playlist. Control modes, lesson 2 and lesson 3 have every step.
In Playlist mode the cube’s own Image Setup and Safety Zone apply, not the ones in LaserOS: set them on the cube before you play (Settings → Projection).

Built‑in shows on several cubes

To play the built‑in laser shows on several cubes without a computer, use Cube Link in Laser Show mode: one cube is the master, all have the same Link Channel and PIN, each has a Group for its part of the show, and all have the same show category selected. Connect the WiFi antennas on all units first. Control modes, lesson 5 shows how.

Check yourself

Put the steps for playing a playlist from the SD card in order.

Switch the cube off and take out the SD card
Put the card in a USB 3.x card reader on the computer
In Playlists, select the playlist and click the export button
Eject the card and put it back, with the cube still off
Switch on and choose Playlist mode and your playlist

Three situations. Is it OK to go ahead? Decide, then read why.

You exported a playlist to the SD card and play it in Playlist mode. The safety zone you set in LaserOS is the only one you check.

To bring the beams closer to the dance floor, you lower the beam block and set a keep‑out zone in LaserOS around the people at the front.

Your three‑cube show is finished. Each cube’s beam block keeps every beam at least 3 m above the floor where people may be, and every item on Start here’s pre‑show checklist is ticked. You click the Laser button in LaserOS to start, and play the timeline.

Question 1Which app can put a playlist on the cube’s SD card?

LaserOS on a phone or tablet LaserOS on a computer The cube’s own web app

In the manual: Playing your content on the cube·Where your content is saved·Exporting a playlist·The Laser button·Safety zones in LaserOS·Multi‑projector laser shows

Final quiz

10 questions picked at random, one from each of the course’s 10 topics. Get 8 right to pass. You can try as many times as you like.

Certificate

Your certificate

Pass the final quiz to get your certificate. Go to the final quiz