: £ British sound and lighting brand Kam has a long history of serving the mobile DJ industry in the UK and Ireland. During my early days as a DJ, back in the 1990s, Kam CD players and mixers were very common and my trusty KCD960 twin CD player and GMX5 mixer were at the heart of my playback setup for many years. More recently, the brand has enjoyed particular success with its range of DJ-focused laser fixtures. It was – I believe – the first to introduce the now ubiquitous cluster laser to the mobile market and it continues to innovate in the area of affordable, powerful, and unique lasers, the latest of which is the Hyper3D 500. mW version of Kam’s best-selling Laserscan Hyper 3D, the recently introduced Hyper3D 500 is an eight-in-one laser projector that offers DJs a variety of distinctly different effects from one single unit.

The multi-colour laser fixture (RGB) combines 100mW red, 80mW green, and 300mW blue laser diodes to create impressive laser projections that can be directed at the walls or ceiling of a venue or projected through haze to create stunning mid-air effects. I think at this point it’s worth mentioning why this – and all other RGB laser products – have such a large disparity in terms of the power of their three constituent laser diodes (apologies to those who already know).

It is down to the fact that the human eye is more sensitive to green light than red, but more sensitive to red light than blue. Laser manufacturers therefore try to compensate for this by including more powerful red diodes, and even more power blue diodes, so that the resulting beams appear of roughly equal brightness to the human eye. In this case I think Kam have got the balance about right, I found that the green beams still appeared to be the brightest, but they didn’t overpower the other colours.

As I’ve already mentioned, the Hyper3D 500 is a multi-function laser projector, which offers eight very different laser effects. These are all available through DMX control, but can also easily be selected, for either automatic or sound active operation, directly from the illuminated 3-character LCD display on the rear of the fixture. It is also possible to set the unit to cycle through all eight operating modes in either automatic or sound-active mode.

However, this isn’t something I’d recommend as some of the effects lend themselves better to creating mid-air effects while others are more suited to surface projection. I’ll now try to briefly describe each of the eight effects, although some are very difficult to explain and need to be seen first-hand to be fully appreciated. I’ll start with one of the easiest effects to describe, which Kam refers to as ‘Wide Angle Star FX’. This is basically the classic cluster laser effect that Kam introduced to the market around a decade ago.

The red, green, and blue laser beams are split up by a refraction grating into countless separate beams that all exit the unit’s laser aperture at slightly different angles. In a hazy atmosphere this creates a blaze of multi-coloured laser beams, which is a great mid-air effect. However, it can also be effective pointing KAM HYPER3D 500 up at a venue’s ceiling to create that is ideally the impression of a star-filled-sky onto a screen (albeit it a multi-coloured one!). a venue (ceiling makes it perfect This same diffraction grating haze isn’t a technique is used to create the ‘Multi-grating FX’.

This time, how- Another effect ever, instead of single laser beams, suited to surface simple animated patterns – such as therefore ideal zooming circles and spinning spirals rooms, is – are projected through the grating. This uses another This creates a vast number of reption grating to etitions of the pattern, spread out beams into of a wide area. Again, this mode is patterns that suitable both for creating impresthe ‘plasma sive wide-spread mid-air effects lar novelty items and interesting surface projections.

The mode The signature effect of the fixture ‘Kaleidoscope is described by Kam as ‘Hyper 3D type of diffraction Projection FX’. This involves simple licates the main moving 2D geometric shapes, such a series of as circles and squares, projected creates geometric through a special kind of diffraction similar to these grating which creates hologramchild’s art toy style 3D versions of those shapes. So circles become cylinders and Interestingly, squares become cuboids.

This is a ferred to by very unique and impressive effect ‘Spirostar FX’, XF ratS elgnA ediW XF noitcejorP D3 repyH KAM HYPER3D 500 Kam Hyper3D 500 suited for projection an effect that reminded me of a or flat surface within kaleidoscope! It’s possible that this or wall), which is a misprint in the manual, but also for events where that my impression of these effects possibility. differs from that of the Kam technical team. As I said before, you really that is particularly do need to witness this fixture in projection, and action yourself to get a true feel for for smoke-free its wide range of unique effects. ‘Northern Lights FX’. type of diffrac- The final diffraction grating effect blur the sharp laser is described in the manual as ‘Wide abstract, psychedelic Beam Grating FX’.

This features a are reminiscent of linear grating which splits simple balls’ that were populaser animations into around 8 back in the ‘80s. or 9 separate projections spread out in a horizontal line. This is described by Kam as ideal for creating mid-air effects, FX’ uses yet another while avoiding audience scanning grating that rep- (hitting the faces of people in the beam projection in crowd with laser beams). concentric circles. This effects that are In addition to all of these unusual generated by the effects, the Hyper3D 500 can also called ‘Spirograph’. be used as a regular laser projector.

Using the mode described by Kam another mode is reas ‘Flat Beam & In-Air Tunnel FX’, Kam in the manual as the fixture can be used to generate but this generates XF gnitarg-itluM XF sthgiL nrehtroN THE EARLY DAYS 71 Kam Hyper3D 500 classic laser sky and tunnel effects flimsy and even bent if you are fortunate enough to find spite not being too yourself booked to play in a venue that permits the use of haze effects. As well as automatic active operation, the The fixture itself is a substantial can be controlled unit, which measures 290 x 240 either DMX or ILDA. x 110mm (WxDxH) and weighs 19-channels provide 4.2Kg.

It has a robust metal conbetween the various struction and is finished with black control of the metallic paint. It’s variable angle speed, as well as hanging bracket is fixed to its top the unit’s 80 in-built panel, while a heavy duty safety laser colour, and eyelet is located around the back. tion effects (zooming, clipping). ILDA control, It’s important to remember that allows specialist laser this is a Class 3B laser fixture, ware / hardware to which means that its beams have ate custom laser the potential to be hazardous if logos and simple human eyes are exposed to a direct beam.

Kam has included the While carrying out safety features required by law took the unit to a – a key switch, safety interlock, where I pointed the and warning stickers – and also ceiling or back wall provides a written guide on laser some great effects safety alongside the unit’s operatous diffraction ing manual. My only real criticism also tried it out in of this fixture relates to the safety lage hall, which I key switch. I found it to be quite as medium-to-large XF epocsodielaK XF gnitarG maeB ediW 72 it a little demobile DJ gig venue, that I was heavy handed. able to fill with haze.

The Hyper3D 500 completely engulfed the room and sound with beams in ‘Wide Angle Star laser effects FX’ mode and the mid-air effects remotely using created in the ‘Flat Beam & In-air In DMX mode, Tunnel FX’ and ‘Wide Beam Grating selection FX’ modes were truly stunning. I gratings and can really see how they would work grating rotation well for a school prom or a wedding selection between where the bride and groom are patterns, the looking for a nightclub feel later on various animain the evening (assuming they have rolling, and booked a venue that allows haze). meanwhile, control soft- The Kam Hyper3D 500 is an exbe used to cretremely powerful and effective patterns such as laser projector.

I think it is particuanimations. larly suitable for mobile DJ use, not only because it is easily portable, this review, I but because it’s eight different couple of gigs effects mean that it can be used fixture at the in different ways to suit different and achieved venues and events. Whether haze using the variis possible or not, the Hyper3D 500 grating options. I is capable of generating impressive my local villaser effects that will enhance any would describe mobile DJ lightshow. in terms of a XF ratsoripS XF lennuT riA-nI & maeB talF KAM THE HYPER3D EARLY DAYS 500