Sync a Laser Light Show to Music: QuickShow vs BEYOND Guide

Live laser light show — You react in real time. The job is rock-solid beat-matching and fast cue changes. Great for clubs, festivals, pop-ups—anywhere the set list evolves on the fly.

Pre-programmed laser show — You know the tracks. You sculpt the entire program on a timeline—bar by bar, hook by hook—then hit play for cinema-grade repeatability. Perfect for tours, theme-park attractions, product launches, campus nights, seasonal spectacles (including Christmas laser lights one-offs).

Rule of thumb: want flexibility and crowd interaction? Go live. Want precision and repeatability? Go pre-pro.

Hardware tie-in — DJ/live favors compact rigs that set up fast; timeline shows value geometry/power control and often lean on laser light projector formats or weatherized outdoor laser lights.

Positioning: beginner-friendly UI that scales to mid-size shows. Highlights: built-in BPM tools, a virtual laser jockey, and plug-ins for Virtual DJ (Serato* as versions roll out). Best for: DJs, small clubs, weddings/parties—anyone who needs fast setup + stable beat sync at a friendly price.

Positioning: professional control for large shows, theme parks, corporate events. Highlights: multi-media timeline (multiple files per track), powerful layering/effects, richer timing/sync (incl. SMPTE timecode), embedded beat marks, and auto-cross transitions. Best for: complex timelines, multi-system sync (DMX/ILDA/video), and repeatable playback at scale.

Tap BPM (console/MIDI/keyboard): enable BPM in QuickShow/BEYOND and tap 4–8 beats to lock tempo. Re-align phase on bar-one; build quantized triggers (1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8); when speed changes, re-tap—back on grid in a second.

AutoBPM (inputs & noise control): feed a clean loopback (system/driver/internal mixer) and let the app read the beat. Use BPM smoothing/tolerance for dense tracks; swap to quantized triggers in quiet bridges.

DJ plug-ins (Virtual DJ / Serato*): the app shares BPM and playhead so your laser lights track the beat grid—landing every drop, fill, and break. If the DJ halves/doubles tempo, the plug-in follows; you just change trigger division.

Safety nets: map headliners to quantized buttons (with strong/weak beat toggles). If BPM drifts, drop to lower divisions (1/1 → 1/2) while you reset tempo/phase, then scale up again.

Live gear examples (natural references) — T4 RGB Laser DJ Lights for straightforward BPM-to-stage looks; Z1 10W APP Laser Light for quick, mobile setups (pair with QuickShow for deeper beat workflows).

Import audio & mark bars/hooks: in QuickShow, one background track per show; in BEYOND, place multiple media files on a single track with full waveform visibility. Mark bar-one, section starts/ends, and hooks (fills, bass hits, vocal stabs) where your laser beams should punch.

Snap & loop, three-step sculpt: (1) rough-in cues with snap on; (2) refine color/scale/rotation/stroke in looped regions; (3) plan energy—charge up pre-drop with simpler vectors/cooler palette, release on downbeats with layered merges, wider scan, hotter colors.

QuickShow vs. BEYOND (timeline): QuickShow = simple single-song shows with markers/snap/loop. BEYOND = multi-media track, deeper keys, embedded beat marks, auto-cross, stronger grouping—built for multi-song edits, multi-system sync, long-form playback.

BEYOND extras: embedded beat marks keep global phase stable; auto-cross smooths transitions; SMPTE timecode frame-locks lasers with lighting/audio/pyro/video (24/25/29.97/30 fps).

Delay/offset: set reasonable audio buffers; use positive/negative offsets if needed. Complex vectors scan slower—pre-layer or trigger early. In big venues, tune phase from the audience perspective. Use SMPTE or PTP/NTP across machines to prevent drift.

Pre-pro & outdoor gear references — J7 10W Laser Light Projector for tight BEYOND timelines and section markers; O3 Outdoor Laser Lights for weather-minded playback with SMPTE/multimedia sync.

1) Define scope: track count, durations, structure, budget, number of laser lights (price/parameters/lead time).
2) Pick software: DJ/live → QuickShow; complex/multimedia → BEYOND.
3) Wire it up: Computer → Pangolin interface (FB, etc.) → laser light projector (ILDA/Network). Add MIDI/DMX/Art-Net; use SMPTE for bigger shows.
4) Prep assets: logos, masks, text, venue geometry.
5) Build project: import audio, mark sections, lay structure.
6) Field test: set safety zones/power limits; check sightlines; add “rescue” buttons (low division/phase reset).
7) Backups: mirror to USB/cloud; keep a Plan B on console and laptop.

Example pairings — Entry/Live: T4 or Z1; Timeline/Playback: J7; Outdoor/Multisystem: O3.

1. Select QuickShow (live DJ) or BEYOND (timeline).
2. Wire computer → Pangolin interface → projector (ILDA/Network).
3. Import audio; mark bar-one, drops, hooks.
4. Live: set Tap BPM/AutoBPM; map quantized triggers (1/1, 1/2, 1/4).
5. Timeline: snap cues to waveform; use auto-cross for transitions.
6. Pro sync: enable SMPTE timecode to frame-lock lights, lasers, video, pyro.
7. Safety: set audience zones and power caps; verify laser beams angles.
8. Test, refine, export; back up and keep a Plan B.

• AutoBPM drifts → clean loopback; BPM smoothing; fall back to quantized triggers.
• DJ halves/doubles tempo → let plug-in follow; change trigger division to 1/2 or 2×.
• Hits feel late → reduce vector complexity or pre-trigger heavy shapes.
• Stadium echo → phase-tune from audience perspective; unify systems over SMPTE.

First project: one pre-pro song + one live set in QuickShow; learn beat/phase and playback hygiene, then consider BEYOND. Tours/parks: start on BEYOND to avoid migration. Buy authorized for updates/drivers/tutorials/warranty. Spend on reliable interfaces/training and timeline assets to lower TCO. Gear ladder: Live/DJ → T4 / Z1; Pre-pro/Stage → J7; Outdoor → O3.

Use audience-safe zones and power caps; lower scan load for complex shapes. Avoid audience/traffic lines; mind glass/metal/water reflections. Outdoors, favor rated outdoor laser lights and haze for visible laser beams instead of brute power. For large shows, have a qualified engineer review and follow local regulations.

Beat Grid — the DJ app’s timing map your laser lights can follow. Quantize — cue timing to musical subdivisions (1/1, 1/2, 1/4…). ILDA — interface/format used by many laser light projector systems. DMX / Art-Net — lighting control protocols used with RGB laser rigs. SMPTE timecode — frame-accurate sync for lasers, lighting, audio, and video.

Ready to sync your favorite tracks to a crowd-moving laser light show?
Send your track list / venue / budget / schedule, and Starshine engineers will reply with a do-able sync plan + quote (price, parameters, installation, warranty). We can also bundle T4 / Z1 / J7 / O3 by scenario.

Author: Jessie · Starshine Lights  |  Last updated: November 7, 2025