Pangolin BEYOND 5.8: More Lasers, More Zones, and a Free Lite Tier
BEYOND 5.8 raises projector, zone and timeline limits across every tier, adds the Pangolin Media Tracer and an HTTP server, and introduces a free BEYOND Lite licence.
Pangolin has released BEYOND 5.8, announced on 27 October 2026. It is one of the bigger capacity updates the laser control software has had in years. Higher limits are only half the story, though. The release also brings new creative tools, a refreshed beat-detection app and, for the first time, a free BEYOND tier.
Higher limits in every tier
Projector outputs now come in multiples of eight, plus one extra licence or dummy output:
| Tier | Projector outputs | Zones | Distributed scanning | Timeline tracks | Media tracks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lite (free) | 8 + 1 | 64 | — | 50 | 1 |
| Essentials | 17 (was 10) | 128 | 2 groups × 2 lasers | 100 | 2 |
| Advanced | 33 (was 25) | 256 | 4 groups × 4 lasers | 200 | 4 |
| Ultimate | 65 (was 41) | 1,024 | 8 groups × 8 lasers | 300 | 6 |
Pangolin also raised the number of visualization streams to match each tier’s zone count. It notes that visualization software may need time to support more than 256 zones. Large distributed-scanning rigs also call for very fast networks and powerful PCs.
New tools
- Pangolin Media Tracer (PMT), for Advanced and Ultimate. It converts images, video, camera and live feeds, logos and vector files into laser graphics. It works with media from any source, so designers can keep their usual software.
- HTTP server, for Ultimate. This new communication platform makes it easier to drive BEYOND’s internal commands from external code.
- PangoBeats, for every tier. It is now bundled with the installer and opens from the System BPM dropdown. It has better beat detection and a cleaner interface, and it reads tempo from computer audio, a microphone or a line input.
BEYOND Lite: free with a licence account
BEYOND Lite is a new free tier that unlocks when you create a BEYOND licence account. Compared with QuickShow, it adds the Advanced Timeline, Playlist mode and APC40 mapping. It also adds the BEYOND Performer Console and custom controller mapping. Crucially, you can program and save shows without laser hardware connected.
Smaller fixes worth knowing
- More reliable FB4 firmware updates, with update notifications and better diagnostics.
- FB4 settings can switch every controller to Auto IP and now show the subnet mask.
- Playlists can be sorted by timecode.
- The Beam Attenuation Map supports ellipses and gradient fills.
- Timeline snapping now works to markers and other events.
What it means for events in Indonesia
For large concerts and festivals, the new limits mean one BEYOND licence can run far bigger rigs. Ultimate now handles 65 outputs and 1,024 zones, a scale that used to need workarounds. PMT shortens the path from a client’s logo or motion graphic to finished laser content, which matters for brand activations and product launches. BEYOND Lite lets crews and clients learn and pre-program shows without renting hardware first.
At Luxe Laser we program our shows in BEYOND and sync them with grandMA3 via timecode. Planning an event and want to know what these new features can do for your show? Chat with us.
