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View Full Version : $119.00 are you kidding me?!?!?!



fau-pa ramid
04-13-2007, 10:48 PM
aperantly the the MR sound boards have been gone for a while......so other than hyperdine labs,who wanted $119 .00 for thier sound board board, does any one else have any places i can go to to get a good sound board? :?:

Lord Maul
04-13-2007, 10:50 PM
erv has the best one. it is like 150 dollars but is top notch. look in the custom thread :wink:
ultra's new board will be 79$ and is coming out soon

erv
04-14-2007, 01:56 AM
what ? I have to see this by myself...
*checks*
119 bucks for just the sound board ? not upgradable ? Even without the amp , it goes to 90$ and it's just a board like an MR, fixed sound, not sensitivity adjustments. Well, with even lower features since it has only ONE motion sensor (MR has 2), and the clash. The only difference is that the board can drive a force feedback vibrating motor. Which actually you can do yourself with a double throw switch, one switching the MR board, the second turning on the motor, just like Corbin has pictured it on his MR wiring tutorials I think.
No reason to ask twice the price as Tim's MR luke soundboard... (And I've been called "arrogant" by a certain person ?!)
Funny option BtW, to propose a board without an amp. How can you get a proper sound directly out from the microcontroller without a power amp ? Maybe the no-amp version is supposed to be used with headphones, yeah, it creates a deep interactive feeling, for sure ! (sorry about that, couldn't stop my hands typing this)
Enough yelling, just to be accurate : US dollar vs Euro is about 1.35.
So the board goes to 135$, not 150. Shipping to USA is about 4-5$ or close to that.
Just to mention it : it is a sound board and luxeon driver (with combined light/sound effects). It's designed for luxeon (III, K2 and V) so it won't work for EL for instance (well it can be hacked but I don't think it would worth the money, hacking an hasbro or MR would be better in the case of EL).

Barmic Rin
04-14-2007, 03:02 AM
You can't argue with Erv's board! I love it, though if he'd had any crystal core's in stock yesterday I would have ordered a pair!!! :wink:
Oh, and sorry about the mix up with my order Erv!!! :oops:

erv
04-14-2007, 04:01 AM
no worries about the double / mixed order Barmin !
I appologize for not having the core in stock yet, I've kind of had my stock 'stolen' :mrgreen:
And I'd said that instead putting back V1 in stock and releasing V2 after, I prefer waiting for V2 to be ready, cause it would be very frustrating for people to see V1 in stock, buying and discovering 2 weeks after that V2 is out. I actually know that some people might be frustrated, but at a certain point, a transistion must happen between version, especially if you have a lot of pending ideas :)

Barmic Rin
04-14-2007, 04:44 AM
I'll let you off then! :wink:
Just so long as you let me have a play with a V2 in you bring any to C.E!

erv
04-14-2007, 05:03 AM
hopefully, I'll do better than that : I'll bring a new saber I'll soon start working on. Changeable shape and blade colors, V2, bargraph, blinking LEDs and multiple sound bank.
I'll bring my obi (no sound) as well to go with my costume !

Barmic Rin
04-14-2007, 05:40 AM
OOOO!!OOOOO!!! NEW TOY!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Firebird21
04-14-2007, 06:21 AM
Na na nana na!!!!! I held V2 in my hand and heard it with my oun ears!!! http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/1banana.gif


Oh, am I bragging... :roll: YES I AM!!! http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_firedevil.gif

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 12:23 PM
erv do you own plecter labs or something and can you guive me a link to what you are talking about? i saw one bord on there but it was like a thing for lights didnt say aything about sound. im makeing an LED saber.

vortextwist
04-14-2007, 12:33 PM
erv do you own plecter labs or something and can you guive me a link to what you are talking about? i saw one bord on there but it was like a thing for lights didnt say aything about sound. im makeing an LED saber.
yes he does. just navigate his site, it is there.

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 12:56 PM
ok fine if you are going to make me work. lol jk

Marsupial
04-14-2007, 01:04 PM
Hyperdyne calls its board's pricing "competitive"... when he was still in the making of that board, he NEVER would let me know what kind of ballpark this was. That's with other questions I asked him without being answered, such has true coloration of the blades, brightness comparison or compatibility with other products.

On another hand, when I asked Erv for literally anything that isn't a conception secret he answered swiftly and was eager for comments and ideas.

Barmic Rin
04-14-2007, 01:10 PM
Curse you FB!!!!! I got's to wait till CE!
I'll let Erv play with my Imp Knight hilt that'll be hanging from my belt! I'll be squeezing a V2 into it when I get my greedy lil mitts on one!!!
Bring spares with you Erv!!!

Marsupial is right, Fau-pa. Hyperdyne likes being all secretive and 'competitively priced'. Erv usually gets back to you within a couple of hours at the most, happy to answer questions. So does Tim, Corbin etc.

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 01:11 PM
witch one is it the crystal saber focus cor or the luxeon driver dimmer?


OR is it that OMNISABER THING THAT COSTS ALOT OF MONEY?!?!? :shock:

neophyl
04-14-2007, 01:19 PM
Fau-Pa its the crystal focus. Unfortunately you will have to wait awhile as erv is updating the board and software design to V2. While thats happening sales of V1 have been suspended. Erv doesnt want people to buy v1 and then a couple of weeks later have V2 come out with more features.

Just have patience and wait for the marvel that will be v2 :)

Barmic Rin
04-14-2007, 01:36 PM
Crystal core. Pretty, shiny, going in my hilt once I have two decorative holes re-drilled.

Lord Maul
04-14-2007, 01:37 PM
wait wait.

barmic, do you know that it's just a sound board and has no crystal at all in it? just wanted to make sure :D

Ryma Mara
04-14-2007, 01:43 PM
lol

Barmic Rin
04-14-2007, 01:48 PM
DUH!!!! I know Maul!
The board is just real shiny!!!! It's sitting at home waiting till I re-do these holes, then it's being put in!

I know a guy that owns a rock/crystal store, I picked up an Aqua aura cluster that i'm gonna be chipping up & i'll be putting a shard in there too!
Crystal core - Shiny
Aqua aura - Shinier!

http://www.celestial-lights.com/aqua_aura_quartz/Aquagroupclose2.jpg
Take a look at this shininess!

Ryma Mara
04-14-2007, 01:53 PM
Nice, I say hit it with a torch for a bit to clean it up and make it clear-er and it will look pritty-er.

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 01:54 PM
thats preaty shiny. just wait in about ten year lightsabers will actualy exist and that will be even shinyer!!!! MWAHAHAHA :lol: !!!!

Ryma Mara
04-14-2007, 01:55 PM
I dont htink its gonna happen in 100 years.

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 02:10 PM
all i know is if it dont when i die and go to heaven i better get one. :twisted:

Barmic Rin
04-14-2007, 02:18 PM
I expect to be handed one as I pass through the pearly gates...... With BMF engraved on the pommel!!!

That pic wasn't the one I have, just a shot I had for reference. Mine is a darker blue

Ryma Mara
04-14-2007, 02:20 PM
Yeah maybe I can confince god to start up a Jedi counsel. and I will get the orange bladed lightsaber of my dreams.

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 02:22 PM
either way its a great idea. actual crystals in the hilt......preaty shnazy. :wink: yeah i just got to the part in the bible where they are talking about the battle that wil be fought befor god makes the new earth and im gonna be on the front lines with a saber.......or ten. :D

Barmic Rin
04-14-2007, 02:25 PM
Blue in my left hand, right hand giving the finger to the fools coming towards the line of guys with lightsabers!!!

I'm fitting it inside to be used as a focusing point for meditation.

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 02:30 PM
i didnt get that last part but RIGHT ON KICK SOME @$$ :twisted:

Barmic Rin
04-14-2007, 02:35 PM
Psychic, dude. Runs in the family.
Meditation with a crystal helps you relax and focus on your goals.
I never leave home without at least three crystals in a pouch.
Each to their own, and this is mine. :)

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 03:58 PM
lol i think i understand. :?

Ryma Mara
04-14-2007, 04:04 PM
You can also focus energy into them . helps when you need to stay awake for a long period of time.

The best crystals to use are the ones that have a rounded bottem so they conform to your palm.

Helps with drawing in energy, ahh the days of wican learning.

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 04:07 PM
are you saying it works in RL or are you saying it works in the starwars univers?

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 04:57 PM
well at anyrate thanx for all your help i will start construction in a few weaks when my parts come in. :D

Barmic Rin
04-14-2007, 05:32 PM
Well, I believe it is actually something you can do in everyday life.
I was never comfortable with how religion was taught to me, so I believe in how I live.
That involves some meditation & crystal healing. I doubt i'd be here without it.... :wink:

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 05:42 PM
well what ever works man. im not here to judge any one. but i do meditate myself....keeps me focused on living and helps when im feeling down.

Barmic Rin
04-14-2007, 05:59 PM
Each to their own mate, each to their own...
There's plenty of different beliefs going round on the forums, so it's all good.
Have at least one man of the cloth on here, it's not hard to work out who it is!

Lord Maul
04-14-2007, 06:46 PM
either way its a great idea. actual crystals in the hilt......preaty shnazy. :wink: yeah i just got to the part in the bible where they are talking about the battle that wil be fought befor god makes the new earth and im gonna be on the front lines with a saber.......or ten. :D

i am having a crystal in my MHS 8)

fau-pa ramid
04-14-2007, 08:31 PM
i thought you were haveing a hard time fitin everything in there already. :wink:

Lord Maul
04-14-2007, 10:34 PM
i am because of the crystal chamber. it will all fit, but it'll be a PITA to do

Barmic Rin
04-15-2007, 01:06 AM
Is MC still doing his crystal chambers?

erv
04-15-2007, 02:23 AM
I think he is, it was there when I checked his website couple of weeks ago !
It seems I missed some parts of this funny discussion here, héhé... many good things about crystals and stuff !
Just a detail about the price of omnisaber : you're right, it's damn expensive. And you'd be right to say "whoa that guy is making fun about the prices of another maker, but he's killing me as well".
Ahem... as we say here, you'd better clean your front door mat before yelling at your neighbour cause you think he's the dirty guy".
Omnisaber is actually a crystal focus saber core, with an added digital and multichannel transmitter, a miniature one (20x10 mm). It's using the same one as receiver (but they are both transceivers). Each unit cost 55 euros, or 71$, so that's 110 euros retail price that I'm paying (plus s&h) when I make a wireless version. Plus the box for the receiver and a few part, and assembly work, I'm virtually making no money on the wireless extension part. But, well, not a lot of people want that version, only stage combat professionnals, I know a bunch of them, and I designed this version for them initially. The price is of some matter for them, but they are considering sabers as a working tool and an investment to sell a performance or a show and have some money back afterwards.
The price of the V2 will not increase or really slightly IMO, cause despite of all the goodies which are inside. I removed a lot of discrete parts in the design and replaced them by some integrated parts, keeping the price pretty well balanced.
I don't want people to pay only for software when the hardware is staying at the same price or close to it. Replacing a part with a version that handles 2A instead of 1A justifies neither to double the price nor to call it "invention" or "inovation".
I just like people using the tools and boards I'm designing, of course money I'm making is one thing, but it's really rewarding as well to have feedback about my stuff and to see people are actually making sabers with it.

Barmic Rin
04-15-2007, 02:51 AM
Well Erv, you know I love your work!
Hopefully Fau-pa will give you some custom (HINT!) as well as Tim & Corbin!
:wink:

fau-pa ramid
04-15-2007, 06:37 AM
well i have to buy a sound board its just going to cost as much as my saber. im thinking about getting the wireless one and puting speekers in my costume for and extra bang when i turn it on! i want this thing to turn heads when im finished. 8)

Marsupial
04-15-2007, 08:53 AM
Erv...

if or when I need a wireless saber, I'll have 2 options (again)

either I get an omnisaber module from plecter, or I get a driver+bluetooth module from Hyperdyne.

So far I haven't found anything else in the like.

Here's how I see costs for those. (I might be wrong on both side, but that's how I understand what's needed for both system to be complete, minus the hilt and blade holder, without battery and without assembly)

Hyperdyne:
driver: 89$
Hyperblade core: 189$
blade housing: 18$
Bluetooth add-on: 189$
USB dongle for 100ft: 50$
total 535$ prior to shipping

Plecter:
omnisaber: 220Euro = 297$
Luxeon: 12.17$
blade: 18.25$
tip: 7.03$
film: 4.73$
total 339.18$ prior to shipping

both would require you to make your saber accepts the electronics and blade.

Of course both are pricey... we're talking about high tech wireless technology that's profesionnal grade. If someone wants a cheaper version, get an FM transmitter and connect it to your normal sound module. the quality just isn't the same.

draw your own conclusions.

vortextwist
04-15-2007, 09:06 AM
xwing was talking that the hyperdine wireless system wasn't the greatest. Maybe pm him since he isn't here much. hyps stuff just seems cheap (not money cheap)

Firebird21
04-15-2007, 09:16 AM
One thing you guys have to remember is that erv's wireless system does not transmit sound, it transmits gesture info to the receiver and the receiver translates it into sound.

The receiver is where all the sounds are stored, not in the saber. Buttered toast will "Talk" to the transmitter but does not tell it what sound to make, only what the saber is physically doing.

At least that's how I understand it.

erv
04-15-2007, 10:28 AM
True,
and good point for Firebird, who's definitly a "good student" with pretty nice memory !
I've used bluetooth modules in the past, and getting them connected to the bluetooth stack of a computer just sucks. When designing some electronic hardware, at a certain point, it's legitimate to wonder if you should reinvent the wheel or not, maybe bluetooth is the way to go : BT transceivers exist and can be paired with a computer as a wireless serial port. It really SEEMS to be perfect. Except that the BT stack of the computer (the BT "driver" that recognizes all peripherals and deals with pairing, like when you install a BT earphone to a cellphone) is not made for live performance and is not reliable.
You have to power the saber first, then wait for the BT on the computer to "see" the saber, then click connect. And the worse : if you stop the saber by accident before unconnecting the peripheral in your custom application, the stack waits for the peripheral to appear again, but without trying to pair, like it thinks the saber is out of reach. You can repower the saber again, the stack will wait between 20 sec and 1min before releasing the connection and accepting a new one.
Can you imagine that in balance of power for Novastar ? Sorry Sirs and Madam in the audience, we got a bluescreen, we have to reboot our sabers, short break, enjoy the commercials (bunch of leia slaves with advertizing boards crossing the stage). Add then the fact the BT module + stack have a huge delay and latency. I don't have any hardware of hyperdyne, but the video he presented in the garage or basement of a house clearly displays 300 ms of latency between impact and clash effect... He said it was necessary to make sure this is the right gesture. Don't know if it's the gesture classification method that is bad (well the one described in his patent IS bad) or if it's the BT tranceiver.

This is one example in which trying to absolutly use a "computer ready made system" is not good. And that's why I looked for a good (and darn expensive) transmitter and a dedicated receiver. I chose MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) to enter the computer cause it's standard on any architecture (PC, mac, linux), it's reliable, still very used on stage despite it's pretty low. I've been building and designing MIDI hardware for now 10 or 11 years. I'm providing a software to use those MIDI orders, but you could use a MIDI program, expander or sampler. Saber could play the piano or the bagpipes if you wanted it to ;-)

As Firebird said, the nice thing is that I don't need speed for transmitting data to the computer, since I'm just transmitting an order like "clash was detected". It takes about 1 ms to send this message. Radio link was optimized to have a short latency as well : 4 or 5 ms max.
The gesture detection algorithm has a native and stable latency of 60 ms, so the wireless version is only 65 ms max (8%), which is any way 4.6 times faster than the other system...
The radio transmitter was tuned so that the link is established between the saber and the receiver in 3 seconds. An LED indicated the radio link state on the saber and on the receiver, so that people backstage can check the stage combat guy is ready to go, and the actor/stuntman can also check on his own by a quick look on his hilt.
If the saber is powered off (with the safety key), disapearing is detected by the receiver in 1 second. I definitly wanted to have it designed for stage and live performance, not for a computer geek. It's also why I've "opened" the design of buttered toast V2. I might be a not that bad hardware engineer, I'm a late fan about SW (1 year and a half) so people might think about other feature I know nothing about. Having the crowd proposing ideas allows a product to be designed FOR the users, not centered on myself.

To end on a pretty nice point : omnisaber is based on crystal focus, with a little firmware MOD and the radio transmitter attached. Means that it can play in the hilt sound as well :twisted:
When using the wireless, and avoid being bugged by the in-the-hilt sounds (which of course might not be the same as the one you use on the computer), just put "mute=1" in the config file to make the hilt silent.
Of course, with V2, you can have one soundbank "silent" and dedicated to the wireless. So easy to switch between 4 configurations now !

fau-pa ramid
04-15-2007, 10:50 AM
OMG erv my eyeballs are on fire!!!! why you post such long msgs they are helpful but so....so long.

Ryma Mara
04-15-2007, 10:56 AM
Wall of imformational text 8)

erv
04-15-2007, 11:23 AM
this is because you're looking at your saber blade too close, my friend :mrgreen: (see the avatar ?). Just kidding
hard to be accurate and short, but I'll try a better shot next time !


OMG erv my eyeballs are on fire!!!!

fau-pa ramid
04-15-2007, 02:19 PM
ok you got me there. i cant help it its so beautiful! :P

erv
04-15-2007, 02:38 PM
that was just another brick in the wall (of informational text) héhé...
I like your avatar pic too !

fau-pa ramid
04-15-2007, 02:41 PM
that was just another brick in the wall (of informational text) héhé...
I like your avatar pic too !

omg are you serious?!?!?

thanx i make them for people if you want one. just send me a good quality pic of yourself and ill make it for you.

check out my page below.
:D

fau-pa ramid
04-15-2007, 02:47 PM
my e-mail is: patrickfaught@gmail.com

neophyl
04-15-2007, 02:51 PM
Hyperdynes original wireless sabre system (the one before his bluetooth version) utilised a normal wireless transmitter for the sabre and a receiver connected via a rs232 link at the pc end. It didnt transmit any sound information, it was purely a motion capture device. The recieving pc interpreted that data and played the approriate sounds using some custom software supplied with the unit.

I know as I own one. I didnt pay full price as I won it on a ebay auction. I will say one thing that it does work rather well but I have never used it outside of my computer room due tot he simple fact that it needs a pc to operate. Its not something you can take to a convention easily.

987654321a
04-15-2007, 07:59 PM
i cant wait till i get enough money to buy buttered toast. :)

erv
04-15-2007, 09:17 PM
Neophyl,
it's interesting what you say, cause despite I imagine how Hyper first system works, I've never tried it, Just saw the videos on his site. I only know one person in France having the system and he used it just once. He had to unsolder the accelerometer to put it in another place of the hilt to get proper detection.
Did you put it into a saber with blade and everything ? How is the feeling with sound reaction and interactivity ? any noticable / important latency ?

neophyl
04-16-2007, 04:17 AM
I did have it in a hilt with a normal unlit blade. As its only the sound component and theres nothing to drive a blade with or interface to a blade unit I didnt bother with lit at the time. Also Luxeon was around at that time only EL and the rf from the el inverter inside the same hilt as the wireless unit messed up its function. So no lit blade.

From what I recall latency wasnt that noticeable but it was very twitchy. No matter how I played with the config setting for swing clash etc there were times when it would register a swing or clash even when it was just sitting on the desk. There were also issues with 'chaining' sounds. It didnt like rapid swings and clashes. Id have to get it all set up again to double check but i seem to remember that it played one sound out completely before letting you trigger another.

It was physically quite large too, being alot bigger than your crystal focu both wider and longer as well as higher. On thw whole while it was a cool bit of kit its mainly been in a box since i bought it which should give some indication of how useful it ended up being in the end. YMMV.

Ryma Mara
04-16-2007, 10:47 PM
Remember corbins is just a Light driver with effects. no sound. But for alot of people there not to bothered with sound.

fau-pa ramid
04-16-2007, 10:58 PM
well witch sound board works the best then? in hilt not the ones that need a wirless thing.

i want it to be load

Ryma Mara
04-16-2007, 11:04 PM
Well alot of folks use Hasbro sound cards. the best option is mr boards.

But folks are happy wiht hasbros over mr boards.

fau-pa ramid
04-16-2007, 11:07 PM
ill get a MR.

Jay-gon Jinn
04-17-2007, 07:21 AM
I've used both boards, and prefer the MR. It has more realistic sound effects than any of the Hasbros.

fau-pa ramid
04-17-2007, 07:22 AM
so those are my only choices. i was going to splurge on the sound board.......thats sad.

Jay-gon Jinn
04-17-2007, 07:25 AM
You could just wait and get Erv's Crystal Focus Saber Core v.2 when he has it ready. That board will do everything you want on one board.

Jay-gon Jinn
04-17-2007, 07:27 AM
Another option is UltraSabers' sound board/led driver. It does about the same things as an MR w/Corbin's board (supposed to anyway) and should sell for around $80. To get one, sign up at the FX-Sabers.com (http://www.fx-sabers.com/forum/index.php?board=48.0) forums and get on the list.

fau-pa ramid
04-17-2007, 07:29 AM
oh ok i wana get ervs board thats who it was. :wink:

Barmic Rin
04-17-2007, 08:14 AM
Good choice! I'll be picking up some V2's when it's out.
Haven't heard Ultras, but heard good things about it.

I guess with the amount of sabers i'm planning, i'll get the opportunity for trying everybody's at some point!!!! :D

fau-pa ramid
04-17-2007, 10:53 AM
omg i finished the desighn i think ill get my skaner and try and post it up.

Novastar
04-23-2007, 06:34 PM
By the way Erv... regarding your thoughtfulness on people buying V1 and then seeing V2 pop up in the store a little later...

Personally, I think ANYONE who has a V1 and then gets upset that they don't have the V2... deserves to be shot! hehhehe oh mon dieu, je blage... :)

All kidding aside, I'm sure they'd be just fine about it. Upgrades are GREAT--especially when it appears you do this SO quickly! Wow!

Anyone out there who wants to sell their version 1 in order to get a V2...????
.
.
.

*crickets* ... .... .... *silence* .... ....
.
.
.

HAH. *THOUGHT* so... :)

fau-pa ramid
04-23-2007, 07:39 PM
ima get a v2 cuz i cant buy a v1. i wouldent mind haveing either ervs stuff is the sh@#! :mrgreen:

Novastar
04-25-2007, 12:34 AM
For certain.

Some of my "pipe-dreams" are to perhaps have each and every saber for BOP III to be an "omni-saber".

But I doubt I could afford that, considering my resources are few when it comes to my shows. BOP I was the most expensive so far... BOP II was meant to be lower budget, but BOP III... there is a big consideration in that which may make it EXTREMELY expensive... and it has nothing to do with sabers!

So... we'll SEE. ;)