Sound Board Availability [Archive] - The Custom Saber Shop Forums

Yama-Blu Kitsu

01-03-2010, 08:54 AM

I'm relatively new to making custom sabers...I just made a basic MHS and i'm very satisfied with the quality. However I'm about to order some parts so I can make a sink tube saber because I wanna get a little more creative. I was looking for some sound board options but I'm having a hard time finding any at all. Could someone give me some ideas on where to go for this please?

Scars Unseen

01-03-2010, 09:41 AM

Tim carries the Ultra Sound cards, but they are all sold out. The more expensive Crystal Focus sells a couple times a year, so you have to look out for those times. The most common method of getting sound to sabers is by gutting a Master Replicas or Hasbro Force FX and using that. Finally there is the option of getting one of the Hasbro toy sabers and gutting that, though the sound is inferior to the Force FX.

There are other options as well, but they are either highly specialized(Makototsai's SuperOne; Hyperdyne's new card) or simply ill advised(not calling names on that one).

Honestly, your best option IMO, is to gut a ForceFX or find a card that has already been removed.

cardcollector

01-03-2010, 09:48 AM

Hey there welcome to the forums, reading a lot will help you!

As for your question,
Right now there are 5 basic soundboards...
The one found in toy sabers, it is cheap. But it gets the job done.

Then there is the one found in MR/FX sabers, you can use it with the TCSS Driver board to acheive a pretty nice combo. I like them a lot

Next is a board called sabersound. I don't reccomend it. IT is finiky, overtly sensitive, and the builder has terrible service (you most likely will get ripped off)

Another board is called the UltraSound. This is a Very nice board, it comes equpied with a LED Driver. Sadly, it is out of production....

Lastly there is the Crystal focus (or Buttered toast) it is made by hand by a guy named Erv. It can carry multiple sound fonts, and is alomst impossible to get (100 of these will sell out in 3 miuntes)

TCSS is in the process of creating a new soundboard, there is also an openSound project going on at a different forum.

Hope this helps, if you want my reccomendation I would start with the cheap hasbro... I use them all of the time.

Yama-Blu Kitsu

01-03-2010, 09:58 AM

Thank you both, that does help...Is there a place that sells the cards separately? I'd rather not buy a saber when i'm gonna rip out the sound card and discard the rest...I've been doing a lot of reading on Jay-gons saber construction using sink tubes, thats been very helpful too.

Dakarn

01-03-2010, 10:02 AM

People usually get the economy cards by taking apart the Force Action lightsabers which you can buy most everywhere for $15-25. If you go this route you want the lightsabers that do not have the additional features.

This thread:
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=7587
has a ton of information on using those boards. Its what I'm using to build my 1st saber.

MRFx and HFx (the ones in the $120 replica lightsabers) boards can be found on eBay sometimes.

Yama-Blu Kitsu

01-03-2010, 10:13 AM

Thanks, just found em for about $20, i'm gonna try that:D

Shadar Al'Niende

01-03-2010, 10:39 AM

Another option if you find that you want a bit more quality of sound but don't wanna buy a whole saber for just the card...

Alot of people will buy the hilt, gut it for sound, and re-sell the hilt for around 50 bucks...

Yama-Blu Kitsu

01-03-2010, 04:18 PM

Just got my hasbro saber and took out all the electronics. I was able to figure out everything except why theirs 4 wires going to the leds (in the toy saber, blue, red, purple, and brown wires) I know it uses 3 leds in it, but which one to i connect to my led? I haven't wire it yet because I'm waiting on my Lux V kit. Also I noticed that the speaker included doesn't fit into the regular 7" MHS main body, the trim on it barely makes it not fit. I was planing on ordering sink tubes for my next saber, so I'm hoping the speaking will fit in a 1 1/2" sink tube.

Nineteen

01-03-2010, 04:42 PM

Two wires are for the LED, and two are for the switch for when the blade gets pushed back into the hilt to turn the sound off. The ones that go to your LED are the ones that connect to the little green LED board. The other two you don't need at all.

EDIT: In addition, the speaker will barely fit into a 1 1/2" sinktube.

cardcollector

01-04-2010, 07:54 AM

wait- did you buy a "force action" Saber?
THe board itself... WILL fit in a 1.25" sinktube...
I can even fit it into 1'' electrical conduit PVC...

But I would buy the TCSS premium speaker, it is amazingly better! It will make the board louder and crisper.

vargose

01-04-2010, 08:43 AM

I haven't wire it yet because I'm waiting on my Lux V kit.

WHOA!!!! Danger Will Robinson Danger!!!! You won't be able to use a Lux V and a hasbro sound card together easily. The required voltage for the Lux V will fry that sound card. You need a 5V voltage regulator and a relay to make that work, and for that you'll need to do some research.

Honestly a Lux III, Seoul P4, Cree XR-E, or a Rebel would be a better choice for that card.

Jordandau

01-04-2010, 04:25 PM

THe board itself... WILL fit in a 1.25" sinktube...
I can even fit it into 1'' electrical conduit PVC...

So will the cheap hasbro speakr AND board fit into 1" PVC? If not what would you suggest?

cardcollector

01-04-2010, 04:34 PM

Hasbro speaker... NO
Premium TCSS speaker... YES (it will fit into the endcap)

Force Action Soundboard... YES
Any other... To big.

I hope that answers your question.;)

Yama-Blu Kitsu

01-04-2010, 04:38 PM

Yama-Blu Kitsu

01-04-2010, 04:44 PM

Yes I got the force action lightsaber anakin version. I'm waiting on my Lux V kit to arrive cause the blue Seoul P4 really sucks (not bright at all) Although I am using it with a TCSS battle blade. Does anyone know if the sound board will work with a Lux V? To answer your question I did get the sound board to fit but the stock speaker is too big to fit in the 1.25" MHS. I ordered a bunch of screws/sink tubes/adapters/ and yes the premium speaker yesterday so that should keep me busy for a few days lol It'll be xmas for me when it arrives lol

Sorry forget all that...didn't see the 2nd page...

Well that answered my question...I did order a amber Lux III so I'll just wire the sound board to that until I research the Lux V requirements further. Or maybe I'll just use the Lux V for dueling and use a different color with the sound board (because the battery pack is so long on a Lux V and my hilts are only 9-10" max so I probably wouldn't have the room for a sound card anyways)

Crystal Chambers

01-04-2010, 06:45 PM

I'm using a tcss battle blade and p4 blue it looks great. Are you sure you've powered it properly, and as well a sanding and some gift wrap make it looks awesome. It even looks decent in a lit room.
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=344&page=2

Yama-Blu Kitsu

01-04-2010, 07:35 PM

Ok heres what happened>

I wired it properly but wasn't satisfied once i turned it on because it only lit half the blade and proceeded to spend $40 friggin bucks on a Lux V. After looking at some blue led pics on that forum I noticed that some people used 4 AA or even a 9v...I was only using 4 AAA so I decided to switch to a 9v...and it kicked much better so I tried with the blade but something still wasn't right. Then I remembered that I didn't install the lens because it never fit in the holder, but i put it in anyways and it lit up the whole blade....So now feeling stupid I spent $40 on an Led that wont work with the sound board I just got, I decided to try yet again to get the lens in the lens holder when it obviously didn't fit...after trying everything, I just ended up gluing the lens holder to the led and try it that way...15 minutes later the lens fell out because it doesn't fit in the hold and I broke the led...

So i'm pretty pissed off right now...does anyone know why the lens doesn't fit in the lens holder that its sold with???

Sunrider

01-04-2010, 07:42 PM

Sounds like you got the 5 degree that requires modification. Some filing here & there is necessary.

Jedi-Loreen

01-04-2010, 10:52 PM

I have to ask, did you do any reading here before you registered for an account?

Because I'm thinking it sounds like maybe you got a bit overzealous and jumped the gun on your saber build.

If you had slowed down and done more reading, you could have avoided the problems you had on this saber.

Jay-gon Jinn

01-05-2010, 03:27 AM

I have to agree with J-Lo....the 5 degree lens and holder question has been asked and answered about a dozen times in the last 6 months on these forums....

Crystal Chambers

01-05-2010, 05:43 AM

It could be much worse. I know it's exciting to get it all wire for sound but the mistakes can cost more then $40. Even if you read a lot there's still mistakes to be made on first attempts like this. Be careful with your soundboard. I'm trying to salvage mine now. I'm really surprised you hadn't seen the p4 in action before your order.

The lense is only held in place by being sandwiched between the blade holder and the rest of the saber. I noticed filing tabs was needed on both 5 and 10 degree.

The best thing to do when you have a question or something seems not quite right is to step back and think about it and do some research. I've had a few problems, none of which I could find solutions to in the forum that I'm aware of, but all of yours have been mentioned (since I've been here, just a few months) and are ones that I've avoided.

vargose

01-05-2010, 08:58 AM

the blue Seoul P4 really sucks (not bright at all)

The Seoul P4 is plenty bright. It is a beautiful LED. You definitely need the lens. The 5 degree lens is difficult to get into the lens holder but it will fit. Even if it doesn't, the bladed holders will hold it in place, they're designed to do that.

4AA and 4AAA have the same voltage the only difference is run time. With the right resistor it is plenty to run the Seoul P4. Use the LED resistor chart here (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/wiringbuilder/wiring.aspx). If you end up using a toy hasbro sound board with a Seoul P4 you shouldn't need a resistor.

A 9 volt battery will fry the toy hasbro sound board without a voltage regulator. And a 9v battery has such a low run time that it won't be worth the trouble of using.

At this point I am definitely going to have to tell you to read. Start with the thread index and other tutorials. You are going to need to know the basics before going any further. Otherwise you will waste your money and be thoroughly frustrated.

cardcollector

01-05-2010, 10:10 AM

So i'm pretty upset right now...does anyone know why the lens doesn't fit in the lens holder that its sold with???

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=2332&page=2
If you don't wan't to file it, just get a 10 degree lense, it will create a little blade flare at the bottom but that's it...

I agree, if you go to the forum index and start reading some of the stickies you will save yourself a lot of frustration and money.

And please watch your langague here. This is a family forum, so keep that in mind.

Yama-Blu Kitsu

01-05-2010, 02:22 PM

reply to all>

Ok so basically I'm gonna be doing more reading. I did do research before i got it but I did order the kit and I didn't think I'd have to research something thats suppose to work with whats included. I appreciate the information...Thanks especially to crystal chamber and vargose

Charmaynard

02-09-2010, 09:09 AM

I don't suppose there's some simple way to switch out individual sounds on a sound card, is there? I have a Blade Startup Sound, that I'd love to have instead of the default one on the Econo board.

xl97

02-09-2010, 09:39 AM

only if you have a CF..or somethign wih customizable sound banks..

Hasblow, MR, 616 boards.......nope.

(at least not without some siginificant reverse engineering) ;)

cardcollector

02-09-2010, 08:54 PM

I don't suppose there's some simple way to switch out individual sounds on a sound card, is there? I have a Blade Startup Sound, that I'd love to have instead of the default one on the Econo board.

Sure is, there is this thing called a voicebox...

;):rolleyes: