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Author Topic: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards  (Read 4157 times)

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Offline GnostDural

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N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« on: July 26, 2019, 12:10:50 PM »
Hey Forum,

I'm sorry if this is entirely stupid, just a Padawan trying to learn the ways of these awesome sabers. I have a question about Sound Boards.

I know that Crystal Focus boards are widely regarded as the best boards. I know there's also Petit Crouton, Obsidian, etc..
And I know that the newer the version, the better the board. ie. A V.8 Crystal Focus is far superior to a V.3...

But why ?

Firstly, what makes the Crystal Focus boards so much better than the rest (and therefore worth the price)?
And what is the difference between lets say a v.4 and the newer v.8 and v.9?

Reason I ask is because I found a great price on a v.4 board and am excited to maybe pull the trigger on it.. but I don't want to find out I bought the wrong thing.

Teach me your ways, Master Jedi.
This will be the subject of my next report. May the Force be with you.

Offline eastern57

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2019, 12:35:31 PM »
regarding plecterlabs sound boards... There are others that you'll encounter in your searches, but a v4 is still pretty good for basic lightsaber construction, it has 6 available sound banks with the 7th being isaber.  The main difference is that it uses .raw files instead of .wav files.  There are differences since it was designed for a single emitter (vice tri-cree or tri-rebel). 

Sound boards evolve and more features and capabilities are added with each new release.  Erv (Plecter) posts all the new features here, in his section, when he announces the newest release.

You can also look here for Plecterlabs User's Manuals:
Articles - Plecter Labs - Props Electronics

You'll have to read the manual for v4 before you start using it, because even the v4s have more features that can be utilized in one project.

Offline Runner

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2019, 12:40:12 PM »
Im pretty new myself so Im not going to try and point out the differences but one thing that Ive recently discovered in the upcoming Crystal Focus X is the Smooth Swing feature. I believe this is also available on the Crystal Shard 4 series if Im not mistaken?

In my mind this is a game changing must have feature that I would not spend money not to have. There are quite a few videos now on Youtube demonstrating this (you can also search for proffieboard and tinysaber for videos too as they also feature this).

You can still download the manuals from Plecter Labs for both the v4 and v8 boards as well. Erv outlines the features of both in his manuals:

Articles - Plecter Labs - Props Electronics

Offline SA22C

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2019, 07:09:50 PM »
Once you have a saber with smoothswing, you'll never be satisfied with the old static-sounds-only boards of yesterday.

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Offline Link

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2019, 10:24:47 PM »
I'll chime in on this one...

First of all. To the statement of Crystal Focus being "the best". While it's true a large portion of the community may agree with this statement, there are plenty who wouldn't. There are many options out there that all do great things in there own ways. The only way to find the best is to find what YOU like the best.

Now.. on to what's better about a CF4 VS CF8-9.  This is something some simple forum searching will show you. long story short, as the board has iterated over the years it has added many features. The one that's coming out in a few weeks is the CF V10 (or CFX). It will have a feature on it called Smooth Swing. This feature is new to Crystal Focus ( and currently exclusive to CFX ) BUT Smooth Swing is not new in the community. I would suggest also doing a history research on that as it goes way back.

Besides crystal focus soundboards... Other great options are the Spark Soundboards from Naigon's Electronic Creations AND the Proffie Open Source soundboard.

Each soundboard has its own way of configuring and setting up. The Proffie board is Open Source so it does come with a higher learning curve BUT the trade off is that you can virtually do anything with it. You could literally code in your own features if you know what you're doing. :)

Also in the way of the (smooth swing feature), The Spark soundboard from Naigon now supports Real Swing which is their version of Smooth Swing. It's not Smooth Swing because it works entirely differently.. BUT the end result is very similar. *Also should do homework on this as how they are developed and the algorithms they use are different too

In closing - The soundbaords mentioned above are regarded as the top 3 for the most part. There are lots of others to consider as well and more coming out in the future. This hobby, as you will learn, is quite packed with info. If I had one piece of advice it would be to get comfortable reading! lol.  A lot of us are happy to answer questions, but there really is too much info out there and most always you're better off reading and looking up on the forums. I only say this from experience, because usually with a simple search you'll find the anser.

Lastly, I also cannot emphasize enough that the words "better and best" are subjective. Until you try out each soundboard for yourself, its impossible to know what you will like or not. And your favorite isn't everyone's favorite. It's kinda like Apple VS Android in most cases... MOST that is, not all haha. but the point is, Lots of great boards with lots of great features! Check em out and see for yourself :) 

And welcome to the hobby!!!

-LINK

Offline K-2SO

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2019, 11:17:49 PM »
Im pretty new myself so Im not going to try and point out the differences but one thing that Ive recently discovered in the upcoming Crystal Focus X is the Smooth Swing feature. I believe this is also available on the Crystal Shard 4 series if Im not mistaken?

In my mind this is a game changing must have feature that I would not spend money not to have. There are quite a few videos now on Youtube demonstrating this (you can also search for proffieboard and tinysaber for videos too as they also feature this).

You can still download the manuals from Plecter Labs for both the v4 and v8 boards as well. Erv outlines the features of both in his manuals:

Articles - Plecter Labs - Props Electronics

Incorrect. PLECTER smoothswing is only available on the soon to be released CFX.

As has been previously mentioned by e57, the CF4 is a sound card that is nearly 8-9 years old. The hardware is different (Different font sound format (which isn’t widely available these days), mostly older members (like myself) would still have those fonts in their libraries, and the feature were far more limited.  I still have a pair of Version 2.61 which were converted to Version 4.3, but those Baird’s were “retired” many years ago.



I find your arguments vague and unconvincing.

Quiet! *Slap* And there’s a fresh one if you mouth off again.

Offline eastern57

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2019, 03:46:19 AM »
4s had the micro-sd, the full-size sd was 3.x and below.

Offline GnostDural

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2019, 05:26:30 PM »
I'll chime in on this one...

First of all. To the statement of Crystal Focus being "the best". While it's true a large portion of the community may agree with this statement, there are plenty who wouldn't. There are many options out there that all do great things in there own ways. The only way to find the best is to find what YOU like the best.

Now.. on to what's better about a CF4 VS CF8-9.  This is something some simple forum searching will show you. long story short, as the board has iterated over the years it has added many features. The one that's coming out in a few weeks is the CF V10 (or CFX). It will have a feature on it called Smooth Swing. This feature is new to Crystal Focus ( and currently exclusive to CFX ) BUT Smooth Swing is not new in the community. I would suggest also doing a history research on that as it goes way back.

Besides crystal focus soundboards... Other great options are the Spark Soundboards from Naigon's Electronic Creations AND the Proffie Open Source soundboard.

Each soundboard has its own way of configuring and setting up. The Proffie board is Open Source so it does come with a higher learning curve BUT the trade off is that you can virtually do anything with it. You could literally code in your own features if you know what you're doing. :)

Also in the way of the (smooth swing feature), The Spark soundboard from Naigon now supports Real Swing which is their version of Smooth Swing. It's not Smooth Swing because it works entirely differently.. BUT the end result is very similar. *Also should do homework on this as how they are developed and the algorithms they use are different too

In closing - The soundbaords mentioned above are regarded as the top 3 for the most part. There are lots of others to consider as well and more coming out in the future. This hobby, as you will learn, is quite packed with info. If I had one piece of advice it would be to get comfortable reading! lol.  A lot of us are happy to answer questions, but there really is too much info out there and most always you're better off reading and looking up on the forums. I only say this from experience, because usually with a simple search you'll find the anser.

Lastly, I also cannot emphasize enough that the words "better and best" are subjective. Until you try out each soundboard for yourself, its impossible to know what you will like or not. And your favorite isn't everyone's favorite. It's kinda like Apple VS Android in most cases... MOST that is, not all haha. but the point is, Lots of great boards with lots of great features! Check em out and see for yourself :) 

And welcome to the hobby!!!

-LINK


I am more aware than most as to the subjectivity of "better" or "best" - a career in music makes you very wary of those things lol.

I was entirely unaware of Naigon's Spark boards..... Realswing sounds pretty great! And I must say... I'm very happy with a $57 pricepoint!! Holy frugal, Batman!!!
You, fair Jedi Master, may have just changed my life! Do you know if the Spark boards will still accept all the same sound fonts that I'd get from say, soundfont.com ? Total n00b question, I know.

Thank you so much for your help!!
This will be the subject of my next report. May the Force be with you.

Offline K-2SO

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #8 on: July 28, 2019, 05:34:01 PM »
They will, HOWEVER, you have to get the ones optimized for Naigon’s sound boards. Also not all sound fonts have versions for BOTH PL and NEC boards.



I find your arguments vague and unconvincing.

Quiet! *Slap* And there’s a fresh one if you mouth off again.

Offline GnostDural

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2019, 06:57:59 PM »
They will, HOWEVER, you have to get the ones optimized for Naigon’s sound boards. Also not all sound fonts have versions for BOTH PL and NEC boards.

Is Naigon's format readily available on Saberfont? As in, when I go to purchase the desired font, is it an option upon checkout?
This will be the subject of my next report. May the Force be with you.

Offline GnostDural

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2019, 07:01:51 PM »
Disregard. I didnt realize NEC was an abbreviation for Naigon's Electric Creations. Don't know how I could have missed that. Galactic Basic is not my forte. 
This will be the subject of my next report. May the Force be with you.

Offline Onli-Won Kanomi

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #11 on: July 30, 2019, 09:47:28 AM »
If you are NOOB a point to consider:

You might think your first saber will be the only saber you'll build and therefore *cue Queen* "want it ALL, and want it NOW" - spinning crystal chamber, reveal chassis with 1138 blinkies, PLI bargraph animations, rumble feedback etc. and therefore want a 'state of the art super soundboard' that can do everything but butter your toast lol.

But this hobby is quite addictive; its highly likely you'll build another saber probably sooner than later therefore please consider a simpler board for your first build (Nano Biscotte v4 is an excellent entry point with features that were 'high end' just a few years ago) and use the skills and experience with a simpler saber build to zero in exactly which features matter most to you on a 'super soundboard' to choose for your subsequent builds. The high end boards are highly configurable but all that configuration can sometimes be more than a Noob needs for a simpler first build...but hey if you enjoy learning by 'jumping in the deep end' or already have electronics skillz go for it eh?

Ultimately there is no 'best' board - just what is better for your present needs - Good Luck!
To DREAM the IMPOSSIBLE DREAM. To FIGHT the unbeatable foe. To BEAR with unbearable sorrow. To RUN where the brave dare not go. To RIGHT the unrightable wrong. To LOVE, PURE AND CHASTE, FROM AFAR [-sigh-]. To TRY, when your arms are too weary; to REACH the unreachable Star!... This is my Quest; To follow that Star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far...

Offline GnostDural

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #12 on: July 30, 2019, 12:17:27 PM »
If you are NOOB a point to consider:

You might think your first saber will be the only saber you'll build and therefore *cue Queen* "want it ALL, and want it NOW" - spinning crystal chamber, reveal chassis with 1138 blinkies, PLI bargraph animations, rumble feedback etc. and therefore want a 'state of the art super soundboard' that can do everything but butter your toast lol.

But this hobby is quite addictive; its highly likely you'll build another saber probably sooner than later therefore please consider a simpler board for your first build (Nano Biscotte v4 is an excellent entry point with features that were 'high end' just a few years ago) and use the skills and experience with a simpler saber build to zero in exactly which features matter most to you on a 'super soundboard' to choose for your subsequent builds. The high end boards are highly configurable but all that configuration can sometimes be more than a Noob needs for a simpler first build...but hey if you enjoy learning by 'jumping in the deep end' or already have electronics skillz go for it eh?

Ultimately there is no 'best' board - just what is better for your present needs - Good Luck!

I appreciate the tip!

I myself am a fan of the understated, so likely will never have any sort of crystal chamber, let alone a spinning one haha. I'm a pretty basic light, clash, hum, swing, blaster guy. Definitely don't need a bunch of different LED flashes and fancy features. And thankfully I'm pretty handy with a soldering iron. Having researched my options I feel like NEC Spark 3 might be the way for me to go. Biggest selling points for me being Realswing, and the cheap price point. It has all the functionality I could want with the various hums and swings making my saber more movie accurate, and doesn't cost and arm and a leg..

I likely will end up building some stunt sabers at some point for use in my local dueling league,and likely a nicer one for my son when he's a little older but more my main Roleplay hobbyist saber, I think I'll be set with the one for now!
This will be the subject of my next report. May the Force be with you.

Offline eastern57

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2019, 02:47:02 PM »
...I think I'll be set with the one for now!...

#famouslastwords

 :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:


Offline GnostDural

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Re: N00b Question About Saber Sound Boards
« Reply #14 on: July 30, 2019, 08:09:34 PM »
...I think I'll be set with the one for now!...

#famouslastwords

 :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:

I'm sure there will be more, but I choose to live in my delusion for now haha   :cheesy: :cheesy:
This will be the subject of my next report. May the Force be with you.

 

retrousse