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The S.A.B.E.R. GUILD: Saber Manufacturers => The CUSTOM SABER SHOP => Topic started by: Kazul on April 20, 2017, 11:15:43 AM
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Hey guys,
So I've got my first light saber which I successfully built out to have just light. I'm now wanting to upgrade to having sound as well but am a bit split on what soundboard to get. The obvious highest quality that everyone seems to talk about is the Crystal Focus, but is it really good enough to warrant the $80 difference in price between it and a Saber Core soundboard for example?
Has anyone ever used a Crystal Focus board and a cheaper alternative that could compare? If there are other good alternatives I would also be happy to hear them.
Thanks.
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You can't compare them, really. You can compare the CF and the Igniter but they're both millions years ahead of Sabercore sound. Much better sound quality, tons more features, SaberCore have quite a high failure rate ... CF and Igniter don't. CF has an on-board current regulator for the main led... You should read manuals of both soundboards, they're very instructives and well written.;)
PS : if you just want a basic soundboard, just go with a Nano Biscotte or Spark 2. About the same price as the SaberCore but still far ahead...
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Can I just add, the pico crumble is also a cheaper 'basic' board which allows for colour changing
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Before I think on it anymore does anyone know if you can get the Crystal Focus board into a 1" inner diameter hilt comfortably? It comes in at .9" wide and I'd rather have it strapped to the battery than in front of it, if possible.
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On top of the battery ? It probably won't fit.
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I pretty sure I can fit it end to end.
I have a 12W+ LED from Saberforge though. From what it sounds I'd need to swap it for a Tri-Cree, correct?
I'm also currently thinking of doing the Spark 2 or the Nano Biscotte. The Spark 2 seems better all around with just a small increase in price, right?
I really don't need all the crazy stuff that the Crystal Focus has, I really would just want accurate swing and clash recognition and decent sound. No need for changing the LED color or easy swap of the sound fonts because I'll basically change that once then never again more than likely.
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Tri Cree would be brighter and it sucks less power so you have more run time.
Spark 2 has more features ( blaster block, lock up...) and the same motion detection as the Igniter so it's probably a bit more sensitive than the NB.
However, imo, the NB sounds better.
In the end, they're both really great but it all depends on what you want.
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Yeah last night I basically decided on the Spark 2. The Nano Biscotte sounds like a great pick for me but I'd like to have the lock up effect. The Spark 2 sounds like the one to go with because it'll allow me to also have just one battery for much more space and gives me all the stuff I'd like to have. Unfortunately, they're currently out of stock. Guess I'll be waiting for a while.
Thanks for all the input everyone, all very helpful.
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Ugh, with the Spark 2 sold out I'm considering the Prizm V4. Can anyone speak to one being better than the other?
I figure the main advantage of the Prizm is the color change, but I'm pretty much sith all the way so I don't see myself changing off red anytime soon. Even if I did I would likely just swap the LED. So with that in mind does the Spark 2 have something the Prizm doesn't? Or are they basically the same at that point?
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NB and Prizm only need 1 battery just like the Spark etc. Only CF and PC need a 7.4V input and they can be hacked to work on a single cell.
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Yeah I'm definitely thinking I should go with one that only needs 3.7 so I can use just one battery. The Prizm and Spark 2 stand out as the best options for me. But has any used both to kind of comment on their quality? I've read the listed differences, obviously the Prizm being higher priced comes with a few extra features such as the extra sound fonts and color changing. But can anyone speak on things that you wouldn't know until using them? Such as does one have better motion tracking, easier adjustment of settings, ect.
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That can be subjective. Some saber smiths such as Madcow of Genesis Custom Sabers and Vaders Vault exclusively use Plecter Labs products (and rightly so, they are excellent) while some like Darth Alice over at the IRA prefers Naigon Electronics products. What may seem spot on to some may see a tad off to someone else as far as motion detection, sensitivity, etc. Based on history and the continual evolution of his products, I'd try Plecter Labs first.
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If you are doing your first build, I strongly agree that a Nano Biscotte/Spark 2 is the way to go. They're light years easier for a first install and much less of a financial risk if you make a mistake. This was a lesson learned for myself, lol. I started with a PRIZM and it kicked my butt for months. My first Nano Biscotte took about two days.
No matter what board you end up going with, please make sure you really read the manual. Google the stuff that doesn't make sense, or come on back and ask questions. We're here to help! :cool:
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If I were a novice saber builder I would also go for an NB. If you one day think you want to have full freedom is picking the effect you want and the way you want them (including lockup), you can also go for a DIYino.
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I started with a Spark 2. The wiring made more sense than the NB to me since most things have a separate pad to connect to rather than having to splice multiple wires together or solder multiple wires to a single pad. Plus it has 3 accents. The NB4 looks decent but I'd still choose a Spark 2 if I had room. The Igniter 2 works with a single cell too and I haven't had the opertunity to install a PRIZM yet so I can't compare there. At the bottom end of the budget I think the Spark 2 is a better bet but if you know what youre doing Id definitely try a CF, though I've heard bad things about using a battery hack.
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Being a beginner myself I have done both a NBv3 and a Spark 2. Didn't really think the Spark was that much more difficult, you just need to connect the true drive which took maybe 10min if u have the technique right. Both are good boards.
I find the NB to have slightly better sound crispness and volume. Clash sensing is better too. Spark 2 had some benefits over the NBv3 that have been evened out with NBV4 however. At this point the only real benefit to a Spark over nbv4 I think is the aux sound feature which actually is pretty neat. Current Vader build I'm doing is a nbv4 though.
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There are biggar differences between the Spark 2 and the NB. Even the new NBv4. The power handling on Naigon boards is a much nicer experience in that you never get false swings and mostly don't have to faff around with resistors for blues and similarly rated colours. I've experienced false swing issues with my CSv3 as well and it's very frustrating. The clash sensitivity on plecter boards feels better in terms of firmly gripping the hilt and hitting on it with your palm but when you have a blade in, the Spark works just as well. General motion detection is better on the Naigon boards in my experience too. Saber Tracks is a nice gimmick on the Naigon boards but by no means the reason to buy one as its basically a .wav audio player and nothing more.