Saber Forum

It's been a long time coming but the latest edition of our Obsidian Soundboards has finally arrived!  Our new Obsidian Lite soundboards use are priced significantly less than their v3 and v4 sister soundboards, without sacrificing much sound quality, making them a significantly more cost effective alternative for anyone looking for an UltraSaber with sound!

But what are the differences in Obsidian v3 and v4 VS the Obsidian Lite soundboards?
First and most importantly, a saber equipped with the Obsidian Lite Soundboard cannot have its sounds adjusted or updated.  Something we really strive for here at UltraSabers is for you to have your saber, your way.  Because of that, we make sure our sabers are packed with ways to customize every part of them from their emitter to the pommel.  The Obsidian Lite soundboard is the first component to the UltraSabers lineup that we've introduced to the lineup in a long time that cannot be altered or customized.

Next, sabers with the Obsidian Lite will come with a Standard Battery Setup, meaning that they will be powered from four (4) standard AAA Batteries.  Rechargeable Lithium Ion setups will NOT be available for these sabers.  Of course this also means that Recharge Ports are not an option on any saber with the Obsidian Lite soundboard for any reason, and cannot be added.
 
Sabers with the Obsidian Lite soundboard are a perfect alternative to those who are simply looking for an UltraSaber with sound, but don't care about rechargeable batteries or being able to switch sounds.


UltraSabers with Obsidian Lite Soundboards (https://www.ultrasabers.com/Sabers-With-Obsidian-Lite-Soundboard-s/170.htm)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX1I-WzgnEE&feature=youtu.be

Very cool, cost effective option.
You guys never cease to impress!

Very cool. For some colors I feel the stock Obsidian font works good with. I might get me one :)

Looks like I'm getting more sabers!
Is there any chance we could get specific fonts or parameters programmed onto the board when ordering?

AHH!!!! HA HA HAAA HAAAAAAA!!!hAAA hA HAAAAA!!! AWESOME!!!! This is quite definitely the best thing since sliced bread!!!! BRILLIANT!! For the UK saberists this means cheaper sabers with sound and PERFECT for my little Sith!!! He's gonna have a GUUUUUUUDE CHRISTMAS!!! EMORY IS OFFICIALLY UNCLE CHRISTMAS!!!


Loving this idea! (give an inch take a mile eh? hehe.. ) my son loves the Sith so a more Sithy sound would be perfect! Maybe even just a light side and dark side sound option?

That's great!  This should really help a lot of people that can't otherwise afford a saber with sound.

Many thanks to Emory & Team for coming up with another great option for the Saber community!

that is Really cool, making it a price point lower, with yet still great features. im sure  all the " people " that were , or on the fence about their first purchase pushed them right into " now ive made up my mind.  Heck it even has me thinking well ill just add to my order for cost break

Very cool! 8)

Is it possible to get an AV switch with an Obsidian Lite?

EDIT: Just watched the video. AV switch = YES!
The board looks small enough to fit in a V2. I wonder if there is a speaker small enough to fit?

If this is small enough for even a V2 saber I know what I'll be getting then :P Just gotta wait 3-4 weeks for them to re-stock to see

I don't think the 4 AAA battery holder w/speaker will fit in the V2. The speaker is too big.
I'm sure someone makes one small enough to fit though.

Amazing! As it is smaller is there any chance of getting V2 sabers with sound . . . . . . I would have to scoop me up a few for sure!

I saw the video yesterday so I'm not sure it was edited but he showed the new card in a setup with with Li-Ions as well. I'm guessing that it's just not an order-able option from them but they will still in fact work with a Li-Ion setup.

I just wanted to get that cleared up because I know from experience that when you have little to no experience, you have a tendency to take things very literal so I just wanted to maybe get someone to chime in and confirm this for any one fairly new.

So they don't offer the Li-Ion set up for the Lite but it can be used with a Li-Ion setup. Is that correct?

Also, Are they going to stop offering Li-Ion setups on stunts sabers as well? Not sure why they would go Li-Ion on a setup that technically requires less power but not offer it on the Lite version. LED(s) + Sound would have to require more power than just LED(s) alone.

Can anyone clear this up for me and future customers?

Interesting!

After looking at the price points on the Obsidian Lite enabled sabers, the average price drop seems to be about $40.00 (US). I'll probably end up spending the extra $40 for the full Obsidian experience and rechargeable Li-on set ups, but this is an excellent way to get a quality product to more people on tighter budgets!

Well done, Ultrasabers!

Guess they still have to fix the website. Still has the li-ion setups on the buy options, no standard setups. On the dominix v4

AWESOME . . . very excited to see this new Obsidian Lite option . . .  ;D



In the video Emory shows us a saber with the v4 Obsidian with Li-ion, a saber with Obsidian Lite with the standard setup using 4xAAA Alkaline batteries and a saber with Obsidian Lite with the standard setup using 4xAAA NiMH batteries . . . the 1.2v AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries are the ones you can buy anywhere and it was really great that Emory included those in his video because its a viable option for lots of people to use those batteries . . . I have a few sets of the Energiser ones for some stunt sabers, and a spare set always on charge for quick changeover . . .

Li-ion batteries and BuckPuck are the better option for any mixed diode LED colours, and work great in stunt sabers, so it gets back to personal choice and price . . .

I guess we will find out whether or not the Obsidian Lite card can be used with Li-Ion when someone asks US and then customises it themselves . . . as its so brand new lets wait and see :)

Thanks for clarifying the sabers in the video for me JEDIXIX.

I too have a collection of energizer nimh cells as well. I have a few arduino boards an older micro controller where they are recommended because of the steady discharge.

I have a stunt with li-ion setup. Just CG, not even tri and I got that setup just because I know it will get sound at some point. I hope they end up selling the lite as a part.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Cool except I like options :(

How much more better are the Energizer NiHm batts? Do they last long on a stunt saber and such? That's what I mostly have so. I heard they make the LEDs somewhat brighter too. Wondering on the special colors though like my Emerald Green saber

Well I like them :) . . . I have them in an Aeon v2 RGB and I find they last really well, and having the spare set of 4 always in the charger I just swap them over when they start to go, I don't wait till they go really dim, just when I notice it I'll swap them over . . . I also have a set in my lil boy's Initiate v2, and sometimes I get home from work and find his saber under the couch or somewhere switched on, lol, he's only 2yo, but at least I'm not spending a fortune on Alkaline batteries . . . If you're using your saber a lot, over time they would save you money on standard batteries . . .

I think they would be a fantastic option for an Obsidian LITE saber, but we'll need to wait till someone has one and uses these batteries to find out how long they'll last . . . Who wants to volunteer?  :D

new options are always cool.

noticed all hilts can be ordered bare now too....just missing 1 certain emitter people want yet.   :D

Which one?

I agree that this is a great option.

I was thinking of picking up a new saber as a Christmas gift, and it is cool to see a lower price option.

BUT....then I realized that the $40.00 difference would be offset by the fact that I would also need to get a set of NiNm batteries and a charger (which I don't have), which will run me about $25 to $30. So the price difference (for me anyway) wouldn't be as significant.  Sure, I could throw some alkaline batteries in there....but I have no idea how long they would last, so that could get expensive fast.

The fact that the premimum sabers come with the charger and a set of Li batteries is pretty cool.

Decisions, decisions....

the Archon V3 emitter

Of course. (duh) Thanks.

I may need to send one of my stunts in for a "Lite" upgrade....

Does anyone know what the runtime of the new obsidianlite is? I can usually get 40mins out of my obsidian v3.. I use the clash (but not flash) quite a bit, play fighting with my son.. I wondered if the obs lite with standard AAA's would last as long? I'm guessing not.. But I have no idea on electrics..

I've actually finally found a good set of batteries to use, standard wise anyway, they're Energizer but forget which ones. Kinda like the Duracell with the silver ring around them, power savers or whatever

I'm also curious if, without a buckpuck, if it intermittently stops or just cuts out.  (The latter is startling to me, but what I prefer.)

Just got this from Emory!

" I get about a 90 minute runtime with most colors.  The nice thing is that because these are on Alkaline batteries you can most times turn the saber back on for a few minutes after it goes dead.  And the LED begins to dim slightly as the battery drains and then it just cuts off when they are dead."

I read somewhere, in one of the strings on the Obs Lite, questioning the configs with the Lite board (Li Ion, 4-cell, yadda, yadda)....I went to outfit a premium saber with the "Lite" board and this is what was posted:


"Li-Ion Setup is not an option on sabers equipped with the Obsidian Lite soundboard.  If you are interested in a Li-Ion battery setup please go for a saber equipped with Premium Sound."

When I went to choose the "battery setup" it would only allow for "standard", no other choices.  I may be preaching to the choir on this one(?) :-\

Do you mean why were the others shown in Emory's vid?

I think to show they weren't that different..

If you meant that person may have asked when there was no need, then I agree :)

Apologies if you mean something else :p

No, just trying to clear up some questions and inconsistent chatter on using the Obs Lite SB. 

Hey Das, I did not realize the pommel end of the Liberator was smaller.  Minor hurdle to overcome trying to find a speaker small enough to fit.  No worries!  I'm good at problem solving! :D  I'm already shopping for a SB, may go with a Nano B or something more "exotic"(?) ;)

Ahhh, ok, cool.

Oops! I didnt realise you didn't know! How about a force fx yoda saber speaker? I think thats thinner.. My electronics skills stop at changing a plug I'm afraid.. And i had to google that too!!

No worries!  I'm all over it.  I have several options to explore....this little gem is going to have to wait a bit for upgrade as I currently have 2 projects going BUT, you will be the first to see it's upgrade when completed!  CHEERS! :D

Ooooh!! You tease!! Cant wait to see pics! Mods of pretty mich any kind are awesome to say the least! I'd love to have the skills to put my imaginationation to life! Good on yer!

I like this option(I never changed sound fonts in my one sound saber, don't even have the software downloaded to my PC), as I'm fine just using the standard issue font. I do have one concern however. It seems that sound with flash, and an illuminated switch would be quite hard on alkaline and Nimh batteries. I can't picture them lasting very long. Did you guys do a usage test? If so, how long did you find the standard setup to last before you had to change/charge the batteries?

I'm Thinking of doing my Archon v3 and my Consular in the obsidian Lite Soundboard  for the right price .

Celtic, as you are new to the Forum, a couple of things.  Welcome to the fray!  Take a moment to aknowledge the Forum Rules (it is a requirement).  You may want to explore the other Obsidians, as well before making the move to stick to the "lite"(?)  You may find the other options are just as appealing. :)

Has anyone got their hands on a LITE yet? I would like to hear from a customer opinion how they sound compared plus battery life.


Altra

Just got mine and it is as loud as a normal Obsidian soundboard. Mine has a slightly deeper hum, possibly due to the pommel (Scorpion)

I asked Emory about this and he said runtime was about 90minutes! Which sounds pretty good!

I posted this on the wish list thread, but was wondering if US have any plans to offer the obsidian lite in two options - one Jedi, one Sith, so those of us on the dark side of force can have their sabers sound less Jedi like. Just a thought.

That's an excellent idea!  Just like how you choose the color, you could choose the permanent sound font too.

Exactly. But just have the choice of two to keep things simple.

I got my Dark Sentinel LE V4 with tri-cree blue and non illuminated AV switch. I can't hear a difference between my V4 or the Obsidian Lite.

With the batteries it came with I got 2 hours, but the last 30 minutes it was very flickery. I turned it on and just set it down so using lockup and impact/swing noises would decrease time some too.

My opinion. It's worth it.

Excellent idea; point to you.

I like this idea too. I was wondering if the standard re-chargable batteries would also work for Obsodian Lite like how you guys use them for standard stunt sabers sometimes. Probably kinda pointless to use though

I find my LITE-equipped Saber is much happier on rechargable batteries. Anything based on Sanyo's Enerloop batteries seem to be good stuff. (you can find the actual Enerloop batteries on Amazon).

One thing I've noticed about the Obsidian Lite.

When turning off the lockup sound I occasionally get an impact sound.

Anybody else notice this? It's not a problem to me, I think it sounds cool. 8)

I was pondering about this or full obsidian, after this last comment i'm wanting the lite! At the moment with my obs v3 i love being forcefull with the hilt to make it lock up then impact..makes the whole "taking out of a wall" sound better!

Hi!
A question regarding the lite sound board. Does it have a mute or silent option, or if the blade is ignited, the sound is always on?

No mute. You need Obsidian V4 for that.

No Mute, but it is very easy to cover the vents in the pommel with something. This get's rid of 99% of the sound.

Thanks! Might get the solid pommel as well as the open one then

The answer to this is probably "no," but I thought I'd at least ask.  I understand that it only comes with a single default font.  Has anyone figured out a way, once they get it in their hands, to load a new font onto it or is the internal design such that nothing could be used to make the modification?  I don't know a ton about circuitboards, so I just want to make sure there is no way to rig it to USB or anything, where none exists.  That's what I am thinking this is describing but I just want to make sure I understand.

I have purchased initiate v4 with lite soundboard. The battery life is very good and the violet amethyst color looks great. The only problem is that it shuts off during dueling, i have put electrical tape over the batteries and it still happens occasionally. My poor daughter thinks she is breaking it but i believe ultrasabers is quality product. Any suggestions?

After it shuts off, can you tell at all if the batteries have shifted? I know the electrical tape should prevent that, but you still may be losing contact.

Do we know if there are any plans to sell the Lite board as a separate for DIY blades? I've bought my first saber (and am very happy with it), but I couldn't afford to add sound when I bought it. But I would like to upgrade it with sound at a later date when i have some spare cash  :)

After many inquiries regarding the Obsidian Lite options by myself and many others, the following information was recently supplied by US in response to the question regarding alternate sound fonts for Obsidian Lite orders:

Jan 2016
"...Right now every Lite soundboard that is manufactured has the default Obsidian soundfont uploaded and this cannot be changed.  We are also currently back-ordered several thousand sabers requiring Lite soundboards.  Down the line, once we are able to get ahead of this overwhelming demand, we will consider manufacturing two versions of the Lite soundboard and keeping two version in stock.  Right now we can’t keep anything in stock and we just need to focus on getting these back-orders fulfilled..."

Hope this helps.  :)

FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!!!!..

end of line..

would not suprise me if some of these are going out the door still warm from the machine.

At least they have considered that option.  It will just take time.  Star Wars is in season right now after all.

star wars is going to be in season the next few years. not only E8 and 9 but the side movies, the cartoons...Disney will milk this hard.

(lets face it it is the 1st profitable live action, big budget they've done in the last few years)

What about the Marvel movies?

aside from Marvel and star wars...name a good one that made money from Disney....

I think that is the whole reason why they bought star wars and marvel. Maybe i'm old skol, but i hear "Disney" i still think animated movie.

We should start a thread about this to continue this discussion elsewhere on the forum

I think they are back in!? Im over here making sabers and I see the board no longer says out of stock. Was it always like that?

I'm sure they try to keep the page as up to date as possible, considering the insane orders they're trying to fill and the lite board in really high demand, add replying to e-mail, shipping items out and trying to organise what they can send out next, what's comming in and what's running low. and I notice "some other guys" are out of a lot as well. the place has got to be a madhouse.

Anyone heard/received an update on the boards being back in stock?

Cheers.

I wouldn't imagine them being back in until the end of the week.

Uggh. Every time I remember Disney owns Lucasfilm I wanna barf.

Why George? WHY????

Four billion dollars and not having the stress of making three more movies.

If you have ever seen him in interviews you will know he is a deeply sensitive person. He cares about the Star Wars universe as much as the fans and I think the negative reactions to the prequels wounded him deeply. He had a vision that didn't mesh with what the fans wanted and the constant bashing and memes on the internet would take a toll on anyone. So he decided to pass that burden onto someone else so he could focus on other projects.

But I love the prequels. They're my fav!

and that's cool. there are lots of people who didn't like them. all movies are subjective and there is no right or wrong answer. but bashing the prequels is a "thing" on the internet. they're really not as bad as some people make out. yes, they have some problems, but every movies does.

Ikr? I'm fine with admitting that the prequels had a lot of problems - Episode I was bad imo -  but the unnecessary hating needs to stop. I think it's stupid that people hate it just to hate it. I'm pretty sure there are people who don't consider it canon.

THIS. I've been saying this for years. Are they perfect? Not by a long shot. Do they make me cringe in parts? Yes. Was Jar jar annoying? Absolutely. But do I enjoy myself every time I watch them? You better believe I do!

I also enjoyed the prequels.  Revenge of the Sith is actually my favorite Star Wars movie, and I stand by that statement.

Same.

I know this thread has gone off topic, but I wanted to contribute my .02 to this one... have you guys read the fan theory about Jar Jar being the ultimate bad guy?  He demonstrates a level of luck that should be impossible in this universe (and as Obi Wan said, there's no such thing as luck), moves like a Drunken Master, uses force powers, and ultimately allows Palpatine to become emperor... and he and Palpatine are from the same planet no less... it's a pretty awesome fan theory and totally changes the character to the point that, I wish it would have gone in that direction in the movies.  That Jar Jar was just "acting" like a doofus, in a very similar way that Yoda acted like one when Luke first met him...

Yes I've heard of it! The way he dodges blaster bolts, jumps 20 feet high, practically takes out a droid army SINGLE HANDEDLY - he's gotta be a Sith.  Not only would this be a huge improvement to Jar Jar's overall character, but it'd also save the prequels from a LOT of criticism as well as shining new light on them. I still wouldn't say that I necessarily hold to the Jar Jar/Sith theory, but I definitely wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be true.

Absolutely!  To me, the idea alone makes me almost like the character.  A Darth Jar Jar reveal would be awesome -- especially if he all the sudden talked differently and was like, that was a front... again, kind of like how silly Yoda acted when Luke met him...

YAAAHHH. That'd be awesome.

Anyway (trying to get the comversation back on track) Has anyone ordered a Lite soundboard recently? Are you happy with it? Are you thinking of waiting for the sith sound option?

I have one in my DS LE v4 and I am very happy with it. Down the road I am planning on picking up a pair of the menace hilts in Tri red....ill be getting one with obsidian v4 sound and one with the obsidian lite.

Sorry to have derailed it there... I'm glad to hear that the lite boards sound great.  I've ordered one, but obviously it's one of the backorder so I will be waiting a while -- it's nice to have a non-customizable option for sound at a lower rate and glad to hear it is comparable in quality.  In the video, Emory said that there was a slight popping sound on start up... do you experience that, RyanG8Jkd?

When you say waiting a while......how long do you anticipate the wait for a saber with obsidian lite to be?

Cheers Matt

With the popularity of the movie and the mountain of orders they have received, US have implemented a back order policy on the site. Anything currently out of stock will be made and shipped according to when the order was placed and when the items are back in stock. Wait time could be between 1-16 weeks.

I got two sabers right now with the light soundboard coming soon

I've got one with the LITE as well on order. I got my order in before all the back order statuses starting popping up so I'm hoping to get mine sooner than later. Even then, I understand the issue and can be patient. From what I have read I won't be disappointed.

I ordered mine January 3rd and was told its been ready to ship since the 10th i sent them an email 5 days ago regarding the matter and was told they would restock this past wednesday.hopefully i get mine soon >_>

Does anyone else have some current experience and opinions on the LITE version ?  The questions regarding the battery life with an add on of a lit av switch and/or FoC were not clearly answered.  How about the Tri-Cree with a lit av switch ?  Is there still ongoing problems with the batteries becoming displaced during use ?  Besides wrapping in electrical tape to solve popping out, which seems like a sticky mess, why is the velco band not securing the batteries ?  :)

Thanks LITE owners and please try to stay on topic as almost two pages had nothing to do with reviewing and discussing the LITE.  ::)  :D

Well, I have an Obsidian Lite with a lit AV switch on standard setup in my Dominix V4 LE.  So far I haven't really noticed a big difference in battery endurance between it and its cousin, a stunt Aeon V4.  I haven't had it on for extended periods of time, however.  I tend to pop it on for a few minutes then off again.  I've been using the Stunt to work on forms, so I'll swap it out and see how it lasts through a 45-minute workout routine.

Thanks Karmack.  Will be most interested in finding out how the LITE fares in a longer steady workout that would include many swings and perhaps contact.   :)


Just received a PM from GregG124 which I will share a slightly shortened version.  Thanks for this info.   :)

" The Lite board with regular CG and a non illuminated AV switch gives me about an hour and half before flickering.  Also I would note that the Velcro strap doesn't fully secure the batteries because it cannot be tightened around the center of the pack.  The board takes up quite a bit of space and the Velcro has to sit underneath it.  Luckily I haven't had a problem with stickiness (yet) but I might switch over to using thin strips of duct tape. " 

Would it work to use elastics to hold the batteries in (top and bottom) instead if using tape? It shouldn't cause any issue that I could think of but then again I've never tried either. It would eliminate the tape residue.

I have recently received my obsidian light saber and the elastics might work but i thought of something i think would work even better.

Put a small amount of sticky tack ( because too much would raise the battery) behind the battery end that slides out. Should work like a charm.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

My next saber will have the obsidian lite thinking the prophecy V3 so cost affordable if you can't get the more premium sound thanks ultra Sabers