Saber Forum

Here is a video that showcases the second entry in "The Full Arsenal" Metallica-themed lightsaber sound font collection entitled, "Lightning".

As I did for "Son of Darkness" and "Hardwired", the video features all included sounds in succession with WAV viewer and decibel meter; in this case, a total of 183 different sounds.


 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP4OeNT_ubg#)

Awesome.
I can hardly wait to play around with your newest creation.
  The video leads me to believe that with all the options you've included, one could make several different sounding fonts out of the one. Very cool and great idea! Everybody has different tastes and you have us all covered.
 I can't wait!!!

Thank you very much KaiserSosay :)

I think you are right about that, in terms of creating different sounding fonts. I considered breaking this down into several individual song-themed "sub-fonts", but then figured it may be more fun for people to play around and come up with their own configurations. With 22 different hum sounds and several segments from each song on the album, it's certainly feasible that no two people will have the same font loaded on their saber, which is cool.

Holy.  Crap.  This is awesome, you've outdone yourself and we haven't even seen the light effects yet.  The only 'problem' I see is that I'm going to need at least two, probably three or more variants of this built to adequately utilize the awesomeness.  Good thing I have so many Diamond sabers, I can spread it around.  Seriously, this is amazing and I can't wait for the release so I can fully enjoy the metal.  Thank you so much for sharing your efforts with all of us!

I. Can. Not. Wait.

Same here, DPM always drop great sounding fonts made professionally.  I feel spoiled by his work

Agreed.  DPM you ARE a member of saberfont.com - right?

I mean, you do sell these as well - don't you? 

You certainly could, if not.

Ha ha, there's ktulu! This one is for you, right? :) After all, you are the reason "Ride the Lightning" was produced next. A 'problem' indeed, but perhaps a nice problem to have? ;D I honestly don't intend for these fonts to keep getting bigger, but it just happens Lol. I cut a ton of stuff too.

Configuration of the LED effects and creation of the font file is next! Then, it will be released...

Thank you, sir :)

When I take a little time off from making fonts, I'll be looking to get better at spinning, then... I'll be spoiled by the great work you've been doing :)

Thank you Rapine :)

I became a member just recently. People here on the forum may remember my first offering, entitled "Son of Darkness". I recently went through the submittal process for that font, got it approved and it is now featured on that site for sale.

That said, the "Son of Darkness" download link that exists on this forum remains, and it will remain a free download. The fonts I post here at saberforum.com for Obsidian/Diamond users will remain free, and in most (if not all) cases, they will typically be available here before they are anywhere else. The only possible exception I can foresee is a situation where someone wants me to develop something exclusive.

THAT'S EXCELLENT MAN!

Very generous and kind of you as well. :)

-1

Yes, very generous of you and congrats on your first don’t being on saberfonts.com!

Don't tease me with the possibility.  :P

Yes DPM - I'll actually beat BatMike to it, and ask for a Led Zeppelin font. :)

Us "Led-heads" need that...lol

Favourite tunes: The Ocean and Over the Hills and Far Away. ;)

I wasn't thinking Led Zeppelin. But now I am.  :o :o :o


(https://media.giphy.com/media/l1J9Kgcw47UuavsOc/source.gif)

I think you over sighted "The Immigrant Song", Rapine!

Nope - didn't. ;)

It was a close contender - along with many others, but I tossed out my two personal favs. :)

"Whole Lotta Love" would make a neat font too. :)

*opens up Led Zeppelin discography*

"Whole Lotta Love" would be really cool. Same album, "Ramble On" would be good too.

Led Zeppelin would be cool for sure :)

I'm in the middle of the process of seeking permission from Metallica to offer the two Met-themed fonts I've made. I tend to think they will be cool about it and the arrangement will be fair, but the challenge is getting ahold of anyone associated with Metallica, Blackened Records, etc. I'm a member of the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) as a composer and publisher from my days writing and performing original music, and even with that advantage, it's still challenging.

Until I can figure it out, Saber Font will not feature the fonts, which I understand.

Well drat. 

It's very cool that you have that great background though, and hopefully that helps you reach them.

At least it sounds like you know the right avenues to explore...

Counting down the hours until I play with this font. I am totally salivating at the mouth with anticipation.

*cleans saliva off my chin*

@BatMike90,
 
I feel the same. Don't  rush him though .  Perfection takes time! Hardwired was awesome and this next one sounds even better. I'm sure it will be well worth the wait. We also need to give him time to cover his bases legally with the copy rights and stuff.

  Bye the way, thank you again for the great Halloween font. My kid runs every time I turn it on! I love it.
Thank you.

Damn, people are waiting for this :o

My apologies everyone; I've been kept from making the type of progress I wanted on this; primarily by endless snow storms. I am the Director for a Public Works Department in the Chicago burbs and we've just been getting hammered; day after day after day... We're responsible for snow removal, so that's pretty much all we've been doing for the last ten days. Something else that's been keeping me away (albeit more fun) are some of the activities happening with the band. Last Saturday, we played a cool event with Local H and comedian Brian Posehn, of "The Big Bang Theory" and standup fame. It was sold out, so there were a ton of people and it was a blast.

All of that said, I have made some progress on this font collection. All of the sound editing has been done for awhile, as featured on the video above. Right after posting that, I started work on all the associated LED effects. Currently, I'm done with all the effects in the core default font file.

Now, I'm hammering through the massive amount of extra effects. As was done with "Son of Darkness" & "Hardwired", I have many, many more sounds than can be loaded onto a single font file and as such; I plan to offer effects files for each of them. The LED effects are designed to match the album artwork for "Ride the Lightning", so there are lots of deep blues and purples with flashes of white, etc. Looking pretty cool so far. My plan is to finish everything up this weekend (God willing), so I can get the overview and tutorial video started, and... get the whole package posted here for download.


Thank you very much KaiserSosay, you're too kind :)

I don't know if it's "better", but it's definitely more fun working with a classic Metallica album. In that respect, it may be a bit more fun to play round with.


No worries there. My fonts are always free to this community, so there are no legal ramifications without profit. I'm afraid that if we had to wait for that, we'd all forget about it well before it could be released Lol.

I believe what you had to say about the subject in your message is likely accurate too.


Oh, and I should have a teaser video showing the font with lighting effects working on a saber very soon!

@ Dark Path Media,
 
Thank you for the update on the font.  Patience is not my strong point so the update is greatly appreciated.
 If you do try out the fonts I "tweaked", don't forget to turn down SPIN and STAB sensitivity.
Also remember these are heavily influenced by my four year old son. He is just learning so we have his sensitivity set all the way up.  The sounds are the reward he gets for doing movements correctly.
  Also to any one whom hears something of theirs in these fonts... thank you for your help in getting started. I hope  everyone finds something in here they like or can use to start something more to your tastes.

I forgot to state,  notes on any possible improvements are very welcome!

Take your time DPM, I'm sure the final product will be well worth the wait.  Even while watching the preview video I began forming ideas for at least three somewhat thematic versions of this font that I think would go well on a few of my sabers and I'm sure the effects you release will make them even better than I could envision.  Thanks once again for taking the time and sharing your hard work with us, it is very much appreciated!

So DPM, any updates this week?
 Or should I just hurry up and wait?

LED effects / lighting for the entire package is nearly complete. I will be dropping a video today showing the font loaded onto and working on a saber :)

You, are the best ;D
 Last night I found out Metallica is making their own beer.
It's called Enter Night. Have you seen it?
I might need to send you some.
 Thank you for the update.

Here is a video of "Lightning" installed and working on my Diamond Guardian saber...


 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDOsIE_Rdxs&t=213s#)


[External Link] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDOsIE_Rdxs&t=213s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDOsIE_Rdxs&t=213s)

Outstanding DPM!

-1 man. :)

Looks and sounds awesome so far!  Can't wait to see the finished product.  Also, I am super jealous of your collection of signature ESPs.  Setting most of the video in front of the Explorer and V was an excellent choice.  :)

You're looking at it in that video, my friend :)


I play the role of Hetfield in a Metallica tribute band, so it has provided me with some level of justification (in my own mind at least) to grab his signature guitars over the years.

I figure that if I'm showcasing a Metallica sound font, might as well have Metallica guitars in the background ;D I showed off the Snakebyte and the Vulture in the "Hardwired" video, so needed to show some love to the old school guitars.

YES!!!

I have a Diamond Guardian and now I want this font even more!

     I have lost the will to live.  Simply nothing more to give.  There is nothing more for me....I needed LIGHTNING TO SET ME FREE!!!!!

I apologize for the delay and extended absence folks. I had to go out of town for awhile, out of the country actually; and I've been buried in pre-production for a big show coming up this Friday since I got back.

I have another big show to prepare for with a different band 2 weeks after that. So, what I think I'll do is make the font package available here on its own without the customary accompanying video.

Just about everything is done, and it's the video that will take more time. Most of you probably don't need the tutorial anyway, and for anyone who does; it will follow a couple weeks later  :)

Welcome back!  I hope you get to take a break soon...
I can hardly wait for the hardwired vs lightning saber battles that are to come! I might have to make my first video,  my son and I sparring with these two fonts.
 
No apology is needed for your short absence.  You only need to apologize for setting the bar so high with awesome and professional fonts!!!

I'm sorry if I am coming across as pushy. I'm just really looking forward to this font! Do you have any updates about it?
 I hope you are doing well and finally got some  rest.

You are not alone. This font will be epic.

I hope DPM is okay.

Looks like you've been busy in a good way, DPM.  Hope you guys get to enjoy your big show, we'll be here when you get back.  :)

All is well. Just finished up the second of those 2 big shows Saturday night. Sunday, it was evident that I was physically and mentally drained. I just sort of shut down and slept Lol. The shows themselves were the fun part; it was all of the prep work, promotions, etc. that took all the time. In the end, it worked out - both shows were well attended and well executed :)

Here is an example of the some of promo work that had to be done in advance:



 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6ehJ-8k3Kg#)


 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4si2V8KORQ#)


 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky0VYbMkaH8&t=12s#)



 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjI3lf9l2lk#)

About the font, I'm now backlogged in producing video for both shows, BUT I'm not under a time constraint on that like I was with the shows themselves. I'll be at Star Wars Celebration here in Chicago Friday and Saturday, so there won't be much traction on the font this weekend, but I'll put in some work on it the next couple nights :)

Thank you for the update.
Sorry I can't just patently wait. I have been trying!  I have been making fonts to distract myself, but that only works for a little while. Please ignore me in the future.  The font will be here when it gets here!
 Good promos! If I lived in the area I would have been there. Enjoy the up coming weekend. Your plans sound a lot more fun than mine.
  I think I'll distract myself next by "attempting" a music font of my own. I'm thinking Bad Brains. A song off The youth are getting restless album. Seems fitting.
Thank you again for the update.

@Dark Path Media,
 I have a new found respect for your font making abilities.  I also have a new found appreciation for your music fonts. I tried the Bad Brains idea I had and failed. I'm leaving song and music fonts alone!
 

Thank you sir :) However, it's really just a different type of audio manipulation. Working with music for fonts is basically precise cutting, whereas conventional fonts involve more mixing. It's just like when you have to cut a longer song down into a shorter "radio mix" or something; you have to cut precisely on the beats and do so in places where you're not cutting off a guitar riff or cymbal decay. You have to pay attention to the time signature of the song and make your cuts so that the transitions are undetectable, on time and seem like they were recorded that way.

Also don't forget that sometimes you just can't use certain parts no matter what you do. There will be 183 sound files included in the "Lightning" package, but more than double that were left on the "cutting room floor" so to speak. I picked all the parts I wanted from the entirety of "Ride the Lightning", extracted them from the songs with rough cuts, then went to work with the precise cuts; and... less than half of them were useable. So, don't be discouraged if some stuff doesn't work because that's the case about half the time.

A quick update on the "Lightning" font...

I had finished the core font file awhile ago now, including all of the LED effects. However, as has been the case with my first two fonts, there are several more sounds in the total package than can be utilized in a font file; in this case, 183 sounds. For example, there are 22 different "Hum" sounds in this package, 5 boots, 5 force, 12 combos, etc. I wanted to be able to provide individual effects files (.peff) with the associated LED effects for all of the sounds, which has been a heck of a task, but... I just finished all of them this week.

I have determined that RGBW vs RGBA is not an issue with the color scheme of this font, so I don't need to go through and create all of the effect files again to suit RGBA, which is nice :)

So, all I need to do is shoot and produce the video for the release. Since there have been two full tutorial videos already ("Son of Darkness" and "Hardwired"), this video will likely just be the "effects showcase".

I'm off to Star Wars Celebration a few short hours from now, so it will sit for a couple days. However, I'll resume production on Sunday and it shouldn't be long!

Thank you all for your patience on this one. I bit off more than I could chew there for about a month, and I know it has taken longer than usual.

22 hums? That is what I meant about setting the bar to high!
  Please take your time. Your fonts are worth paying for and you generously offer them for free. This beggar is not going to be choosy about the release date. I am going nuts with anticipation  though.

 Your advice about font creation is good and appreciated advice.  I'm not going to take it though! I'm just going to leave the super professional fonts to you.  I'm totally happy making mediocre fonts no one asked for!
  "MEDIOCRE" I just got another font idea. I'll be back to bug you later.
Enjoy your weekend.
 

Quick Update...

The font package is 100% complete and it has been uploaded.

The Overview & Tutorial video is in production. All of the video has been shot, all of the audio has been recorded & produced and editing is about 75% done.

I'm planning to release this week :)

Thanks again for your patience. I poke fun at the delay a bit in the intro to the video ;D

At last, the bell tolls for us all as the flames rise and the old one is awakened.  :)  I don't think you should be thanking us, the unwashed masses, for anything.  On the contrary, I cannot thank you enough for all the hard work you put into these fonts for our unworthy enjoyment.  I know it will be well worth the wait and I look forward to customizing the at least three or four versions of this that will be necessary across my sabers to adequately express my affection for this album.  Thank you, thank you, thank you from one happy longtime Metallica fan!

Look forward to it!

Thank you for the up date. This week you say? Raffle ends, new saber gets shipped and DPM is releasing the lighting!?!  This might be the best week of the whole year for me! Thank you! I cant wait!

(http://www.darkpathmedia.com/images/lightning_tomorrow_promo.jpg)