Alternate sound options

[navajas]

Hey folks,

I'm very probably going to get the Dark Shock when it comes out with an RGB option. That's going to be up around $260+ and I simply can't add sound for another $150. Wish I could, just absolutely can not. I'm not sure if it's kosher to ask this here since it's Ultra's forums, but I've seen Caine's Luke saber posted and it's obviously not Ultra's product, so, here goes: Are there other custom options elsewhere that could take that Shock and add sounds to it? I don't give a flipping hoot about getting Lucas his cut (any brand allegiance I had with him died with Greedo's itchy trigger finger), so it wouldn't matter in the slightest to me if the sounds weren't "official". If it schnicks in and out, hums and clashes a bit I'd be happy. Obviously, this mod would have to fit in the Shock and come in enough under $150 to make it worth the trouble.

Any advice?

Of course, if Ultra has an econo Hasbro sound board option by the time the RGB Shock comes out I'll tip the project to them. They deserve it. Well, wait, my son has already started bugging me like we're on a road trip asking whether or not his LE Initiate will be here soon. So maybe they deserve my head ache too.

"Will it be here today Dad?"
"No son. We just ordered last night."
"Where are they shipping it from?"
"I'm not sure son. It'll get here as soon as they can."
"Will it be here tomorrow Dad?"
"No son. Hopefully pretty soon though. I'm excited too."
"What about Friday Dad? Do you think it'll be here by Friday?"
"I don't think so buddy. They ship UPS and UPS is the Dark Side."
"Think it will be here next week?"

Thanks a bunch... Ultra Sabers. If this question rubs you the wrong way Ultra, I totally understand. Just kill it. But, take it as a strong vote of encouragement to get an econo sound option on board! ;-) You guys rock. I should probably just set my business account to tithe you guys 10% every time I make a sale. It'll be easier for all concerned.

[Ultra]

There is another sound option, it's called Petite Crouton and the board itself is $125, not including installation.  The battery pack/speaker combo is a $20 part in itself, so a PC wouldn't be a cheaper option.

I can probably offer the Econo-board solution on a case-by-case basis for $75, half the normal cost, but I need to test it with an RGB setup. 

I'll get on that today and will report back.

[navajas]

You're killing me with good customer service.

[Manroon]

The thought of Ultra offering Econo-board installation is awesome! An affordable sound option for the poor people who are all thumbs with electronics! Hurray! Again, US amazes me.

[ThreadJack]

The thought of Ultra offering Econo-board installation is awesome! An affordable sound option for the poor people who are all thumbs with electronics! Hurray! Again, US amazes me.

*Raises hand and jumps excitedly*I'm one of those! 

[Manroon]

It's getting absolutely freakish how similar we are... XD Lucky me though, my Pop used to work in Electronics so whenever he gets to Orvac for the parts, I'll have sound in my Prophecy.  'Course, I shoulda been smart like this guy and just asked Ultra in the first place... lol

[navajas]

I want to maximize my information here because I've got a pile of nerd money burning itself out of my pants (go go bartertown super trade) and I want to plan some purchases. Some of it has to go to a foosball table, some to a pinball machine, and now some has to go to a flipping... LIGHTSABER.

Bong!

Anyway, from the above, and I want to stress that I fully understand I have not received a commitment from Ultra for any of this, what we are talking about is the feasibility of an econo sound option only in the wider diameter hilts, like the Bane and Shock, correct? This is a different, harder to answer, question on things like the Aeon and Prophecy. Am I on target here?

Thanks man.

[ThreadJack]

Actually, the Prophecy is MHS compatible(the pommel at least) so an eco sound option would apply.

[navajas]

That'd be awesome. The nickel prophecy might be my favorite hilt here. But I'm puzzled then as to why no sound option at all is offered for it from Ultrasabers.

[ThreadJack]

It's getting absolutely freakish how similar we are... XD

It really is. It's starting to scare me!

[Ultra]

That'd be awesome. The nickel prophecy might be my favorite hilt here. But I'm puzzled then as to why no sound option at all is offered for it from Ultrasabers.

 The prophecy was not to designed for sound. But the hasbro board is so compact, it might be doable.

[navajas]

You are utterly ruining the chances other companies have of impressing me with their customer service.

Should I contact you personally from here on out regarding what seems to be, however sought after by a sizable chunk of your demographic, a sort of custom job? I guess I don't really mind being your guinea pig as long as I'm fed a steady diet of food pellets. One of those little push buttons that injects me with some sort of designer test drug would be OK too.

[ShadowKatt]

A cheaper sound option would be awesome. I was floored the first time I saw the sound option for a saber and saw ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY US AMERICAN DOLLARS for a sound board and a speaker, and thinking why the hell is it so expensive.

And I still don't know why it's so expensive :/ but life goes on.

Still, with the Shock LEs soon coming in RGB that puts my saber upwards of $400 now, and if I could shave some of that maybe I could get a Shock LE AND a grab bag saber as well(I really wanna try the grab bag and see what I get ^^)

[Manroon]

@Raze: No kidding!

@Ultra: I've heard others have done it aftermarket (which is why I started my attempt), so it wouldn't surprise me if it turned out to be doable.

@navajas: LOL Put me down for one of those push buttons too!

[Ultra]

I don't normally like to break down pricing, but in this case I'll make an exception since it's a valid concern. 

The normal sound option is expensive because the board comes out of a brand new $110 Force FX Replica. Some FX's cost more, some less, but $110 is the average cost after shipping.  The speaker/battery pack combo is a $20 part.  We don't make it, we have to buy it like everyone else.  So we're at $130 in parts.  There's labor involved in taking the FX apart to get to the board, and then there's the installation itself which takes more time.  At this point we're losing money, but we can recoup a little by turning the now empty FX hilt into a Stunt and selling it later.

There are other incidentals which further cost us when we make sabers with sound, like warranty replacements of the FX board should it fail.

When all is said and done, we're lucky to break even with the sound option.  But, yall want sound and offering the sound option helps sell the sabers, so we continue to provide the service.  If we could make it cost less, we certainly would.