TOPIC: I'm a First Time Builder/Buyer

Greetings everyone. First time poster. Now that the ASP has been released, I've been designing and comparing and am finally ready to start buying in parts to build over time. I have the bases picked out (Emitter, Switch Section, Body, and Pommel) but it comes down to the electronics where I become.. Well lost, quite frankly.

I was hoping for either an indigo or purple color for the blade and have no idea what LED combo would give that. I do plan to use the Crystal Focus soundboard by Plecter Labs, as the Resblade soundfont kind of resonates with me.

Any tips, advice, or help would be apprciated.

Also on a side note, I'm using Acid Weathering but I noticed Shattered Weathering in photos but not as an option as a Custom Finish when ordering. Was helping my friend design her blade as well and thought that finish would help bring out the Sith in her. Where would I get that done?

SF LEDs probably don't play nice with Crystal Focus (I have to double-check the traces, but I don't think the board is intended for Common-Positive stars). If you want to use a 12W star with a Plecter board, you're pretty much limited to Prizm.

12W combo is RoyalBlue/RoyalBlue/Red/Red for Purple, RoyalBlue/RoyalBlue/RoyalBlue/Red for Indigo.

If you're dead-set on Crystal Focus, I'd probably recommend a Red/Green/RoyalBlue Tri-Cree, along with the ColorExtender board and a 7.4v battery solution - if you've the space for it. I typically don't recommend hacking CF for 3.7v. You'll get a nice purple with RBlue at full blast and Red at ~60%. Indigo with full RBlue and Red at ~30%. Mix in some Green for a White FoC.

To add my $0.02

I personally wouldn't settle in on a soundboard just because of a single font. There are TONS of great fonts out there for Plector and NEC boards. I look at sound fonts as a secondary choice after deciding on a soundboard.

For me, the deciding factors on a soundboard come down to arguments around the LED and what type of effects I want the saber to have. Here's the things I decide on to influence the soundboard choice:

1) LED colors: Single color, color change?
2) Blade Effect: FOC? Shimmers, pulse?
3) button push effects: Blade lockup, blaster block, etc.?
4) Hilt size: How much room do I have?
5) secondary effects: Accent LEDs? (Crystal, Power indicators, blinking LEDs, etc.)
6) sound fonts: Customizable, static?
7) Dueling saber or show piece? (Helps me determine what's realistic for the intended purpose of the saber)
Motion accuracy: How sensitive and accurate does it need to be?

Last build I did I went with a Tri-Cree LED with all the dies the same color - I had no requirements for any FOC, blade shimmer, etc. It needed to have a button activated effect. No "Kram-Fu" issues with the size of the hilt, No secondary effects. Static font was fine, saber was meant for dueling and hard use.
I opted for a Sabercore 2.0 board in that build because it fit well for the requirements of the build.

I have another build I'm starting on which has different requirements, and that saber will end up with a Spark2 because of the blade effects and accent LED effects and I only need two channels for the LEDs. The Spark2 hits all the needs without paying for capabilities that won't be used.

I have a build waiting in the wings which is slated either for a Prizm or SparkColor 2 because those boards would fit the desired blade effects and accent effects the best.

I have a lot of acronyms to learn apparently. My build list is as follows:


Adaptive Saber Parts
http://www.saberparts.com/#/configure?code=4.117.1.0-3.88.2.25-2.58.2.0-1.34.2.0-7.152.45.0-5.143.0.0-8.153.0.0

Parts
ASP . Pommel 7 . Standard
ASP . Dissident Body . Weathered . Black Reptile
ASP . Exile Switch . Weathered
ASP . Reborn Emitter . Weathered
ASP . Led 12W+ . Indigo
ASP . Blade 32'' . null
ASP . Sound Crimson . null

What would you recommend for the space given?