Kouri wrote:
I'll probably need to update the initial post, but this is how I look at motion tracking:
Kouri, I'm surprised by where you put the Nano Biscotte; according to the manual, it doesn't seem to have multiple swing speeds. I haven't actually used one, though; does it support them and it's just not documented?
I don't have any experience with SaberCore or Obsidian - if anyone wants to chime in, I'll gladly adjust the list and pop it into the opening post.
In terms of motion tracking, Obsidian Lite and Obsidian v3/v4 both have just swing and clash. v4's is somewhat more sensitive out of the box, and the parameters can be adjusted; Lite's cannot. I haven't used a v3, but it should be identical to v4. For the record, even Lite's is much better than basic or Ultimate FX Hasbro boards; I'd put Lite slightly below Force FX Black Series in sensitivity (but, of course, without the dual swing speeds). v3/v4 seem to be roughly as sensitive as the Black Series out of the box; I haven't tested my v4's limits.
I've added what is known about Obsidian v3 and v4, and Lite just for fun (although Lite isn't currently available separately). I'm also specifying Emerald separately. (Is Obsidian the only board that doesn't have native four-color mixing but can have it added?)
Obsidian v3:
Cost: $125
Size: 2.35" x 1"
Battery support: Not specified
LED Support: Single-color. At least up to tri-Cree.
Soundfonts: One soundfont; .LSU files only. Up to 8 swing and 8 clash sounds (I think).
Effects: Swing, Clash, FoC, Lockup. No blaster block.
Switch: One Main switch (Momentary only)
Accent LEDs: None
Crossguard Delayed Ignition: N/A
Other: Ultrasabers has implied that the Obsidian boards can use a large voltage range (I've seen 3.7V-12V implied), but the actual range does not seem to currently be documented. Obsidian boards are pre-wired. Can be used with the Emerald driver.
Obsidian v4:
Cost: $135
Size: 2.35" x 1"
Battery support: Not specified.
LED Support: Single-color. At least up to tri-Cree.
Soundfonts: Up to eight soundfonts; .LSU files or 16-bit 48kHz .WAV files. Up to 12 swing and 12 clash sounds.
Effects: Swing, Clash, FoC, Lockup. No blaster block.
Switch: One Main switch (Momentary only)
Accent LEDs: None
Crossguard Delayed Ignition: N/A
Other: Ultrasabers has implied that the Obsidian boards can use a large voltage range (I've seen 3.7V-12V implied), but the actual range does not seem to currently be documented. Obsidian boards are pre-wired. Can be used with the Emerald driver.
Obsidian Lite:
Cost: N/A (adds $100 to saber)
Size: [I'll check]
Battery support: 4xAAA.
LED Support: Single-color. At least up to tri-Cree. (In theory, anyway. Running a tri-Cree on 4xAAA is... "marginal", to put it nicely.)
Soundfonts: One soundfont, not editable. 3 swing and 3 clash sounds. No volume control.
Effects: Swing, Clash, FoC, Lockup. No blaster block.
Switch: One Main switch (Momentary only)
Accent LEDs: None
Crossguard Delayed Ignition: N/A
Other: Obsidian Lite is currently not available separately; Ultrasabers has not indicated whether they plan to offer it separately. IMO they shouldn't bother, because I doubt it will be inexpensive enough to compete. CANNOT be used with the Emerald driver.
Emerald:
Cost: N/A (adds $135 to saber)
Size: [I'll check]
Battery support: Not specified
LED Support: Four- or Two-channel color mixing. Limits unknown (factory installs use LED Engin 10W)
Soundfonts: N/A
Effects: flicker
Effects (including Obsidian): Swing, clash, FoC, flicker, lockup
Switch: One Main switch (Latching only) or driven from Obsidian
Accent LEDs: None
Crossguard Delayed Ignition: N/A
Other: Emerald FoC settings override Obsidian FoC settings; however, it has no motion sensors of its own and requires Obsidian for FoC. Currently not available except pre-installed in a saber or as a factory upgrade; Ultrasabers has implied since launch that Emerald would be for sale separately, but to date it has not been.
...and my editorial: I don't expect we'll ever actually see Emerald for sale. It's questionable (at best) whether Obsidian is worth it on its own; if you add the cost of an Emerald board (based on the price jump for a full saber, it'd be around $135) you would have far and away the most expensive combination on the market but without the features of other >$100 boards. (Until the recent SF price increase, an Obsidian/Emerald saber was within 10% of the price of a Hero-tier SF saber, while stunt versions of those sabers were much further apart in price. The Emerald/Obsidian v4 combination adds approximately $270 to the price of the saber.) Obsidian is not particularly compelling on its own; again, the price of the board is too high for its feature set, and Obsidian Lite is even worse. The reason these boards exist is to be integrated into Ultrasabers' sabers from the factory, and US no longer seems to pretend otherwise.
I reserve the right to change my opinion when my Epoch gets here. Maybe I'll find Obsidian/Emerald is far better than Spark Color 2 in some way. But I'd bet against it.
(Arguably, I already have bet against it.
) Don't misunderstand me--I like my Obsidian/Emerald saber. I would buy it again, and I have nothing bad to say about it. It's just that, based on what I know of them, there are better boards out there for the price.
When I get the chance, I'll measure the Obsidian Lite and Emerald boards and post their dimensions; I'll also see if I can determine the factory battery configuration as a starting point for knowing the voltage specs. (Obsidian and Emerald sabers use 2 14500s; what I'm not sure is if they're in series or parallel.)