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"A Cut Above The Rest"
Located in the San Jose / San Francisco Bay Area, CA

408-417-1148
        sabre@thecuttingedge.s5.com

Purchase CD#1

Purchase CD#2Purchase CD3
Purchase CD#1 and CD#2 as a set
Purchase 2-CD Set (CD 2 & 3)

The Novastar "Sound Compendium" CDs are best matched up with Erv Plecter's "Crystal Focus" driver board.

Visit his website for more information:
www.plecterlabs.com



What's YOUR favorite
Novastar CF Sound Font? --------------------------------
Ancient Saber
Blackstar
Chainsaw!
Elemental - H2O (Water Saber)
Heirloom Relic (by Madcow)
Indiana Jones Whip
Kung Fu Fightin'!
Magic Saber
Nano Deus Tachi
NecroVolt Staff
Novastar
Phoenix Pyre (Fire Saber)
Satori 'Zen' Saber
Steel Sword
SW ElectroStaff
SW EP I Sounds (TPM)
SW EP II Sounds (AOTC)
SW EP IV Sounds (ANH)
SW EP V Sounds (ESB)
SW EP VI Sounds (ROTJ)
  
pollcode.com free polls

"Time reveals truth.  And since distance creates time, it is only with this that yoNovastar evades Necrolosis in mid-airu can ever know the truth."
-- Novastar

"Winning isn't a some time thing--it's an all time thing."
-- Vince Lombardi

"Those who fear to try know not their limits, and thus--know not themselves."

"Parry as late as you dare."
-- Bruce Lee

"No different!  Same!  Only different in your mind!"
--
"Jedi Master Yoda"

"If you are afraid to be struck, you will be struck.  If you are afraid to hit, you will be hit.  If you wait to 'see' the moment to attack, you will be attacked.  You must feel when the door is open, and no more."
--Master R. Chu

"When the moment comes--'I' do not hit.  It hits all by itself."
-- Bruce Lee

"Knowing is not enough, we must apply... Willing is not enough, we must do."
 -- Bruce Lee


"Do.  Or do not.  There is no 'try'..."
-- "Jedi Master Yoda"

"The highest art is no art.  The best form is no form."
-- Bruce Lee


NOVASTAR'S
CRYSTAL FOCUS
CD SOUND
  COMPENDIUM v1.1
Purchase CD1

http://www.saberfont.com

FOR v1.1 FONT DESCRIPTIONS,
CLICK HERE:     

The CD1 Font descriptions

NOVASTAR'S
CRYSTAL FOCUS
CD SOUND
COMPENDIUM v2.0
Purchase CD2

http://www.saberfont.com

FOR v2.0 FONT DESCRIPTIONS,
      CLICK HERE:

The CD2.0 Font descriptions
NOVASTAR'S
CRYSTAL FOCUS
CD SOUND
COMPENDIUM v3.0Purchase CD3
http://www.saberfont.com

FOR v3.0 FONT DESCRIPTIONS,
CLICK HERE:     

The CD3 Font descriptions


NOVASTAR'S
CRYSTAL FOCUS
CD SOUND SET (CD1 & CD2)

Purchase CD1 and CD2
NOVASTAR'S
CRYSTAL FOCUS
CD SOUND SET (CD2 & CD3)

Purchase CD2 and CD3



---------------------------------------------------------
v1.1 -- Novastar's Crystal Focus Sound CD Compendium
     --
     -- v1.0 -- 5/22/2008, US -- Original Release
     -- v1.1 -- 8/11/2008, US -- 2nd Release, some small updates and minor changes (nothing huge!)
---------------------------------------------------------


* 700MB of information (completely fills up the CD!!!  No more room!)
* 3300+ files in 280+ folders... all for your sound and staged combat pleasure!!
* 20 Sound Fonts (11 of which are totally 100% NEW... while the other 9 are edited/upgraded/adjusted/optimized)
* Support for ALL versions of CF (except for v1, and limited support for v1.2)
* Unique support for v4... new blaster2,3,4 and force2 sounds for EACH font!
* Unique config.txt files for every version of CF... and every single font--with varying light driving parameters
* Unique LEDs.txt files, also supporting the oldest version when parameters were "long names"
* Menu Selection Sounds for all fonts, including a few extra menu backgrounds as well...
* Bonus Sounds which range from blasters to "BOP style" extras and alternate poweron/offs, hums, lockups, etc.
* 9 Video Tutorials about sound manipulation in general, using CF, and the Goldwave tool.  Entertaining too!  :)
* 1 Staged Combat Tutorial... twelve minutes long, and perfect for serious nerds of all kinds!
* The "250 Battle"... pitting Cael vs. Blackstar--both sporting Plecter v2.61-driven sabers with TCSS parts
* 4 Text Tutorials... simple ones on blade film creation, troubleshooting CF & SD card issues, etc.
* One fully working and live turkey... totally kidding.  Made you look.  ;0


---------------------------------------------------------
v2.0 -- Novastar's Crystal Focus Sound CD Compendium
     --
     -- v2.0 -- 10/24/2009, US -- Original Release
---------------------------------------------------------


* 700MB of information (completely fills up the CD!!!  No more room!)
* 844 files in 75 folders... all for your sound and LED saber prop pleasure!!
* 19 Sound Fonts (14 made by myself, Novastar... while the remaining 4 are guest fonts!!)
* Support for ALL versions of CF (except for very old v1 and v1.2 boards)
* Unique support for v4... new blaster2,3,4 and force2 sounds for EACH font!
* Unique config.txt files for every version of CF... and many sound fonts--with varying light driving parameters
* Unique LEDs.txt files, also supporting the oldest version when parameters were "long names"
* Menu Selection Sounds for all CD2 fonts, including a few extra menu backgrounds as well...
* Bonus Sounds which range from blasters to alternate poweron/offs, hums, lockups, etc.
* 8 Videos, one of which is a 4-part CF Wiring Guide... and the rest will knock your socks off!
* The "250 Battle"... pitting Cael vs. Blackstar--both sporting Plecter v2.61-driven sabers with TCSS parts
* 4 Text Tutorials... simple ones on blade film creation, troubleshooting CF & SD card issues, etc.
* One fully grown Crystal Ficus plant... totally kidding.  Made you look.  ;0  And so on paper box...


---------------------------------------------------------
v3.0 -- Novastar's Crystal Focus Sound CD Compendium
     --
     -- v3.0 -- 10/14/2010, US -- Original Release
---------------------------------------------------------


* 700MB of information (completely fills up the CD!!!  No more room!)
* 1800 files in 136 folders... all for your sound and LED saber prop pleasure!!
* 22 Sound Fonts (16 made by myself, Novastar... and the remaining 6 by various awesome guests...)
* Support for ALL versions of CF (except for very old v1 and v1.2 boards)
* Unique support for v4... new blaster2,3,4 and force2 sounds for almost EVERY font!
* Unique support for v5... new poweron2,3,4 and pwroff2 sounds for almost EVERY font!
* Brand new config.txt file help... 1A, 1.5A and 2A settings, also with a variant for each switch type!  (N/C, N/O, Mom)
* Unique LEDs.txt files, also supporting the oldest version when parameters were "long names"
* Menu Selection Sounds for most CD1 and CD2 fonts... and of course support for all of CD3 fonts!
* Bonus Sounds ranging from extra poweron/offs to alternate versions of fonts or special extras
* 6 Videos, one of which is the saber build I did for Anis Cheurfa (one of the greatest "tricker" martial artists in the world)
* "Erviana Jones 1" and "Erviana Jones 2" (a 3-part video)
* Plecterlabs' .PDF manuals (all versions of CF, including v1.2)
* If it wasn't made clear in earlier bullets... ~BOTH~ .raw AND .wav formats!!
* Crystal Ficus plant not included.  Get your own.  :D


That is a LOT of sound fonts, folks!!  3 CDs now, totalling almost SIXTY fonts?!?!?  That's just sheer insanity...

--Novastar




But Novastar, you cheeky monkey... I don't have/use/like PayPal!  Can I still purchase the CD Compendiums?

Yep.  :)  If you don't like PayPal, or you're wanted in seven countries(!)... totally kidding... just e-mail me and we can work out a solution.  Granted... I will not be doing this as a general rule--I think PayPal is pretty easy to set up and use, and it won't cost people anything to send me a payment.  In fact... it costs *ME* money when you purchase through PayPal!  :)  But that is the price of doing business, and since they only take $3 or $4 from the transaction, it's still worth it in my opinion.

Additionally, PayPal protects you (the buyer) from credit card theft: you need not reveal your CC # to me, and therefore--it cannot be "stolen" by any 3rd party via the transaction.



SHIPPING DETAILS

"FYI" on shipping
:

In general, it costs me up to $3.00 to ship the product anywhere from the U.S. to the U.K., France, Canada, Mexico, India and other places in Europe and so forth.  Therefore, I decided to simplify the process of your purchase--and make a "flat rate" on shipping regarding the CD product.  Note that this does NOT account for the physical mailer itself, my time and efforts to ship, nor any other costs I incur during the shipping process.

Time to delivery:

...If you are located in the United States, the product should take about 5 working/business days to reach you from the time it is shipped.

...If you are located OUTSIDE OF the United States, the product should take about 10 working/business days to reach you from the time it is shipped.

Your delivery time may vary... you may receive the product sooner or later.

Tax concerns?!??!

Depending on the state and/or country you live in--you may need to report this purchase on tax forms regarding sales tax.  Individuals living in New York should pay close heed to this regarding Govenor David Patterson signing a bill that may become law!  (too much information, huh?)  :)

Damaged/problematic orders:

Due to the nature of the product, I retain the sole right to make a judgement call on all returns.  However, NO REFUNDS will be issued under any circumstances.  The simple fact of the matter is... there is little I can do to stop someone from: A) receiving the product... B) copying the product... C) destroying/damaging the product and then claiming that it was received in such condition, and then surreptitiously requesting a refund.

This is a very unfortunate and non-ideal situation, so again, summarily: I cannot offer any refunds--with absolutely no exceptions.

HOWEVER--if for any reason you receive a product that is physically damaged or the data itself on the CD is damaged/missing/or otherwise problematic... return the damaged product to me and I will replace the CD with no questions asked.  I will do this only a maximum of TWICE per order.  That is to say... if you receive a damaged product... send it back... then I send you another!  If *THAT* one is somehow problematic... return it... I send another.  At that point--if you are still unsatisfied, it is beyond my control, and I cannot do anything more for you.

THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING!

FAQ - (Frequently Asked Questions)

FOR THE NEW FONT DESCRIPTIONS, CLICK HERE:

The NEW Font descriptions!!
 




Are the CD Compendiums going to get "sold out" like Crystal Focus?

Not likely.  Now that I've spent months and months working on compiling everything, as long as I have CDs to burn (in this case, LightScribe-capable CDs) and mailers to utilize, there is no reason for any "mad rush" for CD#1 or #2... unless you want to get them quickly!  :)  I imagine that I'll keep the CDs up and available for as long as Crystal Focus stays in production.


I ordered a CD... when will I get it?

Please see the above notes under "Shipping Details".  The first major batch of orders will ship sometime around early November '09.


Is it hard to load the sounds onto Crystal Focus?

Not really!  Especially now that the CDs are available, you'll find that copying the sound profiles you enjoy the most over to your particular version of Crystal Focus is even more "configured".  Here are some helpful hints:

1.  Make a folder and call it "My personal CF Sounds", or whatever you like.
2.  Within that folder, create "bank1, bank2, bank3, bank4"... ... etc. and a "tracks" folder (for versions 2.61 and forward).
3.  Look to the CD Compendium, and find the appropriate SOUND FILES for your version of Crystal Focus...
4.  Copy them into the banks of your new folder.
5.  Look to the CD Compendium, and find the appropriate CONFIG.TXT FILES for your version of Crystal Focus...
6.  Copy those into the banks of your new folder (one per bank).
7.  Rename each config_XXXXXX.txt font to simply "config.txt".
8.  EDIT each config.txt file to reflect the appropriate LED current for the LED you will be using in your saber.
9.  EDIT each config.txt file to reflect the appropriate switch that you are using (latching, momen. N/O, or momen. N/C)
10. Look to the CD Compendium, and find the appropriate MENU SOUNDS that will reflect the sound fonts you've chosen...
11.  Copy those menu sounds into the root of your new folder (as "one.raw", "two.raw", etc. and "menu.raw", etc.)
12.  That's it!  :)

You'd now be ready to copy all of these files (en masse) to your SD card... plug the SD card into Crystal Focus, and have a blast with all of your new sound directories!

Keep in mind--CD#1 contains video tutorials on ALL of this, so... if the above step-by-step gets confusing--refer to those!


What if I make a mistake?!!?  If I miss copying a file, or save in the wrong format?  Will I damage Crystal Focus?!?

Absolutely NOT.  :)  There is almost no reason that I can think of where providing an SD card to CF with: incorrect files, missing files, incorrectly formatted files, nor anything else... will cause harm of ANY kind to your CF board.

If you have made any kind of mistake--Crystal Focus will send some "beeps" to the speaker, and it will simply not function as an "LED saber" until you are able to configure your SD card correctly.

So again--there is little to ZERO chance that you will "harm" CF with a problematic SD card or missing files, etc.  I once installed a BLANK SD card into CF by accident.  :) There were no files on the card whatsoever.  Absolutely no harm done.  It would be similar to installing a software program on your PC and then deleting a few key files... the program would not damage your computer... the program just... uh... simply wouldn't work!  :)


What if I forget to change the LED current settings in each config.txt file?  Will I destroy my main LED?

Unfortunately, YES--this is indeed possible to do, due to the wide variety of high-powered LEDs available in the market today... which can all be used to make an "LED saber".  An example of how you could destroy your LED... includes (but is not limited to) the following circumstances:

1.  You set the LED current to "70" (which is 1.5A).  As a matter of note, I have setup the CD to default to "46" (1A).
2.  You are using an LED that best prefers 700ma (which is 0.7A--less than HALF of your setting!!!).. or even one that wants 1A.
3.  You set the lighting parameters in the config.txt file to use VERY LITTLE flicker and very little glow/pulse.
4.  You install those settings to the SD card, load it up, and ignite your saber...

...from there, you are lucky if the LED does not become damaged.  Whether in seconds, minutes, hours or days.  Now keep in mind... it is TRUE that you *CAN* "overdrive" some LEDs, to a certain point and within "good reason".  But--I cannot guarantee that your LED will not become damaged if you exceed or ignore the manufacturer's specifications for the "maximum continuous current" of your LED.  In general:

LED current @ "35" matches 0750 mA (0.75A) -- Ideal for Lux V, or "darkside" K2 LEDs (red, red-o, amber)
LED current @ "46" matches 1000 mA (1A) -- Ideal for "lightside" Lux III LEDs
LED current @ "60" matches 1300 mA (1.3A) -- Sometimes used for "over-driving"
LED current @ "70" matches 1500 mA (1.5A) -- Ideal for "darkside" Lux III LEDs and "lightside" K2s.

1500mA is the maximum output CF can be set to deliver.  In this case, the "safest" LEDs to install (under ANY config.txt LED current specifications) would be Luxeon III Red, Red-Orange, Amber, and Luxeon K2 Green, Blue, Cyan, White and Royal Blue LEDs.  Why?  Because they all have a maximum rating of 1500mA, and thus--could not easily be destroyed under whatever circumstance you place CF regarding the LED current specifications.


I installed the sound font called <font_name>.  Well, it doesn't work!  Did you do something wrong with the CD?

The Sound CDs contain hundreds (and sometimes THOUSANDS) of files within numerous folders, so... although I will not rule out an error on my part, let me explain the following:

* Every sound font was HAND-DESIGNED, looked over and double/triple/quadruple-checked for errors
* Certain precautions were taken to avoid mistakes of almost any kind with the config.txt files
* Every sound file's format was also HAND-CHECKED to be certain no parameters were in error--many times over!
* All sounds were tested in SOME form of Crystal Focus... despite the many versions out there!
* All sounds on CD#2 were tested with at least 3 or more speaker types

Things I can recommend (if you're having a consistent problem):

* Re-format your SD card, then make certain to copy your files over to the SD ALL AT ONCE
* If this fails you, check your config.txt files very closely and be sure there are no problems
* Check to be certain you re-named your files correctly (i.e. config.txt and files like "one.raw", "two.raw", "menu.raw", etc.)
* Do you have an LEDs.txt file in each of your bank folders?
* Do you have a "boot.raw" file when you should not have one--depending on your version of CF?
* Did you remember that the root directory needs files names "one.raw", "two.raw" and so forth... and *NOT* "1.raw", "2.raw"?
* Did you notice whether or not your CF version requires a "menubgnd.raw" sound in the root directory?
* Did you compare the amount of total files with the defaults seen for your version of CF?
* If you are using v4.x of CF... do you have "blaster2.raw", all the way through "blaster4.raw"?  "force2.raw"??

Remember: if Crystal Focus detects even ONE file that is missing (or sometimes even an extra file!)--it can likely halt everything and alert you to this with some "beeps" from the speaker.

And again, there is almost no reason that I can think of where providing: incorrect files, missing files, incorrectly formatted files, nor anything else... will cause harm of ANY kind to your CF board.

If you have made any kind of mistake--Crystal Focus will send some "beeps" to the speaker, and it will simply not function as an "LED saber" until you are able to configure your SD card correctly.


FOR THE NEW FONT DESCRIPTIONS, CLICK HERE:

The NEW Font descriptions!!
 




VIDEOS of NOVASTAR'S SOUND FONTS IN ACTION!


Six novastar sound profiles demonstrated with a Red-Orange Luxeon III LED saber...
 

"Episode II" and other fonts demonstrated with a Green Luxeon K2 LED saber...
 

Basic sabers are demonstrated, along with some details on the Sound CD...
 

An acknowledgement of how QUICKLY Crystal Focus sells out... and a sneak peek at the Sound CD's contents...
 

An older tribute to CF selling so quickly:
 

THE REST OF THE VIDEOS AND ALL UPCOMING VIDEOS WILL BE FOUND HERE:

http://youtube.com/user/greytale





Thanks again, and... have fun... with... your lightsabers!  :)

--Novastar




















Note: No affliation with Lucasfilm, LTD.  All rights and Star Wars concepts belong solely to Lucasfilm, LTD.  All music by John Williams.  Original sound effects by Ben Burtt.



 
Thanks for your support!




More information coming soon!


Balance of Power will return in the following episodes...

Balance of Power, Episode II


Balance of Power, Episode III

(Coming in 2010/2011)
I need a bloody CAST first!!!  :)

A jedi master and his now well-experienced student execute a mission of stealth, finding their way aboard the enemy ship “The Phoenix”.  Attempting to both gather information and to install a type of computer-virus inside the ship’s systems, they are discovered by the Phoenix’s crew.  This leads to a series of events and heroic battles the master and student never expected, as the fate of The Phoenix is determined by luck, skill… and a dark master’s guile and guise!

Former assistant to a jedi master, a recently promoted master helps to train the young heroes of tomorrow.  The academy is rich with tools and droids in order to help promising children to learn.  But, within one student, a darkness haunts the depths of the boy’s soul, and his teachers grow worried.  A dark jedi pays an uninvited “visit”, claiming diplomacy as a motive.  In the final hour, a darkness that is hardly to be believed awaits this jedi academy.  The fate of many battlers—both good and evil—are weighed upon the scales of fortune, as “Balance of Power” reaches its horrifying conclusion!





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