Bonded Hawk
Well-Known Member
Got it in. It is way cool. Unfortunately it is a gift and I can't play with it too much.
New 10th Doctor Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote
- Thread starter Darran
- Start date
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- Tags
- doctor who
TimeyWhimyStuff
Well-Known Member
Wonderful news! Congrats!
kristen jones
Master Member
Firstly, Congratulations Richard! 
Secondly, am I the only person that would like to see a 4th Doctor Sonic remote...?
Secondly, am I the only person that would like to see a 4th Doctor Sonic remote...?
Chris B
New Member
No you are not, it is a request we get now and then and it is also something that we are considering for the future.
Angelus Lupus
Sr Member
I can see a market for a 4th Doc's sonic, and many folks here with the skill the mod it into a 3rd Doc's (or, indeed, vice versa) but I must be one of the few that doesn't like the 'new' 8th Doc's sonic.
When did you have the time to work on a 1:1 scale human while working on a 1:1 scale sonic?! :lol
Congrats, Richard! You had definitely earned a break from us crazies before, but now you've REALLY earned it. Go spend time with your wife and we'll do out best to keep from killing each other in your absence.
Ladies just can't resist the allure of a Sonic Screwdriver.
-Nick
dukeduel
New Member
Congratulations on the baby! I don't know if your kid is a boy or girl but I'm sure David is not on the list of baby names.
-Duke Duel
www.dukeduel.com
-Duke Duel
www.dukeduel.com
antigravity
Well-Known Member
I read this post the day you wrote it, and I've been meaning to reply to it. I loved your insight into the little creative opportunities you found during your project. One of my favorite things is to talk about why and how people make design decisions. I read this board because I can't get enough hearing about the kinds of work people are doing, what their motivations are, and how they're getting where they're going. Your couple little paragraphs were eloquently expressed; I really felt your excitement for the process.
I just got my package in late last night. Usually, I'm one to prolong this sort of opening -- but in the case of your sonic, I made a cup of tea and got straight to it. Please know that everything I think you were working towards is wonderfully realized. The cardboard wrapper is bright, classic, and all the graphic elements are in the right spots. Looking down on the box lid and the simple high-res photo of the screwdriver is the perfect hook; it takes you 60 seconds into the future all on its own. But once you get past the packaging and the requisite plastic bag, the experience moves to a new level.
The black case is substantial and understated in a world of cheap, shiny plastic. Your stated aesthetic goal is spot on; it's like some microscope slide cases I have in my laboratory, but clearly made for something more specific (and maybe a little dangerous). You've definitely achieved the dual scientific/militaristic design sense for which you were striving. The gloss-on-matte icon is the perfect detail. I can almost imagine brief consideration being given to placing the Doctor Who brand logo somewhere, followed quickly by the decision to avoid spoiling the authenticity. There are definitely four walls to your illusion here. Holding the black case, my imagination easily leads me to think I have less a product, and more an artifact from someplace imaginary. It is indeed, as you say, immersive; I picture this case as the sort of container one might find on a shelf at Torchwood, were they to find a sonic device and bring it back to base.
Inside, I love the inscribed foam inserts. I think these are largely what give the case its heft. Vac-formed plastic would have been disappointingly hollow. The foam is also a design asset in that it allows you to ship the screwdriver itself without any tissue or bubble wrap. It's so significant that there's nothing sloppy between the sonic and its user when he or she opens the case for the first time. Again, a very thoughtful part of the experience you're building.
The stand is fantastic, and it goes well beyond its function (though it does function perfectly, and invisibly, at the same time). It's cold, heavy, and looks older than it is. One of my favorite aesthetic bits of recent Doctor Who has been the geometric Gallifreyan script, and it's an excellent jumping-off point for your design. This little metal disk feels every bit an artifact as the screwdriver itself. It's sitting on my antique desk right now, and it looks like a small, lovely art object that's of a piece all by itself.
The one part of the package that I expect will not get enough attention is the documentation. I was impressed by how much life you put into something as mundane as an instruction pamphlet. Specifically, the schematic presented here is brilliant. It's a lovely rendering in it's dark and bright blues, but it's the only such print I've ever read end to end. It's everything I could want to know about the insides of the real device, yet presented in graphics and technical language that maintain the authenticity of your overall presentation. I may never need to know how your aluminum housing is organized on the molecular level (face-centered cubic unit cells, it would appear), but I loved learning it anyway.
There are sufficient comments on this thread about the screwdriver itself, and I may jump on with some of my own thoughts when I get a chance. But I loved your post that detailed your vision for an immersive and authentic presentation so much that I wanted to let you know how well it was realized. It was a joy -- visually, tactically, imaginatively -- to open this box and see what you made. You took a piece of merchandise that could have come in brown cardboard, and you delivered it with a little bit of performance art.
The opportunities for creativity that you found in this project were really, really well met. I loved reading about them, and then experiencing them firsthand. I do think I understand what you were working towards, I definitely felt it, and I very much wanted you to know.
Doctor Octoroc
Sr Member
Big congrats on the baby, Richard, That's super exciting news!
I wonder how that would operate? Seeing as the actual prop retracts in on itself, the mechanism wouldn't do very well for multiple clicks. Although, there could be a button worked into the butt of the sonic, like on the 11th Doctor's sonic.
I guess prop and replica folks should plan accordingly if they're planning on releasing a 10th Doctor related product...
Chris B
New Member
What can I say, but a massive thank you - your comment has really made my day. You have correctly guessed that we take what we do seriously, but we love it and huge have fun doing it. It will come as no surprise to learn that Richard and I agonise over every (and I mean every single) word that appears on the packaging and the manual. Richard is very thorough and is a complete perfectionist. We wanted something that felt truly SciFi but was real at the same time, I personally wanted to blur the line between the Make-believe and the Real in the way that everyone who reads SciFi, or who loves the mind expanding nature of the most optimistic of genres, does in their head every day.
After all, what is a prop but the imagined, made real?
Then there are the little inventions along the way. You mentioned the sonic image on the top of the box and you hit the nail on the head when you guessed that there was a fleeting moment when the Doctor Who branding was beaten back. Even the sonic logo in iconic form had to be designed and decided upon. The thing with this sort of project is that everyone has a hand in potentially deciding its fate and the whole thing has to go through a committee of approvers. We are very lucky that we have such a good relationship with the right people at the BBC and they allowed us to stretch their corporate branding rules to allow our pack. The again, we designed the inner box to be part of the product so that the rules would be less of a burden there too. Also we are lucky that between us we have the skills needed to realise our dreams. We do all our own illustration and artwork layout, photography and pack design, so there is probably a benefit there in the homogeneity of the whole presentation. However, that is also a drawback in that it limited how many products we can do.
So a big think you, it's great to hear that what we did and our general approach gets your approval, because when working on a property that is so cherished and inspires such passion amongst its devotees, it is a little nerve wracking trying to create new material that is within the canon and yet stretches it to bring a new, refreshed experience.
- - - Updated - - -
Congratulations on the baby! I don't know if your kid is a boy or girl but I'm sure David is not on the list of baby names.
-Duke Duel
www.dukeduel.com
I can reveal that it's a girl and like you i am hoping that the name is not Davina (?) LOL
Yipee! Mine has Arrived!
What you can do is plug it in and then unplug it.
I noticed that this happened to mine in FX mode when I pressed the button 3 times and held it, it does this occasionally though.
A Review
PROS
- reasonable weight, pretty light, yet not too heavy
- Sliding is smooth
- bulb stays on and does not fall off.
- I have not encountered any functionality problems with the exception of the one above
- The sonic makes a fantastic "Doppler" sound when slid up and down in FX mode
- The crackle is nice and there are no oblivious mold lines
- The stand and bulb magnets are strong = the stand can hold the sonic upside-down
- slider has a low enough profile to the body, and has no effect on the lacquer
- Sound is reasonably loud, not as loud as the 11th's, but still loud enough.
- makes a wonderful rattling sound!
CONS
- The first thing that struck me when I opened the box was the end bulb looked really, really grey.
- Also, There were scratches and nicks all over the sonic EDIT: there were not as many as I thought there were; some were just a trick of the light
- The head and ball connector don't sit straight on top of the acrylic rod.
- The blue emitter is loose and swirls around
- There are two extremely visible join lines within the clear extension rod. ( If the sonic is horizontal, one line is vertical, in the channel for the wires and another is horizontal, running along the outside of the tube.)
I will edit and post some more as I experiment with my Sonic!
If the wand company continue to produce screwdrivers, We soon be hearing things about sonics that use ultrasound, are wirelessly- rechargeable and so on!
What you can do is plug it in and then unplug it.
I noticed that this happened to mine in FX mode when I pressed the button 3 times and held it, it does this occasionally though.
A Review
PROS
- reasonable weight, pretty light, yet not too heavy
- Sliding is smooth
- bulb stays on and does not fall off.
- I have not encountered any functionality problems with the exception of the one above
- The sonic makes a fantastic "Doppler" sound when slid up and down in FX mode
- The crackle is nice and there are no oblivious mold lines
- The stand and bulb magnets are strong = the stand can hold the sonic upside-down
- slider has a low enough profile to the body, and has no effect on the lacquer
- Sound is reasonably loud, not as loud as the 11th's, but still loud enough.
- makes a wonderful rattling sound!
CONS
- The first thing that struck me when I opened the box was the end bulb looked really, really grey.
- Also, There were scratches and nicks all over the sonic EDIT: there were not as many as I thought there were; some were just a trick of the light
- The head and ball connector don't sit straight on top of the acrylic rod.
- The blue emitter is loose and swirls around
- There are two extremely visible join lines within the clear extension rod. ( If the sonic is horizontal, one line is vertical, in the channel for the wires and another is horizontal, running along the outside of the tube.)
I will edit and post some more as I experiment with my Sonic!
If the wand company continue to produce screwdrivers, We soon be hearing things about sonics that use ultrasound, are wirelessly- rechargeable and so on!
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Richard B
Active Member
Thanks for all the kind wishes, everyone!
Yes, it's a girl, and she's not got a name yet but it's rather unlikely to be David or Davina. Our 2-year-old daughter thinks we should call her Gary, and our 3-year old son reckons that just "baby" is easiest. My wife and I aren't so sure...
Yes, it's a girl, and she's not got a name yet but it's rather unlikely to be David or Davina. Our 2-year-old daughter thinks we should call her Gary, and our 3-year old son reckons that just "baby" is easiest. My wife and I aren't so sure...
Doctor Octoroc
Sr Member
I got both of mine and they are fantastic! Well, I haven't tested the second one as of yet since it's a gift, but I'll probably end up taking it out and charging it up before I give it to my brother to make sure all is well, and so it'll be good to go right out of the box!
My thoughts:
Packaging - Gorgeous. It can't be said enough how awesome the box, case, inserts, and accessories are. The stand has a really good weight to it and the sonic stands up nicely on it. The magnet is the perfect strength so that it doesn't pick up the stand when you retrieve it but it can be bumped and stays put in it's vertical position.
Look and feel - Mine looks nice all around, only a few very minor dings in the aluminum that I never would have noticed if others hadn't mentioned theirs having similar marks. The end cap is definitely lighter than I expected but it's a minor detail that, all things considered, is probably at 90% grey but this is a detail that the members here are more than capable of remedying if they so please, much like the crackle. I'll probably leave mine as is and over the years I have a feeling it will age nicely. With all of the dirt, grease, etc from all the friends that are invariably going to want to hold it, the cracks may just stain and get an organic dark wash to the crackle :lol
At first the weight did feel a bit lighter than I wanted, but the more I hold it and discover the functions, it felt better in my hands. I think it's pretty prefect in that area. Comparing it to the 11th sonic weight isn't fair since it's 1/3 the size, and as mentioned, it's about 5g lighter than the original (assuming due to the internals being plastic instead of copper or brass, and the body being acrylic(?) instead of aluminum.
Functionality - Everything works perfectly for me. It charged up in far less than the recommended two hours, and everything works to my motions as it should (I've had a bit of practice with the 11th sonic remote so it was familiar already). Apparently, Sony TV's are at the top of the list for the default TV B Gone feature, as mine turns on/off in less than a second! I haven't programmed it yet but I have faith in those functions as I imagine it uses the same hardware as the 11th in that respect. The button did stick on me for a brief moment in FX mode but a quick fidgeting solved the issue. I think it was a sideways brushing across the tip popped it back out from wherever it was stuck.
Overall - It's hard to give this device/prop anything less than 5 stars without being super picky, as it's always easy to find ways to improve a product, if nothing else based on one's own personal preferences, but as this is for a wide audience, I'd say it hit the mark dead on.
Only thing I would change is the color of the end cap and (being SUPER picky) the color of the activation switch, but that is virtually irrelevant as it functions nicely as a battery gauge and is not visible when depressed, unless you have insanely small fingers
Fantastic job TWC! And another big thanks to Richard and Chris for all the involvement and help.
My thoughts:
Packaging - Gorgeous. It can't be said enough how awesome the box, case, inserts, and accessories are. The stand has a really good weight to it and the sonic stands up nicely on it. The magnet is the perfect strength so that it doesn't pick up the stand when you retrieve it but it can be bumped and stays put in it's vertical position.
Look and feel - Mine looks nice all around, only a few very minor dings in the aluminum that I never would have noticed if others hadn't mentioned theirs having similar marks. The end cap is definitely lighter than I expected but it's a minor detail that, all things considered, is probably at 90% grey but this is a detail that the members here are more than capable of remedying if they so please, much like the crackle. I'll probably leave mine as is and over the years I have a feeling it will age nicely. With all of the dirt, grease, etc from all the friends that are invariably going to want to hold it, the cracks may just stain and get an organic dark wash to the crackle :lol
At first the weight did feel a bit lighter than I wanted, but the more I hold it and discover the functions, it felt better in my hands. I think it's pretty prefect in that area. Comparing it to the 11th sonic weight isn't fair since it's 1/3 the size, and as mentioned, it's about 5g lighter than the original (assuming due to the internals being plastic instead of copper or brass, and the body being acrylic(?) instead of aluminum.
Functionality - Everything works perfectly for me. It charged up in far less than the recommended two hours, and everything works to my motions as it should (I've had a bit of practice with the 11th sonic remote so it was familiar already). Apparently, Sony TV's are at the top of the list for the default TV B Gone feature, as mine turns on/off in less than a second! I haven't programmed it yet but I have faith in those functions as I imagine it uses the same hardware as the 11th in that respect. The button did stick on me for a brief moment in FX mode but a quick fidgeting solved the issue. I think it was a sideways brushing across the tip popped it back out from wherever it was stuck.
Overall - It's hard to give this device/prop anything less than 5 stars without being super picky, as it's always easy to find ways to improve a product, if nothing else based on one's own personal preferences, but as this is for a wide audience, I'd say it hit the mark dead on.
Only thing I would change is the color of the end cap and (being SUPER picky) the color of the activation switch, but that is virtually irrelevant as it functions nicely as a battery gauge and is not visible when depressed, unless you have insanely small fingers
Fantastic job TWC! And another big thanks to Richard and Chris for all the involvement and help.
AnubisGuard
Master Member
Mine came in today as well, and I was pleased to find that fit and finish were great. Everything's straight, the teeth mesh perfectly when closed, and the lens is nice and tight –no spinning or wobbling here. There's one noticeable scratch in the aluminum near the endcap, but other than that, it's immaculate. It basically looks like the prototype, minus the different finish on the handle. Really happy with that aspect.
Alas, there is one big issue, and that is the rotation gesture doesn't seem to work on this unit. It functioned breifly out of the box, but after playing around for a while, it's gone from working intermittently to not working at all. When I twist the sonic, it either doesn't respond or interprets the gesture as something else. :unsure The only time I've been able to get it to work at all is if I leave the sonic alone for a while and then try the rotation right away when I pick it up again. If I do anything else with it, then the feature doesn't respond.
I'm hesitant to email for a return because the QC on this one is otherwise great; I'm not sure I want to risk having some other issue crop up if I get a different one.
Anyhow, I'll second everything everyone else has said about the presentation. )One thing that hasn't been commented on: the foam lining smells amazing. Like a new car!) I was shocked at how heavy the case was when I got it, then shocked again at how light the sonic inside was. People have commented on the weight before, but it didn't sink in until I held it in my hands. It's so light it's like it's not real. My eyes tell me I'm holding a metal and solid plastic object, but my arm things I picked up, I don't know, a Popsicle stick or something. It's a little freaky.
EDIT: And of course, now that I've complained, the rotation has immediately started working again! :lol
Double edit: And it may be that I'm a total idiot. It recognizes the gesture pretty reliably in "practice" mode, but rarely if at all in FX mode. And I see on the instruction sheet that there's no listing for a rotation gesture sound in FX mode after all. That said, I've seen in video reviews – and myself gotten it to do once or twice – a little "blerp" sound with every rotation. So, are sound FX upon rotation in FX Mode an officially supported function, or just a glitch that seems like a function?
Alas, there is one big issue, and that is the rotation gesture doesn't seem to work on this unit. It functioned breifly out of the box, but after playing around for a while, it's gone from working intermittently to not working at all. When I twist the sonic, it either doesn't respond or interprets the gesture as something else. :unsure The only time I've been able to get it to work at all is if I leave the sonic alone for a while and then try the rotation right away when I pick it up again. If I do anything else with it, then the feature doesn't respond.
I'm hesitant to email for a return because the QC on this one is otherwise great; I'm not sure I want to risk having some other issue crop up if I get a different one.
Anyhow, I'll second everything everyone else has said about the presentation. )One thing that hasn't been commented on: the foam lining smells amazing. Like a new car!) I was shocked at how heavy the case was when I got it, then shocked again at how light the sonic inside was. People have commented on the weight before, but it didn't sink in until I held it in my hands. It's so light it's like it's not real. My eyes tell me I'm holding a metal and solid plastic object, but my arm things I picked up, I don't know, a Popsicle stick or something. It's a little freaky.
EDIT: And of course, now that I've complained, the rotation has immediately started working again! :lol
Double edit: And it may be that I'm a total idiot. It recognizes the gesture pretty reliably in "practice" mode, but rarely if at all in FX mode. And I see on the instruction sheet that there's no listing for a rotation gesture sound in FX mode after all. That said, I've seen in video reviews – and myself gotten it to do once or twice – a little "blerp" sound with every rotation. So, are sound FX upon rotation in FX Mode an officially supported function, or just a glitch that seems like a function?
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The Barn Owl
Active Member
Is the slider ment to feel loose from the inner channel? like when it's extended is it supposed to wobble and twist slighty? Or is mine just put together loosely?
I believe Richard said that in that instance, you should take a small screwdriver, place it between the slider & body, & pry up firmly...
:lol
Just messing with ya man. Hopefully we can all laugh a little.
AnubisGuard
Master Member
Mine twists a bit, if I try to twist it. Its got probably 10° of play or so. It doesn't wobble much if at all, though. Sounds like yours might be looser than others.
kristen jones
Master Member
I'd be all in for a Fourth Doctor Remote if it ever comes to market.
BTW.... I LOVE my Tenth Sonic remote! I really haven't stopped playing with it since I got it three days ago. I have even taken to carrying it to work in my pocket
BTW.... I LOVE my Tenth Sonic remote! I really haven't stopped playing with it since I got it three days ago. I have even taken to carrying it to work in my pocket
