$5 Alternative Sound Effect Board! The possibilites are endless!

I've been wanting to add a soundboard to my Darth Vader costume for a LONG time and just found this great alternative!



These little guys are currently available through Amazon for UNDER $5.

It measures 3" x 2" x 2", so was easily zip-tied to the back of Vader's belt, under his cape. I had an MP3 file with a single breathing sound that automatically looped while Vader walked around. It was clear and loud, added a great effect to the costume and easily lasted the 3+ hours we were walking around in costume (the instructions say it holds a charge for 4 hours).

I'm thinking of adding some quotes next time to see how that works out, but for $5, it's WELL worth it for the breathing sound! You do have to provide your own Micro SD card, but if you don't have one of those, they generally run about $10, depending on how big you want it to be.

Kind regards,
Magnoli

I found the Lilypad-Arduino MP3 player. It's a multi-track MP3 player that lets you trigger up to 5 separate tracks (one-at-a-time) via pushbuttons. It comes pre-assembled and pre-programmed (add your own MicroSD card). Pushbuttons are placed wherever convenient to be pushed. I'm thinking of mounting them at the hem of a jacket where a casual squeeze will trigger the sound. Can be 'wire-sewn' with conductive thread inside a costume, or use regular wire. Can be permanently sewn into a garment and can be washed. Take out the battery; but must be thoroughly dry before plugging in battery again. Not affiliated with Lilypad or SparkFun etc. etc.
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--Paul E Musselman

Sounds cool... but aren't those in the range of about $50? At that price point, you could get any number of guys to build you a custom sound board.

Thank you for the post! I have been looking for something like this for a while!
I am buying that right now!

Dude. Find of the century right there.

Was it loud enough to be heard in a crowd? Most of the cons I go to get pretty loud.

Excellent! Just ordered two!

It's pretty loud. I imagine that any louder than this would just be obnoxious.

That's a great find man, thanks for sharing

Cheers

Alex