17 replies to this topic

[Athos]

After doing some complaining in my last post, I thought I'd try something a bit more positive:

I just finished putting together the Hillside House, which I received for an Xmas gift. I thought the sound brick was a really neat touch (although I'm not sure I like the dog barking after the bell).

I would like to request that Lego make more of these. Some suggestions for sounds:

-Church Bells
-Animal Sounds (for a farm set)
-Foghorn (should have been in the lighthouse set)

Steve

[mostlytechnic]

I want all three of those!

[Rook]

I think if LEGO goes this route they should consider several ideas.

1. USB Sound Bricks to add sounds.
2. Compatible to current Power Functions battery packs and RCs.
3. They could even provide downloaded a sound free once a month on LEGO.com and after each month archive old sounds that could be puchased for a small fee of $0.10 for a single sound up to $0.99 a pack of +10 sounds like, Farm Sounds, Police Sounds, Star Wars Sounds, etc.  

Thus you have a customizable sound brick with virtually unlimited battery life.

You can’t tell that every FOL wouldn’t want at least 2-3 if not more of these.    

Edited by Rook, 09 January 2012 - 04:38 PM.

[Mencot]

Rook, on 09 January 2012 - 04:32 PM, said:

I think if LEGO goes this route they should consider several ideas.

1. USB Sound Bricks to add sounds.
2. Compatible to current Power Functions battery packs and RCs.
3. They could even provide downloaded a sound free once a month on LEGO.com and after each month archive old sounds that could be puchased for a small fee of $0.10 for a single sound up to $0.99 a pack of +10 sounds like, Farm Sounds, Police Sounds, Star Wars Sounds, etc.  

Thus you have a customizable sound brick with virtually unlimited battery life.

You can’t tell that every FOL wouldn’t want at least 2-3 if not more of these.    

This could be a very good idea   this is what TLG should do  

[pinioncorp]

No no no no nooo. Definitely no more sound bricks (customisable ones notwithstanding).

As an adult builder, I buy sets for the parts. I don't play with them as such. So the sound brick is an expensive, completely useless component. But even for the kids I think the sound brick is a simple gimmick. After hearing the sound one or twice, anyone'd surely be sick of it. And any kids that I would be unfortuate enough to have to attend to would get their sound bricks confiscated.

Edited by pinioncorp, 10 January 2012 - 03:08 PM.

[brickmack]

pinioncorp, on 10 January 2012 - 01:08 PM, said:

No no no no nooo. Definitely no more sound bricks (customisable ones notwithstanding).

As an adult builder, I buy sets for the parts. I don't play with them as such. So the sound brick is an expensive, completely useless component. But even for the kids I think the sound brick is a simple gimmick. After hearing the sound one or twice, anyone'd surely be sick of it. And any kids that I would be unfortuate enough to have to attend to would get their sound bricks confiscated.

I agree. They cost too much, they take up space that could be used by more interesting designs in a set, and they are difficult to use in MOCs. That said, I do agree with the previous suggestion for customizable sound bricks, with a USB connection to a computer. It could be useful for a few things.

[davee123]

pinioncorp, on 10 January 2012 - 01:08 PM, said:

No no no no nooo. Definitely no more sound bricks

Agree. PLEASE, NO MORE SOUND BRICKS, LEGO!

I don't think I'd object if they were customizable somehow, like recordable, or perhaps could download sound files via USB. But I don't think I've ever heard a sound element from LEGO that I liked listening to. I don't mind them being used strategically in robotics creations, but that's typically done with the speaker in the RCX/NXT, and doesn't require a separate sound element.

DaveE

[Legocrazy81]

pinioncorp, on 10 January 2012 - 01:08 PM, said:

No no no no nooo. Definitely no more sound bricks (customisable ones notwithstanding).

As an adult builder, I buy sets for the parts. I don't play with them as such. So the sound brick is an expensive, completely useless component. But even for the kids I think the sound brick is a simple gimmick. After hearing the sound one or twice, anyone'd surely be sick of it. And any kids that I would be unfortuate enough to have to attend to would get their sound bricks confiscated.

I agree. I know were not the target audience and all, but I don't play with my LEGO. I do get a kick, albeit short one, out of the bricks. They really aren't necessary, IMO. How much of an expense are they, really? Does it really drive the price of a set up that much though?

[Tontus]

I love the idea of a sound brick that you can put your own sounds on. I'm picturing the Cantina theme music playing or the AT-AT walking or the roar of the engine as the plane takes off or anything else I might want. I'd buy it as a stand alone product. It wouldn't have to be in a set or even be made by LEGO for that matter as long as it was compatible.

[Markypops]

Got to say, loving the idea of a USB sound stick that you can download your own sounds on to that could then be slotted into a specially designed brick. Lego could develop a page on their web page that could hold a library of sounds and allow sounds to be added and maybe edited.

[Mencot]

I agree with Rook, about a soundbrick that you can customizes with your own sound but then I agree with others too that not any more of the sound bricks that has some sound. But one that you can customizes easily with usb would be good

[Athos]

Guess I'm on the wrong side of this...

But my two year old daughter loves hearing the bell ring and the dog bark.

Steve

[AndyC]

Athos, on 25 January 2012 - 01:43 AM, said:

But my two year old daughter loves hearing the bell ring and the dog bark.

I suspect sound bricks are one of those things that AFOLs think are dumb and kids absolutely love. I think I'd have thought they were brilliant if we'd had them 'back in the day'.

[CP5670]

Quote

1. USB Sound Bricks to add sounds.
2. Compatible to current Power Functions battery packs and RCs.

#2 is a big issue in my book. I like the concept of sound bricks (and light bricks as well), but the current ones are hard to do anything with since they don't interface with the PF system at all and go against the modular philosophy of Lego. They're little more than throwaway pieces as it is. The old 9V sound bricks from the 80s had lame sounds, but they did at least work together with the rest of the 9V system. Programmable bricks with custom sounds would be even better, but they need to be easy to power and control first.

[Mencot]

CP5670, on 25 January 2012 - 05:39 AM, said:

#2 is a big issue in my book. I like the concept of sound bricks (and light bricks as well), but the current ones are hard to do anything with since they don't interface with the PF system at all and go against the modular philosophy of Lego. They're little more than throwaway pieces as it is. The old 9V sound bricks from the 80s had lame sounds, but they did at least work together with the rest of the 9V system. Programmable bricks with custom sounds would be even better, but they need to be easy to power and control first.

Hmmm this is something the TLG should work on, to get a programmable system that work together with everything. hmmm maybe but I don`t think they will.

[Rook]

Yep renewable power and renewable content. Reduce, reuse, recycle. That’s why we build with Lego instead of some other one time use material. That’s why I pretty much stopped painting. Use the paint once and it’s gone. My Lego will still be useable after I’m dead. ;)

[splatman]

Thinking of the USB sound brick idea, just make it a USB flash drive, with a retractable USB connector.
It would have a special folder, in which you would place the sound you want it to play. The rest would function like an ordinary flash drive, which would be used to store more sound files. More than one sound file in the Play folder would result in all files in that folder to be played back-to-back. Several sound formats would be supported. .WAV, .MP3, .WMA, .MOD, .IT, and more.

[jonwil]

They could make it like those dirt cheap MP3 players except that it has a small speaker instead of the headphones.