(Part 3) Top products from r/EliteDangerous

Shure PG58 Mic $59. Good cheap mic that I used for years until I retired it for no reason other than I wanted two mics and could afford a more expensive one.

Behringer XENYX 502 Mixer $45. Really all you need this from is the preamp, but for the price it's cheaper than any decent stand-alone preamp I've seen. As a bonus you get a mixer (!) so you can record your bluegrass band...or...something. Also the EQ for the mic is a bonus I guess, not that your speech recognition will care. The Shure PG58 is a little bassy though, so you can use the EQ to tone that down a bit.

Stereo 1/4" TRS to Stereo 1/8" TRS cable $6. Plug this into the headphone jack on the mixer and the other end into the microphone jack on your soundcard. Then turn the 10db boost off on your soundcard. (FYI if you end up getting this, the only volume knobs you need to worry about is the upper-left white knob for the mic gain, the lower-left one for the channel volume, the Phones knob (which is your output) and the Main Mix knob. All those together will all affect the volume of what you hear going out.)

Microphone Scissor Arm Stand $16. I don't personally own this one but it comes with the necessary mic clip holder for a dynamic mic (most other stands of this type only come with the gear to hold the larger condenser mics). Also it's a lot cheaper that other stands, which means the cable in it is probably cheap, and some reviewers say the stand doesn't hold up the weight very well. This is the one I own but I don't use the shockmount that it came with. You'll need something like this to hold your dynamic mic. So that route would be $58 total for a better stand. Anyway, good news with either of those stands is the XLR to XLR cable is included, which you'll need to connect your mic to your mixer/preamp.

So in total for the mic, preamp, cable, and desk stand you are looking at $126 or $168 for a better stand and XLR cable.

I'm sure all of these products I linked to on Zzounds are available at Amazon too. I was just lazy and found the ones that were on my blog/browser history. It also reflects where I got them. Erm, except for the Mixer; I got that at my local Guitar Center because it was the same price.

It is hard to describe but on a monitor the scale is judged more relatively to other objects so your mind works to estimate the size of the object based on the information given. With a Vive the combination of head rotation and position tracking, 3d stereo imaging and having a full 360 wrap around display allows you to perceive scale naturally like you do in the real world.

This does wonders for immersion. The first thing you will notice is how amazing the cockpit is. It is in 1:1 scale, you can rotate and bob your head looking around it, and it gives you the illusion you are in it. Being able to look around quickly and freely is great for battles and tracking objects that aren't directly in front of you.

Objects in the distance tend to be a bit pixelated due to limitations with the resolution but once you get up to planets, stars, and stations you can sense its vastness as you look out at it from a tiny cockpit.

I never had a problem with FOV as another mentioned. It looks similar to wearing ski googles. When I am immersed it doesn't really bother me. I did get the 6mm replacement foam and noticed a slight improvement. I'd still recommend it as it is also easier to clean but it's a bit expensive. https://www.amazon.com/Vive-Memory-Foam-Replacement-Better/dp/B01HM4QB0Y/

Poor gamers like my self interested in force feedback / buttkicker should look into this:

http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-TT25-8-Tactile-Transducer/dp/B009RGJ47S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407543753&sr=8-1&keywords=tactile+transducer

as well as an amplfier like this: http://www.amazon.com/LP-2020A-Lepai-Tripath-Class-T-Amplifier/dp/B0049P6OTI/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_y

For ~30$ it does essentially the same thing as the buttkicker. No, not as good. It's basically comparing FaceTrackNoIR with a standard webcam to the official facetrack. But in both sitautions, it's 30$~ compared to 150$

I recommend people check these out! I know the idea of adding force or sound to my chair was a bit silly when I first heard it, but I can't live without it now. It's amazing. Feeling every rumble of your ship, feeling the engines speed up, feeling the force behind every bullet you fire. Even movies are awesome, I watched the recent battle episode of Game of Thrones in my chair and it's just amazing. You "feel" the arrows hit people, you absolutely feel each step the giants and mammoths take. It's just awesome! And for so cheap.

I use the exact 2 above albeit I use 2 tactile transducers. Got one at first because I was skeptical. Did not take long for me to order a second which is 100% perfect for my chair.

Yeah definitely no bottlenecks to worry about! On the USB ports, I'm pretty confident in saying that if the Oculus utility isn't throwing errors at you then you're good there. It is pretty sensitive to incompatibilities.

At work but I think I remember my settings for comparison. Pretty sure I use hmd graphics settings on medium and supersampling at like 1.3 with antialiasing off. It runs buttery smooth with the rare graphical hitch here and there. Another trick worth looking into with the rift is that if you tweak the HUD colors to a primarily green scheme, you will get a slightly better effective resolution on the text due to the Samsung pentile displays used. It's not a lot, bit it's noticeable and worth the downsides of changing HUD colors.

Ref: R7 1800X; 16GB@3200; EVGA 1080ti SC2 at stock clocks.

Edit: also relavent, I do have all my rift USB plugs going through one of these.

> I'm a lefty as well. I'd like to use main control with my left hand if possible. Are sticks designed to be for right hand use at all or are they amibidextrous tools?

Hello fellow lefty. As I am sure you already know the gaming industry always has, and always will, hate us. The best we can typically hope for are ambidextrous tools, though I hear one of the Thrustmasters is reversible.

The stick I use is very basic but suits all of my needs, and is also plug-n-play which is a bonus for me because I just lost usage of my favorite usb gamepad after over 10 years of faithful service due to abandoned driver support.

Unfortunately when it comes to throttles I have yet to find any that are ambi, so I use another usb peripheral for my right hand that is also plug-n-play. Like some one else suggested you could use two sticks, but I find that limiting actually.

The officially licensed books are all standalone, so you can read them in any order you like.

If you're looking for recommendations, my top three are:

• Elite: Reclamation - Features political wheeling-and-dealing on a grand scale, between Federation and Imperial diplomats, vying for control of a system rich in tantalum - vital to the production of the newest generation of FSDs. If you're interested in discovering the dark sides of the Federation and the Empire in a 3300's edition of the Odyssey, here's your book.
  
  
• Elite: And Here the Wheel - Looking for a fast-paced story told from the perspective of an Ex-Fed Robin Hood, who gets caught up in a mess between the Federation, Imperial, Alliance, and... other... intelligence operatives looking to crack crowns and dig up alien treasure? Look no further!
  
  
• Elite: Out of the Darkness - Set in 3275, this action packed tale offers you the greatest canonical exposé on the Thargoids. It features a butt-kicking Thargoid-hating female detective and her tinfoil-hat hacker pal, as they try to get to the bottom of several mysteries that threaten to upset the fate of humanity.
  
  Anyway, hopefully those little blurbs help you prioritize your reading list.

Every bit of advertising for ED is aimed at convincing potential customers they have a rich and immersive game world to play in. Of course it's a quality they are trying to push.

Simulations are about immersion. You can easily find hundreds of posts from players who speak specifically about 'immersion' -- you're trying to dissect the word it when it's meant to be applied generically in the sense of how rich the game universe feels.

It also drives design decisions that developers make. Finding the balance is tricky, as evidenced by this entire ship transfer debate. Every person does have different ideas/feelings about what they find immersive, but collectively most people can agree on where some boundaries should be. There likely is not a market for a hard sci-fi simulation game; I don't dispute that our time as players is a precious resource. I will not be upset if they offer instant ship transfer.

The lore accommodates FTL via the ED novels.

I use a cheap Zalman mic. Currently only $8USD on amazon. It works great and clips on to your headphones cable or almost anything else. It's not USB, however I have an old USB external adapter that I use with it from my old SteelSeries Siberia. It's not the best mic but for the price it's awesome and works very well for voice recognition and VOIP. The only con is that it is quite sensitive and picks up room noise quite well so if you share a space with others, they will also be quite audible.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00029MTMQ?pc_redir=1407394104&robot_redir=1

Sorry for the bad formatting (iphone).

sure, this are the bass shakers that i got,
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B002LQAHPE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and this was the amplifier https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00OJX08YW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


this where the chepests parts i could get from amazon on EU, for what i gather there are superior bass shakers like this one https://www.amazon.de/Dayton-Audio-TT25-16-Tactile-Transducer/dp/B0045W10VW/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&qid=1499762203&sr=8-27&keywords=bass+shakers
but i didn't want to overpay for something i dindt know if i was gona use/enjoy.


Couple of tips, that amplifier works very well, since its not for music even if if you get some distortion but its underpower for the supposed max wattage from the shakers (its 2x40W + 68W) and the shakers are 100W. At this point i normaly dont push the amp to the maximum since the chairs starts to make noices and shakes all the time, so i belive i dont need a more powerfull one.

Also get some proper audio cables, and a power suply, i cant find a laptop style unit that gives 12V +7A so i went for a normal ATX power supply.

At this point i just need a extra bass shaker to put on the rudder pedals, since its kind of a immersion breaker that my feet are "grounded" from the vibration.

What information are you looking for? I run four of these hooked up to this. I'm getting ready to hit the sack but if you can provide me with specific questions I can try my best to answer in the morning!

Very good now get yourself some of these and enjoy your chair felling like an actual Ship http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-TT25-8-Tactile-Transducer/dp/B009RGJ47S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417499778&sr=8-1&keywords=tactile+puck

let's just agree this is the best Hotas ever made?

https://smile.amazon.com/Saitek-Digital-Throttle-Stick-Windows/dp/B00005TOTG/ref=sr_1_11?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1486495893&sr=1-11&keywords=hotas

I recently got mine as well and had this laptop desk recommended by u/crocodial. It works really well, especially if you get some velcro command tabs to keep the HOTAS stable.

I also ordered these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HM4QB0Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They're supposed to be more resistant to soaking up sweat and are easily washable. They are thinner than the stock foam so supposedly get your eyes closer to the lenses. I actually did a quick test by just using my vive with the bare velcro. While it was super uncomfortable (of course) it indeed appears that getting closer to the lenses eliminates the edge blur. So I think these pads should improve things. I'll check back when I give them a try.

You could use a more elaborate arrangement of modifiers, like this guy does.

Or back on your original idea, some people have used a USB numpad for that purpose.

And it's always possible to DIY something more elaborate like these guys did.

https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/5v0kxl/custom_controller_powered_by_arduino_150_in_parts/

https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/5dy0h1/wip_more_buttons/

https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/4zh9yd/the_shark_finn_dx1_my_elite_dangerous_switch/

https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/4e92s1/custom_control_panel_by_mmawdsley/

I'm very happy with this little guy here:
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00AMH17GC/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_RQYkybJW0X26F

As you can see its a german link, unfortunely I cannot find it at Amazon.com. Using it with Voicemeeter Banana to aditionally output the Riftsignal to the optical out of my onboard Realtek Soundcard. Thats going into a standard Amp. and from there into the bodyshaker - no noticeable latency.
Do not forget to set the Voicemeeters EQ so the only signal sent is for the bodyshaker (low pass filter). If you need help let me know.

Well if you can't go lower, you can always go higher. Pretty inexpensive as far as stands go.

You don't need a matching setup if you already have a joystick you like. I just use a Razor Tartarus for the throttle and it works well.

I have an 18 year old Saitek X45 and it's working out great. Check on Amazon and eBay and the prices seem reasonable.

Also if you guys are interested these are the connection ends I used to extend the length of the cord between the throttle and stick.

https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-signals-Terminal-Breakout-Connector/dp/B01CU9SHOO?pf_rd_p=e361840f-1df1-4293-9f80-7520ed008721&pd_rd_wg=RI5qm&pf_rd_r=2BHCWGW6BGP55Z6T9RZB&ref_=pd_gw_bia_d0&pd_rd_w=1ekgM&pd_rd_r=8d347336-ef84-48fb-829d-0d9bf86ee026&th=1

I got LEPY 2024A Plus Amplifier £26 from amazon and a Reckhorn Body shaker BS-200 £45. You need to set up some audio software, I used voicemeeter banana. For a budget option it works quite well IMO.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0171QQ7IY/ref=psdc_11036491_t2_B00O1HYX9C

I find that my trackball works adequately, it feels better than a traditional mouse while retaining portability

Links, since imgur likes to break them on me:

• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E8U8HKW/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0025TZ26Q/
  
• https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/
  
• http://edassets.org/
  
• http://www.mcdee.net/elite/binds/rmmjdw
  
  (and click through to the imgur for instructions and whatnot)

I accidentally discovered a box containing one of these in our garage this weekend. Apparently my wife does love me...

Yeah. I was thinking more for a collector or something. though it's possible to get a floppy drive still:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Floppy-Drive-FL-UDRV/dp/B00E9MD700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466101893&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+floppy+drive

Playing with a DK2, i5-4570, GTX960 (4GB), 16GB DDR3 RAM and it's fine with VR Low / Med settings. Smooth enough apart from planet surfaces, but the buggy makes me hurl anyway! Amazing in dogfights.

If you're looking to upgrade then, yes a 1060 would be a decent option. 1070 if you're feeling flush.
Plus, you'll probably want to aim for 75 rather than 60 fps. The recentish asynch-spacewarp driver updates have helped too.

Biggest problem is more likely to be USB ports and compatbility. If you lack the requisite number of USB ports (or have problems due to lack of power etc) then this board worked for me and has been recommended / tested by Oculus - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPIMJEW

I also found the solder had gone on the connector box and the Rift would connect / disconnect / reconnect / disconnect ad nauseum.
This was sorted by simply connecting HDMI, USB, etc direct from the headset to the PC (the connector box thing is handy, but not required).

> I ever get a mic

https://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ

This serves me well for years now. Clips to your headphones.

The Cobra M5 looks really interesting, to bad it seems like the only ones in the US are used for over $300. I had thought about maybe picking up the TWCS and a seperate joystick, mostly a Gladiator or used Fighterstick, but haven't looked into it to heavily yet.

The new T.16000m and the TFRP pedals should be available now. I have yet to see them on Amazon or Newegg though, other than this:

http://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-Flight-Rudder-Pedals-Playstation-videgame/dp/B015PII6YI/ref=sr_1_7?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1462475994&sr=1-7&keywords=thrustmaster&refinements=p_89%3AThrustMaster

I got the parts on Amazon cause it's quicker, but you can get them cheaper from AliExpress if you don't mind waiting a while. I used an HDMI terminal board and a female/female on each side.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CU9SHOO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_BPozkZpsI162Q

I swore by Logitech for years. I am still using a Logitech keyboard, but I recently switched trackballs to this bad boy, made by Japanese startup Elecom.

It is basically the only 10 button gaming trackball in production, and while not quite as sturdy as the Logitech trackballs, it is much more ergonomic and feature rich.

Although I have to say, if logitech made a 10 button wired gaming trackball, I would prolly pick one up just to try it.

What do you all think of this? http://www.amazon.com/Volair-Sim-Universal-Simulation-Cockpit/dp/B00AGYXUKW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413488092&sr=8-1&keywords=obutto+r3volution

There is some stuff that Drew Wagar wrote, on his site.

Apart from that, there are a few books which are canon, e.g. And here the wheel, or Lave Revolution.

I'm considering getting this lap desk to place the HOTAS on while I'm gaming... Maybe velcro-ing the HOTAS in place.

[lap desk](Honey-Can-Do TBL-02869 Portable Laptop Lap Desk with Handle, Black, 23 L x 16 W x 2.5 H https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQK13XM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ydY1xb7VX9JFA)

Anyone tried that method?

I'd suggest getting a VKB Gladiator joystick and a Thrustmaster TWCS Throttle.

What do you have mapped to your Razer Tartarus (that's what mine is called, I think they had a previous version with an different name). I have been wanting to map mine out but haven't done it yet.

bruh, USB

I had a similiar issue, my old stick was naturally a little loose and hyper sensitive, so just resting my hand on it caused it to input roll because it was loose enough that the idle weight of my tiny little hands was moving it. This resulted in having to make the deadzones WAY bigger than I wanted them to be.

If you're in the market for a new controller heres some options from least to most expensive as well as amazon links for buying them.

Xbox 360 Pad: $28

• Pros: CHEAP, works, comfortable
  
• Cons: Not enough buttons
  
• I own one and have played Elite with it
  
  Steam Controller: $50
  
  
• Pros: Cheapish, works, comfortable, plenty of buttons, overly customizable software options to ensure it just works with everything!
  
• Cons: Touchpad in place of traditional D-Pad/Right Joystick can be janky in some games and some people just downright don't like this.
  
• I own one and have played Elite with it.
  
  T-Flight HOTAS X: $50
  
  
• Pros: Cheap, well made, works with PS4 if you're a PS4 commander
  
• Cons: No mini analog stick.
  
  Xbox One Controller + Wireless PC Adapter: $63
  
  
• Pros: Upgrade to the 360 version
  
• Cons: Wireless, so batteries.
  
  Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS HOTAS: $108
  
  
• Pros: Cheap for a HOTAS, well made, mini analog stick on throttle.
  
• Cons: Mini Analog stick is in a weird place (subjective)
  
• I do not own this, but I would buy it if I needed another HOTAS
  
  Xbox One Elite Controller: $140
  
  
• Pros: upgrade over the standard xbone controller
  
• Cons: paddles can't be mapped to unique button presses but instead just can be set to emulate other buttons on the controller
  
  X-52: $150
  
  
• Pros: Looks like the joystick and throttle in Elite.
  
• Cons: No ministick on throttle.
  
  Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS: $449
  
  
• Pros: All Metal Construction, very solid piece of hardware
  
• Cons: No Ministick on throttle, No Twist Yaw on the stick, HOLY SHIT BALLS EXPENSIVE, your husband/wife might be angry with you for buying this if they aren't into this kinda thing.
  
  -----------------------------------------------------------------
  
  Okay with the all in one box stuff out of the way there are some good mix and match options from CH Products which I'll list below. My current set up is CH Fighterstick, CH Pro Throttle, CH Pro Pedals, + HTC Vive for headtracking (or ED Tracker for headtracking when I don't want VR)
  
  CH Flightstick: $75
  
  
• Pros: Solid Build Quality, Ambidextrous
  
• Cons: Ugly, not a lot of buttons, no twist yaw
  
  CH Combatstick: $94
  
  
• Pros: Solid Build Quality, thumb button.
  
• Cons: Ugly, no twist yaw
  
  CH Fighterstick: $116
  
  
• Pros: Solid Build Quality, 4-way Hat thumb switch
  
• Cons: Ugly, No twist Yaw
  
• I own this and this is my primary stick for Elite
  
  CH Flight Sim Yoke: $120
  
  
• Pros: Can double as a driving wheel!
  
• Cons: No triggers, not a lot of buttons, some players have reported yokes don't work well for twitchy flight gameplay like combat.
  
  CH Pro Pedals: $121
  
  
• Pros: Solid Build Quality, Very Responsive, doubles as gas & brake pedals for driving games!
  
• Cons: Pedals are a bit close together, some male players have reported this is uncomfortable, the springs that recenter the pedals are really strong and take getting used to.
  
• I own this and it is my primary yaw pedals.
  
  CH Pro Throttle: $123
  
  
• Pros: Solid Build Quality, very responsive throttle, mini analog stick,
  
• Cons: Throttles Physical Range is a bit short, no center indent or tension control, Kinda ugly, mini stick might require high deadzones.
  
• I own this and it is my primary throttle
  
  CH Eclipse Yoke: $201
  
  
• Pros: Good for Flying & Driving, plenty of buttons, and flappy paddles for yaw or gear shifting
  
• Cons: No triggers, might not be ideal for combat.
  
• I want one.
  
  Also note that the joysticks and throttles from the Thrustmaster FCS and Warthog can be bought separately making them worth considering as options here.
  
  FINALLY I will leave you with a word of warning. The Saitek X-55 and X-56 might look tempting, but they have shoddy build quality and will break on you. I used to have an X-55, and I've seen the inside of the X-56 and they both have the same problems. They are a time bomb, do not buy them. Also someone will more than likely eventually comment saying they own one of these devices and have had zero issues out of them, lucky them I hope they never have an issue, but Saitek is known for terrible Quality Control and with the exception of the X-52 buying a Saitek product is not worth the gamble even though Logitech now owns them and is known for great build quality, there are too many items from when Mad Catz owned them floating around in the wild.