Maker Pro
Maker Pro

LEDs flashing to the sound of music

blink1

Sep 9, 2012
4
Joined
Sep 9, 2012
Messages
4
Hi guys.

Let me start off by saying what I would like to do.

My goal is to get LED strips and put them around the perimeter of my dorm room (its probably around 12x14 feet or somewhere around there), and have these lights flash to the music coming from my computer.

I have been doing my research and looking for some type of module or piece of hardware that I could plug into the wall, plug the lights into, and run a cord from my computer to this device so that it knows when to pulse the lights with the bass of the music.

Unfortunately, I have no experience with any of this yet and would really like some help. I have seen people on the internet with LED organs.... is that the way to go? Or is there a simpler device that would do what I am looking for. I am assuming it will be costly seeing as there will be allooooot of lights going up.

Links to products/ and or explanations as if i was in elementary school would be much appreciated!!! THANKS :D
 

blink1

Sep 9, 2012
4
Joined
Sep 9, 2012
Messages
4
thanks man!

couple quick questions though.

I didn't see a price on the assembled one.. do you know about how much those run?

also, I am very inexperienced with all of this. how does one change the value of C5 exactly?

and lastly, would you be able to tell me which led strips would be best to line the perimeter of my room with... I figure i need probably somewhere around 50 feet. I don't want to buy crappy cheap lights but I don't to spend an arm and a leg either.

Any good recommendations on which lights would suit my cause the best? (I am assuming, and i might be wrong, but I am assuming the RGB lights are more expensive. If there are just blue led's, that would be more than fine for me, especially if it is cheaper)

THANKS SO MUCH!
 

KJ6EAD

Aug 13, 2011
1,114
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
1,114
I've never priced it either. Google is your friend. You may even have a local shop that carries Velleman products.

The schematic doesn't list a value for C5 but you change it by replacing it with another capacitor of a larger or smaller value. The portion of the circuit that includes C5 is an integrator and first order active low-pass filter (see schematic). It's cutoff frequency is defined by the formula fc = 1 / 2πR6C5. Solving for C5 we get C5 = 1 / 2πR6fc. If we assume a cutoff frequency of 250Hz, C5 needs to be 6.4nF (nearest E6 value is 6.8nF). If we assume a cutoff frequency of 500Hz, C5 needs to be 3.2nF (nearest E6 value is 3.3nF). 4.7nF lies between these values and is an E3 value so it's even easier to source and it would put the cutoff frequency at 339Hz.

I recommend going with 24V LED strips if you can find ones you like. It reduces the current through the controller and/or doubles the power available over 12V. Here's one source and there're more on ebay. Don't use RGB LEDs with this controller.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/

While you're shopping, look for a housing for the circuit board since it doesn't come with one.

I forgot to mention that the MK/VM186 uses an electret microphone cartridge for it's input so you can't wire it to a line output without modification.
 
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