Music Input

[Pic_User]

Hi Malcolm,

A pre-disco name for "disco light" could be "color organ".

I made a color organ in the early 1970's of the last century.

It was great before the word kewl, or way cool, or even cool was used to describe "neat" things.

There seems to be a lot of information on line about color organs. A search may turn up a lot of circuit ideas and schematics.

For instance:
http://www.tinaja.com/glib/muse108.pdf
Describes a color organ as;

Your speaker level input
audio is somehow safety isolated and
then lowpass, bandpass, or highpass
filtered into (usually) three or more
channels. Each channel’s output is
then converted into some dc control
voltage. That dc control voltage then
modulates a "power amplifier" of
some sort. Which in turn relates the
amount of audio energy in the band
to the brightness of one or more
colored lights. For instance, the lows
might be red, the mids green, and the
highs blue. Or whatever"

Now you may be interested, in a single channel "Bass" (lowpass), but the principle should be the same.

PicBASIC should truly turn the simplistic color organ into a true disco light. But be careful to isolate your circuit from the power lines (mains). It is also good practice to isolate the circuit from the input device as well.

This is a fun project and we hope you post where your journey takes you so we can all learn with you.

-Adam-

[Acetronics2]

Hi,

May I point out this little circuit from the far east...

http://www.selectronic.fr/includes_s...ek/HT2040A.pdf

... really ... cool !!!

Alain

[malc-c]

Hi,

May I point out this little circuit from the far east...

http://www.selectronic.fr/includes_s...ek/HT2040A.pdf

... really ... cool !!!

Alain

Thats wicked ! .... nice find

[Pic_User]

God you make me feel old, I think the last century bit made me reach for my zimmerframe and I'm only mid 40's

Ha, I had to Google "zimmerframe", we have them in this country, just different names... Made me smile...
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Zimmer+frame


Alain
What a great find. The HT2040A IS a disco light. (they might think it is for Christmas lights, but we know better.) All in one part.


Side Notes:
One of the interesting things, about the artistic mode of visual music, is sloppier is better!

Normally, the goal is to sharpen filters. Make the "cut-off", at band edges, as sharp as possible, without causing "ringing" or other ill effects. However, with "music changed into light", it is better to have overlapping filters, to cause a blending of the lights. Much more interesting patterns, come about, when the band edges overlap.

Very simple L-C or even R-C passive filters are not only adequate, but even desirable

"A Project Too Far."
What might be interesting:
Have mirrors mounted on some type of PIC controllable devices. This could be stepper motors, syncros, voice coils, linear motors etc..
The front panel could be some type of translucent, diffusing rear projection screen. Maybe, something as simple as a "suspended ceiling" florescent light diffusion lens.
The light would be modulated as in a standard colour (color) organ.
But, the mechanical device would move the modulated colours around by volume (loudness). Who knows, maybe higher on the panel could represent louder musical notes.
It seems like this might add a third dimension to the mix. ?

-Adam-

[Acetronics2]

Hi,Malc

I've another lightshow including a Basic stamp interpreter chip ( In easy words : PicBasic compatible ... but some timings, may be, are to be corrected )

From Electronique Pratique june 2000 issue ... Here, all is done by soft ( no "miracle" filter to cut and paste ... )

Alain

[malc-c]

Thanks

I do get the feeling that I'm re-inventing the wheel... but then again, its all good learning experience

[Acetronics2]

Thanks

I do get the feeling that I'm re-inventing the wheel... )

You took some time to understand it ... but youth must pass !!!

Alain

[malc-c]

I made a color organ in the early 1970's of the last century.

God you make me feel old, I think the last century bit made me reach for my zimmerframe and I'm only mid 40's

Thanks for the lead, I'll google colour (or color) organ and see what I get.

No worries on the mains isolation. I use solid state relays that have built in opto isolation. Its a lot safer and easier than messing about with triacs and thryistors like the good old days... I built my first sound to light in '77 consisting of a three way passive crossover, three mains to 6v ac transformers (using the secondry as the primary on the audio) and three 206 thyristors... never really thought about the amp become live at mains potential !!!!

I'll keep you guys posted of any development I get, and hopefully Melanie may let me post the final project and schematic in the respective forums when its completed.