Hi! In this build we’ll make a good looking light that dances to all sounds and music, using simple components and some basic Arduino programming. It makes an awesome effect while standing on the desk when gaming, playing music, and anything else that makes sound really. Let’s get going!
(Click here to download schematic)
STEP 1: MAIN SUPPLIES
First things first: what kind of supplies do we need and what do they cost? Well, they are largely optional, and can be made with much improvisation. Even so, some key items are needed if you want to follow this guide:
- Arduino Nano (or any equally small Arduino type) (3$ buy link)
- Sound Detector Module (1$ buy link)
- 5 volt power supply (or 12 volt with this stepdown module, as I’ll be doing it here)
- Individually Addressable LED strips 60 leds per. meter (buy link)
Depending on the look you want, you might want to arrange the strips differently or diffuse the light in another way. This is where you can be creative. If you like my approach, I used the following items:
- The tallest IKEA Droppar jar (IKEA Link)
- A small length of PVC pipe.
All things considered I spent around 30$, where the LED strips were by far the most expensive part.
STEP 2: POWERING THE COMPONENTS
The star of the show is the sound detector module. This will provide an analog signal to the Arduino, which we can use to (hopefully) cleverly light the RGB lights. To be able to do this, we need to power both devices. Luckily they both require a 5 volt input. I am using a step down module to step down from 12 volts to 5 volts, but it would be easier to use a 5 volt power source directly. Wire the VIN on the Arduino and on the sound detector board to the positive input. Then wire the GND on the Arduino and the detector to the negative. Look at the black and the red wires on the attached schematic. We also need to hook the positive and negative input on the LED-strip to the power source.
Read more: HOW-TO: Music Reactive Desk Light
