Audio triggered light switch?

[kennyd03]

I've been searching all around for this and thought I'd ask if anyone knows of a power switch (in this case, specifically for a light) that is triggered on and off by an audio signal?

I know there is "Intelligent lighting" done by a lot of DJ lights that has a microphone that reacts to beat transients, but what I'm looking for is a switch that I can plug an audio signal directly into and turns on when the audio level gets to a certain point and turns off when it falls back down. The audio in question will generally not be drum beats, but more static signals like keyboard pads.

Thanks!

Kenny D

[videoteque]

I've been a VJ and even lightjockey in a club. I don't know every little gadget around, but what you want won't possibly work automatically, imho. Maybe with beat based material, but not without them.

You'd better have some kind of MIDI to DMX and control the light yourself...

[Remoteness]

I'm having a brain freeze on any professional audio power triggers, but...

There's a gadget that can do what you ask. It's been around for many years.
If "the Clapper" can turn a light on and off I'm sure there's a pro version out there. If you cannot find one modify a "Clapper" or build one yourself.

Let me defrost a bit and figure this out some more.

By all means, if someone can chime in with another option, we're all ears.

[Jim vanBergen]

trigger for signal present is easy. Can be done with analog audio or MIDI, no problem. (Google MIDI Solutions.) The GPI portion for analog audio OR voltage is not so tough, but specifying for a certain volume (certain voltage) is going to require regulators, relays, and logic switches. How can we dumb down what you are trying to do, to say, a specific MIDI patch, or a footswitch?

[Remoteness]

Originally Posted by Jim vanBergen

trigger for signal present is easy. Can be done with analog audio or MIDI, no problem. (Google MIDI Solutions.) The GPI portion for analog audio OR voltage is not so tough, but specifying for a certain volume (certain voltage) is going to require regulators, relays, and logic switches. How can we dumb down what you are trying to do, to say, a specific MIDI patch, or a footswitch?

Or frequency like (I suspect) how "The Clapper" works.

[PlushWasRight]

What you want to do is get a signal sensing relay ( they are used in Paging applications all the time)

like This

http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=130

and then get high voltage switch that is triggerd by a contact closure...

Like these...

[URL="http://www.grisk.com/specialty/current_controller.htm"]http://www.lithonia.com/Controls/syn...ct_closure.htm

Bassically just cut the magnetic sensor off, attack the 2 wires to the relay and you are rocking.....

[Remoteness]

Awesome!

[PlushWasRight]

No problem.. the entire RDL catalog is cool stuff... lots of neat little gadgets to be had.

[videoteque]

Unless your audio signal is ultra-simple, I don't think it will do the effect you want automatically. And when everything is regulated, your audio signal will always trigger the light...

Good luck though!

[kennyd03]

Thanks for the information, guys!

To be more specific, I've been working on my a live band concept of having certain instruments/samples tied to specific lights that would come on when sounding. Putting an audio feed directly into a light switch seems to be the simplest concept. The MIDI/DMX option is definitely there, but I tend to want to make things as simple and solid as possible when playing live, because there's just so many things that can go wrong already in that context...

And did I mention I tend to go with the cheapest option, too?



-Kenny D

[BeerHunter]

...so I could maybe rig one of these to my drummer's overheads and then rig it up to shock him everytime he bashes the kit too hard? Awesome.

[Remoteness]

Kind of like Radiohead did (does) in concert.

Originally Posted by kennyd03

Thanks for the information, guys!

To be more specific, I've been working on my a live band concept of having certain instruments/samples tied to specific lights that would come on when sounding. Putting an audio feed directly into a light switch seems to be the simplest concept. The MIDI/DMX option is definitely there, but I tend to want to make things as simple and solid as possible when playing live, because there's just so many things that can go wrong already in that context...

And did I mention I tend to go with the cheapest option, too?



-Kenny D

[videoteque]

Kind of like Radiohead did (does) in concert.

I can bet one arm and one leg they don't do it by sound... The things that seem easier, are the hardest to do.

I am sure that with a MIDI to DMX setup you can easily do some cool music<>light interactions. If you go by sound you will probably only get a either on or off response, which is pretty boring after just two minutes.

All the light-video to music interaction is really a baby science. Too few things have been done!!!!!

I am glad more people is interested in it!

[kennyd03]

Originally Posted by Remoteness

Kind of like Radiohead did (does) in concert.

Agh! Those thieving bastards!

Right on. Well, leave it to Radiohead to be a step ahead and proving it can be done.

Thanks again for all your input, guys. Now, on to my next completely original live performance concept: A machine that spits out fog on command. Hmmm....



-Kenny D

[Remoteness]

I believe it was (is) controlled by frequency dependent sound or at least that's was my impression back when we recorded and broadcasted them in 2003 live from the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA.

Hey, I'm known to make plenty of mistakes so, take it with a grain of salt but, that's what I remember.

[big country]

have a green light kick in at 250 - 500 hrtz at a certaian db
a red light at 750 - 1000 hrtz a certain db

so on

[big country]

could you take an LED meter pull out the last light on the meter and hook that

last lights juice to a solinode or switch of some kind?

or just run a switch out of every LED light for 6 or 7 lights

( hang out with a black truck driver)

[kennyd03]

I just realized that what I'm looking for is the exact same functionality that exists in many mixers: a channel peak light that goes on when the audio level passes a certain threshold.

[seaneldon]

Originally Posted by kennyd03

I just realized that what I'm looking for is the exact same functionality that exists in many mixers: a channel peak light that goes on when the audio level passes a certain threshold.

haha. i was just going to mention this. very amusing that steve thought of the clapper before a clip/overload light.

[PlushWasRight]

Originally Posted by seaneldon

haha. i was just going to mention this. very amusing that steve thought of the clapper before a clip/overload light.

Thats easy, like most of us, sacrificing some litte gadget to make a lighting effect work is no big deal... but killing a peice of AUDIO gear for the sake of lighting?

Now thats offensive

[kennyd03]

It's been a few months, but I wanted to share with you guys that I found an inexpensive solution. I found this kit:

http://www.electronics123.com/s.nl/i...=14&category=1

I had to dust off my soldering skills, but it works perfectly for what we're trying to do.

-Kenny D

[Barnabas]

NSI (Leviton) dimer pack and controller.

I've been using an older version of the MC1616. http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ibeCC...?section=16132
You can have the audio level change the rate of a light chase, or have the lights glow brighter as the volume increases. The light controller has an unbalanced line input for the audio.

I haven't done it in a long time, but I remember running an aux out on the sound board to the light controller. Then whatever I assigned to that aux bus would control the lights. I surprised a guitar player one time on a guitar solo. I basically gave him control of the light shining on him. Usually I’d have the kick drum trigger the lights.