Author Topic: LED Graphic Equailizer (Read 5571 times)

Devospeed · « **on:** January 17, 2007, 11:36:52 pm »

Hi all,
I'm almost ready to start building my first jukebox. One thing that has caught my attention is the use of Leds for fancy lighting on my jukebox. One thing I thought would be very cool is using Leds to form some kind of gigantic graphic equalizer on the front of my jukebox. Have four or five bar that go up and down to the music. Does anybody think this is workable, or has anybody already tried this. Any comments would be appreciated.

rockin_rick · « **Reply #1 on:** January 24, 2007, 12:50:36 am »

I don't know if either of these will do exactly what you want, but it's at least something for you to look at

http://www.discolitez.com/

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=62358.0

Rick

headkaze · « **Reply #2 on:** January 24, 2007, 07:42:18 am »

It depends on what you mean by using LEDs. If you mean using LEDWiz then I already have a feature in the GameEx LEDWiz plugin that will have RGB LED's dancing to music. Perhaps I could convince Tom to make GameEx run purely as a Jukebox with the LEDWiz plugin. The Jukebox mode in GameEx is pretty damn cool, it automatically downloads album covert artwork and even has a Karaoke mode. Anyway it's something to take a look at as an option.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=62337.0

Also check out this really cool Light Grid jukebox

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=62358.0

Devospeed · « **Reply #3 on:** January 26, 2007, 11:17:16 am »

A lot of stuff to take in. I appreciate all the options. I think I'm going to look into the GameEX for my Arcade and maybe my Jukebox. I already have an ledwiz and rgb buttons for my arcade, maybe I'll take this approach with my Juke. I will let everyone know the outcome!

MrD · « **Reply #4 on:** January 26, 2007, 12:49:12 pm »

I have also wanted to have a spectrum analyzer display to my jukebox project.

My first thought was maybe there was a way to hack a stereo equalizer and somehow wire up LEDs to the LED panel. It probably could work, but I don't have one to mess with and I'm not sure how it would work anyway.

What I found might not be quite as large as you are looking for (5"x7" panel). It's a T-Shirt with Electroluminescence panel and it's sound activated:

http://www.bluefishtshirts.com/products/tqualizer/

There is a video you can watch. My thought is to cut the fabric out of the T-Shirt and mount it to a board or frame it and put it on/in the jukebox. I'm not sure how bright they are yet. The price at bluefishtshirts is $35.95 and the shipping isn't bad. I tried ebay and their prices are all much higher and most of them are imported from the UK. A bit more searching and I found out if you use voucher code TCRITIC at bluefish you get an additional 20% off dropping the price to $28+/-. I ordered 2 and the total price with shipping was like $62.

I've seen quite a few videos of them and reviews. The might just work and certainly easier then hacking at something else.

Devospeed · « **Reply #5 on:** January 26, 2007, 07:59:29 pm »

I've also seen those shirts. I did not think about using that though. Let me know how it works out. It just might be the thing I'm looking for!

headkaze · « **Reply #6 on:** January 27, 2007, 06:56:02 am »

I would not bother with those t-shirt spectrum analyzers. For a start have a good look at them in the videos. They are fake equalizers (they use volume to display a few different fake eq). They don't actually split the audio signal up for a real equalizer display. Well thats what it looks like to me.

Check out some of these

http://www.chauvetlighting.com/fixtures/colortubeeq_fix.shtml

http://www.chauvetlighting.com/fixtures/colorbar_fix.shtml

http://www.chauvetlighting.com/fixtures/colortube_fix.shtml

digitaldj · « **Reply #7 on:** January 28, 2007, 08:48:18 pm »

Hey Guys!

Thanks Headkazee for the mention!

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=62358.0

I am the one that has the lighting grid jukebox. I think if you give us some time you will not believe the features were going to have. I am planning on adding a graghic display once we get a couple of bugs worked out on the sound. You can also tell everyone you built these grids if you take on the project. You can actually use the boards from the MIT kids website and design your own grids etc. or use the ones i have designed. You can run patterns, text and sound control(with or without patterns) across the grids. You will not find any other lighting for a jukebox like this and the software to match. The boards provide 192 outputs for 64rgb leds. Like i say even if you don't use my grids and make your own the software will allow you to do more than any other software i've seen. We are always improving the software with better features etc. If you don't like the grid effect you can actually make a module that doesn't have deviders so you get more of a blend.

I am actually starting a website where i am going to have alot of things available for jukebox projects, this is still in it's early stage at the moment but keep checking back: http://www.freewebs.com/artdecojukebox

Here is something i whipped up in the light editor and put in the player with audio so you can see rgbw light bargragh!

Greetings!
Kevin

Barry Barcrest · « **Reply #8 on:** January 29, 2007, 05:02:28 am »

Quote from: MrD on January 26, 2007, 12:49:12 pm

I have also wanted to have a spectrum analyzer display to my jukebox project.

My first thought was maybe there was a way to hack a stereo equalizer and somehow wire up LEDs to the LED panel. It probably could work, but I don't have one to mess with and I'm not sure how it would work anyway.

What I found might not be quite as large as you are looking for (5"x7" panel). It's a T-Shirt with Electroluminescence panel and it's sound activated:

http://www.bluefishtshirts.com/products/tqualizer/

There is a video you can watch. My thought is to cut the fabric out of the T-Shirt and mount it to a board or frame it and put it on/in the jukebox. I'm not sure how bright they are yet. The price at bluefishtshirts is $35.95 and the shipping isn't bad. I tried ebay and their prices are all much higher and most of them are imported from the UK. A bit more searching and I found out if you use voucher code TCRITIC at bluefish you get an additional 20% off dropping the price to $28+/-. I ordered 2 and the total price with shipping was like $62.

I've seen quite a few videos of them and reviews. The might just work and certainly easier then hacking at something else.

These indeed do only work with the volume. So basically you are just getting a volume meter really, however the effect is quite good and i doubt the avarage joe would notice.

clanggedin · « **Reply #9 on:** January 29, 2007, 12:39:53 pm »

I have been thinking of installing a disco type floor in my arcade, but the cost of the boards the the guys from MIT make it too prohibitive at the moment. They charge $120-$450 depending on if your want the board fully built or as a kit and you do the soldering. There is alot of surface mount soldering
that you have to do so if you are not a very experienced solderer, then the fullt assembled board is the way to go. You still need to buy the RGB LEDs and the cables and brakout boards for the LEDS.

The cost of getting 64 RGB LEDS with cables and brakeout boards connected to a fully assembled board is $1100. You still have to buy wood and plexi to make any sort of decent display either for your jukebox or for a dance floor.

That's way too rich for my blood at the moment.

Barry Barcrest · « **Reply #10 on:** January 29, 2007, 07:20:28 pm »

Well jukeman has still not come up with a price for his boards either....

digitaldj · « **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2007, 01:02:17 pm »

Hey Guys!

I also use the MIT Kids boards but the best way to do it is to buy the circuit board from them and take the parts list and order your own parts. The way i have it figured is they charge $120.00 for each board with parts and i can buy the board for $35.00 and parts for not much more so you are looking at almost half the cost from what they want. You do not have to use everything they sell they are just trying to make it easier for you. I have to agree i think some of thier parts are a little high, like $50.00 each for a power supply. I bought 2 switching power supplies from Allelectrinics for about $15. If anybody wants to build my grids the info will be free but i would have to charge something for the calibration boards for the leds and you can purchase you own stuff from there. As far as software goes i am still working with the programmers that has helped me on the software end as to what they want to do. We are also thinking of venturing into expanding our software for the disco dance floors and artists boards.

Do as i did and buy here and there when you have the money!

I am putting together a website that i will probably have some stuff on there or where to get it. Keep checking back www.freewebs.com/artdecojukebox

I am also willing to help anybody with thier projects on the lighting even if it isn't what i have built. Sometime here in the future i am planning on designing my own boards but didn't have the time right now to do that for my project.

Kevin

meltman · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2007, 04:37:24 pm »

I would just make my own LED bar graph controller

based on this:
http://www.national.com/pf/LM/LM3914.html

digitaldj · « **Reply #13 on:** January 30, 2007, 05:18:08 pm »

Remember that is one bargraph and only one frequency/ To get a true frequency display bargraph you would have to use filters with multiple bargraph circuits. Now what you could do is get a graphic equalizer since it has the filters you need and put a bargaph circuit on each eq channel and whoolah you got it! Then your stuck with a bargraph disply and that's it. Go with software control and you can have everything you want bargraph, patterns, sound to light and sound to light with patterns.

Come on it's just money!

This is my new bargraph display with 8 frequencies!

Kevin

headkaze · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2007, 05:31:43 pm »

Quote from: Jukeman on January 30, 2007, 05:18:08 pm

Remember that is one bargraph and only one frequency/ To get a true frequency display bargraph you would have to use filters with multiple bargraph circuits. Now what you could do is get a graphic equalizer since it has the filters you need and put a bargaph circuit on each eq channel and whoolah you got it! Then your stuck with a bargraph disply and that's it. Go with software control and you can have everything you want bargraph, patterns, sound to light and sound to light with patterns.

Come on it's just money!

This is my new bargraph display with 8 frequencies!

Kevin

How are you doing that Jukeman? I think I remember you saying your a VB6 coder am I right? Are you using some VB6 ocx or something that has the FFT library required to split up the audio signal? Will it work in realtime with music through the soundcards audio mix out channel?

digitaldj · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2007, 06:02:58 pm »

Well i can't say i am a real good coder but have met up with a couple of friends to take my project to where i wanted to go. Yes we are using the record buffer with Fmod and yes it works in real time. We use VB6 to call the Fmod.dll to analyze the audio and seperate it into the frequencies we want. Since the MIT kids boards use 16step pulse width modulation we devide the audio up into 3 frequencies per channel of stereo and then each 3 into 16 steps to correspond to the 16 steps of pwm to the boards. The hard part was sending the information to the serial port which then uses a driver to send it out the usb port. There has been actually 4 of us to program all of the code. This has turned out to be one of the best l.e.d. control software anywhere and i am not bragging for me but for the guys that has helped. We have alot of things going on and a couple of bugs to workout. What is real cool is the fact that we can do more than i ever imagined even though i have been guiding the project and what my vision was and what i wanted. Of coarse the first that we did was patterns, then i wanted audio, well it has worked out that we now can do both sound with patterns. Along the way we added scripting to our playlist so you can tell the player software how to handle each pattern file or animation file, speed, number of loops, random files etc. You can even do text though we don't have a text editor yet you can draw the letters in the editor and animate them. I have to admit this is a project well worth the money to build! We recently did the bargraph and have been working with a fire animation as a pattern and with sound that is really cool!

headkaze · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2007, 06:17:34 pm »

I once wrote an LED scrolly sign in java for a website I made. It just gave me an idea for a feature for your Jukebox software. You could have a 4x4 pixel font vertical text scroller! How cool would that be! Check out this 4x4 font. Translate it to a multidimentional array then have the text scroll up. What do you think?

digitaldj · « **Reply #17 on:** January 30, 2007, 06:29:02 pm »

Yes indeed! I have done a couple of text scrollies but it takes time in the editor to do it. Once that would be implemented then add song title text and artist name text

This is why i posted the editor in other posts for people to play with and get peoples input!

Kevin

headkaze · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2007, 09:53:59 pm »

I thought I'd help out a bit a write a little VB6 program that outputs a 4x4 font character set. It also includes a function to output text in the 4x4 font. You will obviously have to write your own routine to output to your LED's. Coding it reminded me of how much I dislike VB6! Hope it helps

Code: [Select]

Option Explicit

Private Declare Function SetPixel Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hdc As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal crColor As Long) As Long

Private FontArray(0 To 127) As Long

Private Function LShift(w As Long, c As Integer) As Long
    'Bitwise left shift for short integers.
    LShift = w * (2 ^ c)
End Function
 
Private Function RShift(w As Long, c As Integer) As Long
    'Bitwise right shift for short integers.
    RShift = w \ (2 ^ c)
End Function

Private Sub InitFont()
    FontArray(0) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(1) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(2) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(3) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(4) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(5) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(6) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(7) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(8) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(9) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(10) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(11) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(12) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(13) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(14) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(15) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(16) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(17) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(18) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(19) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(20) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(21) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(22) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(23) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(24) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(25) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(26) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(27) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(28) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(29) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(30) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(31) = &HFFFF&
    FontArray(32) = &H0&
    FontArray(33) = &H6066&
    FontArray(34) = &HAA&
    FontArray(35) = &H6FF6&
    FontArray(36) = &H7C5E&
    FontArray(37) = &H9249&
    FontArray(38) = &HE526&
    FontArray(39) = &H24&
    FontArray(40) = &H4224&
    FontArray(41) = &H2442&
    FontArray(42) = &H4EE4&
    FontArray(43) = &H4E4&
    FontArray(44) = &H2400&
    FontArray(45) = &HE0&
    FontArray(46) = &H6600&
    FontArray(47) = &H1248&
    FontArray(48) = &H6996&
    FontArray(49) = &HE464&
    FontArray(50) = &HF687&
    FontArray(51) = &H786F&
    FontArray(52) = &H4F51&
    FontArray(53) = &H787F&
    FontArray(54) = &H6972&
    FontArray(55) = &H448F&
    FontArray(56) = &H6966&
    FontArray(57) = &H4E96&
    FontArray(58) = &H404&
    FontArray(59) = &H2404&
    FontArray(60) = &H2124&
    FontArray(61) = &HF0F0&
    FontArray(62) = &H2484&
    FontArray(63) = &H4496&
    FontArray(64) = &H6FFE&
    FontArray(65) = &H9F96&
    FontArray(66) = &H79F7&
    FontArray(67) = &HE11E&
    FontArray(68) = &H7997&
    FontArray(69) = &HF17F&
    FontArray(70) = &H171F&
    FontArray(71) = &HE91E&
    FontArray(72) = &H99F9&
    FontArray(73) = &HE44E&
    FontArray(74) = &H344E&
    FontArray(75) = &H9759&
    FontArray(76) = &HF111&
    FontArray(77) = &H9BF9&
    FontArray(78) = &H9DB9&
    FontArray(79) = &H6996&
    FontArray(80) = &H1797&
    FontArray(81) = &H6D96&
    FontArray(82) = &H9797&
    FontArray(83) = &H7C3E&
    FontArray(84) = &H444F&
    FontArray(85) = &H6999&
    FontArray(86) = &H4699&
    FontArray(87) = &H6DD9&
    FontArray(88) = &H9669&
    FontArray(89) = &H4469&
    FontArray(90) = &HF24F&
    FontArray(91) = &H6226&
    FontArray(92) = &H8421&
    FontArray(93) = &H6446&
    FontArray(94) = &HA4&
    FontArray(95) = &HF000&
    FontArray(96) = &H42&
    FontArray(97) = &H9F96&
    FontArray(98) = &H79F7&
    FontArray(99) = &HE11E&
    FontArray(100) = &H7997&
    FontArray(101) = &HF17F&
    FontArray(102) = &H171F&
    FontArray(103) = &HE91E&
    FontArray(104) = &H99F9&
    FontArray(105) = &HE44E&
    FontArray(106) = &H344E&
    FontArray(107) = &H9759&
    FontArray(108) = &HF111&
    FontArray(109) = &H9BF9&
    FontArray(110) = &H9DB9&
    FontArray(111) = &H6996&
    FontArray(112) = &H1797&
    FontArray(113) = &H6D96&
    FontArray(114) = &H9797&
    FontArray(115) = &H7C3E&
    FontArray(116) = &H444F&
    FontArray(117) = &H6999&
    FontArray(118) = &H4699&
    FontArray(119) = &H6DD9&
    FontArray(120) = &H9669&
    FontArray(121) = &H4469&
    FontArray(122) = &HF24F&
    FontArray(123) = &H6236&
    FontArray(124) = &H4444&
    FontArray(125) = &H64C6&
    FontArray(126) = &H5A&
    FontArray(127) = &HFFFF&
End Sub

Private Sub DrawFont()
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim x As Integer
    Dim y As Integer
    Dim Left As Integer
    Dim Top As Integer
    
    Left = 0
    Top = 0
    
    For i = 0 To 127
        If i Mod 16 = 0 Then
            Left = 0
            Top = Top + 5
        End If
        
        Left = Left + 5
        
        For y = 0 To 3
            Dim value As Long
            
            value = RShift(FontArray(i), y * 4) And &HF
                       
            For x = 0 To 3
                If (RShift(value, x) And 1) Then
                    SetPixel Picture1.hdc, Left + x, Top + y, vbWhite
                End If
            Next x
        Next y
    Next i
End Sub

Private Sub DrawText(Left As Integer, Top As Integer, Text As String)
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim x As Integer
    Dim y As Integer

    For i = 1 To Len(Text)
       For y = 0 To 3
            Dim value As Long
                      
            value = RShift(FontArray(Asc(Mid(Text, i, 1))), y * 4) And &HF
                       
            For x = 0 To 3
                If (RShift(value, x) And 1) Then
                    SetPixel Picture1.hdc, Left + x + (i * 5), Top + y, vbWhite
                End If
            Next x
        Next y
    Next i
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Call InitFont
    Call DrawFont
    Call DrawText(32, 64, "Hope this code helps with your LED scrolly!")
End Sub

digitaldj · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2007, 10:38:40 pm »

Headkazee,

Thanks for the code!

Let me ask you something, when i ran text across my grids i did 5x4 which was 5 high x 4 wide do you think this would look better? It gives a little taller character.

Kevin

headkaze · « **Reply #20 on:** January 30, 2007, 10:56:01 pm »

Well... I could do that if you want, but I would have to redesign the whole font. As it stands I ripped the font data from here then wrote the routines in VB6 to decode the font data. I think the 4x4 font is quite readable and will give more letters on the scroller at any one time meaning it will be easier to read in the long run. If you think about it you will have to put a space between each letter meaning it will be 5 pixels in height anyway. If I did a 5 pixel high font it would mean you would have to use 5 pixels height for each letter + 1 pixel space meaning you can only fit 2.6 characters on screen at once, whereas with the 4 pixel high font + 1 pixel space will mean you can fit 3.2 characters onscreen at once as it scrolls. It will be much more readable trust me.

Just for the record I wrote the decoder routines in C# first then ported them to VB6. This is how much I hate coding in VB6

digitaldj · « **Reply #21 on:** January 31, 2007, 08:34:44 pm »

Headkazee,

I am going to see what i can workout on this!

Give this Demo a try!

Download the Demo and put the 2 .dll files in your windows/system32 folder

1. Open your Volume control advance settings by double clicking on your volume control on you task bar at
the bottom of the screen.
2. Make sure Wav Control is turned all the way up.
3. Goto Properties
4. In Settings Make sure Wav Option is checked
5. Now select Record settings
6. Make sure Record or Stereo and Mono Mix is checked
7. Close Properties and in the controls screen make sure Record or the Stereo Mix control is checked and
turned all the way up.
8. Make sure what ever app you use to play your music that the volume is all the way up and you have to use the volume control on the task bar for the main volume control.

Enjoy!
Kevin

headkaze · « **Reply #22 on:** January 31, 2007, 08:51:04 pm »

I'm actually working on a similar project to you, but using the LEDWiz RGB's for effects on a CP. I have code that has the LED's flashing to music, and I also have a plasma type effect. You can read more about my plugin here. But this looks great, it's like a combination of both!

Unfortunately I don't have any videos of the effects I'm working on just yet, but I've just ordered my RGB buttons from GroovyGameGear, so I will be able to post a video then.

I'm very interested in this effect you've made. Any chance you could run me down on how it works? It really does look like your using the audio signal to control a plasma effect. Nice stuff


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Author Topic: LED Graphic Equailizer (Read 5571 times)

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