How do I use the Lumin Audio application from GGG?

[unclet]

I received my LEDWiz and tested it out by connecting one blue LED light to the PCB.  I then started the main LEDWiz software, selected "LumAura Control", selected the circle corresponding to the port the LED light was plugged into and I saw it shined a nice blue color.  I also read the "PreliminaryDocsSubset.txt" file and understand how a LWA file can be configured.

Now, I would like to be able to use the "Lumin Audio software" to make my lights dance to the music produced by my computer, however, I have no idea how to do this.   Will someone please tell me exactly what I need to do to make my one connected blue LED light dance to the music?  I would assume if I get this one LED light to "dance" then connecting more LED lights eventually will be easy.

I just have no idea what the relationship between the main LEDWiz software and the Lumin Audio software is ........ what is the secret?

I open the "Lumin Audio" software and have no idea what to do ....

[RandyT]

The apps are stand-alone.  No relationship, other than that you can define an animation in the editor and then use it in the LuminAudio software.

If you do a search on LuminAudio, you should find a post in the software section where I have walked a couple of folks through its operation.

RandyT

[unclet]

I have seen your main post which announced the Lumin-Audio software:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=69607.0

... however I do not understand exactly what needs to be done to get the LED lights to dance.   Since they are standalone applications, am I correct to assume I simply need to do the following two steps to see the LED lights dance?

1) start the Lumin-Audio application
2) Play music on my PC


The post (I link to above) states the following:

The newly added LWA file support, coupled with the new Delay and Decay sliders, will open up things for mono-LED users quite a bit though

... but I have no idea what the "LWA Link", Decay and Delay stuff does.   Based on your comment in this post it seems the "LWA link" is used to select a LWA file, but I am not quite sure why someone would do this if you wanted your LED lights to dance to the music.  Basically, why define a LWA file with how you want your lights to blink when you just want them to blink with the current song being played?  I clearly am missing a thing or two ..... or three.

I have not started a song on my computer yet while the Lumin Audio software is running .... perhaps this is my main problem.  I have just been trying to wire the LED lights and test that they work using the main LEDWiz software.    I have not put them on a computer which has music on it yet.    Must I start music in order to see anything happen in the LuminAudio software?  I am trying to figure out what needs to be done by reading stuff.  Maybe that is my problem .....I should be spending more time with the software ....

[ahofle]

Must I start music in order to see anything happen in the LuminAudio software? 

From my understanding of Randy's software, that is exactly what you need to do.

[unclet]

Well I guess I was trying to read too much before actually "doing" ..... so I guess I will load some music on my computer to properly test this eventually.  Thanks

[RandyT]

... but I have no idea what the "LWA Link", Decay and Delay stuff does.   Based on your comment in this post it seems the "LWA link" is used to select a LWA file, but I am not quite sure why someone would do this if you wanted your LED lights to dance to the music.  Basically, why define a LWA file with how you want your lights to blink when you just want them to blink with the current song being played?  I clearly am missing a thing or two ..... or three.

The LWA link, Decay and Delay control how the lights react.  You can define an animation and link frame advance to the beat detection.  Delay and Decay are similar to their audio synth counterparts.

It will be much clearer once you get some music going and start playing with the sliders.

RandyT

[unclet]

I wired up a couple of panels with LEDs, connected everything, started your software and played some music ....... and the lights danced  ..... 

One question is ...... since I do not listen to a lot of heavy bass music, is there a way to get the LED lights to dance more based on the voice of the singer rather than the bass in the background?

Either way, I believe these lights are going to look great on my jukebox.   Thanks for the software Randy!

[headkaze]

I wired up a couple of panels with LEDs, connected everything, start your software and play some music ....... and the lights danced  ..... 

One question is ...... since I do not listen to a lot of heavy bass music, is there a way to get the LED lights to dance more based on the voice of the singer rather than the bass in the background?

Either way, I believe these lights are going to look great on my jukebox.   Thanks for the software Randy!

Make sure you post a video of it when you have it rigged.

[unclet]

I will post a bunch of construction pictures on my site once it is finished.  Not real sure how to take a video, but I can look into this a bit later.

BTW:  I highly recommend the pegBoard with one white side to mount LED lights to.  It comes with holes already in it so you can simply stick the wires of the LED lights through them and tape down.   The white side of the pegboard seems to hold the electrical tape very nicely as well as provides a very nice reflective surface.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I would love to see the final video as well.  Maybe you can use a digital camera that captures video and then simply upload it to Youtube.  That's what I do with my Sony cybershot.  It usually saves it as an mpg file.

Now you have my gears turning in my head!  I may want to install a "ground effects" series of LCDs along the bottom of my arcade.  They would then either pulsate to match the trackball, or "dance" to the music on my menu.  Hmmmm.

Anyone out there know if you can use a single LED Wiz to do both pulsating of a trackball and dancing to the lights using the same unit?  Or do I have to purchase 2 different LED Wiz's to do this?  In other words, I want the original LED Wiz to control the pulsating (and cycling colors of my RGB leds on my Electric Ice Trackball) and I also want the music to pulsate on the bottom (blue leds only).  I don't want the Trackball lights to "dance".

Again, can't wait to see the final product Uncle T!

~ DeLuSioNaL

[unclet]

Well ..... I just finished wiring up one of the two LED panels I am going to use and was going to test it all out to make sure all the connections were solid.  I plugged in the spare power supply and realized one of the extra 5V power cables were left dangling and made it's way into the fan on the back of the power supply.

The result was a "click" and stuff stopped working.   I am pretty sure the spare power supply is dead now since the fan no longer works and switching out the fan did not make any difference.   I am hoping the actual LEDWiz PCB is good but I have no way to test since I am without another spare power supply.   

I was one step away of testing all my LEDs on one of my panels and this crap happens.    I am a little "upset" now ..... uugghhh.

Need to find another cheapy spare power supply from someone as my second spare one  I found in my closet does not seem to work either.   I plug in the second spare power supply and the fan comes on for about 2 seconds then goes off ..... that is it.  No idea what that is about.

Anyway, this is how my night ends tonight .....   

[headkaze]

Why do you need a "spare" power supply to run your LEDWiz? Why not run it off your PC's power supply?

[Havok]

Why do you need a "spare" power supply to run your LEDWiz? Why not run it off your PC's power supply?

You shouldn't need a spare, like Headkaze is hinting at - just buy a splitter from Radio Shack if you don't have a spare connector off your current psu. Also, depending on the amount of LEDs you have hooked up, you can alternatively tap into the USB power on the LEDWiz, however IIRC, it has to be less than 500mA...

[unclet]

Yeah I know I do not need a spare power supply but I really hate the idea of having a 5V line outside of my computer case.   Might end up doing this now that the spare power supplies are all gone .....

Anyway, I need to power the LEDWiz from a 5V line instead of USB since I am connecting multiple LEDs together on one LEDWiz port.

[Havok]

Are these just standard LED's? If so, the typical power consumption for one is 20mA, that would allow you to connect 25 LED's on the LEDWiz, without having to tap external power.

[unclet]

I plan on connecting about 45 to 60 LEDs.   Randy indicated 5V from power supply was the way to go .....

[Havok]

Yep - that settles that. If you don't want to tap the psu, then just pick up an ac-to-dc adapter, and cut the end off. For 60 LEDs, get one that can handle at least 1.2 amps

[Kremmit]

If you were running a second power supply with a few LEDs on the 5v rail and nothing else, that could be why it died, and why the other one won't work.  Power supplies are expecting some draw, and on the 12v rail as well.  They aren't designed to run nothing more than a few LED's.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Yeah I know I do not need a spare power supply but I really hate the idea of having a 5V line outside of my computer case. 

Have you considered something like this?  It's a mere $4.99.
http://www.xoxide.com/pci-power-bracket1.html

~ DeLuSioNaL

[unclet]

Kremmit
While what you say might be true, the reason why my power supply failed was because a loose 5V "live" wire made itself inside the back of the power supply fan housing.   I had no idea this wire curved around and got itself stuck in there.   Needless to say I heard a "zap" and then nothing worked anymore .....      I am quite confident this is why my power supply no longer works.   


DeLuSioNal29
Great idea .... I have never seen something like this.    Might get this "PCI Power Bracket" thing ... thanks

[DeLuSioNal29]

I just received my bracket yesterday.  This morning I ran a line from the 12v line and ground on the bracket to my LED marquee light and it worked like a champ!  Nice and neat wiring with no messy wires hanging out of the back of my computer case.  I'm glad I bought it.

[unclet]

Yep sounded good to me as well .... I just bought one.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Heh heh, I actually bought an extra one for my buddy's MAME cab.  If you lived close by I would have picked up one for you also to save on shipping.