Decibel Meter Display

Thanks for the info, but other than winamp (which I've heard of but don't use), I'm totally lost in that sentence. But that's for a computer, correct? (If not, then I'm lost even re: winamp) I'm looking for something for my main system, in which I don't use a computer (I know, so 20th century...).

An app for my PS3 would be ideal. I've already bought 1 viz. app (which is pretty lame) and also a game (that I love!) which includes a viz., since the game is based on the song you choose from what's on the PS3. It's a space shooter where the flow and density of enemies, as well as the power of your weapon, is controlled by the music's dynamics. To master the game, I've found that you need to work the controller in rhythmic sync to the music, so it almost feels like I'm playing an instrument! Or maybe dancing w/ my fingers is a more accurate description. Regardless, for me it's an incredible way to get even deeper into the music- I play that game as much as I just sit and listen to music. The visual aspect is cool (though using the viz alone is not that great), but the kinetic aspect is phenomenal. Unfortunately, the controller is worked so hard, I go through them very quickly...

 

Why not just use your ears, set the volume to what sounds good, no need for meters.

 

Yep, you need Foobar2000 music player app for Windows, it's free. Milkdrop was the best visualiser for Winamp, but you can run Winamp visualisations in Foobar with a "wrapper" plugin called Shpeck. It works really well. But without a computer, you're mainly looking at very expensive professional standalone anlysers.

My Crookwood VU meter is buffered and integrated with the full mastering console, so I can switch any of four analogue or four digital sources to it (plus four different sets of monoitors/cans etc.) Also has an attenuator to accomodate various input levels. Very handy!

Of course, but can be very useful when calibrating a room and mastering chain, and some of us just like the bling. Unfortunately with a lot of music these days the crest factor is so low that the meter only swings between a couple of dB!

 

Maybe going a little 70's old school here, I've got a pair of color organs. Remember those? They give you a color light show reacting to the music. They have built-in microphones or you can hook them directly to the outputs of your amp/receiver. I use the microphones, which gives me a visual representation of what I am actually hearing(or not hearing) rather than a direct connection which would indicate what I am supposed to be hearing. The color organs react to any sound in the room, so when watching TV, off they go because they are too distracting.

I've also got a Pioneer QX-949 which has a built-in scope for balance purposes of the 4 channels. It's cool to watch it also.

 

Well, I can always get a DP to HDMI adapter for my laptop and incorporate that, I suppose. Just seems like it would be fairly easy for an app developer to come up w/ an oscilloscope app- w/ enough customization that people could play around w/ it (colors, presets) to make it attractive enough to have enough appeal.

Thanks for the explanation and recommendation. Sounds like your setup is really sweet, though the visual aspect is just a a fringe benefit I'm sure. Sounds fun to play with.

 

I do but I tend to be a gadget guy and I received an email with this unit as the subject and I couldn't resist getting one.

I'm easy, I guess?

 

I don't think I've ever seen a color organ. I just did a google search and they look pretty cool. There are some used ones available as well as new ones; also many kits available. Very cool! Very retro. Thanks- something to think about.

Here's one that's on ebay.

 

I used to build these light organs from kits, when I was fifteen, Sometimes I would bring the box a bag of Christmas lights and a roll of masking tape. over to our friend's house. We would string the Christmas lights across the room from wall to wall, with masking tape. We would darken the room, and put on TOMMY! (I thought that you would like that).

My friend's father was an aerospace hydraulic engineer (think about the little motors that move the wings on the F-14's). He built the speaker cabinets and the tube integrated amplifier. It was either an Eico or a Heathkit, I don't remember which. Tommy sounded best through his stereo. We would sit through the entire 4-sides of the records and watch the lights flash on and off. Of all of our friend's who had decent stereo's, including my JC Penny, his was the best for listening to Tommy. Back then, we would sit at each others houses, after school and listen to records for hours and do nothing else.

 

A few steps up from Almost Famous, where his sister told him to light a candle and listen to Tommy! So- you just had the Xmas lights up and blinking- or you hooked them up to a kit? If the latter, that must have been pretty amazing!

I really miss those days when listening to music was a social event.

 

Here is how to put a color organ together, same as the one that I am currently using:

Here is a new commercial model light organ that I currently use, it is a three channel model, can take a lot of power, well built, will probably last forever. I power it with a 20W Lepai $20 amplifier. I have two units but I am only using one, with one channel of the Lepai.

Here is a Color Organ on eBay (new) for your consideration.





It is strictly analogue, do not connect LED lights to it!

This is the best commercially constructed unit on the market. It is housed in a weatherproof outdoor type metal box with 4-electric sockets. It is a 3-channel mono box with a 3-way crossover built in the box. It will handle 400-watts of incandescent lighting per-channel. There are three input sensitivity control knobs, one for each channel. There is a master sensitivity knob to adjust the overall sensitivity.

I take a "Y" connector off of my preamp outputs, I run this into a $23 Lepi amplifier. The Lepi amplifier run the color organ. There is something they do, which is a bit odd. The inputs are all RCA types, but... they are not line level inputs but are intended to be driven by a speaker level amplifier output. They give you the cheep Rat Shack type RCA cables, which you can cut in the middle to connect the bare wire to the Lepi amp's output. (Don't connect to a more expensive amplifier) I bought some slightly heavier dual wire (not shielded) connectors which have RCA to bare wire which I attached spade lugs. The Lepi has spring clip type of connectors for the speakers.

I have two color organ units, but I decided to only hook up one unit so my room does not take on the appearance of a disco.

For the lights, I purchased a 3-pack of standard light bulb sockets with a 12" cord and inline on/off switch.

The light bulbs are Phillips Transparent A19 25W bulbs, in red, green and blue. scroll down this green light bulb page link to "Frequently Bought Together" to get the links for the red and blue bulbs.



The red bulb is a nice pleasant cherry red, the green is a nice emerald green but the blue bulb, just wasn't blue enough for me, so I bought some transparent glass paint. Vitrail Cobalt Blue #37. You can pour the paint into a small cup or bowl with the base screwed in to one of the light sockets on the 12' cord. Just dip the bulb in the transparent glass paint or use a paintbrush. Let the bulb hang upside down to let the excess paint drip off and until the paint is dry. One coat is perfect as you do not want to reduce the overall light output so it won't match the other bulbs.

At this point, you have three light bulbs that go with the music, but it's not much fun looking a three bare light bulbs going on and off.

The secret sauce is Chinese Round 12" Paper Lanterns White.

I arrange the lights in a straight line, with the top of the lanterns about 12" from the ceiling and have the lanterns spread out with about 30" apart as measured from center to center. I run the wires from each lantern 1' straight back with little "C" hooks in the ceiling and then tie wrapped together behind the center lamp.

There are almost unlimited variations on this theme, Phillips 75W flood lights if you want to project the colors on a wall. Use C9 Christmas tree lights in a box with a translucent frosted glass or plastic front...

Everyone loves them, I consider their appearance as delightfully tacky.

I have a 16' strip of color LED's, hidden in a vertical blind valance, behind the lanterns. I can adjust the brightness and the color by remote control. This gives the entire plenty of light in the evenings and provides accent lighting during the daytime.

 

I would buy them as a kit with a circuit board and parts. I would buy a metal kit box from Lafayette Electronics, build the kit and mount it in the box. We used C9 (The large clear ones) Christmas tree lights on strands and tap them in in my friends bedroom. (BTW, In almost famous, when the kid places the needle on the rock opera Tommy, the song you hear playing on the album is called "Sparks"). The Christmas lights were the usually the kind that flasshed by themselves. With the color organ going, where the light bulbs were on for a while and warmed up, they would also flash by themselves.

I would also use three dichloric spotlights, which had very pure colors.

I would also mount strings of Christmas tree lights in wooden boxes I would find. The covering on the eBay light organ is sheets of plastic that have diamond prismatic shapes. This is ordinary plastic sheets that is used to cover ceiling mounted florescent lights. That is what creates the diamond shapes that you see on the outside of the box.

The control unit was a semiconductor called a triac. when a signal was applied to the gate, it would allow an AC signal to flow. The problem was the triac's would go bad and the lights would stay in the on position.

The pre-assembled units that I have previously mentioned, do not have these problems and seem to be built to last practically forever.

 

Back to displays on amp's and oscilloscopes, I recall many 1970's 4-channel quadraphonic amplifiers had "scope" displays. I think the info displayed varied for the different models, as the styles appeared to have great variation. Does anyone know what they actually displayed - I've always been curious?

 

Now that you mention it, I remember seeing those displays, thought they looked neat, but have no idea what they were displaying, not that you mention it. I would be curious to know also?

 

Thanks for the info and detailed instructions @SandAndGlass. That unit does look really heavy-duty, but rather pricey as well. And I'm not sure I'm into all the work- not really sure how much I want a color organ, though you and @AutomatedElectronics have given me some good options and some things to think about. Sure would be a lot easier just to buy an app and utilize my Big Screen. And I think I'd prefer the scope look to flashing lights. Might be easier to just search for a used scope. But I do appreciate you guys' time and effort.

 

Just a suggestion. I did learn from my youth not to buy inexpensive gear. It is just destined to breakdown. There is a less expensive option. That is to buy a unit that works off of LED's For me, that is just lights flashing full on and full off. Incandescent effects are more fun. You can have lights in a box, Chinese lanterns, a musical Christmas tree, spotlights for an outdoor display...

Just wanted you to know that I do personally endorse this product, have personal experience using it and feel it is a quality product that I feel comfortable in personally recommending.

I really like the idea of having an app that does different light displays that I can display on the big screen TV.

 

I assembled one of these in high school electronics class. A bit drug influenced as well.

GRAYMARK The Flipper Model 520 Psycholite Flash w Music Color Light Organ Strobe »

 

I thought we all should have a look at it!



The description indicates, that is a single channel, which goes with the music, can you explain how the controls work?

 

It must be very well-developed, as it appears that there have 519 previous models.

 

519 previous models???

 

The illustrated The Filpper is model # 520, hence 519 previous models.
Did I need to add the smiley face?

 

No, its just late and I am watching a little one and I am brain dead.

 

Thanks SandAndGlass. Actually, it's been so long ago I don't remember. I know the sensitivity was more like a volume control so the unit can be set according to the power level that was coming into it. I think the Background control was for lamp intensity.

I have also connected one small Christmas light bulb to my amp outputs before. Maybe someone knows how many ohms one of those are?