Audio and LED's

Hello everyone!
Studying the forums I seem to find that this topic is a bit like whipping a dead horse, but because I'm not that confident in my designing of electronics, and I know there are much more intelligent people than me out there! (that's not actually that difficult ), I've chosen to ask the experts.

Ok so here goes:
I am a bloke and as a result I like music...loud music and what better to go with loud music than LED's that will sync with it? I have searched high and low and everyone seams to rate this circuit but wont that blow up? There's nothing stopping the voltage going to high and may end up popping LED's!

All I need is a simple circuit that will power a few led's off a 12v power source that will react to music. Before I confuse everybody, this is going in two places: One circuit in the foot wells of the front seats and secondly, another circuit underneath the car so I can become an official "chav".

Please Please help!
Kyle

It is a hopeless circuit that is designed by somebody who knows nothing about electronics.
The base-emitter juction of the transistor is like a dead short to the music source so the music source will sound very distorted just before it blows up.

The LEDs do not have a current-limiting resistor so they will also probably blow up.

I'm getting somewhere

Right ok thought so, didn't realise it was that bad though!

So audioguru clearly you are the Guru of Audio! Can you please help me? I just need a simple circuit that'll do what I need it to?

The specs are above but just incase Iv copied them below

All I need is a simple circuit that will power a few led's off a 12v power source that will react to music. Before I confuse everybody, this is going in two places: One circuit in the foot wells of the front seats and secondly, another circuit underneath the car so I can become an official "chav".

Click to expand...

Mate if you could could you just draw something out for me on ms paint please? I'm really struggling on finding something right to do the job!

Thanks in advance
Kyle

Errr Anybody???

Here's a simple circuit that won't blow up.

A half-decent circuit that blinks LEDs to the beat of the music is fairly complicated. I have a project that has 20 LEDs in a VU meter. Its input is a microphone and it shows a pin dropped on the floor in the next room up to very loud sounds from music.

I don't see why you need a complex circuit unless you're building a colour organ.

Maybe a pot. could be added to adjust the flashing level or a low pass filter if you just want the bass to flash the LED; both are fairly simple. The circuit I posted might not have any of the aforementioned but at least it won't blow up.

Nope that circuit looks awsum, hero999. Sorry I've not been on here for ages my emails havn't been getting sent for any updates on this circuit. Your proud of that circuit audioguru arn't you . I've seen you mention it in previous posts. Must've taken you ages!

And yes I don't want my circuits blowing up! Basically it's going in my car and will blink with the music, but im having it on a switch so it can be: off, blink, on, activated by door opening. I'm really looking foreward to building it and will post some picys when I'm done!
Thanks again guys any more...."elaboration" (is that the word?) on this subject to increase my knowledge is very appreciated
Cheers
Kyle