Help with Art Project

[swanna]

Hi, I'm an artist and a total electronics novice with VERY limited knowledge. I'm working on a project and was hoping to get some assistance. One of the parts in the project will be a simple (at least what I THINK should be simple) audio device that essentially self regulates its amplitude output based on its amplitude input. Very simply, it'll have a small speaker connected to an oscillator. There will also be a mic. The output of the mic (which can hear what's coming the speaker as well as the overall amplitude level in a space) will eventually be connected to the input of the oscillator so that the speaker is always at a certain output level. If it rises above it, the mic will lower the voltage input of the oscillator (i.e. lower its output), and if it dips below, the mic will increase the oscillators input (i.e. increase output at speaker). Seems easy enough in theory, but I know next to nothing and don't have a clear idea of how to proceed! I've done some research and know that I need to filter and rectify the mic's signal (though not entirely clear how to do that). I don't care about the frequency so much, though it would be good to be able to control it. I want to keep this fairly low-fi, so i'm not looking to use high end mics or anything of the sort. I appreciate any advice anyone has. Thanks.

 

[audioguru]

Why is the sound output level changing?
Is the oscillatror output changing?

Oscillators don't change the output level. A person adjusts a level control to change the output level.

Since your mic can hear background sounds then maybe the level will be changed by your circuit when somebody speaks or when a motorcycle drives past outside.

 

[swanna]

Why is the sound output level changing?
Is the oscillatror output changing?

Oscillators don't change the output level. A person adjusts a level control to change the output level.

Since your mic can hear background sounds then maybe the level will be changed by your circuit when somebody speaks or when a motorcycle drives past outside.

thanks for the response. you're correct, the leve will change when there's some disturbance in the space (the mic will be omni directional and will pick up everything around it). i know oscillators don't change the output level, my idea was to change the input of the oscillator (by feeding it the output from the mic and reversing it). more amplitude means more voltage, which would decrease the voltage to the oscillator causing a weaker signal.

what i don't know is what all should go between the mic and the oscillator to achieve this result...

 

[audioguru]

The circuit is called a ducker. The program level ducks (becomes reduced) when the announcer talks.