Make Lights Flash to Music Circuit Help Needed

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InTheEmpyrians

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I am attempting to make a circuit for my car. I have two subwoofers in my car and I have some LED sticks that I want to hook up to make flash to the bass.

I have a good head start using the diagram provided below. The idea is to have a Solid State Relay attached to a diode bridge coming out of the amplifier, except unlike in the diagram, I am using 12V DC lights, and will not be using any kind of plug. The diagram is for AC christmas lights.

I'm not entirely sure if my setup will work, so I need some help.
I am considering a DC SSR with 3-10VDC control voltage, with no more than 2A draw. I have no clue with diode bridges, but I was looking at this one VISHAY FORMERLY INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER|2KBB10|Diode | Newark.com

Could someone please help me to make sure I get the right parts, and have it setup right. I have never worked with diode bridges, nor with SSRs, so any help would be great.

Thanks

**broken link removed**
 
I don't see the need for a solid state relay.

How much power do the lights use?

See the following thread.

https://www.electro-tech-online.com/threads/plz-help-me-playing-with-these-leds.104377/

Here's some schematics from the thread.
**broken link removed** **broken link removed**

Here's a circuit which uses a microphone so doesn't have to be directly connected to the output of the stereo.
**broken link removed**

If the lights are more than just a few LEDs, you'll need to add another transistor to boost the current.
 
Well I was going to use the Solid State Relay because, in case you don't already know, it is essentially a switch in which, when the bass notes hit, it sends a signal to the SSR which turns on a LED inside the SSR which activates the switch, connecting the 12V to the lights and causing them to flash per bass hit. I have seen many examples in which people successfully employed this with christmas lights. Check out this video
YouTube - DIY: Music Controlled Lights.
 
Now he wants us to not only hear him coming but also see him! Arghhhh!
A rectifier and current limiting resistor should do it.
 
Well, if you want to keep going in the same direction, yes, a DC in, DC out, SSR will do the job. Just make sure that the peak voltage at the output of you AMP is high enough to turn on the SSR, but not too high to "destroy" it !!

As for the rectifier, you can simply use 4 simple diodes hooked up like in your diagram. Once again, make sure that their voltage rating is higher then the peak voltage of your AMP stage.

But once again, as Hero999 said, there are simpler ways to do it.
 
What is the power output of your amp? voltage = square root of output power x load resistance, easy. I think.
 
We can easily calculate the max undistorted output voltage but we don't know how loud he plays music. He probably doesn't play at the same loudness all the time. So an LED driver circuit with its own volume control or with an AGC circuit is needed.
 
Even at 10 watt out (I dobt it is that little) there would be enough V to drive the LEDs. This takes me back to the mid-1970s when light-organs were all the rage. Next thing: Platform shoes and bell-bottom pants? If only I where that young!
 
canadaelk said:
Even at 10 watt out (I dobt it is that little) there would be enough V to drive the LEDs.
Click to expand...

At 10W per channel you're pushing your car audio system quite hard, the sound quality will deteriorate if the volume is significantly increased.

TechnoGilles said:
But once again, as Hero999 said, there are simpler ways to do it.
Click to expand...
It depends on what you mean by simple.

If you've not soldered before the SSR is probably the simplest approach because most are solderless, meaning you only have to solder the rectifier.

audioguru said:
So an LED driver circuit with its own volume control or with an AGC circuit is needed.
Click to expand...
A good idea but it's extra complexity.

I'll post a schematic if the OP is still interested.
 
New Idea

I found a new idea from an instructable and modified it to a way in which I think may work. I apologize for the crappy drawing, I did it with an online Photoshop app and with a trackpad.

Let me know if you think this will work. The transistor is a TiP31


**broken link removed**

Oh and a switch inbetween the power line going from the battery to the LEDs
 
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You're right about the drawing being crappy.

Where's the transistor?

Please use the correct symbol or at least label the emitter, collector and base.

**broken link removed**

Be very, very careful about using circuits you find on instructables because they're often designed by people who know nothing about electronics.
 
The transistor will very quickly vaporize or the amplifier will blow up (or both) because a resistor is missing that limits its base-emitter current.
A diode is missing that limits the reverse voltage to the emitter-base junction of the transistor that has a max rating of only 5V.
A resistor is also missing that limits the current in the LEDs so they also might vaporize.
There is no level control for the LEDs so if the important resistors and diode are added so that the LEDs and transistor don't burn out then the LEDs might be turned on all the time.
 
well how about someone helps me out...im not posting on this forum for everyone to tell me my diagram wont work. I need help, otherwise I wouldn't be on this forum.
 
The SSR with a DC output (Mosfet output type) and a 3 - 32 volt input will work just fine. Put a 10K pot in line with the SSR input so you can adjust the triggering sensitivity.

Thats about as complicated as it needs to be.
 
I like the idea of using a microphone instead of a stereo output...in the schematic can you specify what transistor, microphone, where the lights go, etc?
 
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