![]() Realtime music visualizer board for LED strips |
Connection GuideInput: 3.5mm (1/8") stereo jack from phone, tablet, computer, Bluetooth receiver or other device. Output: 3.5mm (1/8") stereo jack to audio system like stereo receiver or amplified computer speakers. LEDs: 3-wire connection to WS2812 / WS2812B LED strip. No wires will be connected if you buy just the board, but if you buy an LED strip from us the Lumazoid board will have a compatible wire harness connected for you. Power: 5V, standard 2.1mm size, center positive ![]() Technical DetailsPowerThe Lumazoid board requires a 5V DC power supply (available in our store). The power supply must be capable of supplying 2A of current when using the Lumazoid with 60 or 120 LEDs (for example, a 1m or 2m strip with 60 LEDs per meter). The Lumazoid firmware is carefully designed to draw less than 2A of current when used with 60 or 120 LEDs. If you use the Lumazoid with a 180 LED strip, you will require a supply that can deliver at least 3A of current, but you probably already have such a power supply if you have that many LEDs. We only sell 2A power supplies at this time. If you design and code your own visualizations for Lumazoid, make sure you consider the current requirements of your visualization. LED Strip CompatibilityThe Lumazoid is designed for WS2812 or WS2812B LED strips. These are readily available from many suppliers (including us) and are sometimes referred to as "NeoPixel" which is Adafruit's branding for WS2812B strips. Sometimes LED strips are referred to as "WS2811" but the name WS2811 only refers to the driver chip and not the integrated chip+LED combo. If you have an LED strip that someone called "WS2811" and it has 3 wires (5V, ground, and data) then it should work. The Lumazoid does NOT work with other types of LED strips based on different technology like APA102 and APA104 LEDs (for example, Adafruit "DotStar" strips). Lumazoid only works with 3-wire LED strips based on WS2812 or WS2812B technology. IMPORTANT: When connecting the LED strip to the Lumazoid, carefully pay attention to the labels for the connections (GND, DOUT, 5V). The Lumazoid DOUT connects to the LED strip "DI" or "DIN" connection. Do not assume that the wire colors will match or that the order will match! The top-to-bottom ordering of connections on the Lumazoid board is GND, DOUT, 5V, and this order may be different on your LED strip. If you buy an LED strip from us, the order will match. If you buy a Lumazoid Bundle from us (Lumazoid board, power supply, LED strip) the board will have a wire harness that is compatible with the LED strip and you have nothing to worry about. IMPORTANT: Always connect the LED strip before connecting power. Do not connect the LED strip to a powered board. Instructions for UseInitial Setup ConfigurationBefore using your Lumazoid, you may need to configure it for your LED strip length and optionally adjust the brightness. By default, the Lumazoid is configured to use a 120 LED strip (for example, a 2m strip with 60 LEDs per meter) and is set for maximum brightness. If you have a different LED stip length or would like to reduce the brighness, follow these instructions. Brightness: hold the color button when connecting power. A rainbow of LEDs will be displayed on the first 8 LEDs. Use the parameter knob to change the brightness. When finished, press the color button again and your configuration will be saved to memory. This will be remembered even if power is disconnected. LED strip length: hold the pattern button when connecting power. One, two, or three red LEDs will be displayed. Used the parameter knob to choose your LED strip configuration based on the number of red LEDs:
When finished, press the pattern button again and your configuration will be saved to memory. This will be remembered even if power is disconnected. Volume and Sensitivity AdjustmentLumazoid works best when your music device volume is set to a high level. Smaller devices like phones and tablets will need their volume turned up to the highest level. Use the sensitivity knob to adjust the sensitivity of the Lumazoid. Small devices will require a higher sensitivity setting. A music device like a computer may not need a high sensitivity at all. Just experiment with your device to ensure that Lumazoid is responding to the music the way you desire. Patterns, Color Modes, and Frequency ResponseLumazoid lets you choose from different LED patterns and color modes. You can also adjust the frequency response. Patterns: Lumazoid has different display patterns for visualizing the audio signal peaks (high amplitude) detected in music. Lumazoid is like a graphic equalizer that shows the strength of different frequency bands, but Lumazoid displays the information in a much more interesting way. There are 8 different patterns for displaying the audio peaks in the music. Press the pattern button to cycle through them. A white LED indicates which pattern is selected. The 9th pattern is "random" mode which is indicated by a red LED. This mode changes the pattern randomly with a random time interval. The 8 patterns are:
Color Modes: Lumazoid has 3 different color modes. Press the color button to cycle through them. The chosen mode is indicated by a blue LED at the beginning of the strip.
Frequency Response: You can control which frequency bands the Lumazoid responds to. To set the frequency response, press and hold both the color and pattern buttons. Use the parameter knob to select how many of the 8 frequency bands will be visualized by the Lumazoid. If you want to only visualize the bass and beat of the music, set the frequency response to only the lower 2 or 3 bands. If you want to visualize all the frequencies in the music (like vocals and higher-pitched instruments), select all the frequency bands. Some Suggested Settings
Source CodeThe Lumazoid source code is open source and available on GitHub. |
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