Data & Observations
Now we'll test out the equalizer on a song. I overlayed the mp3 of the song played onto the video because the speaker is a headphone speaker and therefore not very loud (and I didn't feel like building an amplifier circuit just for it =P).
Some things that you'll notice right away are that if you alter the volume significantly the LEDs will either more readily light up or not (depending if you increase or decrease the volume). This is because of the amplification of the signal. The Audio signal is normally meant to go into headphones so of course the voltage will vary if you vary the volume. If this didn't happen then you wouldn't be able to turn the music up or down.
So, for this project because of the volume adjustment issues it's best to find a middle ground volume and to design for it. Then you'll be able to hear the music and see the beat on the LEDs like in the video above.
Now we'll test out the equalizer on a song. I overlayed the mp3 of the song played onto the video because the speaker is a headphone speaker and therefore not very loud (and I didn't feel like building an amplifier circuit just for it =P).
Some things that you'll notice right away are that if you alter the volume significantly the LEDs will either more readily light up or not (depending if you increase or decrease the volume). This is because of the amplification of the signal. The Audio signal is normally meant to go into headphones so of course the voltage will vary if you vary the volume. If this didn't happen then you wouldn't be able to turn the music up or down.
So, for this project because of the volume adjustment issues it's best to find a middle ground volume and to design for it. Then you'll be able to hear the music and see the beat on the LEDs like in the video above.