The RGB squiggle Generator is finally finished!

[Nemo222]

After being distracted by a couple other projects for a few months I have finished my RGB laser squiggle generator. It generates squiggles for use anywhere there is a deficiency is squiggles. It is a super simple visualizer, the idea for which I had many years ago and put to practice in the original squiggle generator which was a hacked stereo box and a 100mw green laser pen. I bought one of the Chinese RGB bricks thinking of putting it in a projector, but upgraded them to the DTR diodes which left me a laser module with no home. Now it is happily tucked away in a nondescript black box.

The squiggle generator consists of the RGB laser module, a pair of old hard drives serving as the galvos, a small analog beat detector circuit, a micro-controller to handle the color changes and a cheep 15W audio amp. And that is about it. Total cost, about 50$ plus the laser. It works by feeding the galvos raw audio and nothing else.

It was a fun project. It will probably live in my room but Its a good show off/demo piece for the hacker-space I am a part of.

Pictures and videos! Ill upload some non-copyrighted out the wazoo music later for those of you who may have problems
http://youtu.be/oCQABLAOPvc?list=PLl...8rMCSKOb2NrcI6

[VibrationsOfDoom]

...I like squigglies... That's a pretty neat project... You guys come up with some cool stuff...

[colouredmirrorball]

You should try some moog synthesizers! Sines, squares, rectangles etc. can create some great shapes.
Nice project! How did you do the colour change on each bass?

[absolom7691]

This is fantastic! It reminds me of my very first "laser" which wasn't a laser at all. It was a home based lighting device that Spencer Gifts sold that was called LaserFX. It was a tightly collimated halogen light that was bounced around by a mirror. It had a color wheel that would turn based on the music.



This is obviously much better because of the use of actual lasers and galvos. Such a cool project! Thanks for the nastalgia! Any schematics you'd like to share?

[Nemo222]

Color change is handled by the little circuit board on the bottom right of the last picture. its an analog beat detector (Band pass filter and comparator) that feeds a teensy micro controller (like an arduino, but better) which handles the color change on the TTL signal lines.

The schematics for the beet detector are here http://imgur.com/ST1ucB7 which is the extent of electronics in the thing. the rest of it is all dumb analog wiring. the original squiggle generator was built in an an afternoon. this one is actually simpler since it just uses an audio amp instead of a hacked old stereo

[absolom7691]

Very awesome. Thank you so much for sharing. I'd like to build that color changing circuit and then try to get myself a pair of GM20s and use my BeamScan XYP1000. It has audio inputs to do something similar. I lost the scanhead for it years ago and haven't built a replacement. GM20s should do nicely. I think I may even have some of the GM20 knock-offs in one of my junk boxes.

Off topic.... I spy, with my little eye, a pinball cabinet! Which one do you have there? I am sure it will catch flecom's attention. I am surprised it hasn't already! Here's his collection: http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...794#post205794

[Nemo222]

That is a Williams Road Kings machine in mostly functional condition. It works great until it overheats and then it crashes. Its pretty fun! my high score is about 2.7m points. the highest score on the machine is about 4.3m

[absolom7691]

Very cool. I have a Williams Millionaire pinball table. I love that thing! I wish I had the space and money for more of them but oh well.

I love your laser project. Very cool stuff. Like I said, it brought back memories for me. I was 10 years old and already bitten by the laser bug. I got one of those Laser FX lights and was in Heaven. Yours looks just like it, but better!

[Photonbeam]

Nice job! I love squiggles (I call spaghetti). People are often more impressed with abstract beam effects from a vibrating speaker mirror or though a twisted glass torture tube than they are with state of the art 60K scanning of Pangolin generated cartoons.

[krazer]

Nice build, reminds me of my first RGB http://www.krazerlasers.com/lasers/rgb_projector/

Also really is firing up the desire to get into the synth-based show design... It starts with 'hmm unless there is a stereo effect you get a strait line...' to 'ill just add in some rotation...' and bam you are knee deep in patches