NeoPixel 8X8 for vu-meter

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chillychilll
 
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NeoPixel 8X8 for vu-meter

Post by chillychilll »

Hi,
I'm building a MIDI controller based off of livid instruments brain v2 and i wonder if I need a microcontroller/microcomputer to work with 2 neopixel 8X8 panels side by side as a vu-meter? and possibly add some small animations?

Thanks
ChillyChilll

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chillychilll
 
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Re: NeoPixel 8X8 for vu-meter

Post by chillychilll »

Apart from those examples, what can you build with Builder and the Brain?
Anything that has a button, LEDs, potentiometer, encoder, FSRs, accelerometers, sensors, and more. Single LEDs, RGB LEDs, and “groups” of LEDs of 6,12, or 24 can be created and controlled with one MIDI note or CC or locally controlled with an encoder or pot. As a result, inventive, designs with interesting lighting feedback are possible. VU meters driven by CCs, or a clever array of LEDS that make glyphs or patterns can be arranged with your controls to provide novel, custom feedback that would never make it on Guitar Center’s shelves

This is livid instruments example of their interface. my concern is that it's only for groups of 6,12, or 24....can that be used with NeoPixel 8x8?

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: NeoPixel 8X8 for vu-meter

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

NeoPixels don't use standard RGB LEDs. They have a built-in control chip whose communication protocol depends heavily on signal timing. If your device isn't specifically built to work with WS281x LED drivers, it probably won't work with them.

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chillychilll
 
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Re: NeoPixel 8X8 for vu-meter

Post by chillychilll »

HI, Thanks for your input!
What device will work with MIDI input and WS281x LED drivers please?

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: NeoPixel 8X8 for vu-meter

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

I don't know of any existing device that does both, but you can use a microcontroller to take signals from the devices you mentioned above and have that create signals that drive the NeoPixels.

Any Arduino should be able to do it. The one you choose will depend on the number of input lines you want and how you want to define the signals that tell the display what to do.

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Renate
 
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Re: NeoPixel 8X8 for vu-meter

Post by Renate »

Yow, the Livid Brain v2 is quoted at $189!

If this thing is just inputting MIDI over USB and making pretty patterns then a ATMega 32u4 based thing should be able to handle it.
Besides, the Neopixels need a weird 800 kb/sec interface.
They can't be driven by the stock LBv2.

Do you really need 5 pin DIN MIDI or will MIDI over USB do?

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