# four banger controller zombie room question



## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

So I want to create a zombie contamination area, and I want to have the prop controller use the scare audio set off a "warning, warning, please evacuate the area" audio track, there will be no ambient audio going, this will play about 5 feet before they enter the zombie area with zombies, so the trigger will be well ahead and these scare speakers also places 5 feet before entering, then i would have one of the relays set for the power to come on for the speakers which will have a mp3 player playing zombie group effect, sound doable, or a better way? One might say why not have the audio for the "warning" playing on ambient, one small maze with only plastic wall panels thus i dont want the audio to be continuously playing as they will hear it well before they get there and also will be noise to the other audio effects in the 20' x 20' maze, thus want audio to play, be done until next person hits the spot. I will also have one relay for fog, one for zombie motor, and one for lights. 

Another thought I had was to use 2 prop controllers, one to set off the "warning" alert only audio scare track, and then as they entered the actual zombie area that controller would kick off the scare audio track with the zombie group, and then have 4 relays to just control lights, fog, motors.. 

any thoughts on which one would work best with the four banger, or a better way I am not thinking of?


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## Richie4540 (Jul 23, 2015)

look up MikkoJays Fourbanger prop controller (on this forum), you can make a short audio track with nothing in it to be the background track and then have your scare track to play the warning. 

Total cost is $20 and some of your time to assemble and make the tracks.


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## BillyVanpire (Apr 22, 2015)

i think using 2 controllers you can have 1 scare going and still have the warning play as more people approach the maze.


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

BillyVanpire said:


> i think using 2 controllers you can have 1 scare going and still have the warning play as more people approach the maze.


Yeah that was my thought but was also thinking well maybe it might be better to go with 1, hopefully all my extra parts will get here soon so I can assemble them all. I have one assembled now ready to go in a box, and more parts to put another 3 or 4 together.


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## mikkojay (Sep 15, 2014)

These things are pretty awesome:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TF-Card-U-d...ayer-Module-/191543512579?hash=item2c98e20e03
They take a 5v power input and start playing automatically at power up.
They also have a 3w speaker output that is loud enough to be heard well.
You could have 1 of 4 relays toggle 5v to power one of these on for your "intro sound". Then, you could create a scare track with a delay/silence at the beginning and pipe the audio from the controller's audio module to an amplified set of speakers. This would leave you with 3 relays for other stuff.

Another approach would be to make a customized scare audio track that has the 2 sounds split into left and right. I use audacity to do this. I'm not an expert at that program, but I have gotten it to work. What you then do is pipe the left audio to one speaker in location A, then pipe the right audio to a speaker in location B. It then has the net effect of having 2 separate audio tracks coming from 2 separate places, but you get the benefit of only needing one audio module, SD card, and one stereo amplifier.

Not sure either of those will work, just a couple ideas to throw into the pot.

-Mike


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

*lol full of ideas*



mikkojay said:


> These things are pretty awesome:
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/TF-Card-U-d...ayer-Module-/191543512579?hash=item2c98e20e03
> They take a 5v power input and start playing automatically at power up.
> They also have a 3w speaker output that is loud enough to be heard well.
> ...


Mike you make me laugh as you always seem to be able to pop up ebay links with all kinds of cool stuff.. i bought that wire you told me about also with 4 strands in it, and the servo wires for making easy connects and disconnects, it worked perfectly for the PIR.

So i will run a 5v wire from the arduino 5v out that will go to the board in link, and then a ground wire to NO on relay with the common going to gnd on the mp3 module in the link above.. if memory serves me right from the 4 banger diagram.

oh and yes I am using audacity to grab audio to combine voice and alert effects... "danger, system overload, evacuation sequence initiated, self destruct in 1 minute, please evacuate immediately.." with a siren type alert going off.


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## mikkojay (Sep 15, 2014)

One thing to remember about the 5v out of the arduino is that it is pretty limited in the current it can provide. Make sure you don't exceed its current output with the sum of the modules you run from it. An uno might have a bit more current available than the nano. This is especially true if you want to use the speaker level output, less so if just using the line level.
-Mike


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

*OR? I could...*



mikkojay said:


> One thing to remember about the 5v out of the arduino is that it is pretty limited in the current it can provide. Make sure you don't exceed its current output with the sum of the modules you run from it. An uno might have a bit more current available than the nano. This is especially true if you want to use the speaker level output, less so if just using the line level.
> -Mike


Just get a 5v power supply and have it's own PS to the mp3 player, the picture didnt give lots of detail, is the blue block where the power connection goes? Or does it only run off of a regular usb connection? I figure that blue terminal block was where pos/gnd would go, and when it powers back on it will always start at the beginning not where it left off?


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

*better picture*



iowachap said:


> Just get a 5v power supply and have it's own PS to the mp3 player, the picture didnt give lots of detail, is the blue block where the power connection goes? Or does it only run off of a regular usb connection? I figure that blue terminal block was where pos/gnd would go, and when it powers back on it will always start at the beginning not where it left off?


Ok, found a better image with details, so the blue terminal block is the speaker pos and neg wire connections, then on top of that is a black connection which I figure is for a 5v barrel type plug for power? Of which one could recharge the battery it says using the USB connection from a usb power supply or a mobile usb power bank.


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## mikkojay (Sep 15, 2014)

The black connector above the blue terminal block is a 1/8" line out audio jack.
The blue terminal has mono speaker-level output.
I use 5v phone charger adapters for these. You can usually find a bunch of them at thrift stores for $1 or $2 a piece. Old phone adapters typically supply 500ma or so, which is great for these if using the mono speaker output.


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

mikkojay said:


> The black connector above the blue terminal block is a 1/8" line out audio jack.
> The blue terminal has mono speaker-level output.
> I use 5v phone charger adapters for these. You can usually find a bunch of them at thrift stores for $1 or $2 a piece. Old phone adapters typically supply 500ma or so, which is great for these if using the mono speaker output.


Ok so if using a 5v phone charger it is a mini usb right? How would the relay trigger it on, would one cut into the wire of the usb 5v cord? Never opened one so not sure how many wires are in one.


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

*I did order it*

I have ordered it, just trying to figure what I will need to do once it arrives in terms of how to power it up to the relay.


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

*wire image of USB cable*

Ok, so if this is right I can take the red from usb cable to a jumper wire leg off the +5v on the arduino board, I have a 12v 2a power supply running the ardunio so should be no problemo, then run the gnd to common, and from NO to gnd/black of the usb cable to the mp3 module


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## mikkojay (Sep 15, 2014)

iowachap said:


> Ok, so if this is right I can take the red from usb cable to a jumper wire leg off the +5v on the arduino board


This confuses me, I thought the idea was to use the USB p/s as a power source to the $2 mp3 board. That would have nothing to do with the +5 of the Arduino. Maybe you should sketch up your whole proposed schematic since describing it in words leaves a little too much to the imagination.

I thought everything would be hooked up like usual, then use 1 relay (common and n.o) to open and close the +5v from a separate 5v adapter going to the $2 mp3 board. When the relay goes on, it would be like connecting power to the $2 mp3 board.
-Mike


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

mikkojay said:


> This confuses me, I thought the idea was to use the USB p/s as a power source to the $2 mp3 board. That would have nothing to do with the +5 of the Arduino. Maybe you should sketch up your whole proposed schematic since describing it in words leaves a little too much to the imagination.
> 
> I thought everything would be hooked up like usual, then use 1 relay (common and n.o) to open and close the +5v from a separate 5v adapter going to the $2 mp3 board. When the relay goes on, it would be like connecting power to the $2 mp3 board.
> -Mike


Grin yes, but what type of power connection is on the mp3 board, a mini usb or does it have a barrel power connection, or a + and -, if its a mini usb i will need to cut into the usb wire to make the connection on the relay board..


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

I was only thinking about the 5v arduino power since I was going to need to cut the usb cable anyway to run the black to the relay.. so I can get a separate power supply.. here is diagram.. 









https://goo.gl/photos/kqADeti99eD9GShq5


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## mikkojay (Sep 15, 2014)

There are + and - pads to the right and left of the micro usb connector that you can solder your +5 and gnd wires directly to. I usually just cut the cable and solder the wires. Less to wiggle loose, etc.
-Mike


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

Perfect! This image helped a lot!


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

I guess it does not matter if i use a USB/Udisk or a micro sd card?


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## iowachap (Aug 19, 2015)

P.S Mike, 

I cant say thanks enough for all the tips, links, feedback, ideas etc.. I have learned so much in the past several weeks than I have since we started doing halloween all the way back in 1997, from San Fran Bay Area to now here in NC I have more excitement about doing things vs the last year where I was not even sure I would want to do anything this year at all. That prop controller for sure was something I had wanted to do for sometime but never could find anything to do it. I remember seeing others talk about using arduino, but there were no real details for newbs to get started, certainly for those like me who are very hands on visual learner types.


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