# Monster Guts Nerve Center



## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

I am curious what haunters have done with this device. Anyone? What can you do? I have some ideas I am just wondering how others have or would used their imaginations. How would this work for a newbie to controlled sound and motion? Up till now, my animation is controlled by a single pole switch and runs until I turn it off. Sound consists of a CD of a Halloween graveyard.


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## kprimm (Mar 14, 2009)

I have one right now powering my pneumatic zombie. This thing is great. I have 4 different routines programmed in all with sound, and the nerve center works great. Right now for this week monster guts has the nerve center on sale for half price. I am buying another one.


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## Cole&Jacksdad (Jan 20, 2011)

kprimm said:


> I have one right now powering my pneumatic zombie. This thing is great. I have 4 different routines programmed in all with sound, and the nerve center works great. Right now for this week monster guts has the nerve center on sale for half price. I am buying another one.


Do you have Monster guts number? Thier web site isn't up.


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## halstaff (Nov 18, 2009)

Dean's number is 860-230-7297
Email is [email protected]


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## Cole&Jacksdad (Jan 20, 2011)

Thanks!


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

I would definitely recommend a Nerve Center (FrightIdeas controller) for folks that are new to controllers. At 50% off on a Nerve Center...that's a good deal. I've got a birthday in a couple days and plan to order one for myself when the site comes back up.

The Use Of Controllers sticky might give you a few ideas. You can use the controller to sequence action (motors) with lights, audio, etc. Imagine something like a standing shiatsu zombie, or grave escape prop. Trigger the prop sequence to start the zombie movement, play heavy moaning and groaning sounds, and the maybe light up the area with cheap strobes or colored spots. Or use it for a trash can trauma to make a pneumatic pop up, scream at the tots, and flash colored lights. Next go around a different tot walks by, expecting the same thing his little buddy just witnessed and a different sequence might run.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

So this controller could control more than one thing-as in lights and also motion?


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## stagehand1975 (Feb 22, 2010)

The nerve center has to output relays. Each relay can be set to do different things. I have yet to try a nerve center. I started with fright ideas controllers. The only differences between the two is the nerve centers can do more than one set of programmable sequences. I believe its up to different audio and sequence programs.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

COuld I use it to control a talking skull, spots near the skull?


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## GOT (Apr 17, 2007)

You could use it for a skull, but you have to program it manually. Fortunately, it is very easy to program and you can have it say different things.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

Thanks for all the info. I went ahead and ordered one. For the price it cannot be beat.


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## SoCal Scare (Aug 3, 2007)

I sent an E-mail to Dean regarding the sale of the Nerve Center and he said because of the problems they were having with their website that they would keep the Nerve Center on sale until Memorial day so if your looking for a controller or two this is a hard one to beat at $50


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

jaege said:


> COuld I use it to control a talking skull, spots near the skull?


I wouldn't suggest this for creating jaw movement. Use something like the scary terry board from Cowlacious.

The thing that is difficult for many scenarios is to sync up lights with turning a motor on/off and include some audio. For that type of display, this would be great. As previously stated, the sale has been extended. I ordered mine earlier today (along with another wiper motor  ).


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## stagehand1975 (Feb 22, 2010)

That sale on these was extended until June 5th.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

DarkLore said:


> I wouldn't suggest this for creating jaw movement. Use something like the scary terry board from Cowlacious.
> 
> The thing that is difficult for many scenarios is to sync up lights with turning a motor on/off and include some audio. For that type of display, this would be great. As previously stated, the sale has been extended. I ordered mine earlier today (along with another wiper motor  ).


I have that board, I was planning on using the nerve center as the sound input to that board as well as doing some other things.


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## spinman1949 (Jun 29, 2009)

The nerve center type controller is only relays. It would be very difficult to control jaw movement. Much better to go with Cowlacious for that kind of control.

Here is a helpful video.






Here is a link to the board.

http://cowlacious.mybigcommerce.com/products/Scary-Terry-Audio-Servo-Driver-Board-%2d-ST400.html


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## ouizul1 (May 22, 2010)

Does anyone have any light to shed on hooking triggers to a Nerve Center? I bought one, but the manual is very faded...and the picture that details hooking up triggers is unreadable.

Programming and hooking up devices to the relays I got a handle on. But it's no good if I can't figure out the trigger thing.


Thanks...


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

I actually have the cowlicioius board. I just do not want to hook the skull up to a computer for the sound generation. I figured that the nerve center could provide the sound, since it does have on board sound, to drive the cowlicious to drive the skull.


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## fritz42_male (May 5, 2009)

No problem doing that and the relays could control some movement e.g. arms.

You could use a picaxe triggered on the same trigger for the nerve center to control head movement as well.

I use an ex home alarm pir connected to my nerve center but a cheap pir board from parallax or sparkfun should work as well.


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## ouizul1 (May 22, 2010)

I'm used one to build a thunder and lightning prop. One relay controls two strobe lights (set to max flash rate) and the other controls five 100 watt incandescent blue spot lights. The relays are rated at 12 amps. So in theory, depending on whether you do the calculation at 110 Vac or 120 Vac, you could run somewhere between 1300 and 1400+ watts of lights per relay. But that's pushing it pretty hard. In the darkened area where it gets set up, 500 watts is more than blinding enough.

I initially sequenced the lights to match the thunder claps of the sound file. Then I added a half-second delay to the front end of the sound file and reloaded it into the Nerve Center. So now the lights start flashing a half second before the sound starts.

I'm outputting the sound into an old receiver amp which is driving a pair of 100 watt cabinet speakers with 12 inch woofers. Not only is it really loud, but you can feel it too.


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## Hellspawn (Oct 13, 2006)

I bought two of these, they work really really well for prop control, the sound on the other hand is pretty terrible for anything other than a startle scream or something.

what I want to know is if anyone has been able to ADD an external sound source to work in conjunction with the Nerve Center controller

I want the nerve center to be able to activate and play back HIGH QUALITY, detailed sound.. Im sure something can be rigged up with a relay or two and a sound player but im not sure if the amount of work would be worth it.. I just love how easy it is to program routines into the Nerve center, just wish the sound was 100x better.


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## smoker360 (Mar 29, 2009)

Hellspawn said:


> I bought two of these, they work really really well for prop control, the sound on the other hand is pretty terrible for anything other than a startle scream or something.
> 
> what I want to know is if anyone has been able to ADD an external sound source to work in conjunction with the Nerve Center controller
> 
> I want the nerve center to be able to activate and play back HIGH QUALITY, detailed sound.. Im sure something can be rigged up with a relay or two and a sound player but im not sure if the amount of work would be worth it.. I just love how easy it is to program routines into the Nerve center, just wish the sound was 100x better.


I completely agree about the sound quality...

I ended up connecting a EFX-TEK AP16+ audio board to one of the Nerve Center's relays for better audio and the setup works great. I programmed 8 routines on the Nerve Center and have 8 different audio clips play randomly when triggered on the AP16+.

I have also used the combination of a Nerve Center and the 300 second audio board from electronics123.com with good results too.


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