# A sound/light trigger



## EMU (Dec 4, 2007)

Hey guys! I am so happy to have the forum back. Now i feel motivated, and I need help from all you Tech wiz kids. Hopefully everyone has been better then me, and is almost done with their props for this year! (Don't we all wish...)

But this year, i feel EXTREMELY motivated, i have a great haunt introduction recording, that i want to set up but i have a plane for this one. 

The recording begins "Allow me to tell you what really happened." (This recording wasn't stolen from a professional haunt, but it mimics EXACT words from a specific one). I recorded REALLY in emphasis, not really thinking. Then upon obsessing I come to find that it sounds as if the voice over should interrupt an actor. So to make this long story short...

I want to have an actor trigger a recording, and the recording be emphasized by some flickering lights. I need all of your help to tell me, what should i use to trigger it, pressure mat, etc. What do i want to buy that need to be triggered. And finally a REALLY dumbed down How-to to set this up... For those of you who speak with me in chat you KNOW im slow on the draw. haha thanks guys!:jol:


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Sounds like that could be done with a player, speakers, and a remote on/off for an outlit.

The remote and outlit adapter would cost around $10


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## Scottzilla (Jun 13, 2007)

I agree. Apart from having a techie hiding behind a wall working a CD player on cue, a remote is the way to go. You could get one of these types of things:

Amazon.com: New Indoor WIireless Remote Control Power Switch Outlet: [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@41MPWu8l4cL

Modify it so that it has a switched (dry contact closure) instead of having power coming out of it. It would be similar to this mod, except with a remote instead of a motion sensor:

http://www.automat3d.com/electronics/motion-sensor-switched-output-hack/

Hook two wires to the play button in your favorite CD/MD/MP3 player, and connect them to the receiver you just modified.

Voila! Now when you press the button on the remote the sound will start playing. You'll have to figure out how to put your particular player in repeat mode or auto-pause or whatever way works best.

Getting the lights to flicker might be a bit more of a challenge. I suppose you could modify the remote receiver with two relays; one for the lights and one for the sound. Are you using any kind of lighting controller already?


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

Well, if you're looking to sync the lights to the soundtrack, you could run the audio off the left channel and put a series of tones on the right channel for each pulse of the lights, then run the right channel through a Scary Terry Board hooked up to the lights via a relay on the LED port.
I'll be using this setup this year to trigger a fog machine in sync with a video projection.


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## HolyTerror (Mar 11, 2009)

If I understand correctly , what your wanting to do is:

You have one main recording that you want to interrupt another recording , which that second recording has lights flickering to the voice . Is that correct ?

If yes , then all you really need to buy , is a lightening box ( as its called by some )

Take your MP3 or CD player , have the recording done as MR CHICKEN said . Your voice say the left bank , the other voice on the right bank , and have the lightening box hooked to the right bank . 
And if your wanting the entire thing to be triggered by someone entering or walking by something , you could choose any , of hundreds of ways to trigger the start of the MP3 player .... IR beam , motion sensor , floor mat , mechanical toggle switch ... the list goes on and on ... 
How would you like the event triggered ? Are you wanting it to trigger by timed intervals , someone walking by/ entering ( motion ) , or mechanically done ( meaning that YOU trigger it yourself via one switch control when you choose the time is right ) ?
Theres a fellow who lives a couple of towns over that sites dressed up in costume in a adirondack style chair he modified . He put some momentary switches in the arm rest where the hand goes , so he could sit there , ( again , in costume ) and trigger the events when eh thought the time was appropriate . And all the while ... kiddies did not realize that there was really a person sitting there . They thought he was a prop . 
Anyway . see , that way , kids could not set off ANY prop , without HIM doing so . ( unlike with the use of some electrical trigger )


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## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

How long is the recording? If under 2 minutes a picoboo (F105 has AC outlets) could do this very easily. 

You record the sound to the controller from any audio source (i.e. mp3 player, pc, cd player, tape, whatever). Connect your trigger (2 or 3 wires depending on type) PIR, mat sensor, push button. 

When triggered the audio starts at the beginning of the recording and then you have 2 AC plugs to turn on/off whatever you needed, like your PC speakers, you could make them go on/off in sync with the recording, or have the outlet(s) stay on for the duration of the recording to power an FX box to control the lighting.

I have two of these and 2 FX boxes. If you would like send me your recording and I'll set it up and take video of the necessary steps to set it up and the end product.


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