Sensory_Bridge_Demo.mp4
This isn't the usual "sound-reactive LEDs" you've seen for years.
Sensory Bridge is built from the ground up as an open, powerful bridge between sight and sound. With a show that's reactive to notation, vibrato and more, it produces very unique and pleasant-to-look-at light shows which synchronize to your music without any visible latency. (A built-in MEMS microphone constantly studies what it hears using a special-sauce Goertzel-based Discrete Fourier Transform, at 100 FPS!)
It has to be seen to be believed, which the video demos below can help with:
Easy controls provide quick access to changing the brightness, color, and smoothing of the display!
Too bright? Dim down the show with the PHOTONS knob. The FastLED code in the firmware will use dithering to keep producing color nicely at lower brightness levels.
Custom color or automated color based on the music's notation? Choose with the CHROMA knob, where turning it all the way to the top enables automated color changes.
This knob is special. MOOD controls how quickly your LEDs will react to changes in pitch and volume! A low "mood" will be very soft and gradual, only showing things like the underlying chord progression of a song, whereas a high "mood" will be extremely reactive, and can be a little too flashy for some people's liking. Luckily, you can blend the value to anywhere between those two extremes whenever you want to find what look you prefer!
Running the A/C? Is the washing machine suddenly on the spin cycle? Don't worry, just pause the music for a moment and press the NOISE BUTTON to run a 3-second calibration to automagically have noisy background ambience removed from your light show.
Sensory Bridge currently has 6 built-in light show modes that you can cycle through:
This is the default show seen in the videos, based on Discrete Fourier Transform data. Each octave of notation shown on the display has a spectrum of colors for the individual notes, which are lit in sync with your music!
Similar to Spectrogram Mode, but all octaves of notes are rolled into one! Best with the MOOD knob at a low to medium setting.
This mode differs from the others. The intensity of the audio is shown in the center of the LED strip, and is diffused outward in a non-linear fashion as time passes, leading to a 2001 "Stargate Sequence" effect!. Color is derived from the notes your music is playing.
Same as above, but double the speed for when you're partying hard!
It's a classic! A bouncing bar graph represents the current loudness of the music.
Same as above, but represented with a dot instead of a bar, staying a constant brightness.
At the front of the base unit are three LEDs, which indicate if your music is playing too quietly for the auto-ranger to account for, or if it's too loud! (Close to clipping!)
While compatible with any WS2812B or APA102/SK9822-based LED strip (just use the screw terminals at the back!) there's also the option of using the "Mini Mast", a dense strip of 128 1.5mm RGB LEDs on a 260mm long PCB! It just plugs directly into the Sensory Bridge accessory port, making for a very portable solution!
For the latest stable release of the Sensory Bridge firmware, visit the Releases page! (Cloning straight from this repo is much like a "nightly" build, and may be broken code!)
Powered by an ESP32-S2, Sensory Bridge can be easily reprogrammed for any purpose you'd like! The firmware is open source under the MIT License, so modifying it for your own purposes is quick and easy with the Arduino IDE. You can even download the board and case STLs to build one yourself!
For $50, you'll receive a fully assembled Sensory Bridge, with the latest firmware already installed. For $25 extra, you can have a Mini Mast (128 micro-LED PCB, seen above) sent as well, with an accompanying brace that provides rigidity. (It just plugs right into the accessory port on top of Sensory Bridge!)
To save on redundant materials you might already own, your Sensory Bridge does not come with the following items:
- WS2812B LED Strip - "144-LEDs per meter" variants are recommended, you can cut the 16 excess LEDs off of the end of the strip or reconfigure your device to interpolate to the 144-LED length at a slightly lower frame rate. (AMAZON LINK)
- USB-C Cable (AMAZON LINK)
- 5V, 2A USB Power Adapter (AMAZON LINK)
- Wire Stripper - If you'd like to use your Sensory Bridge with your own LED strip, you'll either need a wire stripper or strong teeth to get it hooked up neatly! These clamp-style strippers make that process a breeze, so please don't use your teeth: (AMAZON LINK)
Sensory Bridge is going to undergo some upgrades in the following months! You'll be able to easily [update to the latest firmware in minutes with this guide](DEAD LINK).
Currently planned features are:
Planned for Q1 2023 is a mobile / web app for iOS and Android that will allow users to remotely tweak their display from the couch! This will provide a way to adjust dozens of settings that otherwise couldn't be accessed through just two physical buttons.
Currently in development is a system of determining and synchronizing to the BPM of the playing music. Combining this data with the GDFT could mean deducing time signatures, along with musical keys and chord progressions - just another avenue for providing an immersive show!
The accessory port exposes GPIO 17/18 of the ESP32-S2, which are analog inputs. In the future, a PCB can be made to allow Sensory Bridge to use hardwired, passthrough audio via two 3.5mm jacks. This concept does not interfere with the Mini Mast, and the two accessories will be stackable with a modified brace.
The GETTING STARTED GUIDE will walk you through the quick-and-easy setup process!
Those with Photosensitive Epilepsy (PSE) should NOT purchase, operate, or otherwise view Sensory Bridge under any condition.
The seller assumes no legal liability for injury caused to persons with PSE that have ignored this warning.
Developed by Connor Nishijima for Lixie Labs (2022)
