LEDs on subs

[Wicks]

http://www.hitlights.com/ls-music144w.html does anyone know about this? it has a plug that seems like it's for a specific kind of light unit but it doesn't look like the lights come with the controller

Yep this is the latest controller I've bought.

Haven't actually tried it yet but I really like the features that this unit has.

Don't worry about the plugs.

There are removable headers on both sides with screw terminals if you only have bare wires.

It only has a microphone input so if you want it hardwired to an audio input, you'll need another one.

I haven't even seen any yet that hard wired in... as a matter of fact I've mostly just seen a whole bunch of that one I haven't really seen anything else online yet in my searching... am I searching the wrong thing? I'm pretty sure I was searching sound activated LED controller. ok so if I instead of buying that strip just bought strings of single color lights and wired each string to a different color kinda thing that would work too? I just wouldn't be able to get like the yellows and oranges and other colors that were mixtures of colors if I did it that way

There's lots of options.

This is the first one I used, which I believe the microphone got damaged:

http://www.amazon.com/LEDwholesalersTM-Controller-Remote-Changing-3322RGB/dp/B005AQPU5Y/ref=pd_cp_MI_3

This is the latest one I got:

http://www.amazon.com/HitLights-Activated-Controller-Changing-Plug-And-Play/dp/B007RGRJ36

Is there something about these that you don't like?

There are also controllers with RF (wireless) remotes. The ones above are IR.

Try a search in Amazon and then cycle through the suggested other options at the bottom of the page.

Sure, there are simple LED controllers for single-color LED strips. Just a positive and negative wire.

You really don't need a controller at all if they are designed as 12V strips. Just a question of how much control you want over them.

I don't think the single color LED strips are really any cheaper though.

Might as well just get the RGB LED strip with a controller and you can set it to a constant color.

Or hell, if you want just hard-wire 12V to one of the three terminals on the RGB LED strip and you'll get a constant color.

FYI: An RGB (multicolor) LED strip has four terminals.

One for Red, one for Green-Yellow, one for Blue. Last one is +V.

The controller just pulses the cathode of each LED to make your selected color.

All the controllers have simple connection methods.

Some include headers which simply plug into your LED strip if the strip already has a matching header on it.

Or most have screw terminal strips where you simply hard-wire each your four separate wires.

We can start here, what options do you want and how much do you want to spend?

LED controller will run you anywhere from ~$25 to $50 depending on options and where you get it.

LED strips probly $10 to $30 depending on type and where you get it.

no no I don't have a problem with it I was just saying cuz you said there were some that actually wire right into the RCA right? I was just saying I haven't been able to find any like that yet. I was looking at getting one of these for the sound response feature so I could have them flash when the bass hits I plan on putting the lights inside my box so that it flashes through the port and maybe a few situated around the subs haven't decided yet. I really don't necessarily want anything super fancy with alot of different colors or nothing I just want something that will pulse to the beat. I had originally planned on doing that by plugging them straight into the sub wiring but this thread has said many many times now that you shouldn't do that so I was looking for a controller to do it.

Gotcha.

Here's a link to the controller I currently have in my car that has an RF remote and the audio jack I was talking about.

It came with a 3.5mm jack that you just have to wire into your RCA's.

If this is more of what you want then Google "LED controller audio jack".

Be careful with this one above though.

When I used the audio jack, I got a HORRIBLE static noise that was somehow back-fed into my system.

I could hear some loud staticy clicking through my speakers when I pressed a button on the remote.

Was probably some sort of ground loop between the controller and my amp that was exaggerated by this unit having an RF remote (lots of radiated noise).

I emailed the company and requested a replacement. I don't remember the exact reply from them but they gave me some BS excuse and wouldn't exchange it.

Pissed me off so I'm not dealing with them anymore.

I also don't really like the LED flash pattern that this particular unit has.

Its very touchy and the LED's are MUCH too sensitive. They pulse like crazy from just my car idling. Adjustment knob does nothing to help.

I also don't like that the RF remote has only one "MODE" button that you have to press like 20x to cycle though all the options.

The other controllers with IR remotes are much better. Those have separate buttons for all colors and functions. Sure the IR remotes are bigger but they're still relatively small.

The best part of the RF remotes is that you don't have to point them to the controller, that is a nice bonus.

OK, enough of my rant......

So through all the controllers I've gotten, I'd recommend this one for starters:

http://www.amazon.com/LEDwholesalersTM-Controller-Remote-Changing-3322RGB/dp/B005AQPU5Y/ref=pd_cp_MI_3

Its cheap and easy.

I doubt you'll find a single-color controller for any cheaper and you might as well have the option to do different colors if you're going to install one.

I'd just suggest that you mount the unit where the microphone won't get too much abuse from the bass while still being able to point the IR remote to the unit to control it.

.....now you could mount the controller in a protected and hidden location and use a "light pipe" to direct the signal from the IR remote to the controller...?

If that's something you might be interested in, let me know and I can elaborate...

[Red-navi-916]

Noobism at its finest

[bassfreake]

I had actually wanted to have it in my trunk since that's where my bass would be and I only wanted it to react to the bass and I wanted the lights running in and on the box. that's why I was hoping for something that didn't use a mic cuz I wanted it to be near where the bass was and I read that having one with a mic right by the subs is a good way to kill the mic. I don't even really care about having something that has a remote I mean the plan I had originally was that everything would be right inside the box before I found out I needed a controller (I'm sure especially running 8kw like I plan to do wiring the lights right into the amp would probably be very bad)

[bassfreake]

Noobism at its finest

because I'm asking questions and trying to learn?

[bassfreake]

http://www.usledsupply.com/shop/rgb-audio-remote-control.html looks like this one might be wireless? would that work for what I want? just get an adaptor to split the sub outputs from the head unit so it's got 2 of them and get an adaptor to plug the RCA cables into the headphone jack and then just find somewhere for that to stick out so it can send a signal to the light controller in my trunk?

[Wicks]

http://www.usledsupply.com/shop/rgb-audio-remote-control.html looks like this one might be wireless? would that work for what I want? just get an adaptor to split the sub outputs from the head unit so it's got 2 of them and get an adaptor to plug the RCA cables into the headphone jack and then just find somewhere for that to stick out so it can send a signal to the light controller in my trunk?

I see my link somehow didn't make it into my post above.

Here is the link to the controller I currently have in my car with the RF remote and the audio jack:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/controllers/ldrf-rgb4-a-rgb-controller-rf-remote-and-audio/111/

This is the one I ranted about above.

It looks like you linked to the same one just on a different website.

To your questions:

Yes if you only want the controller to respond to bass then versions with an audio jack would be the way to go. Although I don't know if the mic also works in parallel with the audio jack. If thats the case then both inputs would work and you'd get a reaction to all your music (not just the bass).

I'll have to dig further into that but I see why you're aiming for audio jack input if you're planning on running 8kW.

8kW is serious power so definitely don't wire LEDs directly to that.

Do you have the electrical to back up that 8kW?

Yes the controller you linked is wireless, they're all wireless. The remotes are either IR which must be pointed directly at the controller or RF which doesn't need to be pointed and has a much longer range.

Sure you can try that one out if you wish, I didn't like it and had issues with it (mentioned in my previous post) but it may work for you.

What kind of amp are you looking at getting?

I would be pretty hesitant to get some splitters and combine the SUB pre-outs from your HU.

The controller has only one audio jack input. Therefore you either have to just pick one of the RCA jacks or combine both together with another splitter.

By doing this you are shorting both your SUB pre-outs together. Lets say you were playing some music that had a lot of signal on the left speakers but not the right.

Without getting into too much detail...by having your SUB pre-outs shorted together you'd have the potential of damaging the output of your HU.

Depends on the HU and its protection and such but I wouldn't want to risk it.

Mono-block amps have internal summing components which electrically combine or both Left and Right signals safely.

That is why you usually see two RCA inputs and one pass-through RCA jack on Mono-amps.

So you'd really want to use the single pass-through RCA jack on a mono-amp and feed that to your LED controller.

In that case you simply take a piece of two conductor wire and solder an RCA jack on one end and the 3.5mm jack on the other and connect between the controller and the amp....simple.

[bassfreake]

I don't have the electrical yet but I will before I do it... the 8k+ I'm thinkin about doin is linking a pair of SQ 3500 together... hmm... so could I maybe take the RCA that is linking the master and slave together and split that so one goes to the slave and one goes to the LED controller? and no if that controller is the one that you were saying you didn't like then I'm not going to get that one I'll just have to find a different one... hopefully I can find one that has an RCA input instead of having a headphone jack style input

[AK bass]

what if I took a small amp hooked it up through the rca out puts on my big amp, and hooked up the leds through the small amp?

I'm thinking about doing this because I have a few amps laying around.

[bassfreake]

what if I took a small amp hooked it up through the out put on my big amp, and hooked up the leds through the small amp?

I'm thinking about doing this because I have a few amps laying around.

as they said in an earlier post... the sub amps were specifically meant for audio trying to use their output on something other than audio can mess things up

[bassfreake]

but yea wicks I plan on adding probably 2 big batteries to my trunk plus I've been talkin to mechman about an alt and as I get closer to the time of maybe doing this might start talking to them about how to do more than one alt