Build Your Own LTMT

No it's not a Lettuce, Tomato, Mutton, & Turkey Sandwich. It's a Light's To Music Tin.

So what does this really do? It flashes a LED to the high volumes of music. It is a EXTREMELY simplified version of the other light to music or dancing lights circuits that exist. Special thanks to: Awang8 for letting me that I didn't describe what this did.

This is how to build one If anything doesn't make sense please let me know. I'm try to keep my instructables so everybody can understand them. One down side of this is on an iPod the volume has to turned all the way up for it to work. So it's the best for listening to music through a pair of speakers.

If You Have Any Questions, Comments & Suggestions Please Post Them!

Step 1: Stuff You Need:

What you need to Get the Job Done

Parts:

1x 5mm LED Any Color
1x 2n2222 NPN Transistor or other general switching transistor
1x 220 Ohm resistor (Red, Red, Brown)
2x 3.5mm Female Audio Jack
1x AA battery holder
1x Mint Tin (Altoids, Eclipse, any thing that will hold 2 AA battery's)
Wire

Tools: (No Pictures)

Soldering iron & Solder
Drill
Drill Bits
Wire strippers/Wire cutters

Not Needed but Helpful Tools:

Round Metal File
Uni-bit
Helping Hand
Multimeter

Step 2: Prepare the Audio Jacks

Your Audio Jacks Don't need you be connected like the ones below as long as you know where the ground and the left & right channel are then they'll work. One thing that is neat about this setup is that is doesn't mater what jack you plug your input & output into.

1) Solder a wire between the left audio channels
2) Solder a wire between the right audio channels
3) Solder a wire between the grounds
4) Solder a wire that is about 2-3 in long* to the ground on the audio jack
5) Solder a another wire that is about 2-3 in long* to the right audio channel on the audio jack

*This length depends on where the audio jacks are in relation to the led transistor thing.

Step 3: Make the Circut, Guts, Main Thing. What Ever You Want to Call It

If you have a similar transistor to mine then when the flat part is facing you the leads from left to right is Emitter(-) Base Collector(+)
Throughout this instructable the flat part of the transistor is pointed down so the leads would be
Collector(+) Base Emitter(-)

1) Spread the leads on the transistor carefully & split the led leads like in the 2nd picture
2) Solder the Negative end of the led to the Collector(+) of the transistor.
3) Solder the 330 Ohm resistor between the Base and the Emitter(-)
4) Trim the leads of the resistor

Step 4: Connect Circuit, Audio Jacks, and Battery Holder

I don't have much to say about this, except make sure that the audio signal is going to the Base of the transistor. Once this is done test it to make sure it works.

1) Solder the right audio signal to the base of the transistor
2) Solder the audio ground to the Emitter(-) of the transistor
3) Solder the negative battery line to the base of the transistor
4) Solder the postive battery line to the positive lead of the Led

Step 5: Prepare the Tin

When doing this gloves might be a good idea, but as you can see i didn't where mine. I deiced to use the dot of the i For the led. You just make a small dent for the drill bit and drill the holes. See the pictures for more info.

Step 6: Stuff the Tin

This is kind of self explanatory put the led where it goes and the Audio jacks where they go. Then fit the battery holder in.

Step 7: Your Done

It's Done Now Go Try It Out

Step 8: Troubleshooting & More Ideas

Troubleshooting:

Try new Batteries
Make sure he led is in correctly
Make sure there is no shorts
Check your components
Check the volume

More Ideas (Taking it Further):

Add a Stereo Potentiometer between the audio jacks to limit volume output so it's quieter through ear buds
Add more Led's so they flash at different volumes
Make it more sensitive
Make it vibrate
Add a Amplifier so volume doesn't have to be so loud for it to work