Gilderfluke???

3188 Views 33 Replies 6 Participants Last post by JonnyMac, Aug 15, 2007

buggybuilder

Discussion Starter · Aug 8, 2007

Can the mini-brick4 control other sound devices besides the sd-10??? Any suggestions?

1 - 20 of 34 Posts

1031fan

· #2 · Aug 8, 2007

my guess is yes - all the minibrick 4 is really doing is sending power to the channel specified when the program tells it too - so it just acts like a trigger for the sd 10 (i think) so im guessing you could wire this to any other sound device you wanted to that will trigger via a 9-24 vdc input - - what are you plannin on doin with it? - btw - any pic updates for us?

jim - brckee1 - would be a good one to ask this about instead of me - im sure hed be able to give you a better answer - good luck man - riley

buggybuilder

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 8, 2007

was thinking the same thing. Im just trying to come up with a cheaper way to have sound to one of my props. The sd-10 is really expensive. sorry, no pics to update..........actually, I probably wont post many more until after the Haunt. But if you want em, I can PM you some. Are you using any other sound devices with your props?

buggybuilder

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 8, 2007

What about an AP-8 from EFX-TEK

Whats the good word about these? Which speakers can you use with these? Seems they have an amp built in.........hmm...

1031fan

· #5 · Aug 8, 2007

i dont know anything about the efx tek products - after this season i really need to do my homework and get a general sense of what ALL i have to choose from so that i make the right choice when ordering a specific porduct for a specific need - what type of sound are you looking to get/what type prop is it? just a more simpler pop up with a 5 second scream or do you want some dialogue in it as well that would be longer than your average prop - i think i have 2 sd 10's in addition to the one for my bed guy (ughh that reminds me i need to make a shorter program for him) for some of my simpler hacked job pop ups i think im just gonna try to use the digital voice recorder hack to nice pc speakers - i think we talked about this a little before on the phone - about the whole mounting them so they are basically in the guests ears instead of under the prop to make up for the lack of sound they kick out - however - when i say the voice recorders are a real hack job i MEAN it - i wouldnt be surprised if they failed at any point - last year i had 3 of these and they all worked flawlessly, but if youd see the way i made them youd be surprised they lasted the night

so basically im kinda in the same shoes - i would like a reletively inexpensive yet reliable way to get good sound to decent speakers - if i cant think of anything else ill prolly just try more hack job dvr's and try to make them to the best of my ability - - - however all aspects of sound are by far my weakest link in haunting

something really bare bones that we did last year - (warning - what you are about to read is very very primitive and not suggested to aspiring prop makers) we had a few pneumatics that just didnt have time to have sound added to them - the first night they were by far the weakest prop and only got maybe half the people - the reason was obviously because of sound - er lack there of - so heres an "in the trenches" method of solving it - all our props are triggered manually and prolly always will be - sooo when the actor pushed the button they simply let out a scream to go along with it - worked like a charm

- now like i said - thats obviously not something you want to plan to do - but if some sound fails on you durring a run through theres not much else you can do -

something else you can do is actually have 2 seperate switches with 2 totally different circuits - thats what i do with the dvr anyway - cause i use 110 to run a lot of my props if i put a little dvr on the same circuit it would fry it - so i have 2 seperate triggers - just mount them right beside each other on a board - then attatch the 2 switches - i just use 2 position light switches - with a piece of wood or popsicle stick or somthin so that the actor flips the piece of wood and it trigers both switches - so in actuality, , unless you want the prop and audio to start at different places in the sequence - you could have the audio totally seperate from the brick4 - on a different circuit - and just hit both switches at the same time

anyone have ideas for cheap and easy sound with decent quality and good volume that we didn't mention here? what do you guys use? - riley

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buggybuilder

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 9, 2007

Anybody??

ScareFX

· #7 · Aug 9, 2007 (Edited)

I don't have one but according the Br-miniBrick4 manual, it can be used to control a wide variety of things.

The Br-miniBrick4 can be used to control animated shows and displays, fountains, fireworks, lighting, sound systems, slide and movie projectors, fiber optics, window displays, motors, pneumatic and hydraulic systems, special effects, signs, machines and machine tools in process control, or anything else that can be controlled by an electrical signal.

I've been using the Cowlacious ISD® Chipcorder® Recorder/Player Board ( http://www.cowlacious.com/AudioProd.htm ) for a couple of my props. I used amplified speakers to get the volume I needed. The sound quality is not great but they are pretty cheap and work well. It should be no problem to control one of these boards with a miniBrick4. Just be aware of the sound quality limitations.

I used one with this prop.

And this one as well.

gadget-evilusions

· #8 · Aug 9, 2007

I have a new triggerable mp3 player control board that allows you to put an mp3 file on the provided mp3 player via your usb port, then you plug it back into our control board and when triggered will play the mp3 file. Output is via a 1/8" jack that you have to run to some powered speakers (guitar amps work good). It's around $90. I will put together a spec sheet and get it up on my website asap.

1031fan

· #9 · Aug 9, 2007

thanks guys - much appreciated -

so SFX - i read the page quickly and it looks promising - but im not quite sure exactly what i need - am i correct in saying that the first product listed - the chip recorder - puts your sound effect (can you use mp3 files from the net or mixed mp3 tracks from audacity) onto the chip board and you can pla it from that unit - - - - so what is just the player board for? does it JUST play the sound and you have to record it on your chip from one of the recorders??

am i correct in sayin i really only need one of the recorder/players and just get a player board for each of my props and use the recorder to put the sound on a chip and pop it into the player?

i think this might be really good for some cheap sound and id prolly get several - just need some clarification as to what would be the best way to put 5 different sounds on 5 independant props that can each be triggered seperatly - thanks for the help! - riley

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gadget-evilusions

· #10 · Aug 9, 2007

I just got info added to our site about our new one. http://evilusions.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=990

ScareFX

· #11 · Aug 9, 2007

1031fan said:
thanks guys - much appreciated -

so SFX - i read the page quickly and it looks promising - but im not quite sure exactly what i need - am i correct in saying that the first product listed - the chip recorder - puts your sound effect (can you use mp3 files from the net or mixed mp3 tracks from audacity) onto the chip board and you can pla it from that unit - - - - so what is just the player board for? does it JUST play the sound and you have to record it on your chip from one of the recorders??

Correct. The recorder/player does both and you need at least one of those. You can record from any source but I use a PC.

The player just plays. You have to remove the chip from the player and put in in a recorder/player to record. Then put it back in the player.

1031fan said:
am i correct in sayin i really only need one of the recorder/players and just get a player board for each of my props and use the recorder to put the sound on a chip and pop it into the player?

That's correct.

1031fan said:
i think this might be really good for some cheap sound and id prolly get several - just need some clarification as to what would be the best way to put 5 different sounds on 5 independant props that can each be triggered seperatly - thanks for the help! - riley

For five different props you would need at least one recorder/player with a chip and four players each with a chip. Plus you will need amplified speakers for all five.

The optional ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket makes it much easier to take the chip on and off the player board.

I trigger mine with a simple relay attached to a switch that powers on the prop.

Please keep in mind the sound quality of these chips is not very good. It's mono and it's fine for growls, screams and that kind of thing but voice tracks are not going to sound very good.

If you need high quality stereo sound, look for one of the mp3 products

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1031fan

· #12 · Aug 9, 2007

awesome! thanks for the info! glad my thinking was on track - two other little questions -

the ZIF - do you need one for every player? or can it be used just as a tool to put the chip on the player? if you dont have the ZIF - what is it like to do the connection??

also - do you just get the wall transformers that they sell on their sight? - 7.50 or whatever for those dont sound bad - thanks! - riley

gadget-evilusions

· #13 · Aug 9, 2007

I put a zif on everyone, you usually need a screwdriver to remove an isd chip and I have bent alot of tabs on them. You can get power supplies alot cheaper from jameco.

ScareFX

· #14 · Aug 9, 2007

1031fan said:
awesome! thanks for the info! glad my thinking was on track - two other little questions -

the ZIF - do you need one for every player? or can it be used just as a tool to put the chip on the player? if you dont have the ZIF - what is it like to do the connection??

If you are doing four boards I'd at least get one ZIF for the recorder since that's where you will be swapping the most chips. It's a totally optional thing however. It's not that hard to swap the chips. A removal tool is best but I've used a small screwdriver to pry them out of the socket. You just have to be careful that the pins are lined up properly and you don't bend them.

1031fan said:
also - do you just get the wall transformers that they sell on their sight? - 7.50 or whatever for those dont sound bad - thanks! - riley

You can use any supply from 8v to 24vDC. I've been getting mine at the local thrift store for $2 to $3. People donate those things all the time.

buggybuilder

Discussion Starter · #15 · Aug 9, 2007

Excellent information everybody, thanks....

SFX, have you used their PETIII timers? I am hoping to control a few of my props with these and I am looking for their limitations.....thanks again.

ScareFX

· #16 · Aug 9, 2007

buggybuilder said:
Excellent information everybody, thanks....

SFX, have you used their PETIII timers? I am hoping to control a few of my props with these and I am looking for their limitations.....thanks again.

Sorry buggybuilder. I have not used one of their timers. Not sure what the limitations might be. Hopefully someone else will chime in.

gadget-evilusions

· #17 · Aug 9, 2007

I have used them alot, I stopped using them when I had my own designed. Now I run about 15 of them in my yard haunt and use my own designs in the big haunt. What did you want to do with them? I don't know exactly what limiations your looking for.

1031fan

· #18 · Aug 9, 2007

good call buggy - i was browsing and saw these too - would be cool to have something for the more simpler props that dont need a brick 4 or 8 for - any info on these would br great

thanks everyone for your input - and evilusions - i like ur site alot - got some cool stuff

thanks! riley

EDIT - you guys must have posted while i was writing - as far as limitaions - heres what id like to know - how do they compare with say the minibrick 4 - with it you get four channels that are completely independant - meaning i can run a prop with 4 independant cylinders - or 2 cylinders and 2 lights - or basically any combo of four things up to 24 vdc - the show can be pretty long - at least 5 min i think

so what can the PET series do? how many channels? how long of a "show" can i program with it

gadget-evilusions

· #19 · Aug 9, 2007

The pet's are single channel (two seperate relays that are triggered at the same time).

http://www.cowlacious.com/SupportDocs/PET-III-R2 Manual v1-1.pdf

http://www.cowlacious.com/SupportDocs/Vari-PET _with case_ Manual - 2005 v1.1.pdf

The PET is programmed by exact on and off times, for example: trigger, 2 second delay, relays on 2-1/8 seconds, relays off 4-1/2 seconds, repeat on and off 3 times, then stay off for 10 seconds before being retriggered.

The VariPet is programmed like a key banger, you can set an initial delay after trigger, then it plays back the timing of you hitting the button, and then can be repeated and have a hold off time like the PET.

They are 10 amp relays that can be used for AC or DC.

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buggybuilder

Discussion Starter · #20 · Aug 10, 2007

So with the PET timers you can't control the 2 relays independently? This is the limitation I was looking for. I was thinking that 2 PET timers could do the same show as the Mini-brick 4.........I guess this is not the case. It looks like I will be using a combo of 3-4 mini-bricks and the rest will be controlled by the PET. I have yet to check out your site gadget-evilusions, but that is my next stop. Thanks again all for the help. I would still like some input on the AP-8 sound board, as it has a bi-level built in amp that would simplify some of my props. Has anyone here used these?

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