Computer-controlled Music-synchronized Flashing Christmas Tree Lights

by canida in Living > Christmas

123463 Views, 87 Favorites, 0 Comments

Computer-controlled Music-synchronized Flashing Christmas Tree Lights

IMG_4649.JPG

Use solid-state relays to blink the lights on your Christmas tree in time with music. Also good for Halloween haunted houses.

Acquire and Set Up a Christmas Tree

IMG_4610.JPG

Get a nice large, healthy tree set up in front of your biggest windows. See How to Pick and Decorate a Christmas Tree for more details.

Add Lights

IMG_4624.JPG
IMG_4627.JPG

String lots of lights onto the tree. Use as many sets as you like, but arrange them such that there are three light regions, each with a separate plug. Run these three plugs down the trunk so they can easily be attached to the light controller. Up to three strings of lights can usually be linked in series, so you can almost certainly cover even big trees.

Hook Me Up

IMG_4637.JPG
IMG_4638.JPG
IMG_4636.JPG
controller schematic.jpg
img_3527.jpg

Plug light strings into the controller you built for Halloween: https://www.instructables.com/id/Solid-state-Halloween-controller-and-how-to-build-/ Attach computer and sound system. Select high-quality Christmas music and sync the lights with a winamp plugin: http://www.8-legs.org/ewilhelm/projects/2.165/index.html

Run With It

IMG_4649.JPG
IMG_4652.JPG
IMG_4647.JPG
IMG_4650.JPG

Fire up the music, and treat your friends, family, and entire neighborhood to a great light now. If you really want to share, hook the music up to your outside speaker system and make the house shake in time to the music.