Chapter 1
Synchronising Sight and Sound with a Colour-Organ Circuit
In This Chapter
Preparing the project
Constructing your colour organ
Playing around with the circuit
One of the great things about theme parks these days is that sometimes the long wait to go on a particular ride is almost as good as the ride itself. One of the best examples is the famous Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye in Disneyland, California. Just outside an ancient temple, you pass by a rickety steam-powered generator that’s barely running. The clickity-clickity sound of the generator alternately grows louder and softer as it sputters and threatens. When you’re inside the temple, you pass through narrow tunnels and creepy caverns that are lit overhead by lights that appear to be powered by the ancient generator. The lights flicker and dim, grow brighter for a moment, and then flicker and dim again in sync with the generator.
In this chapter, you discover how to build an electronic circuit (called a colour organ) that can create this type of creepy lighting, as well as thunderstorm effects or a spooky red heartbeat for the heart of a plastic skeleton or other Halloween prop.
Considering ...
