Music and sound box

D

Dantomlom

New Member
Music and light box

Hi people,

Thank you in advance for any help I get here, it is appreciated.
I have decided to try and make a music box for my 1yo old boy to replace his nursery rhyme books that you cannot change the batteries in! If I list what I want to be able to do it will be easier to read (I hope!)

Six digital inputs (momentary pushbutton)
Storage for six nursery rhymes of approx 1 min each.
Led lights to flash in time with the music.

I've fairly limited electronics knowledge, I have done some power electronics years ago, but I'm pretty clued up on electrical theory.
My questions are:
Can Picaxe facilitate the functions I require?
What IC chip, EEPROM and sound chip would I need?
And is any one prepared to help me through it please?!

I want to make it so I'm hoping it'll be achievable on breadboard.

I'm brand spanking new to PICAXE. In fact I only heard about it after trying to find a way to emulate (without the shonky soldering and faults) the shocking individual sound cards I got from an online company that were mostly faulty or temperamental at best. The project seems so simple compared to most of the ones on the forum!!

I know that lot is a big ask, but any pointers will be greatly received.

Cheers guys,

Danny
 
Last edited:
JimPerry

JimPerry

Senior Member
Welcome to the forum.

Can be done with an MP3 player - but not for a beginner .. and a one-year-old... try using picture books and talking to them ...:confused:

But if you want to experiment then it can be done :rolleyes:
 
techElder

techElder

Well-known member
Danny, don't believe it when you say "The project seems so simple compared to most of the ones on the forum!"

Also, there isn't a battery supply built that you can't change the battery in. Dig into it. Take some photos, etc.

You may have to add a weird-looking battery box on the outside, but that will be a damn site easier than doing what you want to do with a PICAXE for your first project.

Also, if your boy is like mine was, he won't be a 1 year old for long! You need a project for a 3 year old. Give yourself some time to come up to his speed! ;)
 
A

AllyCat

Senior Member
Hi Danny,

Welcome to the forum. IMHO trying to use one of the MP3 player modules (with implied accessing of an SD-card file-system, etc.) is rather ambitious for a first project.

I've never used them myself, but don't overlook the PLAY and TUNE commands in PICaxe Basic, which I believe can flash LEDs in unison. Certainly not as musical as might be obtained from a MP3 player, and a PICaxe can't store minutes of data. But later, you could add an I2C EEPROM (8-pin chip) to extend the playing time considerably.

Cheers, Alan.
 
D

Dantomlom

New Member
Hi Jim,
I've just seen the playback module perhaps I'll look into that! The boy loves pushing buttons, what can I say!! Plus I work away so am hoping to build it at work. Cheers for the pointer. My original idea was to cram a load of sound cards, programmed with his tunes into a box with buttons mounted on the top, but the quality was the shocking. That's what brought me here!

Looks like I'll be experimenting!

Danny
 
D

Dantomlom

New Member
Hi Alan,

Thanks for the pointers there, I think I'll read a bit more stuff, maybe buy the circuit simulator and see what I can do. The way I see it I may as well aim high!

Cheers again,
Danny
 
D

Dantomlom

New Member
Hi Texas!

Ha ha ha "give my self time to come up to his speed" I like it!
The little musical button is an integral part of the book so no dice, unless I want to hack away at it. I'll just have to listen to the failing tones of "a Wheels on the bus" until the battery fully dies!
As for the difficulty of the project; I'm up for the challenge, I don't quit easily!
By the time he is three I intend to be all about on PICAXE and by the time he is at school he will be helping me do stuff with it.
Cheers,
Danny
 
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