DIY Sound Reactive LED Floor Lamps

Build your own music or sound reactive floor lamps for less than half the cost of the commercial version.... with more effects and features!
There are a few nice commercial version of LED floor lamps on the market. But they are pretty costly. This is my take on building my own DIY version, based on one of the most popular commercial versions. Feel free to post any thoughts or questions in the comments!
Chapter breaks:
00:00 Intro
01:42 Parts and initial approach
03:32 Painting and tube prep
06:05 3D printing
06:30 RGB LED strip installation
09:39 Assembly and mounting
12:13 WLED controller and Electrec Microphone
13:54 Bench test
14:22 Adapting for wall mounting
15:26 Final version demo
16:07 Features and cost comparison to retail
18:32 Wrap up and outro
Links:
Blog article with parts list, wiring diagram and more for sound reactive floor lamps:
resinchemtech.blogspot.com/20...
Building your own WLED controller:
Video: • Build your own LED con...
Blog: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/20...
Sound Reactive WLED Github:
github.com/atuline/WLED/wiki
Thingaverse link to 3D printed parts:
www.thingiverse.com/thing:492...
Music credits:
American Idle - RKVC
Twin Engines - Jeremy Korpas
#wled
#esp8266
#ledlight

[@ResinChemTech]

Since this video was made, the sound reactive version of WLED has dropped support for the ESP8266 and now requires an ESP32. However, if you still want to use an ESP8266/Wemos D1 Mini, you can download an older version from the Github repo that still has support and a .bin file for the ESP8266. However, I'd now recommend an ESP32 due to the drop in price and better performance with sound reactivity.

[@TheOldKid]

That answered my question I had when I woke up this morning. Since I ordered 10 D1's in early January I was wondering if I used wled 13.1 or 13.3 would SR still work or do I first need to go t github, get the .bin then download SR wled?

[@ResinChemTech]

Standard WLED doesn't yet have sound reactivity (without adding a user mod). For the sound reactive fork, the last version that supported the ESP8266 was 0.12.0. Yes, you can still download and flash the .bin files for this version from Github: github.com/atuline/WLED/releases/tag/v0.12.0 Any sound reactive versions later than that no longer have the .bins for the ESP8266. Of course, you will then be "stuck" on this version and will not be able to upgrade... at least until that time the standard WLED adds sound-reactivity, and assuming that the standard version continues to support the ESP8266.

[@Mr.Meme01]

You're an absolute legend for making all these videos and guides. Your channel is woefully underrated. Keep up the good work man all these guides are great and truly good mechanisms at teaching and inspiring others. All these videos are going to save a lot of people time and money for years to come.

[@ResinChemTech]

Wow! Thank you so much for the kind words... they really do mean a lot to me. I just try to include enough information that someone could adapt the project for their own needs if they wanted do something similar. Thanks for watching... but more importantly, thanks again for taking the time to post a much appreciated comment.

[@stphnwtsn86]

Great project! And an awesome how-to video! Thanks for all your hard work.

[@ResinChemTech]

Thank you! I'm always trying to find the balance between 'highlights' and a full how-to. I appreciate the feedback!

[@tigerchillyable]

You got yourself a new subscriber... keep DIY projects coming

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks! Working a couple of new projects now. Stay tuned!

[@NikhileshBhure]

Thank you so much. This is helping alot in making the same project I was planning since a year. 😀 Even the question was how to convert 3.3v to 5v...solved by using logic shifter. Appreciate your help. Your videos are what we needed as a beginner to understand properly.

[@ResinChemTech]

You are very welcome! I'm glad you are finding them helpful in your own projects. And thank you so much for the kind words... and taking the time to leave such a nice comment!

[@manukalias]

Great DIY WLED VU Meter/Tubes 👍👍

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks. It is one of the few videos that I opted to record as I was doing it... with no idea if it was really going to work or not! Thanks for watching and taking time to comment.

[@gb1613]

Great video! If you build any more of these in the future you might try PEX tubing. It works excellent as a diffuser for LEDs and comes in the same form factor as those florescent tubes.

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks! PEX is a great idea! I'm always trying different diffuser materials for different projects. I'll put this one on my list. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment.

[@toddcoello6461]

Maybe for future I could see design a holder for the rail inside the printed piece. Then drill a hole to run wires out the bottom and cut a notch in the bottom so the wires lay flat. Just some ideas. I love your projects. I'm working on the stair lights now.

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks, glad you find them useful! And thanks for the ideas on the floor lamps. I toyed with the idea of using the aluminum channel, but they are a bit wider, which was going to force the lights more into the center of the tube and I wanted them to be as close to the outer edge as possible. Plus in all honestly, I had the wood slats left over from my virtual window project and using them was a lot cheaper than the aluminum rails! This was the first KZbin video I filmed "on the fly" as I was building something for the first time. If I were to do it again, I'm sure I'd make some design changes. Good luck on the stair lights and give me a shout if you run into any problems.

[@5VoltChannel]

Nice 👍👍

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks! I really didn't know how it was going to turn out when I started. But after having in place for a bit now, finding optimal placement for the mic, and adjusting the squelch/gain settings in the WLED options, they are working great! I just thought the cost for the retail versions were a bit nuts and their had to be a cheaper way to get the same basic results.

[@toddcoello6461]

I'd say u could probably use those same aluminum channel u used in the stair video. Put those inside the tub. Maybe paint them white.

[@PlayMoro2013]

Really impressive skills and a well documented project. Could you help with the wiring info for 3.5 mm jack to be used instead of the mic ? or as an added option The mic I tested is picking ambient sound ( unless we do a tedious calibration) and sometime we have an issue with loud sound disturbing others which the audio jack and a splitter would solve .

[@ResinChemTech]

I sure haven't tried that... but according to the sound reactive WLED web site, it has been tested successfully with a TRS audio jack. They even have a wiring diagram. You can see it here: github.com/atuline/WLED/wiki/Analog-Audio-Input-Options As far as picking up ambient sounds from the mic, I'm guessing you have tried adjusting both the gain and squelch values in the WLED sound settings? I've found I can filter out background sound, but the settings are somewhat dependent on the effect being used. Seems like the perfect gain and squelch for one effect doesn't work well for another And unfortunately, the sound settings aren't saved as part of the presets, so you cannot use the presets to overcome this. Let me know if you have any other questions, but the above link is probably your best source on how to wire a jack to the controller.

[@PlayMoro2013]

@@ResinChemTech Thank you

[@TheCowboysdude]

Great project!! Thank you!! Did you use T8 or T12 plastic tubes?

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks. I used T8 tubes. I bought both sizes but thought that the smaller T8 looked better and closer to the original retail version I was trying to duplicate. I actually have the full parts list in a related blog article if you want to know exactly what parts I used: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/08/sound-reactive-rgb-floor-lamps.html Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@rachaelb9164]

I imagine thin wall pvc or pex tubing could be used as well if you don’t want to spray paint.

[@pedroviegas5997]

Hello @ResinChem Tech. What model 3D printer do you use for your projects?

[@ResinChemTech]

I use an Creality Ender 3 Pro that I've had for about 3 years... but I've upgraded the motherboard and a few other components since I first bought it. I pretty much print everything with PLA. It is integrated to Home Assistant via OctoPrint running OctoPi on a standalone Raspberry Pi.

[@lionelpowell3112]

What changes need to be made to make the light movement more instantaneous like a spectrum analyzer?

[@ResinChemTech]

I've found there are really 4 things that impact the reactivity of the lights to sound: The squelch and gain settings in the Sound Reactive version settings of WLED, the placement of the microphone and the actual sound-reactive effect used. And the effect selected can also impact the squelch and gain settings. In my case, I have the microphone placed right next to a stereo speaker for my permanent installed location for these floor lamps. After that was positioned, it just took some trial and error to get the gain and squelch set to the proper levels to get the reactivity I wanted from the LEDs. I hope that helps.. but a lot of it is just trying different settings and mic positions with different music and volume levels.

[@eemceebee]

Hi, interesting video. I wonder how you were able to get the wemos d1 mini to work with the sound reactive part as it says that the 8266 is not supported ?

[@ResinChemTech]

When this video was made, the sound reactive version supported both the ESP8266 and the ESP32. Starting with version 0.13, support for the ESP8266 was dropped and and ESP32 is now required. If you really want to use a D1 Mini (like I did here), you can just download an older version from Github that still has support and a .bin for the ESP8266. But honestly, while these floor lamps work fine with the ESP8266, if I were to rebuild them today, I'd go ahead and use the ESP32.

[@eemceebee]

@@ResinChemTech Thanks, as I needs this to work also with a 2D matrix I will use a ESP32 for this

[@ayangupta3326]

We’re you able to use a single mic and then sync it across the two or does each bar have its own mic?

[@ResinChemTech]

Yes.. it is a single mic and a single controller. The LED signal wire that comes out of the controller is split and runs to each lamp (along with 5V from the power supply) so they are always in sync. If you wanted them to be independent, you'd either have to use 2 controllers/2 mics or different signal output pins/channels on the controller and set up segments in WLED (v0.12 or later), which would still only require one controller and one mic. I cover how to use multiple output pins and WLED segments for controlling different LED strips independently from one controller (and one mic for sound) in this video comparing the ESP8266 to the ESP32 with WLED: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2LKmYGLg6lpnc0

[@dcclark01]

Is it possible to control two separate lamps on two channels with one esp32? So they can act Individual? How will it be done?

[@ResinChemTech]

While I haven't explicitly tested it, it should be possible. Instead of splitting a single signal wire from a single pin to both floor lamps, you'd run separate signal wires from two different pins on the ESP32. You'd define both of those pins in WLED and (at least as of the current version) create different segments for each floor lamp. At that point, each lamp would have the ability to have its own colors, effects, etc. Or you could still treat both segments the same and have the same effect. I cover the concept of using multiple channels and segments in my video comparing the ESP32 and ESP8266 with WLED (kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2LKmYGLg6lpnc0). That might at least get you started on how to setup multiple channels and segments if you haven't done so before.

[@dcclark01]

Hi again. Which wires did you use? Are 22awg enough for two stripes with 60 LEDs per meter each?

[@ResinChemTech]

It somewhat depends upon your particular setup and the lengths of the wire runs (and a little bit on the type of wire... solid copper vs. copper-clad aluminum). For the data wire, as long as you are using a logic level shifter, 22 gauge would be fine for runs up to multiple feet in length. For the power lines, each "lamp" of 60 LEDs will pull up to around 3.5A at max white brightness. While you should be OK with 22 gauge, especially for shorter runs, I generally try to use at least 18 gauge wire on all my projects for the connections between the power supply and the LED strip. 22 gauge is perfectly fine for the power connection to the controller, as it will draw less than 1 amp. There are a lot of charts online that will show you max recommended current/amps for a particular gauge, length and type of wire runs. In all my projects, unless I'm absolutely sure and have done a similar project, I always run a multi-hour "bench test". I hook everything up and let it run at near max current (e.g. all lights max bright white) and I monitor. If the wires are getting warm, I know I probably need larger gauge wire. I also check the temp of the processor and any other components. I want to be completely comfortable with an install before I tuck it away behind "stuff". You can also always add an inline fuse to your power lines as well, as an extra precaution, but I rarely do this unless it is a high amp situation.

[@dcclark01]

@@ResinChemTech so in my particular case I will use 1m 60 LEDs per channel, two of them, with a distance to the Power supply about 1meter extra length, maybe 1.5meter. For this 18awg must be enough I think? 4amps per channel per strip. Is the logic shifter also necessary for usage with an esp32?

[@ResinChemTech]

Both the ESP8266 and ESP32 output 3.3V on their pins. LED strips are expecting 5V on the signal line. While some people claim you don't have to use a logic level shifter (and often you can get away without one for very short runs), I always recommend using one. For $1 and a few minutes of extra soldering, you are assuring you won't have signal issues. If you are unfamiliar with what I'm talking about, take a look at a video I did on the logic level shifter: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2rQfZyqi915acU and you will see what happens when the voltage on the data line drops too low. You don't want to discover this problem AFTER everything is soldered together and installed. With a run of a meter or more, I think you'd definitely want to use the shifter. You could use the sacrificial pixel method, but with two output channels, you'd need to solder a sacrificial pixel on each data line... and I think that could get messy as opposed to a single shifter that can handle up to 4 different channels.

[@crystalclontz]

He is jamming!!

[@richsadowsky8580]

Love this. I need to get a 3D printer. I noticed the one you had was rather large. Do I necessarily need one that big to work on these type of maker projects? Or would a $250-400 one do the job?

[@ResinChemTech]

I think maybe the way I shot it made the 3D printer look much larger than it really is! It is just a Creality Ender 3 Pro, and is currently going for only $236 on Amazon: amzn.to/3Ef2iUE They have other updated models as well in similar price ranges. I absolutely love having a 3D printer and even after having it for over two years, it still gets used on nearly a weekly basis. Sometimes it's the only thing that can create a part that you need. I'm really not a very good 'designer' and pretty much just create simple parts using a free online tool called Tinkercad. But that's really all you need for most DIY projects that I do. Let me know if I can help out in any other way, but I do highly recommend a 3D Printer... if not Creality, then maybe a Prusa. But the Creality printers are a great entry point for beginners.

[@richsadowsky8580]

@@ResinChemTech very kind. Creality is one of the brands I am considering. Maybe someday we can chat. We have similar interests. I'm CTO and 40 software developer and was one of the inventors of the Jibo home social robot.

[@ResinChemTech]

I'd love to have a chance to chat someday! You may have caught it one of my videos, but I'm stepping down from my CTO role that I've had for 10 years and retiring in just a few weeks. I've also mentioned that I have a Discord server, but haven't opened it up simply due to lack of time up until now. I hope to open that up a few weeks after I retire and have a little more time. In the interim, feel free to reach out to me via email if you like. You can find my email on the 'About' page of my channel. It'd be nice to chat about 'CTO things', smart tech/DIY electronics... and the Jibo! I'd love to hear more about that!

[@richsadowsky8580]

@@ResinChemTech will do. I'll be 60 this year so starting to have thoughts about retiring. But I still have a ton of extroverted energy I need to burn off! I'll email you. I like Discord as a group chat concept. I'm hanging out posting in Adafruit's live shows weekly to their live show channel.

[@dcclark01]

Hello, i am about to wire stuff up. I have a issue with this. ESP32 already flashed with WLED, via USB properly working, also wifi. When i plug it to my external power source (meanwell 5v) only the red led turns on, but nothing happens, wifi also not available. I am using the ESP32 D1 Wroom Mini Board. Where to find a solution?

[@ResinChemTech]

It's hard to tell what the problem might be based on the information provided. But if you get a wifi connection and can reach the WLED web interface when plugged into USB, but not when plugged into your 5V power supply, obviously something is causing the boot of the board to fail (or it is in a bootloop). Do you have anything else connected to the board at this point (e.g. push button, LED strip, etc.)? You might need to troubleshoot one step at a time... does the board boot and can you reach WLED via the web browser when it's only connected to the power supply and nothing else? Does the problem only occur when connected to LEDs (or push button/level shifter, etc.)? I'm happy to try to help, but I need a little more information on how you have things hooked up and wired to try to assist you with where the problem might exist. And I'm sure you probably know this, but NEVER hook up the board to both the USB and the external power supply at the same time. This is almost guaranteed to destroy your ESP board.

[@dcclark01]

@@ResinChemTech i have connected them for testing without level shifter. it works, but i don´t exactly know how to wire the shifter up

[@ResinChemTech]

Many will tell you that you don't need the shifter... and as you can see, it does work without it. But if you are building two lamps to be powered by a single data line and are going to 'separate' the lamps by a few feet (like on both sides of an entertainment center), you are definitely going to need that shifter to boost the voltage to 5V before splitting it. I have a wiring diagram in the related blog article to this video: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/08/sound-reactive-rgb-floor-lamps.html This has a wiring diagram for the control board, including the logic level shifter. But the short of it is that you run 3.3V from the 3V3 pin on the ESP to the 'LV' side of the shifter. Then you run 5V from the 5V pin on the ESP to the 'HV' pin on the shifter. Ground is connected on both sides from the same GND as the ESP. You then run the output signal from the ESP (default is D4/GPIO2) to any one of the LV channels on one side (LV1 thru LV4). Your signal out to the LED strip then connects to the corresponding channel on the HV side (example: data signal line from the ESP connects to LV3, then you run the line out to your LEDs from HV3 on the high side. It's much easier to understand if you look at the diagram in the above article. I hope that helps!

[@GTouch25]

Found out that sound reactive version doesn't install from the browser, as always goes back to Install SR option, also only works or opens on the WLED wifi, as doesn't open on the normal wifi, or generate any IP address, and to open the static IP address that has to be created in the wifi setup, it must be on the WLED wifi, not on the home wifi, do you have a video shows how to connect and setup the wifi of this Sound Reactive version?

[@ResinChemTech]

The onboarding process for both the normal and SR versions of WLED are identical. For the web installer, I believe the SR version requires an ESP32 and neither version will install on a board with less than 4MB of flash. It also looks like some changes have been made to the Sound Reactive version that requires some special handling for ESP32. I'd recommend taking a look at, and following, the instructions on the official WLED Sound Reactive site: github.com/atuline/WLED/wiki/Installing-and-Compiling I'd be happy to try to help further, but I would need to know exactly what board you are using, how you are attempting to flash it, and what steps you are following when you try to onboard onto your wifi.

[@GTouch25]

@@ResinChemTech Thanks, Tried both ESP32 boards, the D1 mini and the Development board ESP32S, On the install wled,me browser, after selecting the SR version and the installation Completes, shows Two options, Install WLED SR and LOGS & CONSOLE, and doesn't show WLED-AP wifi on the network. On the PyFlasher, After Completing the installation, doesn't show WiFi option or discovered in the WLED App. On EspHome Flasher, can create a wifi, but only opens in the WLED-AP WiFi, even if the static IP gets created on the WLED App, and add it manually to Discover Lights, it shows Offline and it still doesn't open on the home network, it's only opens on the WLED-AP WiFi

[@ResinChemTech]

OK... let's see if I can help, but your situation seems a bit unique as I've never experienced what you are seeing. I've not used the web installer as much, since it is relatively new and only supports certain boards/combinations. For example, the web installer currently only allows you to install the latest beta version. If I want the stable release version, I have to download and flash with PyFlasher or ESPHome Flasher.... so that is generally my preferred option. Note that there is a known issue with some ESP32 boards where the WLED-AP does not appear after flashing. See here: kno.wled.ge/basics/install-binary/#what-binary-should-i-use (look at the WLED_0.x.x_ESP32.bin note and it gives a link of what to do if the WLED-AP does not appear). Basically, you have to flash a bootloader first. I've not personally experienced this with the dozen or so ESP32 boards I have flashed, but apparently it does happen with some boards. Next, if or when you do get the WLED-AP and are able to enter your WiFi credentials (e.g. your SSID and password), I wouldn't set a static IP at this point. You can always switch to a static IP later. Instead let your router hand out a DHCP IP address and then check your router to see if the WLED controller is listed (it should show up as something like WLED-xxxxxx). If you don't see the controller listed in your router, then either your SSID/password were incorrect or something else is preventing your router from handing out an IP address/onboarding the controller. Once the controller is successfully online, your can either set a static IP or DHCP reservation. But from what you describe, I'm guessing you are experiencing the issue I linked to above. The need to flash a bootloader is also mentioned on the Sound Reactive WLED site: github.com/atuline/WLED/wiki/Installing-and-Compiling (see section under flashing ESP32 binaries).

[@GTouch25]

@@ResinChemTech Thanks but requires python and programming, it's not for a newbie

[@boopeshkumarprabhakaran]

sound reactive wled build dont have alexa or mqtt support with bin...how to edit and make it wokr?

[@ResinChemTech]

Yes, some standard features of WLED are disabled by default in the sound-reactive version. You can enable them, but it does require compiling your own bin file. Info can be found on the Sound Reactive WLED wiki (github.com/atuline/WLED/wiki/First-Time-Setup). FYI... I use Home Assistant for both voice control and native WLED integration, so these modifications of the .bin file aren't necessary.

[@robp790]

Did you use one controller for both lights? or each one has a controller?

[@ResinChemTech]

This uses one controller and the data signal is split and goes to both lamps. You can see that in the wiring diagrams that are included in my related blog article, found here: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/08/sound-reactive-rgb-floor-lamps.html (most of my project-based videos have a corresponding written article that has wiring diagrams, parts lists, code samples, etc... and you can always find a link to it in the video description). Alternatively, you could use separate controllers and the WLED sync functionality to have them always show the same color/effect, but they would probably not always be precisely in sync like they are when the two lamps share the same data signal from the controller.

[@gyovi1802]

Very helpful video on how to build nice lamps. But the sound reactive on WLED very inaccurate with the music, and even doesn't react nicely like the ones I purchased from AliExpress as they are very accurate with low and high volume, But WLED after comparing is not worth it. Thanks for the video

[@ResinChemTech]

I don't disagree with you! I've found that the sound-reactive version responsiveness can vary widely based on squelch and gain controls, the effect being used, the microphone selected (and its positioning) and even the type of music being played. Settings for one effect/type of song might work really well, but those same settings are not so great for a different effect or song. Sometimes just moving the microphone can make a substantial difference. I have nothing to do with the development (or support) of WLED - I'm just a user like you - but WLED and sound-reactive WLED are free, open source and developed by volunteers who are not getting paid. While it might not be as 'good' as the commercial version, it is improving all the time and does offer a free, local option for building your own version of sound-reactive LED lights. For what it is, and what I paid for it (nothing), I think it is a pretty good option for some... but not everyone.

[@gyovi1802]

@@ResinChemTech I really appreciate WLED it's a great software, as much as you're great channel with tones of helpful tips and informations, as greatly apprecieate what you're sharing, and again you're correct, after changing microphones it worked very good, and hopefully the SR version will become even more amazing

[@terryxperry]

You did a great jobs. But one thing u didt factor in is the price of a 3d printer and tools. Plus not everyone got the skills to make it. Like u do.

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks. No, my project cost does not include things like a 3D printer or common tools that you would need for any sort of DIY electronic projects... like wire strippers, a soldering iron, etc. I possibly just make the wrong assumption that anyone doing DIY electronic projects would already own most of these common tools and would not need to buy them for every new project. As far as the 3D printer, there are many options for substituting other materials in many cases. For example, a small piece of PVC pipe and angle brackets could be used to hold the tube in place. Small project boxes of various sizes can be found at very low prices to hold something like the controller (or even a $1 plastic soap box from the dollar store). I used a lot of these sort of items on my projects before I had a 3D printer. You just have to be a bit creative at times. I've even used a toilet paper tube to narrow the detection angle of a motion detector. So, most of my projects can be completed without a 3D printer... you just have to figure out some alternatives. As far as skills... I don't have any! Well, not many. But I've just learned through trial and error and by just trying different things to see if they worked. Often, I have no idea exactly how I'm even going to complete a project when I first start... I just figure it out along the way. Doing and trying are really the only way to learn these skills. For this particular project, I just saw those clear tubes in a local hardware store and thought they might be interesting to turn into LED tubes. But I tried a lot of different things before I came up with the sandpaper and frosted glass paint I used in the video. I just don't show all the things I tried that failed in most of my videos! Thanks for watching and taking time to comment.

[@nyetloki]

Do you include the price of a screwdriver? Wire clippers? Soldering iron? In all your projects @terryxperry no. This is basic tools, and you can just get things 3d printed online. Tinkercad even has a tied in ordering service