"Split Audio" Escape Room Puzzle Tutorial

[@LionTree]

I've been using a micro-cassette player for cluing in my Mayan Jungle Rescue room. Finding decently working microcassette recorders is a super hard task and even when I do, it's been hard keeping tape in stock to record on. Many players love the nostalgia, but it's hardly a sustainable prop/gimmick. This prop in handheld military-style radios would fit my theme perfectly!

[@ToddHanson]

This is the best kind of idea: novel and simple!

[@lightman500]

Excellent idea! Going to put it in my tool belt for future escape room projects.

[@lightman500]

I couldn't wait so I purchased all the parts and built up my own two units. They work terrific! Thanks again for all of your Insight guidance and sharing of project data. If interested here's a video of my units to show a couple of folks interested in Escape rooms. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppuxiGymjsqFasU I reference your site and video in the description

[@mystreteacher]

Really enjoying your videos, and they're really helping me design items for my field which is assistive technology.

[@TheUnofficialMaker]

cool, hope you will do more on various Adacity tricks and techniques.

[@2madrobot]

I already like it, first message could be numbers for code(4,2,1,3), second message in what order to put for the code (4th, 2nd, 1st, 3rd).

[@javcis31]

Awesome video, more projects that don't require coding, please! 😂

[@miguelangelcollperal7974]

very interesting

[@stoic1251]

Hi Alastair! Could you please do more videos on Unity AR. This summer i will be doing research with AR and your previous video was the best i could find on the topic.

[@user-ms2uc6ii8u]

G Sewal 15 minutes ago After further experimentation I found a solution to this problem. I had been playing an mp3 file at 48000Hz (bitrate), which was problematic. After re-watching Alistair's excellent video tutorial in closer detail, I noticed he had used a .wav file at 44100Hz (bitrate). This seems to solve the problem.

[@mfx1]

Use a higher voltage battery supply than you need and a DC-DC converter or regulator to keep a constant voltage, if it is voltage related and fairly consistent that would also enable you to calibrate each one to a reasonable degree. Also if you use a buck/boost converter you can significantly increase useable battery life.

[@PlayfulTechnology]

- A typical generic or no-brand AA battery (I'm using "Amazon Basics") has a capacity of 2000mAh. (a branded, e.g. Duracell has more like 2500-3000mAh) - Assuming you run the amplifier at its maximum 2W power at 5V, the GPD2846 requires 400mA of current draw. - So, using 4xAA basic batteries, it would play audio continuously for 5hrs. - The audio samples I demonstrate in this video are about 5 seconds long. So, you'd expect to be able to playback each message 3600 times on one set of batteries. - Assuming players have to repeat the messages five times each game before they get the code correct, that means they'd last for 720 games before you'd need to change them. Of course, alkaline batteries are pretty old technology, but they're cheap, easy and readily-available. If you wanted an alternative, I'd suggest looking into a USB power brick (or, if you don't want a portable device, just a wired DC power supply)

[@KrazeeKraftZ]

@@PlayfulTechnology I've also recently seen rechargable, via USB, AA batteries!! The things they come up with!!

[@user-xx8sl2dk5d]

Good afternoon Great video. Please can someone assist I built this project as is but for some reason the board does not auto play once the button is pushed. The sd card must be removed and inserted again. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[@mpdnuk]

One of the issues I had with the GPD2846A boards that I've got is that if the playback was interrupted (letting go of the button) and you pressed it again it wouldn't start from the beginning - it would resume from the last point in the playback. I tried with both WAV and MP3 file and it behaved the same. This makes it almost impossible to sync up with a second speaker unfortunately. Not sure what the difference is between the ones you've got and mine - they are the same chipset and the PCB looks identical.

[@brandoncarr8565]

Is there a way to make it louder? Mine seem very quiet. I did process the audio files through a hard limiter before saving them to the card.

[@carlosmor3254]

Cool tutorial! But it's not working. I followed step by step the way to generate the WAV files, but the module do not starts from the begining each time you power it. Looks like it continues the files as it was. Any solution? Thanks EDITED. I have not found a way to synchronize the audios with the GPD2846 module, they only do it the first time you feed them. The solution that works for me and doesn't use a microcontroller is to use the DFPlayer mini mp3. Putting a push button for power and taking to GND the ADKEY_1 pin, this makes it play automatically when it is powered.

[@bartpluijms]

The links for Amazon are working but products unavailable. Any other suggestions?

[@PlayfulTechnology]

To be fair, I don't generally use Amazon anyway - it's just the easiest way to provide a product description that's (generally) available around the world. You can get these components from pretty much any electronics supplier.

[@user-ms2uc6ii8u]

This looks like a brilliant idea and I've been playing around with these modules trying to repeat the tutorial.. Disappointingly, the problem I have is that when power is applied to a module it does NOT always start playing the (only mp3 file on the ASD card) from the beginning. Rather it seems to start at some arbitrary point part way through. This makes it impossible to synchronise the playing of fragmented messages on multiple mp3 players as described, by just applying power. I can make them synch by applying power, then immediately pressing/bridging the 'Previous'' pin, but this adds complexity and requires something like a Xiao (or other MCU) to achieve this. Perhaps it's just the modules I'm using that are different and cause the problem? Anyone else have experience of this?

[@user-ms2uc6ii8u]

After further experimentation I found a solution to this problem. I had been playing an mp3 file at 48000Hz (bitrate), which was problematic. After re-watching Alistair's excellent video tutorial in closer detail, I noticed he had used a .wav file at 44100Hz (bitrate). This seems to solve the problem.

[@carlosmor3254]

@@user-ms2uc6ii8u Hi, it not solves the problem. I started with mp3 files, and reading your post I change to WAV files but I got the same problem.

[@yawarali4361]

Hello how contact with u please

[@mylesdb]

Disclaimer. If any of you implement this puzzle in your escape rooms it will be INACCESSIBLE to deaf and hard of hearing players. There ideally needs to be universal design considered such as a visual indication of the words or sounds being played back. Many escape rooms are not accessible to deaf and/or blind folks and it’s very disappointing.

[@LionTree]

This is just 'A' puzzle. I completely understand your perspective, but as a designer myself we can't cater every puzzle creation, let alone room, to be 100% accessible. The only way your point holds up is if EVERY player in the group has the same disability. Do you also think color puzzles shouldn't be done because colorblind people exist? I'm sure most rooms still have puzzles or tasks that they everyone in the group can accomplish. However, I'd genuinely like to know if anyone has ever made a 100% accessible room.

[@mylesdb]

@@LionTree so my non profit are making a fully accessible puzzle room. It incorporates haptics, and tactile elements to convey visual and auditory cues about the puzzles. It is absolutely possible to make accessible puzzle rooms. In your example, color puzzles could be accompanied by shapes and/or texture to differentiate between colors for colorblind and blind. It is question is who is willing to do the work to be inclusive and seems you are unwilling which is poor business practice and potentially exposes you to an expensive ADA law suit. Since 1 in 4 have some form of disability, that’s a significant number of folks that would be missing out on potential revenue, thus it’s good business practice to incorporate universal design into this industry.

[@LionTree]

@@mylesdb That's a noble endeavor! I've still never heard of a fully accesible room. I'd be interested in learning more. Do you have a link to your website or group where I could learn more?

[@PlayfulTechnology]

Hi Myles, that's a completely valid point. I do attempt to always consider accessibility in all my puzzle design, and you're absolutely right that this one fails that test. I have played games in the past that have attempted to be "universally accessible", but unfortunately a.) they often end up being incredibly bland, and b.) they're *really* hard to make! This one really does require audio - although I described in the introduction a visual equivalent that used overlaid transparent sheets instead (although that would be inaccessible to those with sight difficulties). Personally, I really enjoy language puzzles, but clearly anything that relies on written or spoken clues is immediately going to be hard or impossible for certain players. I think the best thing a designer can do is to mindful of these kind of issues and to maximise accessibility, within reason (e.g. a colour-based puzzle can also have items distinguished by shape or texture).