mp3 music and servos sychronised

[andysell]

Hi all,
I wanted to synch up an mp3 track with servos and such. I figured the best way to do is to rig an mp3 player to a mc and constantly check the file position of the music track to launch the event (say a servo moving). Now i've been looking around and out of the two I can find (http://www.roguerobotics.com/) and http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/ , is seems Rogue is the only one able to return the current file position.

So two question,
1)  is this the best way to this or should I use the mc internal clock.

2), I can envisage the program being rather lengthy as a songs playing for say 15min whilst moving some servo e.c.t would take up a fair few lines of code....so much memory do you suggest I look for on a mc.

All suggestions are appreciated. I am a programmer but know very little about electronics so bear with me and thank you for your help.

Andy

[Admin]

I wanted to synch up an mp3 track with servos and such.

what you do you mean?

You won't be able to play or store mp3's from a microcontroller. Not enough memory (on the order of 100kb) or processing speed (on the order of 20MHz).

Your best bet is have a microcontroller control an MP3 player (hack the on/off switch, etc).

[TrickyNekro]

Your best bet is have a microcontroller control an MP3 player (hack the on/off switch, etc).

Ha, this maybe tough... but you can also build your MP3 player...
Anyways,  have I mind something that can be useful
There is an IC from National Semi that can light up three different leds in sync of a music input... I can't remember the name sorry...
I imagine it can be well suited in your application...

[Dscrimager]

Seems like an old dead topic but I can give you a lead:
1) play files from your MP3 like a rogue robotics unit, which I use in my Halloween shows (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2czDZ20sUes) and will soon use on my robot.
encode on the tracks a signal that you run through a high pass filter to catch the signal, it would have to be a click track or different tones in order to do different things.
run through a low pass filter to play the audio portion
See this link(http://www.scary-terry.com/more_stuff/tonedet/tonedet.htm)

lot's of Halloween folks are doing this kind of thing. We're all becoming animatronic nuts with talking skulls and the like...

Doug

[Asellith]

Just to add some not so custom solutions check out these

http://www.bpesolutions.com/PuppetEquip.html#anchor48397
http://www.bpesolutions.com/PuppetEquip.html#anchor45428

Plus their other stuff. They have some neat stuff for doing the kind of things you want. Including a talking skull kit.

[Dscrimager]

I used something similar from EFX-tek.com and cowlacious.
For the original purpose of playing MP3s they dont work, but for playing sound effects they are great...
Doug