Stand Alone MP3 Sound Module Issues
I'm having some problems with this one.
I have a small <4MB mp3 file that I want to play, but I can't get the module to play any sounds at all.
When I have it plugged into the computer, a red lights appears on the module until I unplug it. I can transfer files to and from it just fine, as well as delete files.
Pressing the button when the USB is plugged in does not play the sound, nor does it play the sound when I have the USB unplugged and a different power supply connected (lights on the same circuit light up just fine).
I have made sure I'm only trying mp3 files, and I've tried numerous ones, and numerous versions of them with different bitrates, none of which play on the device, but all of which will play on my computer.
There is no buzzing, no hissing, no sound at all coming from the speaker when the button is pressed.
There is no file directory on the module, just the single mp3 of 2 MB size I want to play. Do I need some specific file directory?
By the way, assuming I can get this to work, will it loop the single sound if the sound is set up to loop, or does it just stop after one play through?
Thanks
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Hi, thanks for your message. Are you powering the device only through the USB port? If so I don't think it will work. You need to use the red power cable, BRANCH04 adapter board that came with your kit, and one of our power supplies. I'm pretty sure the module is programmed to assume that any USB connection will not just be power-only but will be for data transfer (even if you only have the USB connected to a USB power bank or wall wart).
Do you have one of our power supplies? If so you should be able to connect it directly to the red/black power cable and adapter board.
To answer your second question, the module plays once through whatever sounds are on the module when the button is pressed. It does not loop.
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I tried it:
* With just the USB hook up (no sound)
* Plugged into the end of my existing light circuit, powered by the Brickstuff USB cable & a Duracell Instant USB battery (the recommended setup, no sound)
* Plugged into a battery pack with a 3rd party adapter (no sound)
However... based on what you said, I played around with it a bit just now and found that it works fine if I plug it into a different section of my light circuit. Anywhere past where the 3rd party adapter elite stuff branches off, it doesn't play... but before that part of the chain, it plays fine.
Not sure, maybe I have a flaw in my circuit design, but I know what it takes to make it work now.
I assume this draws a lot of battery power, and that's why it won't work with battery packs?
Thanks!
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EArkham Interesting, thanks for doing the troubleshooting. The sound module does require more power than lights, so I can see why it might not work at the end of a chain. Although I will say the Duracell products are not the best. The product you mentioned has only 1150mAH of total power, which is less than half the power present in a single AA battery. I'm talking about total power capacity here, not voltage. You'd likely get much better results using our 3AA battery pack, or by using a more modern USB battery bank like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ME3ZH7C/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_vQ3EEbMEKJNDF
We use Talentcell USB battery banks at all of our shows and have had great results.
How many other lights do you have connected, and what is the connection topology?
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Wishlisted, will grab that one eventually as I plan to connect several modulars (with multiple floors each) to this set up. I had thought the Duracell had been specifically referenced somewhere in one of the Brickstuff PDFs, but I can't seem to find the reference atm.
Here's the schematic I doodled up before hooking everything up. It's probably very hard to understand what's going on, especially with the green highlighter I was using to mark off stuff as I connected it lol.
I'm using a couple of third party power couplers to connect modular to modular, the power source is not on the schematic but connects from the left side where I have the word "alley."
The original spot I tried the speaker wwas between the exiting power coupler on the top right and the branch04 1:2 right next to it. I placed it just after the 1-to-9 and it worked fine, hence why I thought the third party adapter (which powers the flashing lights from the lifelite Citizen Brick strip club module).
Except for the CB stuff coming off the third party adapter, all the other lights are micro 3V 20mA (mainly soft white using clear trans parts to tint).
So I guess to answer your question briefly, the topology is pretty "lol".
Here's a couple of IG posts with the lights on:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9cZGjIpFK4/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B818pMMp3rV/
Right now it is only the one floor, but I was planning to wire up the above two floors.
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EArkham Thanks for sharing your setup. Looks like it's going to be quite the modular! How are the lights working after branching off the third party adapter? That has just a small resistor on it and was designed only to power 1-2 additional lights. Curious if all the lights coming off that are working.
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Yup, everything works just fine. The third party hooks into one of the eLite Basic MCUs (specifically the pink one from the Citizen Brick Performing Arts set). Of course almost all those lights are flashing ones, and the two ones that stay on solidly are a light purple, so with that colour it's hard to tell if they're not as bright as they should be.
And yeah, it's getting to be one hell of a big project, haha. I still have the upper floor to figure out how I'm going to light up. Pretty sure I'll need the larger power supply before I get there, even though I only had that one issue with the sound module so far.
