Boomstick is a project for creating an animated string of programmable RGB LEDs, powered by a small Arduino, and reactive to music. This guide focuses on one hardware configuration that you can assemble in order to run the Boomstick software. This hardware is a great size for putting into a wearable item such as a robe or spirit hood, or lighting up the length of a portable totem pole. The components include a mic (to pick up music), a knob (to adjust brightness) and a button (to switch animations). The whole unit (including LEDs) is powered from a single micro USB port, which can be plugged into a wall adapter, or a portable USB battery charger.
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
