Thread: A Sure fire way to automate sound activated devices

Tweet

I have a few things that are sound activated. A drop spider, some flying ghosts and bats. Every year my hands go raw from clapping 4 or 5 hours trying to keep those things flying.

A few alternatives I've worked up with the help of many here.

If you have some old small mp3 players, download a wav file (snapping fingers works great) that will activate the sound controlled device

Then get to a radio shack or frys and buy those mini speakers for an ipod or mp3 player. They shoudl be about 10-15 dollars.

Then just set your sound effect file for repeat and tape the player and speaker to the device or aim it at the back for maximum gain. Make sure to amplify the sound effect so it can be heard clearly.

In my case I used an ipod with an extension audio cable and ran the external speaker at the top of my outside door directly behind the spider and the cable ran inside to my ipod mini so when kids come to ring the doorbell, I activate the sound and the spider drops

For the flying objects, I'm taping them to the underside for the ghosts and the bats I just shoved the mini mp3 player inside next to the battery compartment and zipped it back up.

If anyone needs the sound, please let me know and I'm happy to email it to you.

I hope this helps anyone who has been as frustrated as I have been with sound activated devices! Now I don't have to wonder outside clapping like a lunatic!!

Ahhh and I was kind of enjoying the vision of you running around clapping like a lunatic

Great idea to solve a problem that many of us have.

MsM

I use a cap gun!

Talk about innovative! I'll add this to my list of things to still be doing as kids begin coming to my door on Halloween night. (Never enough time!)

I needed a way to signal the actors in my home haunt that TOTs were coming in, and how many. So, I carried my car remote in my pocket and honked the appropriate number of times for the number of TOTs entering. It worked great, and had the added bonus of startling several TOTs walking down the sidewalk.

I wonder if that would also set off sound-activated props?