Skull Control

Using a high-frequency tone to trigger a servo driver circuit mounted in a bucky skull.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• halloween
• talking
• skull
• scary
• terry

[Mikiemike0051]

Hi there, first off you made it look soooo easy! The question though is how do you keep the jaw from opening all the way? I assembled my skull last night and started messing with it, but eithere the servo doesnt respond, or any tone or spoken word lasting more than a second or so opens the servo 100%. Any ideas?

[cessers]

@Mikiemike0051 Thanks, man. You want the tone to be louder than any area of dialog or the dialog will just activate the servo constantly. Essentially you want the tone to move the jaw and the dialog to be secondary. Play with the balance between the two and the servo sensitivity to get the best results.

[HiRezDesigns]

I'm glad I found this video because I was having the exact same problem. I actual ended up doing it a little different. I panned the actual "talking sound" on the left channel and the "tone" on the right channel then had the ST-300 only respond to the right channel and only used the left channel (the talking sound) go to the speakers. This would also solve the problem if your audio has music that would interfere with the jaw movement. You never send the channel with the voice and music to the s

[cessers]

@HiRezDesigns Yes, that would work perfectly! I did the sublayer so I could have one skull talking on the left channel and the other on the right. If you just need a mono source your solution is much better.

[paulcav151]

What capacitor setting are you using on the ST board: Slow Medium, or Fast reacting?

[cessers]

@paulcav151 Medium

[gozdzilla]

Where do I find the frequency files you used

Please let me know thanx

[Mikiemike0051]

I see what you are saying, but what speakers are you using that don't respond to this frequency? And is there a way to only have the sound board pass the desired channel to the speakers? I have it set up nicely but just don't want the clicking of the high khz tone to play through. Can I edit out the click, or is that what is actually activating the servo?

[cessers]

@shortofamiracle The idea is to pick a frequency outside of the range reproducible by your speakers. If you have very high quality speakers that may require an external filter. Try something very low like 35Hz or very high like 18kHz

[shortofamiracle]

For some reason, when I add my tones in audacity.. the speakers still pick them up and I can hear them quite clearly?

[cessers]

@paul, I think I used medium.

@riley, you can!