There are two things I haven't yet figured out for my TARDIS.

1. Although I can get the Demat sound brilliantly using an MP3 player and a guitar amp, I want to be able to trigger the sound remotely. I have a remote controlled plug socket, and when that turns on, the lights all come on. I want the sound to be triggered automatically when the power comes through too. Unfortunately, most modern devices you have to switch on.... (unlike a tape player where you could just keep the play button pressed). Any ideas on how to tackle this?

2. I've been thinking long and hard how to do the phone ring for the phone in the bell box. The simplest way I think is to use an old mobile phone and have a ringtone for the bell. This also has the advantage of being able to be triggered remotely wherever you are. Also, I'll be able to set up to do the 'Are You My Mummy' speech if I set that up to be triggered by a text being received. How spooky would that be? However, I don't know how to make the Are You My Mummy Ringtone. Anyone have any expertise in this area?

Oh and just to say, because this is cool..  (I think anyway) I rigged the sound up so it's the TARDIS sound first, then the TARDIS hum, then the old TARDIS computer noise, then a Demat sound again.  It's about 6 minutes long, so if it's on a loop, it works pretty well.  But by using the guitar amp, when the sound is playing, the box 'hums' from the bass vibration thanks to the guitar amp.  So it reminds me of that bit in An Unearthly Child where Ian touches the box, and he says it feels alive!  Those guitar amps are dead cheap, and it really works a treat even at lower volumes.  It does mean you have the power to go louder at a later date if necessary...

I loved the idea of putting picture frames at the windows with the TARDIS interior showing faintly through the 'glass', but as we're going to be getting a new interior, that's something to wait on, I think...

Hi Rox

I'm planning a very similar setup, so hopefully I might be able to help here.

re: triggering sounds
Check out putting the sound onto a flash memory card in a digital photo frame. As long as it handles multimedia, and has a sound output socket, I found a lot of these frames have auto-on (plays the first file it finds) when power is turned on.

re: phone sounds
Unless you want the phone to actually work as a phone, I think you might be better off putting some electronics into the phone (see this part of my build thread, halfway down the page, here) so that when you pick up the receiver you get "are you my mummy" sound through the earpiece. As for the phone ring sound - I guess you'd only want to trigger that sound to get a passer-by/friend/victim    to open the door and pick up the phone - in which case the spare mobile placed inside the old phone would probably be the best idea (either that, or use a second photo-frame with a bell-telephone ring sound on it). Or, you could use the same kind of sound-board that I used in my bakelite phone, plus a proximity sensor, so that when someone walks by the tardis the sound plays. Nice thing about that is that those little 'talking labels' is that they only need a battery to work.

hope that helps :-)

cheers
Chris

Quote from: rox on May 12, 2009, 10:23 amThere are two things I haven't yet figured out for my TARDIS.

1. Although I can get the Demat sound brilliantly using an MP3 player and a guitar amp, I want to be able to trigger the sound remotely. I have a remote controlled plug socket, and when that turns on, the lights all come on. I want the sound to be triggered automatically when the power comes through too. Unfortunately, most modern devices you have to switch on.... (unlike a tape player where you could just keep the play button pressed). Any ideas on how to tackle this?

2. I've been thinking long and hard how to do the phone ring for the phone in the bell box. The simplest way I think is to use an old mobile phone and have a ringtone for the bell. This also has the advantage of being able to be triggered remotely wherever you are. Also, I'll be able to set up to do the 'Are You My Mummy' speech if I set that up to be triggered by a text being received. How spooky would that be? However, I don't know how to make the Are You My Mummy Ringtone. Anyone have any expertise in this area?

Thanks Chris.  The problem with the electronics in the bell box route is that I am rubbish with anything more complicated than plugging something in..    Which is why in the interim, I will use the phone for both the ring and the 'Are You My Mummy'.  But again, I know nothing about creating ringtones, though I expect it's not as tricky as I think it is..  anyone know better than me?

Great idea for the picture frame.  Will look into that...  shame there aren't any auto on MP3 players....