SOUND-REACTIVE HYPERCUBE
A 5-sided 3D cubic light installation with 320 addressable WS2812B LEDs. Engineered with real-time acoustic ripple physics where frequencies bloom from deep bass crimson into high-frequency purple.
Physical Build & Live Video
Watch the physical Hypercube pulse and ripple to live acoustic rhythms, followed by close-ups of the custom textured 3D-printed diffuser hood.
Interactive 3D Hypercube Simulator
Drag to orbit and rotate the 3D cube in real time. Start the live microphone or test acoustic presets to watch frequency-mapped color ripples radiate across all 5 faces (320 virtual pixels).
Hardware Architecture & Assembly Specs
Building an illuminated 5-sided LED cube is an exercise in precision micro-soldering, thermal routing, and acoustic hardware decoupling.
| Subsystem | Hardware Specification | Connection / Pinout | Engineering Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| LED Matrix Panels | 5× 8x8 WS2812B Panels (320 Pixels total) | GPIO 1 (FastLED Serpentine) | Five 64-pixel panels wired in continuous daisy-chain order (Front → Right → Back → Left → Top). |
| Microphone Sensor | MAX4466 Analog Electret Module | GPIO 0 (ADC1_CH0) | Anchored to ESP32-C3 ADC1 for zero-latency analog reading with trimmer potentiometer gain adjustment. |
| Microcontroller | ESP32-C3 SuperMini RISC-V | 3.3V System Logic | High-speed DMA sampling and real-time radial ripple coordinate mapping across 320 nodes. |
| Power Distribution | USB-C 5V @ 2.5A with 1000µF Low-ESR Cap | Multi-Point 5V & GND Bus | Power is injected at both the bottom panel entrance and the top face to eliminate color-shift voltage drop. |
| Diffusion Hood | Semi-Translucent Crystalline PETG/PLA | Snap-Fit 5-Sided Enclosure | Blurs individual point-source diode glare into continuous organic liquid ripples. |
The Tedious Art of 5-Panel Cube Soldering
Every maker who has tackled an LED cube knows: the true challenge isn't the software, it's the 15+ delicate wire bridges along internal 90-degree corner seams. Each panel requires 5V, Ground, and Data-Out-to-Data-In routing inside a cramped 3D cube interior. Without precision soldering and multi-point power injection, the fifth panel dims or browns out. Each Hypercube commissioned from Dillon is hand-aligned, heat-tested for thermal stability, and built to last.