As someone who loves technology, I've always wanted to make a centerpiece for my home to highlight my love of electronics.

In this project, I transformed my living room wall into an eye-catching LED accent wall that reacts to sound. It's perfect for creating an ambient atmosphere that syncs beautifully with your favorite music or TV shows and it is a great conversation starter for when we have guests.

For this project, I'll show you how I connected the SK6812 RGBW LED strips, a MAX9814 microphone, and an ESP32 microcontroller, running WLED to create the setup and how you can create your own.

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Planning the Accent Wall

Before jumping into the hands-on work, I made sure to draw the entire wall in SketchUp. Good planning makes the actual build a lot smoother and we wanted to have a general idea of how everything will look like before we started building it.

SketchUp is incredibly useful for creating a detailed layout and figuring out the exact placement of all the components. In SketchUp, I drew the wall and added the positions for the decorative panels, as well as the TV console that I was yet to build.

I also took note of the power source and wiring routes. Planning where to place the power supply and how to route the wires to hide them, helped ensure the final setup would be clean and efficient. By the time I finished with SketchUp, I had a very clear blueprint of what I needed to do, which made the subsequent steps far less daunting. If you’re planning a similar project, I highly recommend spending some quality time on this planning phase. It saves a lot of headaches down the line.

Tools and Materials

The star of the project here are the SK6812 RGBW LED Strips and the ESP32 that controls them. On the links below you have everything that I used and if you buy through them, you are supporting the channel and my work, without any additional cost for you!

• SK6812 RGBW LED strips - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Ez3fPtx
• ESP32 microcontroller - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EzfeYoz
• MAX9814 microphone - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EInOLyD
• 200W 5V power supply - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Ez4E62D
• Car fuse holders - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKZ5G3O
• 15A fuses - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Evjis1R
• Soldering iron - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EwDgF01
• Heat shrink tubing - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_okQuoEV
• LED Channels - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Ev1AdYt
• Silicon glue and masking tape - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_olcgoPn
• Silicon Wire - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EIyyvJX
• Project Box - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EjxL6k5
• Multimeter - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EuAwGWD

Installing the LED Channels

When I was happy with the planning, I first installed the MDF decorative panels on the wall and I then used silicon adhesive to glue the LED channels to the edge of the MDF panels.

The LED channels are the smallest I could find and when the LEDs are not in use, they look like trim on the ends, making the entire project stealthy for everyday use.

The silicon adhesive cures in a few hours and I did not bother to remove any squeeze-out until it was entirely dry. Once dry, it can be easily rubbed off from the panels making for an invisible join.

While curing, I used some masking tape to hold the LED channels in place and since the two vertical runs were longer than the channels, I added two smaller pieces on the bottom to extend them to full length. Here, I made sure to use the factory edges bumped to each other so I could achieve a perfect fit.

Installing and Wiring the LED Strips

For this project, I opted for the SK6812 RGBW LED strips. These strips are great because they offer not just RGB colors but also an additional white LED, allowing for a broader range of lighting effects, including a simple, clean white glow when needed. Each strip has a small arrow indicating the data flow direction, which is crucial for proper installation.

I started by measuring and cutting the LED strips to the required lengths. Each segment needed to fit perfectly into the channels without any excess. Once cut, I removed the factory terminals and prepped the strips for soldering. This involved stripping the ends of the wires and tinning them with solder.

For the middle section below the TV console, I wanted to have a mirrored effect, so I had to be very careful with how I connected the strips. I realized that simply reversing the direction would mix up the 5V and ground connections, which is a big no-no. To fix this, I used additional wires to cross the connections properly.

Next, I peeled off the backing tape from the LED strips and carefully pressed them into the channels. I made sure to leave a small gap at the ends where the LEDs are not glued to the channel so I could more easily solder the wires to them.

For the power wires, I used thick wire so that it could handle the required amperage of the LEDs, and for the signal wire, I used a pair extracted from a network cable. The signal wire does not need to be that thick as there is barely any current flowing through it.

Setting Up the ESP32 Microcontroller

Once the LED strips were securely in place, it was time to set up the brain behind the operation: the ESP32 microcontroller. This powerful little chip would run the WLED firmware, enabling the LEDs to be both Wi-Fi controllable and sound-reactive. I decided to use the MAX9814 microphone module to pick up ambient sound, which would allow the LEDs to react to music and other audio inputs.

First, I pre-soldered some wires to the ESP32 to make the connections easier. Specifically, the microphone was connected to the 3.3V and ground pins for power, and the digital output was connected to pin D33 for audio signal input. During my initial testing phase, I only connected a single string of LEDs to pin D2 to make sure everything worked as expected. However, for the final setup, I planned to control three separate LED strips using pins D2, D4, and D16. Each pin would handle the data input for different sections of the wall.

Now, powering the whole system requires a reliable power source as each meter of LED strip uses 18W of power when at maximum brightness. Most of the time, the effects use way less than that but, to be on the side, I used a 200W 5V power supply, capable of providing up to 40 amps. Given the high amperage needed to run multiple LED strips at full brightness, I added car fuse holders with 15A fuses to each power line for safety.

There are many things you can set via the WLED firmware, that are beyond the scope of this project, but one important one is the calculated maximum current limit. I set this to 35A at most so no matter what, the power supply should be operated below its limit.

Final Assembly and Installation

The final assembly and installation process was the culmination of all the planning, preparation, and individual component work. First, I focused on assembling everything inside an electrical box to keep the setup neat and organized. This enclosure housed the power supply, ESP32 microcontroller, and all the necessary wiring. It had built-in ventilation to prevent any overheating issues, especially since we were dealing with high power loads.

To start, I had to cut off some internal pillars within the electrical box to make space for the power supply. Once everything fit snugly, I mounted the power supply on the side of the box. The next step was connecting the main power input to the power supply. I added a switch to the live wire, allowing easy access to turn the entire system on and off. The neutral and ground wires were connected directly to the power supply terminals. For added security, I used zip ties for strain relief, ensuring that the wires wouldn’t accidentally pull out.

With the power supply and microcontroller secured, I moved on to wiring the LEDs to their respective pins on the ESP32. I routed the cables through the channels I had pre-installed in the wall, making sure everything was neatly tucked away. Finally, I attached the enclosure to the underside of the TV console, allowing the wires to come up the back and connect discreetly. Once all cables were connected and the setup verified, it was time for the moment of truth—powering it all up and running the first test. The LEDs lit up beautifully, responding to the music just as I had envisioned, making all the effort worthwhile.

Boosting the LED Signal with a Custom Adapter Board

After the initial tests, I noticed that occasionally there was a full white flash from some of the LED strips so I had to figure out the issue and how to fix it. Reading online, the recommendation was to shorten the length of the signal wire from the ESP32 to the LED strip and since that was not possible in my case, I read that I can make an adapter with one LED to act as a repeater.

To create this adapter, I soldered 3 individual LEDs onto a small piece of perfboard and connected it directly to the data pin on the ESP32. From here, the signal wires of the actual LED strips were connected to the output of the LEDs. This small addition made a big difference in overall performance, ensuring that the LED strips responded accurately to both color changes and audio inputs, providing a flawless end result.

The adapter board acts essentially as a signal repeater. The single LED on the board helps to amplify the data signal before it travels down the length of the main LED strips. By positioning this board close to the controller, the signal boosts right at the source, ensuring that it remains strong and stable as it travels through the rest of the LEDs. This simple yet effective solution eliminated the flickering and resulted in a much smoother lighting experience.

Conclusion and Next Steps

In conclusion, transforming a simple living room wall into a dynamic, sound-reactive LED accent wall was an incredibly rewarding project. It required a mix of careful planning, technical skills, and a bit of creativity. From the initial concept in SketchUp to the final installation and troubleshooting, every step added to the excitement of seeing the project come to life.

The LED strips and ESP32 microcontroller, coupled with WLED firmware, proved to be a powerful combination. They allowed for stunning visual effects that can sync with music or ambient sounds, creating an engaging and immersive atmosphere. The custom adapter board to boost the LED signal ensured a smooth, flicker-free performance that added to the professional finish of the project.

I hope this guide has inspired you to try out similar projects in your own home. You can see a full demo of how it looks here.

Such DIY undertakings not only enhance your space but also deepen your understanding and appreciation of how technology can be integrated into everyday life. If you embark on creating your own sound-reactive LED wall, please share your results and any new ideas you might have discovered along the way.

Thank you for following along with this project, and if you want to see more, I invite you to subscribe to my YouTube channel.