Z-Wave Christmas Tree Strobes with the Music

Looking for something else to hook into your home automation system? Try this Z-Wave Christmas Tree that strobes up and down with the music.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A Christmas tree with lights
• Z-Wave home automation system using a Vera
• Z-Wave lamp module / dimmer switch
• Android device with the Tasker app installed
• AutoVoice and AutoVera plugin apps for Tasker
• AutoVera plugin app on the Vera

Plug the Christmas tree lights into the Z-Wave lamp module / dimmer switch (assuming you have it properly connected to the Vera’s Z-wave network).

Tasker Scene Using AutoVoice and AutoVera

Create a scene in Tasker using the trigger event of AutoVoice Noice Level.  I set mine to -50.

For the “on” event, add an AutoVera action to set your dimmer device to level 100.

Similarly, for the “off” event, add an AutoVera action to set your dimmer device to level 40.

Open the AutoVoice app and turn on Control Noise Listener (under Ambient Noise).  Remember to keep your phone charged and turn off this feature when you’re done using it because it trains your battery since it is continuously listening.  You will see a notification that it’s on with an action to turn it off.

How it Works

Basically, this Tasker profile listens to the ambient noise volume of the room. Every time the volume goes above the threshold of -50, it starts dimming the lights up, and every time the volume goes below the threshold of -50, it starts dimming the lights down.  So if the noise is going up and down rapidly, the lights will be dimming up and down rapidly.

Note: Like many of my other home automation tutorials that use Tasker, I could have used the AutHomationHD app instead of AutoVera, but in this case, since it is sending so many commands so quickly, I think that AutoVera is better since it communicates directly to the Vera instead of passing through another Android app that runs in the background.