Dimming VU backlight with peak indicator

I'm just at the fact finding stage. Working as intended is the basic VU buffer and peak led circuit surrounding a TL074.

The modutec VU's are retrofitted with rgb leds and all share the same rails. Each color is independently driven by some LM's and pots. They look cool. What mood are you in?

I want to drill a hole in the back of the VU and add a peak indicator on the right-ish side of the meter that illuminates the area roughly around and to the right of +0db.

My question is should I be thinking of using a bjt, jfet or mosfet to dim them when the peakmeter flashes?  Another solution would be to simply forgo the dimming thing, and use a higher lumen peak led that 'blows out' the rgb' color.

Edit: btw I would only want the vu that is peaking to dim, not the whole thing.  That would be annoying.

Don't know how complicated you want to get, but using a zener to feed the peak LED might get you somewhere. If the zener is being fed by a pre existing buffer in the circuit somewhere, the zener may draw enough current when it breaks down to dim the rest of the circuit while lighting the peak led. Super crude but might be easy.

zener may draw enough current when it breaks down to dim the rest of the circuit

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Hmm. Thanks. I'll look into it.

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"I think you'd be better off just using a very bright Peak LED"
Thank you MrDood.  I agree.

Unnecessary skittles VU. Monitor the rainbow. 8)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i5m6kxg4uf06fnr/20180713_212918.mp4

Not sure what I was supposed to see. in that video.  All I got was a bunch of colored vertical lines.

Bri

Nothing special Mr. Roth, thanks for trying. This might work. https://youtu.be/H5KYddokqyI

boji said:

Nothing special Mr. Roth, thanks for trying. This might work. https://youtu.be/H5KYddokqyI

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That was interesting, but I presume to colors were merely random vs. some sort of visual indicator.  If it "danced" to the music, it would be akin to the ancient "color organs" that I recall from my youth.

Bri