Getting clean/smooth data from a sensor

Projects General Guidance
1

Hello!
So I'm making a scarf that is sound sensitive and lights up a string of LEDs according to how loud the outside sound is.
I already have everything soldered up and all I need work on is my code.

The microphone/amp I'm using is MAX4466 and it works well but the analogRead data I get is flickery and jumpy (it shoots between 500 - 1023)
I know I need to average it, or smooth it or something but nothing seems to be working correctly or the way I want it to.

If there is a loud noise I want the data to spike, and then fall off slowly so that the lights come on fast but fade away.
Does anyone know how I might be able to accomplish this?

THANKS for help of any kind - I'm a little lost

2

Sounds like you're trying to convert the audio signal directly, but all you're doing is grabbing
the audio [sine]waves at different points. 500-1023 indicates you have a nice big signal.

I think what you want is a leaky peak detector. Output of the opAmp goes to a diode anode,
whose cathode then connects to an R in parallel with C. Try maybe 10K and 1-10 uF. Eg,