Hi! I'm making a project involving the Mozzi library w. Arduino nano for generating synthesis. Currently I'm using a 3,5mm headphone jack as output, but I need to switch that to a speaker for my final result. I've researched quite a bit in to what I need, but can't seem to fully grasp what I need to buy.
I bought a 2W - 8 ohm speaker in the hopes of getting it to run straight from the breadboard, but I've since understood I need an amp.
A lot of people have suggested LM386 as a fairly good, cheap amp. Would this be a good (working) choice for my speaker? Considering my limited experience in electronics, would it be wise to buy the package linked in the attachment or can I buy something cheaper for an OK result?
An alternative solution/workaround where I don't need to buy an amp would be even better, but since I suspect they demand more knowledge in to the electric components I suspect it could be way over my head.
What I need:
Volume comparable to maybe a game & watch or similar small electronics. It's ok if volume needs to be regulated through resistors since I don't need it to be adjustable in the final result.
If possible, no external power other than the usb-powered arduino
I realize the R2 isn't quite 8 ohm but it was the closest I could find. Would these parts work to get your suggestion to work or am I missing something?
It's no fun... but one answer if to buy a cheap set of powered speakers, of the sort you might plug into your PC to get better sound than the built in speaker gives.
I stumbled upon this article and after a couple of hours of pure frustration I succeeded to wire the simplest speaker from the post. Thanks for all the help, and will try your suggestion when I feel confident enough in my reading of schematics!
Unless you need the whole thing to be portable, I'm with tkbyd. Skip building your own amp and just use already-made PC speakers, the line input on your computer (with which you might also record your sound), etc. Obtaining "line level" audio from an Arduino output is as easy as dividing the 5V or 3.3V output voltage down to ~2V using a couple of resistors and then sending this through a 10-100uF capacitor.
...not that building your own amp is bad. It's certainly good for experience points. But if you're mostly going to be sitting at your desk fiddling with the thing, it might be less practical than using one of the myriad amps you (probably) already have.
