Hi guys, thanks for the replies.
The idea of wireless control sounds great. How much does that board cost? A little confused as to how it works or what the function of this extra board is. Is it a case of having 5 arduino chips, which then plug into the ZB1, and are then sent off via an Xbee? Sounds like a big project then yeah? ANy other more simple way around it?
The sounds will be insect sounds, little crickets and bugs and stuff, so it's all higher register stuff. And to be honest I haven't looked into what speakers to buy, but I'm hoping something that doesn't really needs to be powered by anything other than a small battery. It doesn't have to be loud. Just as loud as a little cricket chirping.
You can imagine each cocoon has an led cycle that works with the cricket sounds, as if something is lying dormant/sleeping inside.
Plus I should mention the installation will be running at night time. So daylight isn't really an issue.
AS far as a pattern, the idea of using a an arduino is so we could use multiple patterns. A 'sleeping' regulated cricket sound/slow led pulse, to a more frenetic pattern, and then finally a crazy everything freaking out pattern.
So I guess if we are changing patterns it means we need to at least control something by the computer?
If we didn't want to change patterns like this (it makes for the evolution of the piece over the course of an evening) we would just use something a lot more rudimentary or battery powered.
If we need to power anything it will probably be from a car battery via an inverter.
I can imagine the computer would be some 10 - 20 metres away. Maybe more? I'm not sure at this point till we get to the site and see where we can set-up.