Make your Lighting System Completely Portable

I have the MAINFRAME MIDI visualizer connected to my iPhone using a USB-to-Lightning dongle. MAINFRAME is also connected to this LED strip, and everything is powered by a standard 5-volt AC adapter.

One key point is that everything you see here runs on 5 volts. This means we can power the entire setup using a USB battery bank like the one shown here, making the system completely portable. To do this, we need a USB-to-DC power cable to plug into MAINFRAME and power the LEDs.

The setup is simple: I just disconnect the AC adapter and plug in the USB battery bank using our cable. Then, I charge the phone through the battery bank as well—and that’s it. The whole system is now fully portable and isolated, running entirely off the USB battery bank.

You might be wondering how long this battery will last. This particular one is rated at 10,000 milliamp hours and can output a maximum of 15 watts. At 3 amps—which is on the higher end—that gives us just over three hours of runtime. Of course, this depends on how many LEDs you're using, how bright they are, and the color; anything closer to white draws more power. So while three hours is a minimum, it can last much longer by reducing LED count and brightness.

Depending on your needs, you can also use a larger battery bank or carry multiples and swap them as needed. So there you have it—I'm super excited to see what you all create with this fully portable live lighting system.

‍