Lightning Bug took shape through cycles of hardware iteration, software debugging, and hands-on user testing.
The earliest phase focused on making the circuit actually readable, stable, and stage-ready. I completed the gain stage, added potentiometers and footswitches, integrated the DMX transceiver, and wired indicator LEDs. Along the way I lost time debugging the input circuit, eventually learning that some of the reliability issues were coming from both the breadboard and the original microcontroller choice.
The code began with frequency-to-hue mapping, but getting there was not linear. Early on I was able to map audio directly to RGB values, then ran into issues with overflow, implementation, and later a hardware limit when the original Arduino could not reliably handle multiple analog inputs at once. Switching to a Teensy opened up dual ADC input handling, cleaner audio processing, and room for the rest of the control system.
The physical build evolved through direct trial and error. I tested spacing with printed layouts and loose components, drilled and stamped the first metal enclosure, adjusted hole sizes for parts like the XLR socket, and built toward a second prototype that felt more natural underfoot and more reliable on stage.
Testing became the main way I decided what to keep, exaggerate, or simplify. I built a testing poster, created sign-up and post-test surveys, and had users work through the pedal while thinking about layout, learnability, mode clarity, responsiveness, and whether the lighting felt connected to what they played. That feedback directly informed changes to saving behavior, control clarity, and the final enclosure design.
