It helps a great deal to keep threads focused on their original purpose/statement; otherwise things can get confused in a big hurry.

If the topic you have in mind does not directly correlate to this project, then go ahead and start a new topic/thread.

At the other end of the scale is having multiple topics open on the same project; this is also counter-productive.

As far as Mik3's spectrum analyzer - even that is quite ambitious for a "n00b". You'd be better off to start with a smaller project.

You might find some of Big Clive's project kits interesting:
http://www.bigclive.com/shop.htm

...as these are small, quick to assemble, uC's are pre-programmed, and are along similar lines as to what you eventually wish to accomplish. Odds of success are quite high with kits like this.

However, even before you start on a kit, you might want to obtain a couple of pre-drilled PCB's and "junk-box" type components, just so you can have some practice soldering components to a board. Soldering is not an "intuitive" skill; it takes patience and practice to get good. You'll likely destroy a number of boards/pads/components before you get reasonably good at it.

I shudder to think of what my first attempts at soldering looked like; huge wrinkled gray blobs of slag. It wasn't pretty.

Thanks for the info, I've got the tools to solder so I'll work on trying it out on things, have a few RC cars that i re-assembled the motors that could use a little soldering to finish them up.

 

Maybe not very cheap, but simple rgb lamp, for your reference.
(if DMX512)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOHUceuDaEw