Nintendo Entertainment System with MidiNES
MidiNES is a Nintendo Entertainment System cartridge with a midi cable developed by chip tune artist X|K that enables MIDI control of the 8bit NES sound chip, the Ricoh 2A03 aka RP2A03. MidiNES has 5 monophonic multitimbral parts: a triangle wave for the bass, 2 pulse wave voices that can have their duty cycle varied using the mod wheel, a voice with a variety of tuned noise sounds for percussive or explosive sounds and a sample playback voice with drums sounds from the Roland TR707, TR808, TR909, Linn Drum, Amen kick and snare, and other breaks, stabs, and essential chiptune noises. Volume and pitch envelopes can be applied to the two pulse voices via CC. Watch a demo here.
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Type of unit
Video Game Console Synthesizer
Synthesis Technology
Simple sound chip
External control
MIDI
Parts Capability
5 Part Multitimbral
Polyphony
5
Patch memory
manual
Decade of creation
1980s