Arduinoboy mGB from trash80 on Vimeo. Lovers of the sound of the original Nintendo Game Boy, the Minimoog of game systems with its distinctive, rich 8-bit sound, this may be the best solution for integrating it with other music gear. Our friend trash80, aka Timothy, has completed a project with open-source code for the affordable, […]

We’re seeing all sorts of musical sequencer creations with grids, from software to hardware like the Monome and Yamaha Tenori-On. But, of course, the whole beauty of a grid is that you could map to it whatever you like. Maybe you want your sequencer to work differently than someone else’s sequencer. CellDS, from the creator […]

A hacked DS, as photographed by BAMCAT. Homebrewed game music has an uneasy relationship with the mainstream game industry. Running or developing DIY music software isn’t possible on the Nintendo DS without special hardware – hardware that’s also favored by pirates. Nintendo is now suing the makers and sellers of that hardware, because they (correctly) […]

Can $130 buy you more versatile digital musical studio hardware than (bizarrely) a Nintendo DS loaded with homebrew software? The software keeps rolling in. The wonderful cellular automation synth glitchDS has just gotten its 1.3 update, with per-sound volume, a tap-able “pad play” page for triggering samples, quick snapshot saving, and other improvements. Better still, […]

Here’s the one you’ve been waiting for. MIDIFY is a DIY board that lets you add MIDI to any Nintendo handheld game console – DS, DS Lite, GBA, GBA-SP, and (with some extra parts) other devices – even microwave ovens. US$34.99, a scant 2 oz, and you even get a MIDI cable. Wire that sucker […]

The embarrassment of riches that is music software for the Nintendo DS continues to grow. Alongside the homebrew entries, DS developer AQ Interactive has the one officially-distributed DS soft synth, a loving emulation of vintage Korg goodness in DS form. We’ve gotten word that the DS-10 makes its public debut this Saturday in London, as […]

DS music fans, I can’t add much that this video doesn’t show: think portable gaming, scratching goodness. New in this version, you can layer multiple instances of the modules to combine different "tracks" of sound — beats plus scratching, for instance. The video makes no apologies for editing or scratching ability, so no complaints, please. […]

Hardware sequencers were a fantastic idea: you had a box that did nothing but sequence other gear. Then along came the computer, then the idea of trying to make the computer do absolutely everything all the time, and the standalone MIDI sequencer disappeared. In a bizarre twist of fate, it’s back — on Nintendo DS. […]

  The DS’ stylus and touchscreen make an ideal pocket-able interface: they’re coupled with friendly, conventional arcade buttons, but provide precise control of visual interfaces without using a mouse. (Touch with fingertips is not nearly as accurate, especially on tiny screens.) That’s already inspired quite a bit of music software, but GrooveStep earns extra points […]

Good news: the Korg DS-10, a Nintendo DS musical instrument (synth + drum machine + sequencer) based on Korg’s MS-10, is not going to be limited to Japan, despite what the publisher’s website says. From the DS-10 blog: Hi there! my name is Tomi from AQI Inc.and I’ll be in charge of this product for […]