Hi,
Family Synth primer: FC-MIDI modular synth audio project (USB-based) ( FC-MIDI modular synth audio project (USB-based) )
The Family Synth ecosystem allows arrays of synthesizer hardware from particular commercial Famicom and NES cartridges to be repurposed using a modern real-time USB interface connected to a host computer, and mini-phone patch cords to interconnect and mix analog audio, allowing n-unit scalability and linear audio daisy-chain mixing of each synthesizer cartridge unit.
The “8-BIT” version is for compatibility with USB-NES; if you were an early adopter of USB-NES in the last 8 years, this board allows you to upgrade USB-NES lite into a full-blown FAMILY SYNTH USB version. As a side bonus, the 8-BIT version doubles up as a 60-to-72 pin Famicom-to-NES cartridge converter with expansion audio breakout and optional linear audio mix-in, which is most useful when coming from the main console audio output (think NES-101 toploaders and similar).
The “USB” version is essentially what USB-NES was supposed to be 8 years ago, but lacked some hindsight and bare-metal firmware engineering that could not be justified on a first iteration release. Moreover, the cartridges with audio synth hardware needed to be clocked with 1.79 MHz consistently from USB-NES, and it was never designed to do that originally.
Fast-forward 8 years… now we have a MIDI operating system (written in C… just a Linux ELF atm) for use with FAMILY SYNTH (or an upgraded USB-NES) hardware that automatically identifies and allocates all cart synth channel hardware connected to the host as FAMILY SYNTH units, and allows all connected MIDI channels, including those provided by playing back MIDI files or real-time instruments, to multiplex and customize the paths of MIDI-IN commands to FAMILY SYNTH hardware carts.
If you scan the QR codes on each printed circuit board, you can access a bill of materials to populate a vacant FAMILY SYNTH board. This is useful if you are a hobbyist who prefers to manually assemble a FAMILY SYNTH device by hand and just procure the printed circuit board.
…I remember having previous discussions with other VHS members about analog audio peak detection and level indication LED circuit designs… should be interesting to see how well these first circuits perform…
I am planning to assemble, test and document the first five prototype boards of each type in the next few weeks…
Since the VHS community was integral to the production of FAMILY SYNTH, consider this email and OPEN CALL to anyone with interest in repurposing old Family Computer cartridge hardware for live musical expression.
Arigato.
