Benjamin Gaulon Transforms Nintendo Controllers Into MIDI Inputs
In what I personally consider the awesomest form of recycling, Benjamin Gaulon’s Recycled Entertainment System, or RES for short, uses old Nintendo Entertainment System controllers as input devices for creating MIDI-based music. This is what the video game Rock Band would have looked like in the 8-bit era.
Gaulon’s device connects six NES controllers to a centralized hub, which then relays information to a computer running software that triggers preselected MIDI samples. Each of the six controllers corresponds with a different instrument, and each controller button corresponds to the different parts of those instruments. Among the many instruments available for play on the Recycled Entertainment System are bass, drums, percussion instruments, synthesizers, music loops, scratch and even vocals.
There’s nothing left to do now but to grab five friends and have the ultimate 8-bit MIDI jam session.
Gaulon’s device connects six NES controllers to a centralized hub, which then relays information to a computer running software that triggers preselected MIDI samples. Each of the six controllers corresponds with a different instrument, and each controller button corresponds to the different parts of those instruments. Among the many instruments available for play on the Recycled Entertainment System are bass, drums, percussion instruments, synthesizers, music loops, scratch and even vocals.
There’s nothing left to do now but to grab five friends and have the ultimate 8-bit MIDI jam session.
Trend Themes
1. Recycled Gaming Devices - Innovative ways to repurpose old gaming devices for music generation or other forms of creative expression.
2. DIY Instrument Making - Increased interest in designing and building personalized musical instruments using recycled materials and technology.
3. Retrofitting Technology - Using older technologies in new ways, such as repurposing gaming controllers for music-making, to create unique and unexpected products.
Industry Implications
1. Music - The music industry can explore using recycled video game controllers to create novel music-making experiences or instruments for performers.
2. Gaming - The gaming industry can explore how it could retain and repurpose old gaming hardware, and expand into the music-making or other creative industries.
3. Art - The art industry can integrate these recycled instruments into interactive installations for gallery shows or art performances to create audience participation and engagement.
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