M4SONIC’s video for his single, Arcade , is geek-worthy as it shows the DJ playing a song on a MIDI video game controller in an arcade. This MIDI instrument has no piano keys, buttons with sound samples, or rhythm pads. Instead, M4SONIC uses the MIDI joystick’s capabilities to generate music pushing buttons and navigating around the sound like one would play a video game.
The joystick controller used in the music video was developed by Analogue Interactive, a pioneering company that invents other high-tech products like Analogue Nt solid aluminum NES clone built with authentic hardware. Analogue Interactive also specializes in vintage gaming with its NES system that provides a high-fidelity experience for videophiles.
In the past, DIY-ers like MJOY have made their own standalone video game-inspired MIDI devices. These innovators supported two joysticks up to six axes and six buttons for each. The joystick movements were then translated into MIDI Continuous Controller messages. When each button was pressed on the device, the pressure was transformed into MIDI Note on/off messages and the advanced graphical user interface enabled a manageable control panel with various presets. The controller-turned music device even has a MIDI Thru option. MJOY’s design worked efficiently and had a low response time. MJOY’s website has is a free downloadable version of this setup so you can test it out at home.
M4SONIC should really post a live demo of this musical gadget so we can see all of its functionalities.
Story via Analogue Interactive, MJOY
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