Any ideas about how one might go about modifying an NES powerpad to make it a MIDI controller?
First of all, get some breadboard, a PIC, an NES controller extension cable, and a MIDI out jack. Then cut the NES controller cable and connect the appropriate I/O wires to the PIC:
Inputs: NES Signal D3, NES Signal D4
Outputs: NES Clock, NES Strobe, MIDI Signal
Then, based on Power Pad documents found on nesdev.com, have the PIC strobe the Power Pad and read the buttons while toggling the clock line, keeping track of which buttons were held down since last strobe. Have the PIC generate note-up and note-down events, sent over MIDI at 31250 Hz. You may have to add some DIP switches to set the MIDI channel that it operates on.
Not to sway you away from the cool factor ( I hate when people do that) but you can acheive similar results with a dance dance revo stype ps2 pad, a ps2 comtroller to USB adaptor and a joystick to midi program on a pc. Something to keep in mind if you cant find a power pad (playing on one will relly tear it apart) or are technophobically inclined..
herr_prof wrote:
Not to sway you away from the cool factor ( I hate when people do that) but you can acheive similar results with a dance dance revo stype ps2 pad, a ps2 comtroller to USB adaptor and a joystick to midi program on a pc.
Or you could have a PIC microcontroller read the DDR pad for better latency.
Quote:
Something to keep in mind if you cant find a power pad (playing on one will relly tear it apart)
Do Power Pads die easily even when mounted on plywood as
these instructions suggest?