Welcome to the LoFi Future blog. We are a small UK based company that specializes in modified synths and retro games consoles for use in chiptune music and other genres. Here you can see the build process of some modules and keep up to date with sales and events.

We kindly accept donations of any amount. All donations go towards future projects and tutorials.

~ Thursday, April 19 ~
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Got a new project in mind.

So I was having a jam on an old Hammond organ we have in college, when i noticed a rotary speaker control. I was surprised to find a real rotary speaker in there and not just some effect! It was the first time I have ever heard a real rotary in person and I fell in love with the thing! 

So yep, you guessed it, im gonna build my own rotary speaker, with a twist of course!

I want to employ some sort of open source hardware that will allow me to control the rotary rate via MIDI. this opens up a great number of possibilities, the simplest being rotary speed automation tracks. 

Time to get some sketches done!

Tags: rotary speaker hammond MIDI Vintage Organ
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~ Saturday, March 31 ~
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How To Circuit Bend An Akai S2800 Sampler - Part One


Here it is guys, part one of this tutorial, Part 2 should be up tomorow

(Source: lofifuture.com)

Tags: Akai MPC akai custom how to circuit bent circuit bending circuits mod sampler synthesizer synth MIDI glitch chip tune
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~ Tuesday, February 14 ~
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The NES MPS V2.0 Is well on its way.

Here is a brief overview of the planned features. The first one wasn’t functional enough in my opinion.

NES MPS V2.0 Specs

  • Dual DMG gameboys (synced - 1 master 1 slave)
  • ArduinoBoy MIDI In and Out (To the master DMG)
  • 2 Stereo Analogue Low Pass Filters (1 For Each DMG)
  • Pitch Bend Wheel (With LTC1799 Precision Oscillator)
  • LoFi Delay Circuit
  • LoFi Distortion

So, theres much more going into this one. I think it’s going to be much more usable on stage and in the studio thanks to the MIDI capabilities. 

I’m going to film part one of the build tutorial today, over viewing the basic layout and figuring out where everything will go on the inside of the NES.

Oh and on another quick note, I got our domain name so I’ll start designing the new website very shortly!

Tags: NES MPS nintendo NES nanoloop LSDJ build tutorial gameboy custom music Music Production MIDI synthesizer studio Lofi Future
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~ Friday, February 10 ~
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Right guys, since MIDINES is so hard to get hold of…

Im creating a solution. My plan is to house an Arduino inside the NES to comunicate MIDI data through the controller port. 

What I want from this project is to create a fully usable 8BIT MIDI synthesizer. I’m going to build the controller into the body of the nes and have a flash cart running FaMI (or family MIDI) After all the basic stuff is done and the arduino is communicating MIDI data im going to add in 2 Analogue Low pass filters and maybe an a LoFi delay to the circuit.

This will make the NES a very versatile and compact synthesizer.

I’m starting on the project tonight by making some room inside the NES and adding the audio outputs. The project will be up for sale on completion’s and will come with a 49 key MIDI keboard. 

Also, don’t forget about that NES portable. Just want to get my CNC router first before I start the project, i want it to be as thin as possible.

Tags: Nes Nintendo MIDI MIDINES project custom electronics synthesizer 8bit chiptune
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~ Thursday, February 2 ~
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The NES MPS V1.0 - Now For Sale!
Click HERE to see the listing
International Postage avalible

The NES MPS V1.0 - Now For Sale!

Click HERE to see the listing


International Postage avalible

Tags: NES nintendo nanoloop lsdj NES MPS Music Production music chiptune composing circuit bending circuit bent custom mod midi mac gameboy gba pokemon studio sequencer synthesizer synth photo listing sell auction eBay
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~ Wednesday, February 1 ~
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The NES MPS V 1.0 [Prototype] (NES - Music Production System)

The 8Bit MPC:

Well here she is, very nearly done just adding finishing touches and tidying the cables + testing.

This is the first of its kind. An 8 bit music production workstation to run Nanoloop or LSDJ. Its based off a GameBoy advance SP and built into an old NES case. There is also a 16BIT FX processor built in to apply FX to the Game boys output or and external device via the 1/4” jack inputs. The Processor also doubles as a 2 channel mono mixer, so you can mix an external device and the gameboys signal.

The switches under the “hood” are for the FX processor On/Off and the LEDs On Off. Two of the switches are to select whether you want the gameboys signal to be processed by the FX processor and come out the 1/4” jack out puts, or to just go straight to the dedicated RCA outputs. I have left two of the switches unconected for the next owner to do what they wish with (maybe overclocking mods?)

The big square arcade butons control Up, Down, Left, Right, A and B. The 4 smaller swithes are for Start, Select, Left shoulder and right shoulder buttons. The 2 pots to the left are the FX slect switch (select reverbs, flanger, rotary speaker, chorus or delay) and the LED dimmer switch witch i may relocate and use the pot there as the gameboys volume out. The 4 pots in a cluster are channel 1 input, channel 2 input, channel 1 mix and channel 2 mix.

The power suply is 3 transformers housed in an old XBOX power brick and connect to the console with a 9 Pin D-Sub connector. The gameboys body that holds the circuitry can be easily removed by unplugging the 25 pin D-Sub (witch carries the controlles, power, audio) and removing the 2 screws at the back. This allows for easy maintenance, modification or if you simply need to change the battery.

The console only needs the power brick to power the LEDS, the FX processor and charge the gameboy. You can run it standalone off the Gameboys battery if you just want the gameboys audio clean.

Thats it for now. Im just going to re-solder the audio out mod to ensure a good clean connection and solder in the “under hood” LEDS that will eluminate the witch board. 

(Source: lofifuture)

Tags: 8bit Casio Lofi Future Music Production NES NES MPS belfonte furnace chiptune fabrication gameboy gear home made lsdj midi mod mpc msiah music nanoloop nintendo studio supply synth synthesizer
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~ Tuesday, January 24 ~
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Guts of the NES MPS

Guts of the NES MPS

Tags: Nes MPS NES nintendo lsdj nanoloop chiptune gameboy synthesizer sequencer Music Production music midi
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~ Wednesday, January 4 ~
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My Casio SA-20 should arrive tomorrow. If so i can start modding it and posting the build process. For now I’ll leave you with a quick sketch of another idea I’ve had floating around for quite some time.
Its a commodore 64 keyboard workstation with a 49 key keyboard. It also has an integrated TR505. I’m thinking having a MIDI patch bay behind a door on the back would add versatility. So the midi jacks of the TR505, C64 and 49key keyboard are patchable.
I want to run MSIAH on the unit and display it on a little 7” fold down screen. This is just about big enough to use MSIAH comfortably (if you have good eyes) Of course i will add a composite and S-video output to hook up to TVs
I’m going to run dual SIDs on the C64 and modify the TR505. I want to have direct outs of every drum and all 4 mono SID outputs on the back but also have an integrated mixer to run to a stereo output.
As for the enclosure i want to construct it all out of real wood, then stain and varnish it. I just ordered a Circular saw as I’m sick of working with a jigsaw. Should provide some clean cuts! I’m currently constructing a 3D scale model in sketchup but I wont be starting this project until the NES MPC and CASIO SA-20 are done.
I’m gonna be pretty busy for the next few months.

My Casio SA-20 should arrive tomorrow. If so i can start modding it and posting the build process. For now I’ll leave you with a quick sketch of another idea I’ve had floating around for quite some time.

Its a commodore 64 keyboard workstation with a 49 key keyboard. It also has an integrated TR505. I’m thinking having a MIDI patch bay behind a door on the back would add versatility. So the midi jacks of the TR505, C64 and 49key keyboard are patchable.

I want to run MSIAH on the unit and display it on a little 7” fold down screen. This is just about big enough to use MSIAH comfortably (if you have good eyes) Of course i will add a composite and S-video output to hook up to TVs

I’m going to run dual SIDs on the C64 and modify the TR505. I want to have direct outs of every drum and all 4 mono SID outputs on the back but also have an integrated mixer to run to a stereo output.

As for the enclosure i want to construct it all out of real wood, then stain and varnish it. I just ordered a Circular saw as I’m sick of working with a jigsaw. Should provide some clean cuts! I’m currently constructing a 3D scale model in sketchup but I wont be starting this project until the NES MPC and CASIO SA-20 are done.

I’m gonna be pretty busy for the next few months.

Tags: Update Sketch Design Commodore C64 Roland TR505 MIDI Synth Workstation MSIAH Prophet 64 Casio SA20 Casio NES MPS MPC akai
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