The NESKeytar is a handbuilt instrument assembled from a real NES console, a Guitar Hero controller body, a Famicom controller, a NES controller, a toy keyboard, three mini Arduinos, a Raspberry Pi, MaxM LEDs, and MIDI in/out connections. Audio comes directly from the original RP2A03 chip inside the NES hardware — not a software emulation of it — which is what gives the output its specific 8-bit character.
All available sound channels on the chip are in use. Most buttons are assignable to different functions, and the whammy bar is remappable. There’s an onboard arpeggio sequencer and a drum sequencer. The software runs in Pure Data (Pd) on the Raspberry Pi and supports both MIDI controller mode and a standalone battery-powered mode.
This performance covers the Game of Thrones main theme. A full construction write-up covering the NESKeytar’s design, wiring, and software is coming in a separate post.