Remember when all the cool tech was lightning-fast and fit-in-your-pocket small? These days, our gadgets have become so impressive that the novelty of power and size has somehow lost its shine. Which is perhaps why the appeal of clunky, single-purpose retro gadgets is growing. So this month, forget quick and convenient, instead we're looking at the large, awkward and slow — and in one case, not necessarily even assembled.
If you grew up humming the theme to "Super Mario Bros." then the Pianocade may be for you. Instead of a standard piano keyboard, the Pianocade chiptune synthesizer is controlled by a joystick, game buttons, and coin slots from the age of "Pac-Man." And the Nintendo NES- and Game Boy-inspired sounds it produces (a 128-note range) are bound to be a hit with musicians wanting to add a little 8-bit magic to their compositions.
There is, however, more to the Pianocade than being an interesting retro instrument. The highly customizable nature of the device means that hardcore techies and hobbyists can alter the casing or buttons to their liking, and the sounds can also be reprogrammed. All software, firmware and hardware (which is actually made of standard arcade-game components) are open source and users are encouraged to create their own hacks. Pianocade comes with 5-pin MIDI ports and a USB MIDI, so it can be connected to your computer or DJ gear for experimental performances and recordings. Pre-orders can now be made at the Pianocade website (www.pianocade.com). They ship worldwide and you can choose from one-octave or two-octave versions for CA$250 (¥20,000) and CA$325(¥26,000) respectively, or buy the electronics only for CA$100 (¥8,000).