[Jeri] Builds A C64 Bass Keytar

[Jeri] built this really cool C64 bass Keytar from a commodore64 and a cheap bass guitar. She’s using an FPGA to do the string detection and the key scanning, it then sends everything to the original 8bit sound chips. The reason that she is using a bass guitar is that the commodore sound chip only has 3 channels. There’s an interview with her from the maker faire, and if you keep watching, there are some other interesting projects too.

She notes that the implementation she went with has many performance issues due to the overtones the strings create when played. If she did it again, she’d go another route. Since [Jeri] has previously created the fully functional C64 games on FPGA, maybe she’ll add some video synth to this down the road.

23 thoughts on “[Jeri] Builds A C64 Bass Keytar

    1. No, the device Harold was holding was an [ostensibly homemade] video effects generator. Similar in appearance though.

      Remember, If the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

  1. Looks very nice. Just wondering though as the C64 looks to be gutted anyway why she’s not gone for a 6 string and used two SIDs? (Or a charango and three.)

    Where can a person get a nice battery powered FPGA board for these sorts of builds?

  2. Music is an art and using a unique sound can really make a song great. I can see(hear) Trent Reznor using some of the sounds I heard from her bass keytar on a song. Now lets hear her do some slap pop on that bad boy. On a side note Jeri Ellsworth is as attractive as she is talented.

    1. Well, she did get picked up to start Valve Software’s new Hardware R&D department, so at least she’s working for a cool company.

      Up next, Jeri demos her working Portal gun…

  3. Nice Jeri :) I saw something similar in Toledo at a chiptunes show CB24V 2.2 but it had a similar issue with the feedback/overtone. He was using a DI box and kept monekying with the ground lift which lead to that awesome tearing capacitor whoosh each time lol. Keep on tinkering :)

  4. Jeri builds the coolest stuff, even if sometimes it doesn’t work out. In one interview she said she always knows when she has been featured on HAD just from the comments that come her way.

  5. Use an Atari 800, feed in into the joystick ports, one string on each port. Code it in machine code and use the second cartridge port for an “effects” option.

    Oh man…imma make millions!

Leave a Reply to conundrumCancel reply

Please be kind and respectful to help make the comments section excellent. (Comment Policy)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.