hapiNES L

Ever wonder what it would sound like to jam on the exact audio chip that powered Mario's iconic tunes back in the 80s? This synth nails the NES RP2A07 sound with four polyphonic voices, delivering that pure 8-bit nostalgia straight from hardware.

It packs a digital synthesis engine with authentic 4-bit triangle bass, two squares offering variable pulse width in true NES ranges, plus a noise osc for drums—59 preset sounds and one that evolves on its own. You'll find hands-on control via six bolted metal pots for volume, arp speed/type, pulse width, decay, and vibrato, plus 18 buttons and 32 LEDs (with three brightness modes: beach, studio, club) over a rugged metal case that's compact at about 23x15x8cm and just 560g packed. Sequencing shines with four tracks for real-time composing, live recording, up to 16 patterns/256 steps, chaining, copy/paste, per-step ratcheting, and 16 arp modes; hook it up via MIDI in (Type A, 4-channel notes/mod), USB-MIDI, or analog trigger sync, all outputting stereo audio.

Chiptune fans love its spot-on retro tones and sequencer for fast arps mimicking game chords, though some note the limited polyphony keeps it firmly in lo-fi territory rather than modern polysynth realms. A gem for pixel-perfect beats in any electro setup.