Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Retro console teardown meets audio hacking: turning classic hardware into sonic experiments.
Have you ever wondered what’s inside a Japanese Famicom? Well I did. Particularly what that microphone in controller 2 is like. Luckily, last summer when I was in Japan, I found a "junk" Famicom console for under $6 and, in this video, I break it down to check out what's going on inside. I open up the controllers and the main system, extract the microphone, and wire it into a custom circuit to hear what it sounds like.
This is part teardown, part audio experiment, and completely perfect for fans of retro tech, DIY audio, and creative sound design.
▶️ Let's see if we can give a new creative life to obsolete hardware!
0:00 Introducing today's project
0:38 The Famicom Controller 2 mic
2:17 Ensuring it's junk
3:26 Controller 2 breakdown
4:46 Controller 1 breakdown (for comparison)
6:25 Opening up the console
7:53 Checking for signal from the controller
8:54 Thinking about ADCs and digital conversion
9:22 Building a custom circuit for the microphone
More DIY audio projects here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7w4cOVVxL6F_MAwxOJbq73HXdG0OjdXn&si=DOWRMP-8fqiAAAXV
More video game audio videos here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7w4cOVVxL6FTPIPlP2nJYxVTN0w1_zPo&si=2WA41dmxNeQiKdvv
Pols Voice video link: youtube.com/watch?v=rQ8BQg2SE-o
💬 *Join the Discussion!* Have questions or want to share your own projects? Drop a comment below – I love hearing from you all!
* Subscribe: youtube.com/user/SimonHutc/?sub_confirmation=1
* Official Website - simonhutchinson.com
* bandcamp (lots of free music!): simonhutchinson.bandcamp.com/follow_me
* Sign up for my mailing list: eepurl.com/hVs7bT
* Grab my old gear on Reverb (affiliate link): tidd.ly/48iMpdH
* Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/simonhutchinson
_My voiceover recording gear_ (affiliate links):
Aston Microphones Origin (Reverb): tidd.ly/4aiVSnj
dbx 286s Channel Strip
* Reverb: tidd.ly/4as22Bm
* Perfect Circtuit: link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-329160-9759?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.perfectcircuit.com%2Fdbx-286s.html
(I sometimes provide affiliate links for products that I use and enjoy. If you end up buying something through these external links, it helps to support the channel, while the price for you remains the same.)
#Famicom, #RetroGaming, #CircuitBending, #DIYAudio, #SoundDesign, #SynthDIY, #AudioExperiment, #GamingHistory, #RetroTech, #HardwareHacking
Retro console teardown meets audio hacking: turning classic hardware into sonic experiments.
Have you ever wondered what’s inside a Japanese Famicom? Well I did. Particularly what that microphone in controller 2 is like. Luckily, last summer when I was in Japan, I found a "junk" Famicom console for under $6 and, in this video, I break it down to check out what's going on inside. I open up the controllers and the main system, extract the microphone, and wire it into a custom circuit to hear what it sounds like.
This is part teardown, part audio experiment, and completely perfect for fans of retro tech, DIY audio, and creative sound design.
▶️ Let's see if we can give a new creative life to obsolete hardware!
0:00 Introducing today's project
0:38 The Famicom Controller 2 mic
2:17 Ensuring it's junk
3:26 Controller 2 breakdown
4:46 Controller 1 breakdown (for comparison)
6:25 Opening up the console
7:53 Checking for signal from the controller
8:54 Thinking about ADCs and digital conversion
9:22 Building a custom circuit for the microphone
More DIY audio projects here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7w4cOVVxL6F_MAwxOJbq73HXdG0OjdXn&si=DOWRMP-8fqiAAAXV
More video game audio videos here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7w4cOVVxL6FTPIPlP2nJYxVTN0w1_zPo&si=2WA41dmxNeQiKdvv
Pols Voice video link: youtube.com/watch?v=rQ8BQg2SE-o
💬 *Join the Discussion!* Have questions or want to share your own projects? Drop a comment below – I love hearing from you all!
* Subscribe: youtube.com/user/SimonHutc/?sub_confirmation=1
* Official Website - simonhutchinson.com
* bandcamp (lots of free music!): simonhutchinson.bandcamp.com/follow_me
* Sign up for my mailing list: eepurl.com/hVs7bT
* Grab my old gear on Reverb (affiliate link): tidd.ly/48iMpdH
* Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/simonhutchinson
_My voiceover recording gear_ (affiliate links):
Aston Microphones Origin (Reverb): tidd.ly/4aiVSnj
dbx 286s Channel Strip
* Reverb: tidd.ly/4as22Bm
* Perfect Circtuit: link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-329160-9759?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.perfectcircuit.com%2Fdbx-286s.html
(I sometimes provide affiliate links for products that I use and enjoy. If you end up buying something through these external links, it helps to support the channel, while the price for you remains the same.)
#Famicom, #RetroGaming, #CircuitBending, #DIYAudio, #SoundDesign, #SynthDIY, #AudioExperiment, #GamingHistory, #RetroTech, #HardwareHacking
