Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If you are into retro PCs, you probably know that the Gravis Ultrasound is one of the most expensive soundcards out there. It was used extensively in the early to mid-90s PC demo scene, and if you want to hear those demos as they were intended and on a real physical computer, you will need to splash out big cash for a Gravis Ultrasound card.
This is where the PicoGUS comes in -- it's a Gravis Ultrasound running inside a Raspberry Pi Pico2040 in an ISA card. No tricks here -- this really is emulating the Gravis Ultrasound on a $5 microcontroller! (It also can emulate several other cards too.)
The creator of the project sent me this card to play with, so let's dig into it and hear it running one of the best PC demos of all time.
-- Links
PicoGUS:
github.com/polpo/picogus
polpo.org/picogus
tindie.com/stores/polpo
Hand386:
aliexpress.us/item/3256805356267711.html
Apple II VGA card:
youtube.com/watch?v=ReTXGczq8Vk
github.com/V2RetroComputing/analog
PicoMEM:
youtube.com/watch?v=De5ufcDueRU&t=2780s
vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94320
Second Reality: (Demo itself)
youtube.com/watch?v=iw17c70uJes
pouet.net/prod.php?which=63
-- Music
2nd Reality by Skaven
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=74573
mikseri.net/skaven
Surfing on a sine wave by FearofDark
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=169104
fodxm.co.uk
3D Galax by Beldoroon
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=36523
Inner Strength by LASERLORE
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=44390
Ice Frontier by Skaven
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=44366
mikseri.net/skaven
Eternity by 4MAT
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=154795
-- Tools
Deoxit D5:
amzn.to/2VvOKy1
store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1602/.f
O-Ring Pick Set: (I use these to lift chips off boards)
amzn.to/3a9x54J
Elenco Electronics LP-560 Logic Probe:
amzn.to/2VrT5lW
Hakko FR301 Desoldering Iron:
amzn.to/2ye6xC0
Rigol DS1054Z Four Channel Oscilloscope:
rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/1000z
Head Worn Magnifying Goggles / Dual Lens Flip-In Head Magnifier:
amzn.to/3adRbuy
TL866II Plus Chip Tester and EPROM programmer: (The MiniPro)
amzn.to/2wG4tlP
aliexpress.com/item/33000308958.html
TS100 Soldering Iron:
amzn.to/2K36dJ5
ebay.com/itm/TS100-65W-MINI-Digital-OLED-Programmable-Soldering-Iron-Anti-static-Structure/113382669853
EEVBlog 121GW Multimeter:
eevblog.com/product/121gw
DSLogic Basic Logic Analyzer:
amzn.to/2RDSDQw
ebay.com/itm/USB-Logic-DSLogic-Basic-Analyzer-16Ch-100MHz-4Ch-400MHz-Xilinx-Spartan-6-FPGA/202543965672
Magnetic Screw Holder:
amzn.to/3b8LOhG
harborfreight.com/4-inch-magnetic-parts-tray-90566.html
Universal ZIP sockets: (clones, used on my ZIF-64 test machine)
ebay.com/itm/14-16-18-20-24-28-32-40-pin-IC-Test-Universal-ZIF-Socket-Fs/303206721971
RetroTink 2X Upconverter: (to hook up something like a C64 to HDMI)
retrotink.com
Plato (Clone) Side Cutters: (order five)
ebay.com/itm/1-2-5-10PCS-Micro-Scissor-125mm-PLATO-170-Electronics-Cutter-Side-Cutting-Pliers/163458746184
Heat Sinks:
aliexpress.com/item/32537183709.html
Little squeezy bottles: (available elsewhere too)
amzn.to/3b8LOOI
--- Links
My GitHub repository:
github.com/misterblack1?tab=repositories
Commodore Computer Club / Vancouver, WA – Portland, OR – PDX Commodore Users Group
commodorecomputerclub.com
--- Instructional videos
My video on damage-free chip removal:
youtube.com/watch?v=XQVjwPsVFd8
--- Music
Intro music and other tracks by:
Nathan Divino
@itsnathandivino
If you are into retro PCs, you probably know that the Gravis Ultrasound is one of the most expensive soundcards out there. It was used extensively in the early to mid-90s PC demo scene, and if you want to hear those demos as they were intended and on a real physical computer, you will need to splash out big cash for a Gravis Ultrasound card.
This is where the PicoGUS comes in -- it's a Gravis Ultrasound running inside a Raspberry Pi Pico2040 in an ISA card. No tricks here -- this really is emulating the Gravis Ultrasound on a $5 microcontroller! (It also can emulate several other cards too.)
The creator of the project sent me this card to play with, so let's dig into it and hear it running one of the best PC demos of all time.
-- Links
PicoGUS:
github.com/polpo/picogus
polpo.org/picogus
tindie.com/stores/polpo
Hand386:
aliexpress.us/item/3256805356267711.html
Apple II VGA card:
youtube.com/watch?v=ReTXGczq8Vk
github.com/V2RetroComputing/analog
PicoMEM:
youtube.com/watch?v=De5ufcDueRU&t=2780s
vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94320
Second Reality: (Demo itself)
youtube.com/watch?v=iw17c70uJes
pouet.net/prod.php?which=63
-- Music
2nd Reality by Skaven
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=74573
mikseri.net/skaven
Surfing on a sine wave by FearofDark
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=169104
fodxm.co.uk
3D Galax by Beldoroon
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=36523
Inner Strength by LASERLORE
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=44390
Ice Frontier by Skaven
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=44366
mikseri.net/skaven
Eternity by 4MAT
modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=154795
-- Tools
Deoxit D5:
amzn.to/2VvOKy1
store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1602/.f
O-Ring Pick Set: (I use these to lift chips off boards)
amzn.to/3a9x54J
Elenco Electronics LP-560 Logic Probe:
amzn.to/2VrT5lW
Hakko FR301 Desoldering Iron:
amzn.to/2ye6xC0
Rigol DS1054Z Four Channel Oscilloscope:
rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/1000z
Head Worn Magnifying Goggles / Dual Lens Flip-In Head Magnifier:
amzn.to/3adRbuy
TL866II Plus Chip Tester and EPROM programmer: (The MiniPro)
amzn.to/2wG4tlP
aliexpress.com/item/33000308958.html
TS100 Soldering Iron:
amzn.to/2K36dJ5
ebay.com/itm/TS100-65W-MINI-Digital-OLED-Programmable-Soldering-Iron-Anti-static-Structure/113382669853
EEVBlog 121GW Multimeter:
eevblog.com/product/121gw
DSLogic Basic Logic Analyzer:
amzn.to/2RDSDQw
ebay.com/itm/USB-Logic-DSLogic-Basic-Analyzer-16Ch-100MHz-4Ch-400MHz-Xilinx-Spartan-6-FPGA/202543965672
Magnetic Screw Holder:
amzn.to/3b8LOhG
harborfreight.com/4-inch-magnetic-parts-tray-90566.html
Universal ZIP sockets: (clones, used on my ZIF-64 test machine)
ebay.com/itm/14-16-18-20-24-28-32-40-pin-IC-Test-Universal-ZIF-Socket-Fs/303206721971
RetroTink 2X Upconverter: (to hook up something like a C64 to HDMI)
retrotink.com
Plato (Clone) Side Cutters: (order five)
ebay.com/itm/1-2-5-10PCS-Micro-Scissor-125mm-PLATO-170-Electronics-Cutter-Side-Cutting-Pliers/163458746184
Heat Sinks:
aliexpress.com/item/32537183709.html
Little squeezy bottles: (available elsewhere too)
amzn.to/3b8LOOI
--- Links
My GitHub repository:
github.com/misterblack1?tab=repositories
Commodore Computer Club / Vancouver, WA – Portland, OR – PDX Commodore Users Group
commodorecomputerclub.com
--- Instructional videos
My video on damage-free chip removal:
youtube.com/watch?v=XQVjwPsVFd8
--- Music
Intro music and other tracks by:
Nathan Divino
@itsnathandivino
