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Hey just started making music on Milkytracker and decided to descend into the rabbit hole.

Hopefully looking for a GB DMG as that is what most people are recommending online. I have also seen videos or people playing on GBA SP.

Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction smile

Thanks

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DMG is good choice to get you started, i recommend to get one with some sort of backlight or mod one yourself (new IPS screens are really easy to install) also prosound mod is good to have.
People tend to use GBA SP and color when they need more CPU power (complex tables, fast speeds etc)
You also need flash cart if you are going the LSDJ route or buy Nanoloop cart if you prefer that.
You might also want to say where you are located. Ebay and similar are full of pre modified Game Boys, depending what you are looking for.

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NUMBSKULL

I would highly recommend just grabbing an emulator (BGB works well on windows, sameboy also works good) and a copy of the LSDJ rom for free before you spend a penny. Absolutely no reason to spend money on it until you know why you'd need it!

Unless the goal is to buy some gear with is a whole hobby in itself big_smile

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Thanks for the reply and information. At the moment I'm running Linux on my laptop and have retro Arch installed with GB Gambatte on to test LSDJ. I think this is the best way, try before buy.
I have a couple of questions when coming to modding GB DMG. Is there any mods you should do, or parts to look for that need to be installed or have been installed.

I'm just wondering if there are any mods that people who make chiptunes do that people who just play games do that we wont do?
If I buy something on Ebay later on or from a second hand shop in my local area I want to know what to look for.

Thanks

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Bratislava, Slovakia

I purchased 2nd hand Game boy DMG-01, backlight, EMS cartridge and lsdj without trying it out, more than 10 years ago, i always wanted something like 8-bit handheld to make music on the go, so i googled and found it, it is still cool piece of thing, you will not regret it.

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Philadelphia
rebb wrote:

...new IPS screens are really easy to install...

This. IPS was the best upgrade I made to my DMG and it was very easy. Doing that and the prosound mod took me under an hour and I took my damn time because I didn't want a speck of dust to end up in the screen haha. I also used a custom shell and buttons for some flair.

Also pro-tip for the IPS if you decide to do it, darker screen colors and minimum brightness will give you the least background noise.

Last edited by Doctor Octoroc (Mar 26, 2021 10:13 am)

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I'm going to go and check out some charity shops and thrift shop over the weekend to see if I can find any DMG's or other GameBoys.
I will have a look online for an IPS screen and prosound mods smile

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Philadelphia
Porcupine wrote:

I'm going to go and check out some charity shops and thrift shop over the weekend to see if I can find any DMG's or other GameBoys.
I will have a look online for an IPS screen and prosound mods smile

I'll throw in a recommendation for Handheld Legend's IPS mod since that's the one I did. This is the one I used but they appear to have a newer one in stock with more color options and a screen that's more closely sized to the DMG screen.

They also carry two part buttons that I designed for them! Each set has all in the same color so you can get one in clear and one in another color for the inside portions for a cool look, if that's your thing.

For the prosound mod, all you need are some wires and one of these 1/8" jacks . You can use 1/4" but it'll be more difficult to fit it in. I'd recommend grabbing two of these since they're cheap and it's good to have a backup in case one gets messed up during installation/soldering.

Last edited by Doctor Octoroc (Mar 26, 2021 11:27 am)

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Oh Wow! thanks for the reply and the information. This gives me enough info to look for when I have the GB. The site you posted I take it they must send to the UK ? which is where I'm based. As I have seen other people recommending this site before.

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Philadelphia
Porcupine wrote:

Oh Wow! thanks for the reply and the information. This gives me enough info to look for when I have the GB. The site you posted I take it they must send to the UK ? which is where I'm based. As I have seen other people recommending this site before.

I'm sure they ship worldwide - or at least to the UK! Can't say for 100% sure since I live in the US but I know they have been around awhile and would be foolish not to cater to a large overseas market!

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There is also deadpanrobot and retrosix selling stuff in UK