TheRabbit
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Hey everyone, so I am new to DIY and electronics. Been studying for a few months and just now diving into my first projects.

I have a dream of converting a Game Boy into a euro rack controlled synth… no clue how to do it yet but finding tons of gold in these forums.

As a starting point, a few questions:

- does it matter which game boy I buy? Classic, pocket, color, etc.
- are there any go to links for doing your first game boy mod that others could recommend. Tons on this forum but looking for something for a beginner.

Doctor Octoroc
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Philadelphia

I would personally start with the classic grey brick DMG. For starters, it's a classic! I also think you can get the best sound out of it but that's debatable. I'm sure some people prefer the sound of the GBP or GBC. One thing to note with the DMG is that its power board tends to struggle with mods that require extra voltage (backlight, IPS, LED's, etc.) so depending on what you're using it for, a buck/boost or clean power board may alleviate some of that stress. I did an IPS mod and it worked fine for many months but eventually started shutting down on me due to the power draw. I installed a clean power board and thus far I haven't had any issues but this isn't my area of expertise so I can't say for sure if this is a permanent solution. Of all the mod I've done, I've had the hardest time finding info on power-related ones.

But whatever mods you're planning to do, the DMG has the most extra room inside for components so you won't struggle to find space. I think pretty much any mod video you find online should have the basics of where all the screws are and where the stock components fit into the shell, which will be a good jumping off point for any mod.

TheRabbit
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Awesome. Thank you for that feedback. That is what I figured is more space would be easier but didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Thank you!

martin_demsky
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Bratislava, Slovakia

http://www.herbertweixelbaum.com/comparison.htm

Here is very good comparision between gameboys.

Gilbert67
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martin_demsky wrote:

http://www.herbertweixelbaum.com/comparison.htm/Walgreenslistens

Here is very good comparision between gameboys.


Sure, these games aren't new, but they're newly produced, making it another example of how Game Boy games are still being made today. While only a select few new Game Boy creations actually manage to find a publisher, there's a wealth of projects out there that work natively on the Game Boy.

Last edited by Gilbert67 (Oct 22, 2021 3:45 am)

unexpectedbowtie
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Glasgow, Scotland.

Just chiming in 100 years late to agree. I would start with the original brick. Larger, more space to do the mods... you can get some really beaten up broken ones and swap out basically all the componts if need be. The PCBs are the important part. And if you cock it up... well you can get another broken one.