NES Top Loader - installing a NESRGB board and need help getting Stereo output.

[c0op3r]

I decided to get an NES Toploader, I really wanted a NES 8-Bit unit that low-budget made, but I can not get any response from the guy.  So where I am at now.  I got a toploader and ordered the NESRGB kit for it, it really looks like an amazing kit.  I have read a bunch and watch a few videos but it does not seem that anyone is getting stereo (or at least 2 channel audio) out of the kit.  The video jack that it comes with looks like a total hack!

 

I ordered the famicom multi port kit to install on my NES and it has a pin for left and right audio, but the NESRGB only has 1 audio out channel.  Does anyone have a work around, can I just split that 'mono' out and at least get audio to both speakers?

 

I am using that famicom multi out to a SCART cable that will feed an OSSC with stereo speakers attached, I would like both speakers to get audio.

[CatPix]

The NES audio output is mono, it's why the kit doesn't offer stereo. If you want sound on both sides, you bridge the left and right channels either in the SCART or on the jack output.

 

[eightbit]

I have not messed with (or own) a NESRGB mod board, but I was under the assumption that it supported "simulated" stereo sound.

[Bratwurst]

On 10/15/2019 at 8:58 PM, c0op3r said:

I ordered the famicom multi port kit to install on my NES and it has a pin for left and right audio, but the NESRGB only has 1 audio out channel.  Does anyone have a work around, can I just split that 'mono' out and at least get audio to both speakers?

 

Correct, you just bridge the left and right outputs of the multi-out connector and feed them both the NESRGB audio out line. You'll get audio out of both speakers...

 

The NES CPU generates square and triangle waves separately through pins 1 and 2, and somewhere along the motherboard there's circuitry that blends them together into the mono sound of the stock RCA jack (or coaxial.) There are old hacks out there you can implement to circumvent the NESRGB audio circuitry entirely and even incorporate a potentiometer to mix the two separate channels together for a pseudo stereo effect but I don't recommend it because the novelty wears off quickly and most people I've done it for simply keep their stereo knobs dialed all the way to proper 'mono' mixing. It's not true stereo.

 

Nonetheless if you're curious, the inimitable Chris Covell wrote up a detailed guide:

 

https://www.chrismcovell.com/nesstereo.html

[c0op3r]

Thanx guys, that is exactly what I will do I will just split the 'mono' out to each of the audio pins on the NESRGB.

 

BTW the NES and the Evercart showed up today, I cleaned up the NES and the N8 Cart is the 'Radioactive' version it glows in the dark.

 

[Tanooki]

I know you made your mind up, and it is a good choice, but I do have a modding suggestion as it's what I used for years before I did the hidefnes kit in my toploader.  Mind you this was on an original unit but it would still work with tinkering anyway given the toploader was lousy RF alone.

 

The old unit I had a mod done that installed a wheel in the rear of the unit and what it did was directly tap into the audio and allowed you to spin the wheel to varying degrees to split the audio between the left and right speakers.  Depending on the complexity of the game it sounds a bit too obvious it's split so you could spin it where it kind of would blend between the two and not just be out of that one mono speaker, and the other spectrum of more complex audio was nuts.  Games like around the Sunsoft/Nintendo/Konami/Capcom stuff from the tail end of the 80s and later would just rule as the audio would almost sound like it would pull real stereo rippling between the two and blending as well creating this amazing faux stereo.  Games like SMB3, Castlevania 3, the later Mega Man or Gargoyle's Quest stuff was nuts.  I held onto that modded deck until the change.

 

Before that time though dumb luck I suppose and I still have it around here somewhere, I paid for this (then) expensive monster Y cable splitter, and I'd pop the thing into the mono jack on the NES and it was a nice quality faux stereo too, it didn't ripple so well between the two but it did a little and blended very well over both speakers faking some ok stereo sound too on a stock NES.

 

Personally, given what I see in that image, I'd have gone with the hidefnes kit.  You're already losing some potential of that everdrive without it given it can amazingly well handle all the FDS and single cart upper mapper chip extra audio channels too.  I don't even need a FDS or even those carts with that ED to get some insane audio you normally would have for years only got off emulators or original hardware so I'd suggest it's still coming to consider if you end up with another toploader in time.

[TheCoolDave]

20 hours ago, c0op3r said:

Thanx guys, that is exactly what I will do I will just split the 'mono' out to each of the audio pins on the NESRGB.

 

BTW the NES and the Evercart showed up today, I cleaned up the NES and the N8 Cart is the 'Radioactive' version it glows in the dark.

 

I just did a NESRGB on my FRONT loader... just finished up last night. I did a Nintendo Multi-out connector, running RGB SCART to my Framemister.  I also did the stereo mod.

 

I want to give some advice before you start cutting into it. 

 

The audio mod "stereo", gives some cool affects but, USE A POT ! and Mix in the mono... and by pass the NESRGB for the audio (it does nothing, they only put it there to make it easier) Take my advice here for a better experience. 

 

This is what I followed...(a single dual gang pot)

 

http://www.retrofixes.com/2013/09/nes-stereo-modifications-with-easy.html

 

There is too much separation and some games sound bad with it, so with a pot you can adjust the amount of mono you mix in.  For Example on some "shooting" games, the sound affects will come from one speaker but, the music will come parts of both speakers by mixing the mono, you get the shooting from both speakers but, get a nice affect on the music. 

 

Trust me, follow this, you will not regret it, I tried running each channnel to each speaker and some games really sounded like crap with it...

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by TheCoolDave

[pixelperfect]

Sorry to dig up an old topic, but I'd like to tap audio directly from the CPU and bypass everything else to lower interference for recording. I'm not interested in the "stereo" effect, so taking the mixing pot out of the equation , how best to combine the two channels to sound identical to the stock mono mix? Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

[+Yurkie]

On 10/17/2019 at 1:03 PM, c0op3r said:

Thanx guys, that is exactly what I will do I will just split the 'mono' out to each of the audio pins on the NESRGB.

 

BTW the NES and the Evercart showed up today, I cleaned up the NES and the N8 Cart is the 'Radioactive' version it glows in the dark.

 

Damn. The kid in me loves shit that glows in the day!