The reasons I went with the Atari case are as follows:
1) Yes, I did have (multiple) 2600 units lying around. Unfortunately, they were all still fully functional and I hated to gut one just for this purpose, but I kept my 4-switch one operational... the 6-switch one was perfect because each switch-hole perfectly fit the pots/knobs, with room to install the 6 jacks neatly behind them.
2) Aesthetically the Atari is very old-fashioned and not so beautiful, but has sentimental/retro appeal. There is a sort of mojo and sentiment attached to the first widely distributed video game console... I grew up on Atari and it's really, when it comes down to it, what got me into computers, electronics, programming, games, electronic music, you name it.
3) I have modified my 4-switch Atari with new audio/video outputs (stereo jack, s-video, and composite) as well as a MIDI-to-joystick interface which allows me the plug a controller MIDI keyboard into the Atari and send touchpad triggers. The purpose of this is for use with the "SynthCart" designed by Paul Slocum (it is a synthesizer cartridge for the Atari 2600 which used touchpad or MIDI/joystick information to trigger notes, set tempo, layer beats, or create arpeggiated sequences, all using the Atari's built-in sound module) Again, does the Atari make the most BEAUTIFUL sounds in the world? No. But it makes sounds that have a sort of sentimental or esoteric or minimalist beauty... very lo-fi, old-school electronic sounds. [There is an entire genre of music based around making music with video game oscillators and sound modules, especially the older ones... Nintendo, Gameboy, and Atari; the genre is sometimes called "chiptunes", "bittunes", or "bitpop"]
So, since I already had one Atari to be used for music, I figured having a separate one right there with it would be pretty cool (Beck has "Two turntables and a microphone"; I have "Two Ataris and a microphone..." through Antares AVP and PAiA Vocoder)
1) Yes, I did have (multiple) 2600 units lying around. Unfortunately, they were all still fully functional and I hated to gut one just for this purpose, but I kept my 4-switch one operational... the 6-switch one was perfect because each switch-hole perfectly fit the pots/knobs, with room to install the 6 jacks neatly behind them.
2) Aesthetically the Atari is very old-fashioned and not so beautiful, but has sentimental/retro appeal. There is a sort of mojo and sentiment attached to the first widely distributed video game console... I grew up on Atari and it's really, when it comes down to it, what got me into computers, electronics, programming, games, electronic music, you name it.
3) I have modified my 4-switch Atari with new audio/video outputs (stereo jack, s-video, and composite) as well as a MIDI-to-joystick interface which allows me the plug a controller MIDI keyboard into the Atari and send touchpad triggers. The purpose of this is for use with the "SynthCart" designed by Paul Slocum (it is a synthesizer cartridge for the Atari 2600 which used touchpad or MIDI/joystick information to trigger notes, set tempo, layer beats, or create arpeggiated sequences, all using the Atari's built-in sound module) Again, does the Atari make the most BEAUTIFUL sounds in the world? No. But it makes sounds that have a sort of sentimental or esoteric or minimalist beauty... very lo-fi, old-school electronic sounds. [There is an entire genre of music based around making music with video game oscillators and sound modules, especially the older ones... Nintendo, Gameboy, and Atari; the genre is sometimes called "chiptunes", "bittunes", or "bitpop"]
So, since I already had one Atari to be used for music, I figured having a separate one right there with it would be pretty cool (Beck has "Two turntables and a microphone"; I have "Two Ataris and a microphone..." through Antares AVP and PAiA Vocoder)
