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WeeklyBeats.com / Music / ess's music / Persistent Memory

Persistent Memory

By ess on January 14, 2026 11:30 pm

Taking a little break from software development – decided to finally dust off the Midines that I got last summer.
For those not in the know, Midines is a cartridge for the 8-bit Nintendo NES console which lets you control its sound chip with MIDI.

Recorded and composed with an original NES, no other sound sources, effects or editing.
(Also accidentally used the NTSC mode so it's a bit out of tune but I realized this too late and had already adapted my MIDI for the NTSC timing)

Lovely crunchy sounds and dancey!

Poor NES is too old to be flogged this hard!

Impressive work, man. Such great energy in these bleeps and bloops. Great, great, great!!!

SO good and wild i love it!

This one is madness

Ahhhh this would go down real well at a chiptune party \m/

so cool!!!

Great composition! I am quite surprised by how big the kick can sound on a NES!

Pretty sure it's illegal to drive the NES this hard. Awesome tune!

Ah man this is so good. Love the part at 1:12 where you hear that poor NES is just holding on for dear life. Delays sound way too good too

thicc kiccs, middle section is especially inspiring!

The 1:13 switch to hardcore is amazing. Love this.

NTSC and NTSC sound like a good match to me, though even if PAL was involved, it could lead to some interesting effects I'd imagine.
- Spider

That part at 2:13 and after that, so good!

This is fantastic - love that change up around 1:10! Kick is amazing. Grandpa NES still got some moves.

Ahhhh, nice to hear a midines push a NES in this direction in 2026. It really has the best samples. Later midi to NES solutions can't keep up.

what an absolute banger of a track! the melodies are just so beautiful and i like how the song progresses. Good job on killing it on the nes. big_smile

Water_Feature wrote:

Poor NES is too old to be flogged this hard!

it's just what it needs to stay young!


theskyis256k wrote:

SO good and wild i love it!

heart

antler wrote:

Ahhhh this would go down real well at a chiptune party \m/

mario at a rave etc lolol

WahSp wrote:

Great composition! I am quite surprised by how big the kick can sound on a NES!

those dpcm drums really slap, lots of bass in there and they're just super loud

laamaa wrote:

Pretty sure it's illegal to drive the NES this hard. Awesome tune!

if this is illegal then lock me up

Perhaps Bry wrote:

thicc kiccs, middle section is especially inspiring!

thick kicks save lives

ilzxc wrote:

The 1:13 switch to hardcore is amazing. Love this.

always keep em guessing

DESLRV wrote:

NTSC and NTSC sound like a good match to me, though even if PAL was involved, it could lead to some interesting effects I'd imagine.
- Spider

not too bad, unless you have perfect pitch lol

ENC_ wrote:

Ahhhh, nice to hear a midines push a NES in this direction in 2026. It really has the best samples. Later midi to NES solutions can't keep up.

yeah really great selection, zero punches pulled

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