Ultimate NES Mod (NESRGB + Blinking Light Win + Famicom Expansion Audio)

In this video I'm going to mod Sturat's old beat up NES with the NESRGB RGB board, the Blinking Light Win replacement 72-pin connector for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and a Famicom expansion audio mod. I also cleaned up the system and made it cosmetically better.
I decided to do the NESRGB instead of the HDMI Hi-Def NES board. The decision between RGB and HDMI comes down to what the console is going to be used for. If the only system you need to be able to play on your HD flatscreen is an NES, then sure, go for the Hi-Def NES, it's going to be fantastic. The problem begins when you start to introduce other consoles into the mix. Pretty soon you're doing expensive mods and drilling HDMI holes on all your systems, and since I like to keep my consoles as stock as possible, I'd rather not get into drilling holes in everything. RGB is the language of retro consoles. To play all your consoles on a flatscreen in 1080p there's the one-time cost of an upscaler like the Framemeister or an OSSC, and you're good to go. Plus, if you want to use a good old lag-free CRT, then HDMI isn't going to do you any good. So for this mod we'll be sticking to good old, pure RGB, so this NES can measure up to what the Sega Master System could already do out of the box.
Hope you'll join for the ride. Feel free to ask questions. Although I can't mod your system for you.
More information on NESRGB:
etim.net.au/nesrgb/
More information on Blinking Light Win:
www.arcadeworks.net/blw
#nes #famicom #rgb
00:00 Introduction
04:28 Disassembly
05:12 NESRGB Installation
11:56 AV Multi Out Jack
15:56 Blinking Light Win Install
16:30 NES10 Lockout Chip
17:00 Expansion Audio Mod
21:26 Finishing Up
22:36 All Done - Total Cost
24:04 The Reveal
26:20 Ending

[@hualni]

All that work is worth it simply for the improvements in audio. That is the most drastic of the improvements. Excellent job!

[@OOOAAAIII]

Can you describe how audio is improved with this mod? I just received my NESRGB mod kit, and had actually decided not to use the supplied mini jack socket for audio, means I don't need to make a hole in the NES shell, and audio out is still available through the original rca output after the mod. But if you're saying it's a real improvement, I might change my mind? :-)

[@AndehX]

There actually is enough room for the PPU socket on the NESRGB. You simply have to clip the pins under where the PPU sits so that the socket can sit flush on the NESRGB.

[@MeWantHoneycomb]

ok that cut plastic makes me feel better about my nes.. just a small crack on the side, not terrible, but i'm a perfectionist xD

[@emmettturner9452]

The expansion audio pin was not removed, it was simply connected to the EXT port instead. If you look inside a copy of Castlevania III, expansion audio is connected to pin 18. Pin 18 goes to a different pin on the EXT port than the NES console’s internal audio, meaning something was supposed to bridge them through the EXT port of they ever utilized the feature. Pin 54 is only ever used because the top loader does not have Pin 18 (connector is missing that pin). Pin 54 is unused so we just make the same internal connection to that pin instead. Still, the most “standard” pin is the one that actual licensed cartridges used, despite the expansion audio being disabled in their code, and that would be Pin 18. Ideally, you want to connect both pins on the adapter or perhaps one for flash carts and the other for original carts. Even if you make the connection through the EXT port, the expansion audio was removed from the game ROM for Castlevania III so you would need to do a ROM swap with the Japanese version or a ROM hack version. Since the Japanese version will output audio on that extra pin, we know that is the right pin for sure even if no US games ever actually used it.

[@BasementBrothers]

Right. The US Castlevania 3 cart doesn't have the VRC6 chip to generate the extra sounds though.

[@emmettturner9452]

@@BasementBrothers Ah, you are correct. The MMC5 does have extra audio channels that were used in Japanese MMC5 titles. If you replaced the Castlevania III Dracula’s Curse ROM with one of those and populated the missing resistor then you would get expansion audio on pin 18.

[@sheepdog_81]

This was/is helpful. Thank you! 👍💙

[@armond120]

The music is awesome, the whole time I am just wanting to play some Castlevania

[@simplyhard]

You sure are a nice brother. Well done. :-)

[@marktheshark274]

Holy moly. That mod must've been a herculean task to do right. Would you say that this is one of the most difficult mods you've done so far? If not, what is?

[@JFTL81]

Is your SCART carrying Audio? How do you wire that to the A/V output connector? Awesome job! I’m going to attempt the RGB mod soon, hopefully I don’t fry my NES...

[@Gecko1993HogheadIncOfficial]

I wish that Enio boards were still available for that expansion slot...

[@josejaramillo8181]

got the 72 pin its stop the blinking...but now no picture....I guess i have to order that part as well....thank you for directing me to the right spots

[@chrisgoff3414]

Nice video. So your multi out connection works as well as the original composite out on the NES? I have been trying to find a way to do this but have had no luck, most people tell me that once the RGB board is set up the RF and original composite out was deactivated. I

[@dougdabandit2003]

i have the hi def nes, this is great and all but the hi def nes is just amazing

[@cellardoor7500]

Doug Guelich do you notice any lag compared to a stock NES?

[@jayn8392]

That blue mat with the screw indents your working on is awesome. Where did you get it? Also, Castlevania sounds amazing!

[@dRiv3R0000]

What cable do you use from the multi-out port to the display? Is it component? S-Video? Where do you get one?

[@GadgetUK164]

Great video =D One thing that puts me off the RGB mod is the fact you have to solder the PPU onto the mod =/ It's a shame that perhaps an upside down socket could not be fitted to the underside of another area of the mod - to allow the original PPU to sit on the underside perhaps. I guess its not a big deal, maybe I will have a go at this when I can afford it. The mod from Tim does look sweet though!

[@pearly1612]

You are an absolute madman. You Frankenstein’d TF out of that beautiful piece of history. And you devoted so much time, too. So much time. And money. And effort. And for what? You devoted all of that and look at yourself. Look at yourself and you’ll realize. It will hit you like a ton of bricks: all of that time and money and effort are gone. Gone forever. Was it worth it? But hey, let’s try to keep positive. And honestly, I’m impressed by your unwavering dedication to this ill-conceived project you’ve undertaken-even if, tragically, you ultimately butcher that NES like a hog. Which you proceed to do. You put that horse to pasture like old Yeller on steroids. But hey, good on you. Shine on you crazy diamond.

[@BasementBrothers]

lol, modded consoles aren't for everyone. I presume you prefer to keep your NES stock? My brother I made this for still has his original NES stock. This was a spare. Just curious, the part you have a problem with wasn't the cut out piece from the cartridge slot, right? Because that's something my brothers did to this NES as kids. Not part of my modding in this video.

[@Cyanice]

Will this work on any cart adapter? If not, what adapter is are you using in the video?

[@Nukle0n]

Idk, maybe it works but all your solder joints look dry as hell, with the solder balling up on the pins, it should sit "snugly" to the pad and pins, in a parabolic sort of arch, if it's bulbous like that then it means you don't heat up both points of contact enough.

[@sergiomeyer]

Summit beer! Minnesota represent

[@frownmastr]

If youre restoring/refurbing/improving the NES, are there any capacitors or anything that should be replaced?

[@BasementBrothers]

Generally, the capacitors on the NES aren't so bad. I'm not a huge proponent of replacing all caps, like some recommend. I would just visually inspect all caps for bulging or signs of leaking. If there are no problem signs, I would leave them alone for now.

[@boogiemanspud]

At 18:50 when talking about running a wire around the adapter board, you can do what I did and drill a hole through the pcb. Just don't drill where any traces are. It hurts nothing and makes the wire runs shorter and much neater.

[@DannyCD]

It works just fine so whatever. It's not like he was contracted to do this mod for a customer anyway. Too many perfectionists nowadays thanks to Voultar...

[@Nukle0n]

With wire that thin you can also just run it through one of those vias.

[@SMAAAASHTV]

@@Nukle0n that's what I thought, as well.

[@cybermx8896]

Can you pleas tell us what resitors values to use in the Expansion audio mod if we wanto to play with flashcarts please?

[@jefersonrodrigues6983]

Very good!!! Is the sound improved in other games too ???

[@BasementBrothers]

No, the sound output for games was already great. It just outputs additionally through the multi AV out port I added now. The mod I did just adds expansion audio for the handful of games that use it.

[@Nozomi89AceGaymer]

I don't know much about it but, since you want to install the blinking light win, why did u cut the nes board? With the blinking light win you don't need to press down when the cartridge is not instert so it doesn't make sense at all.

[@BasementBrothers]

The cut that I show at the beginning of the video is from when we were kids. It was done in the 90's. Long before the Blinking Light Win existed.

[@Nozomi89AceGaymer]

@@BasementBrothers Oh, I see, I didn't understood it! 😅 Sorry

[@seamistseamist]

Is there any way to just get the expansion audio without doing an rgb mod? I just want to use composite since it's the way things would've been seen on an unmodded console, and i've seen that the AV famicom doesn't have nes zapper compatibility, and has less vibrant video.

[@seamistseamist]

I'm specifically talking about when using an everdrive n8 pro nes version

[@BasementBrothers]

Yeah, it's a separate mod. You don't have to do RGB to do expansion audio.

[@seamistseamist]

@@BasementBrothers Alright, is there anywhere I can get it installed to work with the N8?

[@jrb875]

Can you please calculate labor costs. Please list an hourly rate for a typical A/V repair shop, professional, or hobbyist. I'm looking at making a purchase from ebay sellers, but have no idea what the markup is above parts and labor. ebay prices range from 300-500 us dollars.

[@xboxgamerJ16]

So I have a BLW and an Enio board for famicom sounds and I just got a real copy of castlevania 3 for the famicom. I use a famicom converter from Hyperkin and I thought everything would work. Is there anything I'm doing wrong?

[@xboxgamerJ16]

The sound isn't working properly and I dont know what to do.

[@xboxgamerJ16]

@@BasementBrothers I did and that opened up the sound channels I was missing. But what would you recommend on using for the sound mod since I'm using a famicom cart?

[@Zheols]

(Darth Vader Voice) I Find your faith in hot glue disturbing..

[@rusty1187]

Uncle Fester would be proud!!

[@ballandpaddle]

At 19:24, take a look at the chip on the top-right. I believe this is the character ROM of Akumajou Densetsu, so why does it have "SCC-I" printed on it?? SCC-I is another Konami sound chip used in some MSX games. What is it doing in this Famicom game cart? I can't find much on the Internet about this other than it's a version of the SCC-I sound chip. Anybody have any ideas about this?

[@emmettturner9452]

I use the Aoyue Int701A++ for my install and it absolutely SUCKS… in the bad way. Used it for a ton of Hi-Def NES installs too. The Hakko clone iron isn’t half bad so I use it with genuine Hakko T18 tips as my primary iron.

[@jamescross8918]

who the fuck pours a beer like that, lmao

[@josejaramillo8181]

Help...I try all the tips you have posted when having a blinking red light on my NES Nintendo ....Blowing , cleaning all pins, holding down the reset bottom....still NO game....can i order a new mother board or 72 pin slot....I could really use some help...

[@BasementBrothers]

Here's someone on ebay selling the Blinking Light Win. It's a solder-free install. Just need a screwdriver: www.ebay.com/itm/Blinking-Light-Win-Replacement-72-Pin-Connector-Nintendo-NES-MOD-REPAIR/313343144868?hash=item48f4b4f3a4:g:6~4AAOSwZUNf16oC

[@IsaiahAmos017]

I wish I had a blinking light win I just checked and they’re sold out I hope they make more I have replaced my pin connector several times it would be a real shame if I missed out on this Mod for good

[@alucard971]

Check today. Saw they were in stock for me.

[@Andrew-McCormick]

What gauge wire did you use for the cart converter?

[@BasementBrothers]

22 gauge I believe. It's thin.

[@Andrew-McCormick]

Basement Brothers thanks!

[@tuul100]

I have to say as an ICT-technician, thats not the best soldering job that i have seen, you really don't want blubs of solder in any of the pins. It will create resistance and weaken the signal..

[@BasementBrothers]

Agreed. Sorry for the bad soldering. Been soldering on and off since 2005. Never had any real training, and I'm not a careful person by nature.

[@BryanX64]

Music that currently plays at 9:30?

[@DJSALTYNUTZ]

where do you get the audio expansion mod?

[@BasementBrothers]

I followed the instructions here: www.famicomworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=1860.0

[@alienJIZ1990]

Damn this is awesome! Is it still mono audio though? If so, the only thing that would make this perfect is a direct stereo mod.

[@alienJIZ1990]

After looking into it further, I really like the idea of stereo/mono mixing with a knob. That way you can choose all the way mono for games that sound better that way so all the pulses/triangles aren't randomly thrown to different ears.

[@DannyCD]

The Hi-Def NES lets you do stereo/mono mixing digitally in its on-screen menu for each individual audio channel, it's pretty awesome. It was one of the selling points for me to get a Hi-Def NES.

[@retr0wl]

What's the music on 21:25 ?

[@AVErsiv]

you need to convert CRT TV for it to have RGB Input , on scart for example european standard.

[@BasementBrothers]

Yes, most consumer North American TV's need to be modded to accept RGB. Or you could get a professional CRT monitor... Or you can use a modern TV with an upscaler that takes an RGB input. That's the purpose of the NESRGB.

[@lilbigkidsmedia8652]

If u put one hole u mine as well put more,keeping it stock doesnt mean putting one hole.ur first words are very contradicting.love the videos,stay safe wear gloves lol!

[@BasementBrothers]

Keeping it "as stock as possible" doesn't mean the same thing as "keeping it 100% stock". It isn't contradictory. Besides, what would you do instead? Don't drill a hole and just take the top off the system whenever you need to access the RGB out? Not mod the system at all? The idea is that we wanted to make useful mods, while still leaving the outside looking as much like a normal NES as possible. Adding one small port on the rear of the system is obviously the best possible option. I don't see what's so difficult to understand here.

[@Ashene64]

Great video except I can't agree with the hot glue lol

[@BasementBrothers]

Neither can I. I need a better way to mount the jack without screws.

[@RappinPicard]

Its too bad you couldn’t source a bottom shell from a French NES, since that version used the multi-av output and thus had a shell hole for one.

[@JebberGamingJaws]

Anywhere I can buy one of these? This is the exact set up I would love to have. I'm assuming HD Retrovision cables would work?

[@CedricsSpecialLP]

Just google NESRGB and you should be able to find the site from Tim Worthington, who created the mod.

[@sunnohh]

Plus, CRT

[@sergiovalencia3031]

Whats the music that's playing at 4:50

[@BasementBrothers]

It's the battle music from Mouryou Senki Madara. You can see the game in this video at 21:15.

[@kingnanaki8227]

Hot glue... 2 part epoxy my guy.

[@BasementBrothers]

Great suggestion!

[@nickjustwill721]

any1 notice that cheeky adblock in the browser?

[@MrNoobNub]

31 blocked ads. thats a big greedy.

[@Warclubz]

Wanna keep my consoles stock and not have to drill..... You chopped that thing in half so you could use bigger carts.

[@Warclubz]

@@BasementBrothers I'm just farting around being a jerk. You can always get a replacement plastic. Thank you for the awesome content you make!

[@AndrossUT]

Use desoldering alloy.

[@eekturk4258]

25 dollars to 60 to 72 pin adapter what? It is 5 dollars on aliexpress!

[@hiks3768]

25$ for a 0.10$ port?????

[@JazzMartian]

"I want to keep this system as stock as possible" *Mods the carved up system in every possible way

[@BasementBrothers]

Just external. Only change on the outside is the addition of the AV port.

[@osgeld]

wait what? drilling holes is a sin but you (poorly) cut a giant hole in its face?

[@BasementBrothers]

The defacing of the console was done when we were kids in the mid-90's. I would never condone such a modification today.

[@blackcheesyghoul]

You're not even testing the RGB!?.... WTF...

[@BasementBrothers]

Not sure what you mean. This NES was put through its paces. In the video I bring it to Sturat's house where first we test the RGB on the Framemeister, and then we hook it up to a CRT using S-video.

[@blackcheesyghoul]

@@BasementBrothers oh yeah sorry my bad aha i guess i thought you'd test it on a PVM.