The magic of Merlin...

sk-1 · December 21, 2009, 02:00:37 AM

I have an original Merlin game by Parker Brothers (1978) and would LOVE to know if it can be circuit bent and modified to extract more sounds and variations of noises. As some of you might already know, Merlin has one of the most sturdy cases of all handheld games and is almost indestructable (except for the power switch, which has loosened up on mine).

I think the Merlin is a fantastic looking device and really looks great sitting next to all my Yamaha and Casio keyboards. It just sits there BEGGING to be turned into something more!

I read a reference somewhere about a guy who turned his Merlin into a fully-fledged MIDI controller! I have also had my eye on those Do-It-Yourself micro-mini synths and noise-boxes that can be wired up inside almost anything and thought my Merlin would look cool with a set of large, black dials on either side and buttons along the top to control another circuit built entirely inside it (turning it into a real synthesizer!). Or perhaps there is a circuit one can build and put inside a Merlin to take all of it's sounds and layer effects on them, essentially turning it into a modified, space-out musical device! Perhaps the LEDs could be wired up so that an internal synthesizer operates them and provides visual feedback as the sounds or notes change and are manipulated... much like a matrix synth.

Ideas... Ideas... Ideas... !!!

Does anyone here know of anyone who has circuit-bent, modified, upgraded or altered a Merlin handheld game and gotten some seriously good results? Out of all the games I have seen so far, Merlin seems to have one of the most attractive and musically themed boxes out there. It also has a very open and clean interface that can be used for a multitude of operations and situations and that gives the bender a very large range of possibilities to work with!

I really want to see it sitting on my rig and being used as a professional piece of equipment some day.

Ideas please... anyone?

druzz · August 21, 2010, 09:23:11 PM

so did you do something to the merlin ?

i am buying one today specially to bend it , hope it works well .

druzz · August 22, 2010, 01:01:25 AM

so i just got the merlin. here are photos of the pcb .
i am a beginer . can someone tell me if that chip looks safe to bend

heres a link for an exemple of circuit bent merlin : Merlin

heres a german presentition of the merlin Merlin - Der elektronische Zauberer

and of course the commercial from the 70's Merlin toy game classic tv commercial 1980

Ciderfeks · August 22, 2010, 08:26:55 PM

I don't know about the chip, but it looks similar to some of the TI IC's found in the Speak & XXXX range. I do know that those thin plastic conductive membranes can crease/tear easily and really spoil your day! It might be an idea to carefully remove it if possible before getting stuck in. The bent Merlin in your video, although a later version than yours, had a pretty cool pitch bend mod and these can usually be fairly easy to find with a wet finger - try the resistors close to the chip and start from there.

druzz · August 23, 2010, 12:55:43 AM

thanks i think i'll start with that seems safe . i dont need to do tons of mods on it as it is already cool and i like the stock sounds .

so yeah i'lll start with a pitchbend and maybe i'll try the power crash mod to see if its any good on it

Circuitbenders · August 23, 2010, 01:51:41 AM

well theres definately a picthbend in there, probably just from replacing one of those resistors. I'm not really sure what the other mod is doing. It seems like theres some kind of oscillator retriggering the sounds,

I could be hearing things but it sounds like its somehow moving a loop start point through the sample. God knows how they've done that though. It seems like it would be a bit more complicated than something like this is worth so maybe i'm imagining it.

What are the numbers on that chip?

druzz · August 23, 2010, 02:37:13 AM

heres a clean shot of the chip

it reads:

TMS1100NLL
MP3404A-N2
WE 8010
philippines

Circuitbenders · August 23, 2010, 12:24:18 PM

If i'm reading the pinout correctly the clock resistor will be what looks like a 33K in the middle at the switch/jack socket end of the board.

http://www.datasheetarchive.com/pdf-datasheets/Databooks-5/Document254142.html

I can't find the full datasheet for a TMS1100, which is odd as it seems they were used in loads of 80's toys like the Big Trak and Simons games

druzz · August 24, 2010, 03:13:06 AM

thanks for the link . i'm having a look at it but i cant say i understand much . for the moment my concern is : should i jump boldly into shorting those pins ?
should i avoid some of them . sorry i'm asking too much questions

believe me i'm not that careful with most random toys .
but i feel that this old guy needs to be treated with respect .
i have a couple of nice pieces in the waiting room while i'm practicing my chops on the v-techs and random toys

thanks for the support
i will post the results (and the process) here when i get to it

Circuitbenders · August 24, 2010, 11:24:45 AM

Quote from: druzz on August 24, 2010, 03:13:06 AM
thanks for the link . i'm having a look at it but i cant say i understand much . for the moment my concern is : should i jump boldly into shorting those pins ?

Yeah, you could really do with a proper datasheet. I'd probably avoid pin 20 which appears to be the power pin that connects to what i assume is the on/off switch, but other than that you should probably be fine with shorting stuff.

jamiewoody · September 15, 2010, 12:29:23 AM

i remember those! what year did it come out? i assume somewhere between 78-81? it was a fun game for it's day..and the sounds are rich!

druzz · September 15, 2010, 02:29:23 AM

yeah . for me it sounds like a machine should.

i should get working on it soon but before i want to do a couple more bends on other less precious pieces. as well as reading a little more about general electronics and clean bending techniques
my soldering skills are getting good so it shouldnt be long