Your new, shiny, expensive Switch controllers may well suffer from the dreaded Joy-Con drift at some point, but boy can they hold a tune.
Reddit user Sarossilli has given the Switch's cutesy controllers a new lease of life, allowing them to be the musical superstars they always wanted to be by making a custom-built program. The program in question allows MIDI files to be played via the Joy-Con's HD Rumble feature, resulting in great little performances like this:
OK, sure, some of the notes sound a little off, but considering the Joy-Con don't have any strings, keys, reeds, or vocal cords (or speakers, we suppose), we think they're doing a stellar job.
So, how does that even work? Well, the Joy-Con's advanced rumble tech can be manipulated to such a precise degree that it can hit specific musical notes – all sounds are simply vibrations, after all. Nintendo has actually used this trick in a few official game releases before such as Super Mario Party (where your Joy-Con plays a little tune when it's your turn), and Kirby Star Allies, which does this:
Amazing, right? Now we'll be humming that tune all day...
[source reddit.com]
Comments 27
Hold my toothbrush.
Build a Joy Con that doesn't drift and then we'll talk
But seriously, who knew that HD rumble sounds like a duck playing the kazoo? Wild stuff...
that's amazing!
When I played Kirby Star Allies, I wasn't playing with Joy-Cons so sadly I completely missed this Easter egg.
Wow, inventive! Wonder what Totaka's Song would sound like? Can you imagine if that was an Easter Egg Nintendo actually planned to have going off during some kind of event?
Does MK8D also do this when you pick up a coin? I always thought it was pretty neat
HD rumble uses sound waves, yeah we've known this since..
1-2 Switch.
Honestly, I wasn't expecting it to be so good. High definition Rumble indeed
This is also used in ring fit adventure when using the rep mode with the screen off it plays a beep noise every time you do a rep
Dang that sounded like mario to me soo.
I first noticed music from joycon playing super Mario party. It plays the Mario theme when it’s your turn. The vibrations make the tune.
Clever stuff
Good stuff! I bet if you play this really slow it gets quite trippy!
The sound in Super Mario Party totally confused me and my friends when we first played the game.
We'd hear this unusual sound so we tried to find a speaker in the joycon xD
Singing Joy-Cons are the stuff of éliteness.
Joy-Cons that both sing and dance would single-handedly end the console wars. Forever.
the kirby one sounds so good it's almost like it was faked.
Wow, I didn't know the Joy-Cons could play music that well.
@thejuice027 It actually does it within Kirby Star Allies I believe....
Why did you stop playing that beautiful music?
In all seriousness, it has been a bit disappointing to see how few games utilize the HD rumble to any noticeable capacity. I feel like Golf Story has used it best so far, and that came out ages ago.
I mean there is a less sophisticated mode like this with the Labo piano.
"Joy-Con Riff" is right there.
Sounds like Game and Watch music
I think you can also do this with SmileBasic on Switch. You can set them to rumble at whatever frequency you want, and yes, to play music if you know what you're doing.
is it 2017 again?
Should have had a few pitches wrong intentionally to make it more realistic. (Simulating Joy-Con drift)
Always remember to tune your Joy-cons before playing
I have a Joy-Con PC pairing software (lets you change its digital color) has a sample song of Mario and this was during 2017.
I’d like to try this out, but due to Joy-Con drift it’ll probably start playing a One Direction song by itself at random times.
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