u/Open-Storage-8766

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on a DMG-01 modding project, mainly for LSDj / Nanoloop music use.

I have some electronics and soldering experience, though most of it is from around 15 years ago. About 12 years ago I modded my original Game Boy DMG-01 with MIDI in/out, using full-size DIN sockets mounted directly into the Game Boy shell. It still works well, and honestly it looks pretty sick. I don’t remember seeing many DMGs with DIN sockets mounted straight into the frame like that, so I’ll try to add some photos here.

I also added a line-out mod, bypassing the headphone jack. I kept the original headphone jack and speaker working too, so the Game Boy still functions normally, but with the added dedicated line-out.

The unit is working nicely, but it feels a bit clunky now, and I’m definitely missing a modern backlit screen.

I’ve been looking online and seeing all these beautiful DMG builds with IPS screens, USB-C rechargeable batteries, cleaner audio mods, etc. I’ve also just ordered an Arduinoboy Pro with TRS MIDI, which should make things much easier when connecting the Game Boy to my Teenage Engineering gear.

So now I’m trying to decide:

Should I buy an already modded DMG-01?
I’m seeing some in the UK for around £140, which seems reasonable. If I do the whole thing myself, I’ll probably end up spending more once I source the tools, parts, screen, battery kit, shell bits, etc.

Or should I keep modding my existing DMG, since it already has the MIDI DIN sockets and line-out?

The dream build would include:

• IPS screen
• Dedicated line-out
• Arduinoboy / TRS MIDI
• USB-C rechargeable battery
• Ideally still usable with LSDj / Nanoloop as cleanly as possible

Has anyone here managed to squeeze all of that into one DMG shell successfully?

My main concern is audio noise. Since the whole purpose of this Game Boy is music production and recording, I don’t want to add a bunch of modern power/display mods and end up destroying the audio output with hum, whine, interference, or general noise.

So I’m wondering:

• Do IPS screens noticeably affect the audio output?
• Are USB-C battery mods noisy in a DMG music setup?
• Is it better to keep the music Game Boy simpler and use a separate modded DMG for “nice screen / modern convenience” stuff?
• Is there a recommended order of mods for keeping the audio clean?
• Would you personally preserve the old DIN MIDI modded shell as-is and build/buy another DMG?

Any advice from people using DMGs specifically for LSDj, Nanoloop, Arduinoboy, MIDI sync, or recording would be massively appreciated.

Thanks!

I just got my ep133 (128mb version) and I am so confused as in where does the samples get recorded and how to manage them later on!

Sometimes I record a loop and the samples get added to 700 and sometimes it get added to 032. I never know which number it will use for recording loops/samples and I am always scared and worried that I am overwriting some of the factory sounds / some of my samples.

The manual says it automatically record to a new sample location but how can I be sure about it??

Also why can’t I manual drag and drop a sample on the online sample tool to another bank??? I realised I have to download, then delete then reupload on new location??? Come on teenage engineering you can do better!!