# Trent Reznor’s Custom Synth Integrates Functional Atari 2600 Console Swedish designer Love Hultén merges vintage gaming hardware with high-end analog synthesis. - **Source:** [Yanko Design](https://brifing.si/source/41d28791-ef47-4e0b-a40a-2a5efca0c11b) - **Published:** 2026-11-01 - **Topic:** [Design & UX](https://brifing.si/c/design) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/ef66d7a1-5d9a-4513-b403-dc426a6308a2 ## Custom Hardware Integration Swedish woodworker Love Hultén crafted a bespoke sound station for Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor. This one-off unit merges an analog synthesizer rig with a fully functional Atari 2600+ console. The design blends Reznor’s childhood nostalgia with his professional recording requirements, housed entirely within a custom-built hardwood cabinet on slim legs. ## Analog Synthesis Core The audio engine relies on the Analogue Solutions Ample, a $2,499 handmade desktop synth featuring three oscillators and a 24dB low-pass filter. Hultén adapted the synth’s unique pin matrix interface onto the main panel, allowing signal routing via orange pins. This setup provides a tactile, vintage-inspired workflow for complex sound design tasks. ## Effects Chain Architecture The signal path includes the Zen Delay, a collaboration between Erica Synths and Ninja Tune, offering tempo-synced delay and valve overdrive. An Industrialectric RM-1N reverb pedal adds further spatial depth. These components allow Reznor to construct intricate, gritty soundscapes, with dedicated knobs for feedback, drive, and drone controls integrated into the cabinet. ## Atari 2600+ Integration Hultén incorporated an official Atari 2600+ console, released in 2023 for $129.99, into the synth’s chassis. The build features an enlarged cartridge slot on the front panel, HDMI support, and a classic joystick mounted on the keyboard deck. It runs original 2600 and 7800 cartridges, including the pre-loaded game Missile Command. ## Design Aesthetic Choices The cabinet pays homage to the original 1980s Atari aesthetic, replacing fake woodgrain with premium hardwood. Black panels with orange lettering mirror vintage cartridge labels, while horizontal ridges echo the console’s ribbed top. The rear panel features a glowing red Atari logo cutout, maintaining a cohesive mid-century modern look throughout the instrument. ## Technical Control Interface Six gold plates function as touch keys, sending specific voltages when tapped, while a compact keyboard handles standard musical duties. The knobs and switches are arranged to mimic vintage studio consoles, with black and orange color coding. This layout ensures that the complex internal circuitry remains accessible for real-time performance and experimentation. ## Evolution of Hultén’s Work Love Hultén has been combining woodworking with electronics since 2010, specializing in one-off commissions. This project follows his 2022 NES-SY37 build, which also explored the intersection of gaming hardware and synthesis. His work consistently mimics the visual style of 1970s electronics companies, prioritizing artisanal cabinet-making over standard plastic molding techniques for unique instruments. ## Creative Context and Legacy Reznor’s history with gaming, including his 1996 work on id Software’s Quake, makes this collaboration deeply personal. While the individual components like the Ample and 2600+ are commercially available, this specific integration remains a unique commission. It serves as a dedicated tool for Reznor to explore atmospheric soundscapes within his studio environment. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.yankodesign.com/2026/11/01/trent-reznors-custom-synth-has-an-atari-2600-built-into-it/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=trent-reznors-custom-synth-has-an-atari-2600-built-into-it — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._