2 dumb questions

[Arroyo]

Well I’ve hit a stumbling block on my machine.  Can’t commit to a headphone/volume control solution.  Here are my 2 dumb questions:

1.) How do you guys handle the headphone jacks?  I’d like the machine to function as it does on the PC, sound to speakers UNLESS you plug in headphones.  Obviously you need a headphone extension from the PC to a mount on the machine, but how do you keep the functionality I just described?  When you plug in the extension the PC thinks headphones are connected thus kills the functionality.

2.) I’m trying to avoid a separate volume control and would love to use a hotkey or something like that to control the volume with the spinner.  So ideally it would be something like hold down Player 1 start button and turn the spinner to change volume.  Is this possible, has anyone done this?

[bperkins01]

1.) How do you guys handle the headphone jacks?  I’d like the machine to function as it does on the PC, sound to speakers UNLESS you plug in headphones.  Obviously you need a headphone extension from the PC to a mount on the machine, but how do you keep the functionality I just described?  When you plug in the extension the PC thinks headphones are connected thus kills the functionality.

I'm 99% sure if you wire a second headphone jack in parallel to the internal one (i.e.  Don't plug it in - open the case and solder wires to the internal headphone jack) - it will work as designed..  Essentially you are just extending the internal one to a new location.

2.) I’m trying to avoid a separate volume control and would love to use a hotkey or something like that to control the volume with the spinner.  So ideally it would be something like hold down Player 1 start button and turn the spinner to change volume.  Is this possible, has anyone done this?

I'm betting you can do that with autohotkey - you would have to convert the spinner pulses to keystrokes - So a little coding involved..  Not sure if there is a way to read the spinner pulses.. That may be an Ultimarc question.

[bperkins01]

I remember now - the spinner appears to the PC as a mouse..
So find a  a volume control driver that you can control with xy movement on a mouse - then you can shift key it into the Ultimarc config and probably avoid autohotkey. 
I originally plugged my spinner into the UltimateIO card - don't do that - buy the adapter so that the spinner shows up as its own device  (i.e. multimouse)
My bet is remapping it with the shift key will be simpler with that too..
HTH a bit.

[Arroyo]

Great ideas, I’ll have to test this out at home!

[fuchi_jeg]

I wired 2 arcade buttons to my iPac and assigned them to volume up, and volume down through the ipac software.  Install the volume buttons on the side ala a pinball cabinet and they dont clutter the control panel, but I imagine you could do the same with a spinner and add a modifier (like hold player 1 start) to control volume with the spinner.

[pbj]

Bro, just wire in a discrete volume knob somewhere.  How often do you really change the volume?  Regular volume and wife is gone volume.....

[Mike A]

What pbj said.

Inside the coin door is a good place.

[bperkins01]

There is a fun factor to using the spinner as a volume control - teaching the world to hold a shift key and spin an the same time?  that could be an issue ..  I had to teach people how to hit a button to put a quarter in...

That said - I use mine all the time..  I had it somewhat hidden and it turned into a pain showing people where it was, etc.  It was below the CP.  Out of sight out of mind..
But then I got tired of reaching under the CP myself.

I ended up using a self centering up/down switch..  left is volume down - right is volume up..  Its on the cabinet next to the bezel on mine.

The reason I use it so much is my machine is in a family room.  But I like looking at the attract mode..  need to have volume off if its doing that because it gets annoying.

[Arroyo]

Inside the coin door feels authentic, but difficult  for the laymen, no?  Guess I’m crazy but holding down a button and using the spinner sounded intuitive to me : 

I can mull this over for awhile as I don’t think the volume control needs to go anywhere other than the control panel or in the coin door.  Knowing where to finally put the headphone jack let’s me move forward.  Thanks fellas.

[yotsuya]

Why would anyone other than you need to mess with the volume?

[Arroyo]

Why would anyone other than you need to mess with the volume?

Hmmm.....good question.  I guess the wife or in-laws or someone else when I’m not there, or if I’ve had too many cocktails .  But yeah to your and PBJ’s point probably not often.  Maybe when I’m playing on headphones and want to adjust quickly (cause you know that will happen a lot ).

I guess as long as I know, and it’s convenient, that’s all that matters.  It’s the freakin decisions that make building this damn thing hard.

Thanks again boys.

[opt2not]

C’mon noob, just throw a potentiometer on the speaker line and mount it inside the coin door like a regular cab.

(I’m kidding, you’re not a noob. I’m just miffed that you snatched that k7000 chassis on KLOV, within 10mins of it being posted)

[Arroyo]

C’mon noob, just throw a potentiometer on the speaker line and mount it inside the coin door like a regular cab.

(I’m kidding, you’re not a noob. I’m just miffed that you snatched that k7000 chassis on KLOV, within 10mins of it being posted)

More like within 5min ;-)



That’s twice now Opt, earlier this year with the Atari Cones....man if only you were this slow at games

yeah it’s looking more like coin door for the volume, been getting pulled into things being more authentic, which is funny considering how off the wall this cab will end up being. :

[Arroyo]

C’mon noob, just throw a potentiometer on the speaker line and mount it inside the coin door like a regular cab.

(I’m kidding, you’re not a noob. I’m just miffed that you snatched that k7000 chassis on KLOV, within 10mins of it being posted)

More like within 5min ;-)



That’s twice now Opt, earlier this year with the Atari Cones....man if only you were this slow at games

yeah it’s looking more like coin door for the volume, been getting pulled into things being more authentic, which is funny considering how off the wall this cab will end up being. :

[opt2not]

Lol damn!

That’s ok, turned out to be a blessing. It’s a 19” chassis, with a CR-31 neck. I need a 25” chassis with CR-23.
Ended up finding one locally anyway. Still, you’re quick on the PayPal draw!

[Mike A]

Dude. He is buying everything.

[BadMouth]

For the headphone jack, I usually rip the front jack out of an old case with the wiring still attached.  IIRC, on the last one I actually bought an internal extension cable. (AC'97/HD audio or something like that) They do make them.  I do the same thing for USB ports.

On my own cab, I'm using the pcb from a set of decent powered speakers.

I constantly fiddle with the volume since MAME insn't consistent game to game.

[Arroyo]

Dude. He is buying everything.

[Arroyo]

For the headphone jack, I usually rip the front jack out of an old case with the wiring still attached.  IIRC, on the last one I actually bought an internal extension cable. (AC'97/HD audio or something like that) They do make them.  I do the same thing for USB ports.

That’s interesting didn’t even know that existed, I’ll check that out, thank you!

I constantly fiddle with the volume since MAME insn't consistent game to game.

Interesting point.  Hmmmm now that makes me feel like it should be close by.  Hate these damn decisions.

[Mike A]

I am no MAME expert, but can't you adjust the volume on individual games? Or is that only for some games and not others?

You shouldn't need to constantly adjust the master volume.

[bperkins01]

I am no MAME expert, but can't you adjust the volume on individual games? Or is that only for some games and not others?

You shouldn't need to constantly adjust the master volume.

Its a pain to tab into/out of the menu's  and you don't want everyone doing that.
That's why I moved my volume button to here - right next to the Bezel - but off the control panel.
FWIW:  I do not have a dedicated game room area - So I DO have to fiddle with it more often.

[Mike A]

I meant set all of the individual volumes so they are the same relative to each other. Then you only need to tweak the master volume every once in awhile.

[bperkins01]

oh - yea.. you're right..   

[yotsuya]

HOW ‘BOUT NOT WORRYING ABOUT THE FOOKING VOLUME AND JUST PLAY THEM MUTHERS LOUD??!!!

[Arroyo]

HOW ‘BOUT NOT WORRYING ABOUT THE FOOKING VOLUME AND JUST PLAY THEM MUTHERS LOUD??!!!

[leapinlew]

That's smart - make all the games loud and then mount some earmuffs on the cabinet to make it less loud.

Genius.

[Titchgamer]

HOW ‘BOUT NOT WORRYING ABOUT THE FOOKING VOLUME AND JUST PLAY THEM MUTHERS LOUD??!!!

LOL reminds me of a funny story.

When I built my first cab I didnt know jack about audio systems so I hooked the PC up to a car amp connected it to 2x 6” speakers and turned the volume on the pot down to low with the intention of turning it up after.

So anyways me and the bro in law were working on it in a really small shed.
So I said ile sit in the back and he stand at the front check everything is ok and tell me to turn the volume up/down.

So PC turns on running windows XP and all is great until the Maximus arcade intro video plays.

I had never thought to turn the PC volume down and even set to low on the amp it was still stupidly loud!
Like ear drum rupture volume LOL

Hes never forgiven me for that haha.

[BadMouth]

I meant set all of the individual volumes so they are the same relative to each other. Then you only need to tweak the master volume every once in awhile.

As of the last version I used (circa .170) MAME doesn't store the volume levels, so they are lost when you exit the game.  You can adjust the volume sliders if emulated, but not all games had them.

This could have been fixed since then.  It would be a nice improvement.

[BadMouth]

Also, if you don't have old pc cases laying around, they make drive pay panels with audio jacks in them.

E-sds USB 3.0 2-Port 3.5 Inch Metal Front Panel USB Hub with 1 HD Audio Output Port/1 Microphone Input Port for Desktop [ 20 Pin Connector & 2ft Adapter Cable] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013QSTTUO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_crRaEb3F58HM1

Quick link I found.  Probably cheaper and better ones available if you search.

[MiteWiseacre]

I used these mounted on panel just below the controls.. works fine, and can plug in USB SNES controllers if I want.
https://www.amazon.com/BATIGE-USB3-0-Extension-Waterproof-Motorcycle/dp/B072KGMJ5N/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=headphone+usb+jack+boat&qid=1577289410&sr=8-3