Question: Volume Control

[wakerlet]

I?m looking for a little advice.

I currently have a set of PC speakers mounted in the marquee cubby.  Works great since I don?t have my marquee installed yet.  I can adjust the volume for each game (seems like they are all a little different).

The problem is, when I install my marquee, I won?t have this volume control easily accessible.  I know Oscar has a write up regarding adding a pot for volume control but his article mentions that it?s coming from an amp.

How do I add a volume control pot to my cabinet without having to rework everything?
Can I just splice the line going from the computer to the current speaker amp and add a pot there?

Help.

Thanks

[Minwah]

Take your PC speakers apart (well the part with the volume knob in it).  Then just extend the wires to the volume pot, and re-locate the pot anywhere you like

[Stingray]

I totally dismantled a set of computer speakers and mounted them in the "stock" location of my cabs original speaker. Then I desoldered the volume control and relocated it on a metal plate, which I attached behind a hole in the top of the cab so I can reach up above the marquee to adjust the volume. Here's a pic:

http://www.stingrays.dk/arcade/speakers.jpg

-S

[JustMichael]

With my cabinet I tossed the computer speakers and hooked the amp up to the cabinet speakers.  I then desoldered the volume pot (the old one was next to dead, full volume or barely audible), extended the wires and replaced the pot with one from Radio Shack.

Here is a pic of the pot above (the white stuff is hot glue to keep the pot from turning):



And here is a pic from the underside (I also got the knob at Radio Shack):


The black rocker was the old power button.  It turns the switched outlet in the cabinet on and off.  The red button is also from Radio Shack.  It turns the pc on (and the smartstrip then gives power to everything else).  The button has a black print on clear tape label from one of those home label machines.

[PedroSilva]

Hi,

I toke apart the speaker where the controls are, and "merged" it with the cab itself.

Here are some pics:
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=13087;start=0

I got also a 3,5mm jack for phones. That way I can play all night long without disturbing the neighbours ...  

Hope it helps...

[unclet]

I have PC speakers in my cab behind the marquee as well, but I just click on the volume icon located in the windows taskbar to adjust the volume accordingly.    I do not find I need separate levels of sound during different games, so actually once I set the volume, I rarely have a need to change it.....

[wakerlet]

Thanks everybody.  I will give it a try.

[hulkster]

well i know that ninja turtles (for example) sound is way down so i always have to turn it up.  so there are some games that need the volume turned up/down.  

[krick]

well i know that ninja turtles (for example) sound is way down so i always have to turn it up.  so there are some games that need the volume turned up/down.  

In many games, there is a service menu that you can access to adjust the volume within the game.  It's in the same place where you access things like number of credits per quarter, number of "men" per credit, and difficulty settings.

For example, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 has the volume really low by default.  I went into the service menu and cranked it all the way up.  Now the volume is comparable to the default volume in Street Fighter II.

Check out this page for information on accessing the service menus...
http://www.geocities.com/mamehelp/service.htm

[hulkster]

duh!  i cant believe i didnt think of that.  thanks for smacking me with knowledge that i shouldve known myself.  ill try that!

[hulkster]

well that all sounded good, but when i actually tried it on games that needed it, it didnt work.  i tried it on nba jam, and i got the service menu using the F2 key, but there was no volume control.  i tried it on ninja turtles and wrestlefest, but none of them worked at all.  no service menu, no nothing.  so whats the deal?  do i need to edit certain files, or something???

[hulkster]

?

[Stormy151]

One of the Dungeons and Dragons game also has no volume adjustment- I did a bit of research and discovered that there were volume buttons on the main circuit board to adjust it- I would imagine Mame has no way of simulating those inputs.

Maybe those other games are the same way- my guess is that if it can't be changed from the service menu, we're out of luck.

[hulkster]

hmmm, seems like it.  oh well, thats why was i wanting to put a volume control knob on my cab!

[wakerlet]

Hulkster,

Yes, I'm running into the same problem.  SmashTV does not have Volume control in the service menu.  Looks like I need to break out the old sodering iron...man, don't think I've used it since 10th grade.

-Todd