WIP - New Jukebox - Shrunk - More Pics Added

[NinjaEpisode]

Now that the arcade machine is done, I've been toying with building a juke for quite a while now.  Finally started this weekend.  The design is loosely based on June's beautiful jukebox, only smaller in nature.  I didn't want anything that was going to take up a whole wall in the basement and I wanted it to be small enough that it didn't look overbearing either.

So, I decided to build out of 2' x 4' panels.  The height, is as you guessed it only 48" with a max depth of 24" at the outside angle.

[NinjaEpisode]

A 17" touchscreen monitor will be installed.

[NinjaEpisode]

I put casters on it so it can be moved easily.  The PC is built.  Will be using Barcrest's Freebox frontend, which btw, works very well.  Check it out over in the jukebox forums:

[NinjaEpisode]

Rather than paint or laminate, I'm going to try my hand at vinyl.  That should be an experience.  Although, I've done it before.  Used vinyl to do the outside walls of my CP for my arcade machine and it turned out nicely.  So, black vinyl both sides and front, with silver t-molding.

Wish me luck!  Here's the side art that mamemarquees will be getting an order for.

[CartmanDP1]

looks cool, like the logo

[dmsuchy]

Lookin real good! How is the balance of the cab feel?

[NinjaEpisode]

Lookin real good! How is the balance of the cab feel?

Right now?  A little top heavy.  But, I honestly believe that the casters are contributing to that feeling.  We'll see once monitor and equipment are in place.  I may be taking the casters off and going with levelers instead.

[DrewKaree]

AWESOME artwork! 

Duct tape and a bag or two of sand on the bottom should cure that, or a weight plate or three from Wal-Mart.  If it feels top heavy, it's not from the casters, that just contributes to the "tippiness" factor, doesn't actually make it more prone to fall.  If you want the casters to make this easier to move around, just weight the bottom.

[NinjaEpisode]

Good idea Drew.  I think I've got some old weight plates in the garage that I can use. 

Alas, a few design changes already.  That's what I get for going from the original 32 inches wide that I had planned to 24 inches wide.

As a result, once I insert the monitor, with the 2x2's there will be little to no room for the speakers.  So, thinking of original jukes, the speakers were always on the bottom, so me thinks that's the way I'm headed, putting the main speakers across teh front.  The subs will still be inside the base.  That 'll help with weight issues as well, even though the speakers aren't that heavy.

[NinjaEpisode]

Ok, had a party this weekend, so had to move the juke along faster than I would have liked, but all worked out good.  This is definitely a work in progress, and I can definitely see things that I will change.  Call it a prototype if you will.

First two pics, cab built, and vinyl on the sides:

[NinjaEpisode]

Faceplate on, but....I don't like it......the opening around the monitor is two small to me....it's not cut that great....and the t-molding on the inside isn't kosher with me.  Suffice to say, I'll keep calling it a WIP.  The lights are neon.

Excuse the lowsy pics, cell phone, and I'm too lazy to drag the digital cam downstairs.

[NinjaEpisode]

fyi...the lights are all sound activated....

[billf]

Awesome job Ninja!  Simple, small and very cool.  How does the juke sound with the speakers down low like that?  Any problem with the two subs and the speakers all that close together?  ie. muffled sound?  Where'd ya get the sound activated lights?  And if don't mind my asking, how much we're they?

[NinjaEpisode]

Awesome job Ninja!  Simple, small and very cool. 

Thank you.  I was trying for something small, yet effective.  Had a small get together Saturday night and everybody there was standing around the thing having a blast.  I didn't even have the face cover on yet but they didn't seem to mind.

How does the juke sound with the speakers down low like that?  

Eh, the only area that tends to lose a little sound is when you're standing right at the box, but otherwise, it fills the room just fine. fyi, the "room" that it's in is the basement, approximately 15'x40'.  I left the volume controls outside on the front so that it could be turned up and down as needed.

Any problem with the two subs and the speakers all that close together?  ie. muffled sound?

Nope, that's the brilliance of using PC speakers in this kind of situation.  Creative 2.1's are the bomb.  Pray they don't discontinue them, else we'll all be rushing to grab the remaining few.

Where'd ya get the sound activated lights?  And if don't mind my asking, how much we're they?

Don't mind at all.  Crazypc.com is the place to be for the lights.  They are normal cold cathodes with a sound module added.  See this link for more details:
http://www.crazypc.com/products/casemods/lighting.htm#soundactivated

[billf]

Awesome job Ninja!  Simple, small and very cool. 

Thank you.  I was trying for something small, yet effective.  Had a small get together Saturday night and everybody there was standing around the thing having a blast.  I didn't even have the face cover on yet but they didn't seem to mind.

How does the juke sound with the speakers down low like that?  

Eh, the only area that tends to lose a little sound is when you're standing right at the box, but otherwise, it fills the room just fine. fyi, the "room" that it's in is the basement, approximately 15'x40'.  I left the volume controls outside on the front so that it could be turned up and down as needed.

Any problem with the two subs and the speakers all that close together?  ie. muffled sound?

Nope, that's the brilliance of using PC speakers in this kind of situation.  Creative 2.1's are the bomb.  Pray they don't discontinue them, else we'll all be rushing to grab the remaining few.

Where'd ya get the sound activated lights?  And if don't mind my asking, how much we're they?

Don't mind at all.  Crazypc.com is the place to be for the lights.  They are normal cold cathodes with a sound module added.  See this link for more details:
http://www.crazypc.com/products/casemods/lighting.htm#soundactivated

Your right about the Creative 2.1's.  I have a set of 2.1s - mine are actually Creative Inspire 2400 2.1.  I saw them mentioned on these boards quite awhile back, found a set on eBay and picked them up for a real decent price.  I hooked them up to a spare computer I have in the basement for music by the pool table and my wife couldn't believe how well they sounded.  I was a little amazed as well.  Still plan on one day to build a juke for use in the basement.  I really like the simplicity of yours.  Now I have to keep my eye out for a very cheap touch screen. 

For those interested (I saw this in another thread today) there are some more of the 2.1s (newer - T3000) on sale at Circuit City right now: http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=98317&cm_keycode=85
Sounds like an awesome deal if they sound as good as my current ones.  I'll wager they sound better than mine!

Those cold cathodes are cool.  So did you get 4 of the Dual sets (one for each color) along with the sound module?  They hook up to the molex connector from the PCs power supply, correct?  Did you mount them to your juke using the velcro they mention or some other way?

[NinjaEpisode]

Those cold cathodes are cool.  So did you get 4 of the Dual sets (one for each color) along with the sound module?  They hook up to the molex connector from the PCs power supply, correct?  Did you mount them to your juke using the velcro they mention or some other way?

Turns out 1 sound module, will cover four cathode tubes w/their inverters.  So I ended up with extra modules, but I put them to use since I had extra ccfls.  Don't buy the UV ones, like I did.  I'll change those out for yellow or purple, not sure which yet.

Right now, yes they are mounted with velcro, but I will eventually change that.