Help with New Cabinet

[Andrew79]

I recently purchased a new cabinet with the purpose of turning it into a Mame system. The cabinet is currently a fairly large Tekken Tag with a 25 inch monitor. Once I got it home I looked inside and saw some Konami labeling. So I'm guessing the cabinet used to be a TMNT and still has the original monitor. The cabinet is in great shape and the monitor has been reworked recently. My plans are to replace the two player Tekken control panel with a 4 player setup. What sort of things to I need in order to hook the arcade monitor to my PC? I have recently purchase a I-Pac4 in order to wire my control panel. Do I also need a Jpak and ArcadeVga card? I am looking to play a lot of 4 player games like gauntlet, rampage, Sunset Riders, and fighting games like Marvel vs Capcom. I will try and take pictures of the guts of my cabinet tomorrow so everyone can see what I have. This is going to be my first Mame system so I'll be on the boards looking around and appreciate any help the veterans can give me! Thanks!

[fjl]

Isn't the j-pac just to convert a jamma board to be used on your control panel? If your converting it to mame and already got yourself an i-pac 4 then I don't see the need for a J-pac. Of course, I'm not totally informed on what the j-pac can do so maybe it would be something you need. 

And I guess you could use an ArcadeVGA for your VGA screen.

[CheffoJeffo]

If you already have an IPac4, then I would forgo the JPac and just rewire everything.

You don't need to use an ArcadeVGA, but you will need some method to drive the video signal to the appropriate frequency for your arcade monitor. There are some options listed here:

http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Arcade_Monitors

Before you go too far, however, you should identify the monitor that you have. I'm not well-versed with fighters, but I think Tekken Tag may be a Medium Res monitor, which limits your choices some (and I'll leave that advice to folks who have worked with MAME and Medium Res monitors). It could also be that the monitor is a Standard Res monitor and that Tekken Tag has a dip switch for type of monitor (I'm too lazy to look it up right now).

I like to use the ArcadeVGA with Standard Res monitors because I have never had a problem -- and I have enough problems without worrying about video signals.

[paigeoliver]

Free veteran help. Don't build a 4-player machine unless you have at least 3 children living in your house. Otherwise it is essentially NEVER going to see any 4-player action aside from perhaps a test run. Grownups just don't like squeezing in around the machine like that.

I recently purchased a new cabinet with the purpose of turning it into a Mame system. The cabinet is currently a fairly large Tekken Tag with a 25 inch monitor. Once I got it home I looked inside and saw some Konami labeling. So I'm guessing the cabinet used to be a TMNT and still has the original monitor. The cabinet is in great shape and the monitor has been reworked recently. My plans are to replace the two player Tekken control panel with a 4 player setup. What sort of things to I need in order to hook the arcade monitor to my PC? I have recently purchase a I-Pac4 in order to wire my control panel. Do I also need a Jpak and ArcadeVga card? I am looking to play a lot of 4 player games like gauntlet, rampage, Sunset Riders, and fighting games like Marvel vs Capcom. I will try and take pictures of the guts of my cabinet tomorrow so everyone can see what I have. This is going to be my first Mame system so I'll be on the boards looking around and appreciate any help the veterans can give me! Thanks!

[Andrew79]

Thanks for the replies. I'm at work now so I'll try and get more specific information on the monitor when I get home. What type of wiring will I need to do to get the monitor working with a PC. Is it very complicated? I'm still in the beginning stages and will get experience as I wire up the IPAC4 with my controls. Is there a guide to show how to wire up a monitor to a pc? Thanks!

Also, I'm pretty set on the 4 player. I have several friends that are over often and we would really enjoy the ability to play together instead of two playing and everyone else watching. I know the 4 player panel will take up lots of space but this machine is staying in the garage (aka Man Cave). 

[xmenxmen]

Also, I'm pretty set on the 4 player. I have several friends that are over often and we would really enjoy the ability to play together instead of two playing and everyone else watching. I know the 4 player panel will take up lots of space but this machine is staying in the garage (aka Man Cave). 

I have both a 4 player and a 2 player and found like paigeoliver that most adult don't really pay much 4 player games.  My 4 player one is mostly played by kids (very young one too).  Adult just don't find them too exciting anymore especially after they play it once or twice. 

Definitely look at the 4 player games and see how many actually play it.

[Andrew79]

Thanks for the comments. I'll look over the 4 Player games we would possibly play and consider if its worth the effort.

I looked over at the Ultimarc site again and I guess I need to order the VGA Breakout cable in order to hook up my arcade monitor to my pc video card. Is this correct? I currently have two video cards, a Matrox 450 PCI card that has a vga and dvi port, and I have a older Nvidia 5500. Will either of these work well or should I buy something else?

[superart]

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