Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Arcade Collecting => Miscellaneous Arcade Talk => Topic started by: pudluther on June 27, 2007, 01:53:54 am

Title: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: pudluther on June 27, 2007, 01:53:54 am
hey fellas........brand new arcade collector here.  just got into this about a month ago.  so far, i'm loving it....very cool hobby.


anyway, sorry if this is a dumb question, but i just gotta ask:



is there a main/master volume control on a killer instinct 2 board (i have a KI2 game inside of a KI cabinet)?  i also have a MK1 and an NBA Jam TE board, and they both have a dial looking thingy that controls the master volume (with "fine tuning" the volume possible inside the coin door area.

i know how to adjust the volume from the test screen and from inside the coin door area, but even at the lowest level it's unbelievably loud......right now i can't find any main/master volume control and it's kinda hard to play it late at night with the kids and the wife asleep.   ;D





anybody know what i'm talking about?  anybody have any answers? 


thanks in advance for the help and sorry if this is a really stupid question.....like i said, i'm new at this.















p.s.

great looking site you guys have here.   :cheers:
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: johnnya on June 27, 2007, 10:51:58 am
Inside the coin door and the test screen are all I know of.
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: pudluther on June 27, 2007, 11:01:48 am
Inside the coin door and the test screen are all I know of.




ok.


i knew about those two as well, but was hoping there was a way to turn down the master volume.......right now, i've fine tuned the volume in the places that you are talking about, but even turning it as low as it will go there, it's loud as hell.




i'm not even sure if there is a master volume......i was just hoping somebody on here knew (i know my other games have them, so i just assumed that KI might have one as well).

thanks for replying.
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: SirPeale on June 28, 2007, 04:15:15 am
The one inside the door should be the master volume.

Try turning the pot the other way to see if it goes down.  Maybe it was wired backwards.
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Angry_Radish on June 28, 2007, 08:28:55 am
I'm wondering if it wasn't another converion before KI. The KI manual shows buttons, not a pot for volume control in the door.
I couldn't find a KI2 manul to confirm it was a pot though...
If you have the manual for KI2, check to see if it was a pot or buttons, you may need to wire buttons into the harness if it's needed..
 :cheers:
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: SirPeale on June 28, 2007, 09:27:44 am
Yeah, I just assumed it was a dedicated unit, but you're right about the buttons (like most Midway cabs).
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Zebidee on June 28, 2007, 09:58:38 am
If the cab isn't a KI2 original,  then it could be a mismatch between then potentiometer and the PCB's audio output signal level.  You can test the rating of your pot by using a multimeter to measure its resistance range while twiddling
the knob.  Replacing the pot with a higher rated one might do the trick (eg 100k+?).  They cost something like $2 each from an electronics hobby store.

Another thought is that volume pots will not give the proper full range of volume control if they are wired up incorrectly, but can still allow some limited volume control which can be confusing ..... ?
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: SavannahLion on June 28, 2007, 12:33:52 pm
Didn't someone mention that on some boards (don't know about KI2) you can't turn down the volume below the not-wake-the-children-and-wife level.
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: pudluther on June 28, 2007, 02:39:18 pm
Didn't someone mention that on some boards (don't know about KI2) you can't turn down the volume below the not-wake-the-children-and-wife level.



that might explain it.....



i looked for a "pot volume control" thingy....i can't find one.




it's a KI cabinet with the KI2 board.....i'll try and take some pics of the guts and maybe somebody can figure something out.
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Malenko on June 28, 2007, 02:45:38 pm
if all else fails, put a resistor on the line to the speakers
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Kaytrim on June 28, 2007, 04:21:11 pm
Better yet.  Get a switch and wire a headphone plug in there.  That way when you want it quiet you can plug in the headphones and throw the switch.  You can hear the sound but nobody else can. ;D

TTFN :cheers:
Kaytrim
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Witchboard on June 28, 2007, 10:30:06 pm
As previously stated, the only place to lower the volume is inside the coin door using the buttons, or inside the test menu.  However, you can have the thing turned all the way down and the test "bong" will blow you through the wall.
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Kevin Mullins on June 29, 2007, 12:23:45 am
i know how to adjust the volume from the test screen and from inside the coin door area, but even at the lowest level it's unbelievably loud......

Is it possible that it is just not "saving" the setting ?
When you lower the volume in the menu, save it.....is it runed back up when you go back into the menu?

I've had that happen on a boardset once.
(not a KI mind ya)
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Zebidee on June 29, 2007, 01:18:48 am
i looked for a "pot volume control" thingy....i can't find one.

Well, that might explain it ;)

In my limited experience, I've always been able to find a volume pot in the cab.  Look here for more about potentiometers:

http://sound.westhost.com/pots.htm

If you don't actually have one, they are pretty cheap & simple to install. 

Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Angry_Radish on June 29, 2007, 08:58:25 am
You aren't kidding!
My midway skins scares the crap out of me when I power it up and go off to do something else while it's booting :)

However, you can have the thing turned all the way down and the test "bong" will blow you through the wall.
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Angry_Radish on June 29, 2007, 09:00:25 am
If it is a KI cabinet, then you should have 2 buttons for volume, not a pot, do they do ANYTHING?
I suppose it's possible the jamma harness may be wired wrong...

[it's a KI cabinet with the KI2 board.....i'll try and take some pics of the guts and maybe somebody can figure something out.
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Zebidee on June 29, 2007, 09:16:27 am
Here is a diagram showing you how easy it is to wire this $2 piece of hardware that will revolutionise your cabinet  :cheers:

Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Angry_Radish on June 29, 2007, 10:17:33 am
Any chance that the increased resistance would  blow the onboard amp though?
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: SavannahLion on June 29, 2007, 12:42:54 pm
Any chance that the increased resistance would  blow the onboard amp though?

Yeah, I was thinking along the same lines. I could swear I've read somewhere that you're supposed to put volume control pots (controls) before the amplifier, not after.
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Zebidee on June 29, 2007, 12:51:48 pm
measure the sound output level with your multimeter, and then ask for the appropriate pot at your electronics hobby store.

Obviously volume pots are installed after the amplifier in arcade cabs, because most of them have volume pots.
Title: Re: killer instinct - master volume control?
Post by: Zebidee on June 29, 2007, 12:59:05 pm
Oh yeah, you are right that volume pots should be put before the amp if possible, but clearly that isn't possible here.  Still not a big deal and nothing is going to blow up or whatever.