Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: ItchyD on December 19, 2008, 02:18:50 pm

Title: Couple easy questions on audio etc..
Post by: ItchyD on December 19, 2008, 02:18:50 pm
What's the best way to get audio out of RCA connectors?  I think that's what they are called.  The red and white connectors from a video game console.  I basically want to go from speaker wires to an xbox with a volume dial between.  I assume it's going to have to be powered in some way as well.  I can get some really large cheap speakers at the store where I buy electronics for like $4 so I'm thinking of putting some monster speakers on my machine.

What's the easiest way to light up some skeleton buttons? http://lizardlick.com/images/for_sale/pushbuttons/ps14kn_w.jpg  Do they have to be drilled out?  Is it possible to blacklight a button?  I don't need them to blink or anything.

Final question:  I'm going to have player 1/2 on my xbox wired in to arcade controls, and player 3/4 wired into these babies http://www.amazon.com/Innovation-XBOX-EXTENSION-CABLE/dp/B000S5FI9A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1229713659&sr=8-2  I'm trying to think of some nice facia I could stick around those things so they look ok.  I want the female plug to be flush with the surface on the side of my CP.
Title: Re: Couple easy questions on audio etc..
Post by: shardian on December 19, 2008, 02:29:40 pm
You need an amplifier/receiver of some sort for the speakers. You can't just hardwire speakers directly to a source signal - there isn't enough juice there to power said speakers. That's why it is appropriately named an "Amplifier".

Blacklighting can be done with room lighting - if the plastic is black-light reactive. I don't know of any blacklight reactive buttons. Plain white ones probably react a little.
If you want backlit buttons, www.groovygamegear.com and www.ultimar.com have easy to interface lit buttons.

Title: Re: Couple easy questions on audio etc..
Post by: Blanka on December 19, 2008, 03:06:41 pm
I can get some really large cheap speakers at the store where I buy electronics for like $4 so I'm thinking of putting some monster speakers on my machine.
Monster-like speakers of that price can best be driven with 110V AC directly. Or hit them with a stick to get sound out of them. They will be killed in 2 hours anyway.
Title: Re: Couple easy questions on audio etc..
Post by: ItchyD on December 19, 2008, 03:27:32 pm
I can get some really large cheap speakers at the store where I buy electronics for like $4 so I'm thinking of putting some monster speakers on my machine.
Monster-like speakers of that price can best be driven with 110V AC directly. Or hit them with a stick to get sound out of them. They will be killed in 2 hours anyway.

 :dunno

Regarding blacklight... the xbox has alot of black buttons on it, I was hoping there might be such a thing as a blacklight LED not sure what it would look like though.   Maybe I'll just look for some purple ones or something.

Title: Re: Couple easy questions on audio etc..
Post by: shardian on December 19, 2008, 03:59:02 pm
I can get some really large cheap speakers at the store where I buy electronics for like $4 so I'm thinking of putting some monster speakers on my machine.
Monster-like speakers of that price can best be driven with 110V AC directly. Or hit them with a stick to get sound out of them. They will be killed in 2 hours anyway.

 :dunno

Regarding blacklight... the xbox has alot of black buttons on it, I was hoping there might be such a thing as a blacklight LED not sure what it would look like though.   Maybe I'll just look for some purple ones or something.



Yes, there are ultraviolet LED's.  I don't think it will be very effective though if the room is still full of ambient light.
Title: Re: Couple easy questions on audio etc..
Post by: CrazyKongFan on December 19, 2008, 05:23:17 pm
On a similar note, I've got an old Robotron cab that I MAME'd (don't worry, it wasn't Robotron when I got it...it was a gutted Final Fight with the side art painted over). anyway, what's the best way to hook up the sound to the speaker, which should be original to the cab. Right now, I have a pair of amplified stereo speakers (the kind meant for PC's) in the marquee area, but I'd like to hook them up to the speaker in the cab (the PC speakers are muffled when I have a marquee in place)
Title: Re: Couple easy questions on audio etc..
Post by: ItchyD on January 03, 2009, 09:02:05 am
Well I got  nice (free) set of  bose model 21 bookshelf speakers  10-60 watt, 4-8 ohms, and I'm trying to connect them to my xbox based arcade cab.  So basically I am trying to pick a cheap amp, that has a volume knob which I can mount to my cp.  It should also have an rca jack, and can be plugged into 110v.  It would be great if I could also mount a headphone jack that cut off the speakers when plugged in.  I guess I can buy a jank old stereo and tear it apart but I feel like the part I need should be just a tiny box with a volume knob sticking out of it, and a couple jacks. Helpful advice appreciated thanks!