What type of volume control do you use?

[gwarzin]

Everyone seems to have their own favorite way to control volume. So here's a poll to find out which are the most popular.

[RKnarr01]

i just use cotton balls because when it come to wires im useless i'd end up ruining something with another method

[luckydog]

you could always buy everyone in the family shooters ear protectors :roll:

[Tulsa]

To save a few bucks I orderd the stereo l-pads in quantity. I still have a few left. After these are gone, I'm going to get the mono.

[arbycoffee]

cotton candy works good and you don't need to buy it, just let some kids play your machine and they will handle it for you.

so being i have no little kids around, cotton balls work fine.

[PachiAddict]

The poll using "radio" buttons makes it hard to choose more than one method. For my 2 Sammy units (King Camel and Savanna Park) I use a mono L-pad (15 watt from Parts express) for the bottom speaker with a single 1.5K resistor in series with each top tweeter. (Several other posts here explain why).

With other machines that have 2 top speakers, I use a stereo L-pad and add a mono L-pad for the bottom on those that also have a lower, third speaker. With those Sammy tweeters, I thought the 2.2K were a little low, and the 1K a bit loud, but then my volume switch on the board inside doesn't alter the volume on any of the 3 settings. It was just always loud. 1.5 seemed about right. Got the resistors at Radio Shack. 5 on a card for .99.

[spooner]

i have to agree with PachiAddict ... i like different mods for different models.

it just depends on how much control you need, how much space you have, etc.

even though the stereo l-pads are big and bulky, i do like them best if you plan to mount the dial on the outside of the cabinet so you don't have to drill more than one hole.

my lucky cherry actually came with a tiny variable resistor on each speaker wire. you have to use a screwdriver to adjust them because they are so small, but they have never felt warm to the touch and they are pretty sexy and unobtrusive.

the mono l-pads are nice if you plan to leave them inside the cabinet.

last but not least; if you can get to the inside of the speaker and it does not show from the outside, the cotton ball method is cheap, fast, effective (somewhat), and does not alter the original machine in an irreversible way.

i know this does not help the poll, however, it is at least an honest answer. besides, i learned in the last couple of elections that i like dancing girls on poles better than even the most meaningful voter polls :wink: (sorry for the lame joke)

~spooner

[Tulsa]

I don't mount mine on the outside. I just find a good spot and silicone those suckers into place. Once set, I rarely ever adjust them.

[luckydog]

this is america

don't we get to vote twice :oops: :oops: :oops:

[Tulsa]

Only if your chads are hanging, are they?

[arbycoffee]

or you can't read english! :roll:

[gwarzin]

Here's one more advantage of the mono L-pad over the stereo. If you are installing the L-pad to deal with noise problems - like in the Thunderbird, the noise isn't always the same in both channels. Using the mono L-pad lets you adjust each speaker independently to get maximum noise reduction while doing the least damage to the overall sound.

[arbycoffee]

Very good point http://www.users.qwest.net/~arbycoff...ns/thewave.gif

[Tulsa]

Yes, very good point. Which is why I used the variable resistors on my Thunderbirds.

[PachiAddict]

The really nice thing about this forum and a poll of this type, is everyone just coming into this (like myself just 2 months ago) can see what everyone else has been using and get the pro's and con's of placement, type and size. I didn't think of Parts Express until reading the L-pad thread here. I just ordered 10 each, mono and stereo, so I'm ready for a few more machines. :grin: They have a nice look if you "poke em" through the cabinet and do work fine inside as well. I mounted most of mine through, to the outside, and placed them about where David R did in his photo. It seems everyone who plays these wants a different volume level, so it's handy to get to in that location.

[heypops]

Well this isn't a reply but it is a ?.

What is the difference between a L pad and a Potentiometer?

I have a potentiometer hanging around that is a radio shack product it is a 10 k ohm audio control with spst switch 3a at 120vac. which I don't know what all that means so HELP.

In my Taco Slot I use Cotton balls in the speakers>
Thanks

[PachiAddict]

Heypops wrote:

What is the difference between a L pad and a Potentiometer?

I placed a post in the "L-PADS" thread in this forum which has a link to a website that explains Lpads and series resistors. The calculator they have is a bit much for most of us lay-people, but they give a good description of how Lpads work. A potentiometer is similar, but uses only one resistor, or coil with a connection on both ends. the Lpad works much better for what we are doing since it keeps the resistance to the amplifier about where it's supposed to be and won't overload it.

Here't the link so you don't have to go to "L-pads" to find it:
http://www.bcae1.com/lpad.htm

[TANK]

these 2 k pots on ebay should work fine with your piezio speakers:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2577461863

[cwstnsko]

I just installed a stereo L-Pad in an Aristocrat (same chassis as Sammy) with 2 belly speakers. Just like all the Sammys I've seen, this one was LOUD without controls. This machine had the little micro-pots installed on it when I got it, and I replaced the pots with an L-pad to put it back to the proper impedance. After getting the L-pad installed, I found that the range of the L-Pad was almost useless, with the L-Pad set to less than 1/4, It would drive me out of the garage with the on-board volume set on low. I could turn the volume off altogether, but when I tried to set the volume to a reasonable level, it was so close to zero, that the tiny imbalance between the 2 channels caused one speaker to be off altogether. This was a little disappointing since the L-Pad works great on the belly speaker in my Crazy Shaman machine.

In the end, I added my standard two resistor mod to each speaker in addition to the L-pad. With the resistors and L-Pad together, it works fairly well, and is adjustable over the proper range.

Man, the Sammy machines drive the belly speakers HARD. I can't believe that those speaker stay intact at the volume level they run at "stock."

[Urban Archaeologist]

I have an observation on speakers and volume based on what little I know about stereo equipment. I have a nice collection of Vintage 1970's stereo equipment. In my opinion... Nothing made during the past 25 years can compare to the old monster receivers made by Pioneer, Marantz or Sansui. They all made some great speaker systems too!! There are all kinds of speakers and how they are used makes all the difference in sound quality and also volume level. For instance some speakers have solid enclosed boxes and some are ported but either way the box has to be very exacting in size in relation to what speakers are used in it for good sound quality. I won't go into a lot of details but in short the backlash from the speaker has a lot to do with the overall quality and volume level produced. Also some speakers have a solid back and don't need a box. Some car speakers are like this. That keeps the backlash sound produced off the back side of speaker from bouncing around the inside of a hollow door (or where ever it's installed) and causing all sorts of distorted sounds. This concentrates all the sound to come out the front of speaker so it's louder than a speaker made with a open back. (I'm not talking about the box or cabinet enclosure, I mean the speaker itself) So my observation in using cotton balls for a pachislo is this... All the machines I have seen had open back speakers and the cotton balls only work to a limited degree simply because the sound will come off the rear of the speaker, bounce around the inside till it finds it's way out the vent and holds. I would think if a person was to replace the speakers on a Pachislo with closed back car speakers and use cotton balls the sound would be quieted. I do plan to try this someday when I remember to buy some cheap car speakers while out shopping. I only mention this as an idea for those who don't want to risk "frying a sound board" by adding the wrong type type volume control. Changing a speaker is pretty simple, but finding one the right size might take a little extra looking around!!
Just a thought I had, anyone else ever tried this or have any ideas on this type of modification?

Just in case anyone is interested I use a Sansui Quad unit with a Pioneer 1050 receiver driving nearly 400 watts thru two pairs of Vintage Pioneer speakers and a pair of old Sansui's. Flawless sound and loud enough to wake the dead when I need it but mostly have to keep it turned down low or my wife may kill me!!