First baby...i mean cabinet!!

[mameapl65]

ok so i now have time to share a little about what im doing. Im in the process of construction of my first arcade cabinet! So far i have spent about $1k and im still in need of yet more stuff. im scared because i dont want it to turn out bad and i am doing a 4 player control panel layout. This cab will be in 3 sections. First section is a trapezoid box that will have a 12" 600w eclipse subwoofer and two 6x9's. Also above the speakers are 4 novagem buttons and a singstar usb connector for UltraStar options and coin buttons. On top of that section will sit my 4 player control panel that has 5 joysticks (extra one for 4 way), spinner, 3" electric ice trackball. players 1 and 2 will have 7 button layout and 3 and 4 will have a 4 button layout. I will be putting a 24" wide screen lcd monitor... yes... 24" (im going to make it so i can upgrade later when i get more money to a bigger one!!) from dell that i bought 4 years ago. FRONT END HYPERSPIN!! I bought some extra buttons for optional pinball add on but at this time im not sure if i want to do that since the monitor not vertical.

Oh yes, i also will be putting my phantom flip screen alpine deck in so you can toggle volume without leaving the game or hyperspin. i also have 2 6 1/2" diamond audio speakers with tweeters that will be installed above. Why so many speakers you ask? Simple... this is not just going to be an arcade mech. BUT karaoke, jukebox, and so on. the karaoke is UltraStar Deluxe and its eazy to use. If anyone wants to know how to do it send me a msg and i will be more then happy to show you. Also you can look up clips on youtube.


I have been looking around and im still not sure how far in i should mount my glass for the monitor and how to make a bezel:questionmark: Also i know some people recess the joysticks but im not sure how far i should:questionmark::questionmark: I am using MDF and its 3/4" thick for just about all the parts in the build. Some exceptions are the base where i have mounted wheels for easy movement. I will be using a smart strip and just got a 1.5Tb hard drive to go with my 300gb one... i think its around 300. I have two car amps that i will be using (one is 600w for the subwoofer and the other is a 300w for the other speakers and i have some converters to deal with the issue of using an electric socket instead of a car battery). Im thinking of going with a 20 gauge wire for all the buttons and lights (good enough?) and im going to use an ipac. The joysticks i have come from groovygamegear.com and they are the comp. ones.

any suggestions? good or bad is welcomed... eep!:idea:

p.s. as soon as i get back to the shop ill take some pictures and upload them! should be tomorrow.

[Mungeste]

i think you forgot the bullet points?
:burnout:

[mameapl65]

It's a bad front pick but I couldn't get to it today. Will update soon. It's of the stool that the cp will sit on

[mameapl65]

new pics are up!

[Mungeste]

lookin good!

[seabass905]

I like you, am also in the process of building my first cab. I'm over $1k at this point and am still unsure on what I want my cab to look like. I like your idea of the karaoke and the car speakers (another thing I've been struggling with is how to handle the sound). I have about a 500gb music collection I'd like to incorporate. I just built my computer that I'll be running all this on with 2x1 TB drives and a 300gb to run the OS off of. I have a few questions if you don't mind.

How do you plan on handling the sound from the computer to the car amps? I'm not much of a electronics guy, so any help would be great.

How does the karaoke work?

[mameapl65]

Someone asked the following questions: "How do you plan on handling the sound from the computer to the car amps? I'm not much of a electronics guy, so any help would be great.

How does the karaoke work?"

So im going to try to talk about them the best way i can and if i miss something please let me know or add to this topic.:)



*HOOKING THE CAR STEREO TO THE COMPUTER!

- Ok, so i first started to think of how to make an arcade cabinet and save as much money as possible. I started with a budget of around $900.00 (boy was i way off lol). So i started to make a list of the items i could possibly recycle. Monitor, computer, speakers.... Ok so what speakers can i use? In the end i decided on using my car stereo system i bought some odd years ago... BUT could it work with the different power issues from using a battery of a car v.s. home electrical power? The answer is YES! it can.
Now there are a couple of different ways of going about this problem and there are tons of ways to do it the wrong way and BLOW your stuff up or worse, catch on fire... its sad but it can happen if you do it wrong. With that said, i must tell you all that im just your average guy that is not now or have ever been an electrician. I am posting this to help you start your path to better understanding how things are possible. So, please just do not go off of what i say and ask your local electrician or voodoo guy ;)

One way of hooking up your car stereo to your computer is with a car stereo deck. My alpine stereo head unit has an ipod adapter on it. Instead of plugging it into my ipod i am going to be plugging it into my GREEN speaker input on the back of my computer case. Its the same plug in you would hook up your computer speakers to. If you do not have that option on your deck, you can buy a newer stereo deck for about $79.99. The link is http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9205086&st=kdr200&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1218057761867 MAKE SURE it is not the ipod connection that plugs in the bottom of the phone but the one that connects into the aux. part. The stereo i linked at best buy is called the JVC - 50W x 4 MOSFET In-Dash CD Deck with Detachable Faceplate. IT EVEN COMES WITH A REMOTE!! so you can be on the couch and flip stations lol.

NOW! How to power your car stereo and get around the issues of different power watts... I was confused at first because i didnt know there was a difference. IF you hook up your speakers or deck or amps that are made for a car you will have to have the same amount of power your car battery puts out to run them. Sadly your wall inside your house will put out a different type of power and it will damage or catch fire (might happen) to your electronics.
There are 2 different types of ways to FIX this issue and make the convertion of power safe (its in theory, i havnt tested it out yet, but i will be and i will post about it).

-FIRST WAY: using a computer power supply to convert the power to the correct power your stereo will need to run safe. Now on your computer power supply you have a couple of different wires coming out of it. Below i posted a picture i found on the internet that displays the voltage that is coming off of each wire. What you will want to do is hook up your 12v (yellow wire) to your car amplifier and your deck and your ground wire (black) to your amps and deck. Then run a wire from your remote on your amps to your 12v connection (this will allow your amps to turn on) Then plug your ipod aux wire into your computer. PICKING THE RIGHT POWER SUPPLY = ok this is a big issue because if you do it wrong you could melt some wires. All you have to do is worry about the amps... that your power supply gives off. you have to have the same amount (or more) of amps that your amplifier demands. DO NOT go off of: say your computer power supply is 600w and your amplifier is 600w. NO, check the amps that each demands and gives out. Contact the place you bought your amplifier and ask them if you do not know. On the side of each computer power supply, it will tell you how many amps it gives out per rail. This link has a picture of how to wire it if you got lost with my discription http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THfEqQ3oJ9w

-SECOND WAY: the second way to fix the power conversion problem is buying an inverter that is made for this kind of project. They are a little bit on the pricey side so be warned! I need two of them for my system and they cost around $350.00 each (i got lucky and found a guy who sold me two for $170.00) They are wired almost the same way as the computer power supply but instead of cutting into the wires they have a spot already custom made for the wires and a gauge to control the correct amount of voltage and amps needed. Below is a file that shows how to wire them up. They are made by the company "the install bay" and the item name is "55a power supply ps55a". The best thing about these is you can combine as many as you want to get more amps. Each one of mine are 55 amps and i will be using two. They will do the job i need. A word of caution, some houses have older wiring and they will not feed your system with enough power. When this happens and your system tries to pull more power, you can pop your circuit breakers. All you have to do is flip the switch located outside (most of the time, but some can be in the garage).

i think i gave enough info to start you guys out. I have to jet to the mall real fast but if you have any questions please ask them here so i can answer them publicly and give others additional help too! Once i wire my system up i will post my results.


p.s. i cant upload my inverter diagram because its too big for the server. If you are interested send me a msg with your e-mail and i will send it to you via e-mail.

[mameapl65]

KARAOKE!

So, your interested in having karaoke on your cab? There are different ways of getting karaoke on your cabinet. One way is buying a magic mic. These are mics that have everything built into it and just need to be plugged into your monitors aud. and video ports. they have 1000's of songs and play the crappy song version and have random pictures of the beach or space or some stuff like that. They can cost about $160.00 to about $300.00. NOW, if you want a great looking karaoke system that runs on your computer then you MUST try out the free software program called UltraStar Deluxe. This baby can do it all. Not only does it have a great set up but it also has unlimited selection of songs. What?! it doesnt have my fav song by my unknown band? AH HA!! you can make it!!!! Yup, thats right, you can make any karaoke song and have it work perfectly with this program. It just takes a little bit of time to sync everything together. Its easy to learn and best of all, it comes with step by step instructions on how to do it.
First... your into computers so lets scratch that magic mic idea and focus on UltraStar Deluxe.


What do you need to run it?

----------- 1: The program. Its free and easy to set up. The link to download it can be found at http://www.ultrastardeluxe.org/download/

----------- 2: The hardware. Are you ready? walmart sells a kit for just $19.74. YUP! for under $20.00 you can have your very own karaoke thats hands down better then any magic mic that can cost up to $300.00!!!!! UltraStar Deluxe can work with the bundle kit made for SingStar. Singstar is a playstation 2 and 3 game. In the end, ultrastar deluxe looks just like it BUT you can change the themes to match your taste. The kit link is: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10721320#ProductDetail and its called "Sony SingStar Microphones (PS2)" You can buy it online and also in some walmarts. The kit comes with a usb connector that goes right into your computer! then the two mics that come with the kit can be plugged right into those. Its that easy!
So lets go get some links and show you what this puppy can do.

--------- 3: The set up: Mics wont work? Try this:
Plug them in before starting USDX then go to TOOLS, OPTIONS, RECORD. In the soundcard section use the right arrow key to change this to USBMIC Serial#073010718 (or something very similar). The input should now say Microphone. Change the left channel to 1 and the right channel to 2. Then press ESC to go back.
Now move to the SOUND section change the Mic boost if needed (usually +18dB).
You should now have the mics working to sing.

----------4: What does it look like in action?! Well i have a a youtube clip i found there are a lot more then what i have posted). clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8-mYN_uMaw Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXKfTeGnBTc Clip 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybrMv1raZUY

The last clip is of singstar BUT if you where to look at ultrastar side by side you wouldnt be able to tell the difference. All the songs they played can be found, downloaded, and work for UltraStar Deluxe. The duets that you see on clip 3 are not yet programed for Ultrastar Deluxe BUT it will be coming out sometime in the year 2010. I will keep you guys updated if and when it comes out on this forum!

Below is an image of the kit you can buy at walmart! make sure you get two mics and the NEEDED usb connector.

[mameapl65]

comments? please feel free to add em!!

[mameapl65]

time for an update. some new pictures of things that have been going on!


still need to cut out back door and vents, hole for power on button, marque light holder, paint, t-molding.

pic of the black control panel is underside. finished, it will have a nice graphics on it!

[alphaviper7]

Awesome Cabinet. I was wondering if you have the plans on your cabinet. I really like to build the ultimate and have some ideas with what you already did. Can you provide those plans?

[mameapl65]

ok so after looking on all my computers i found the google sketch up design. This is NOT the exact measurements that i used in the end. After i made these sketch ups i modified them again. My cab is 29 inches wide instead of 30 and its a little taller to house the car cd deck above the control panel. Also in the end i changed the top part measurements to be a little more arcade like. BUT if you want the exact measurements ill have to redownload google sketch and open these files back up.

These files are more of a guideline and shouldnt be followed to the "T". They should just be there to help you with your construction. I made my arcade cab so that i can take it apart at 3 different locations. The stool that houses the subwoofer and 6x9's is one. The control panel is the 2nd and the third is the main tower you see. The stool (i call it that because im not sure what else to call it) idea i got off a website that made a cab sorta like mine. The stool has 4 wheels and so does the main tower. The tower bolts to the stool in 4 different locations and the control panel bolts onto the stool in four different locations. I am waiting on the bit to route out my t-molding before i paint. Once i get my project done i will post in more detail on how they go together.

I also added two vents for air flow, marque light mount, extension cord hole, and power on button hole. I will be adding additional pictures later!

[mameapl65]

After making some attempts to attach my google sketch files i have found out that they are invalid files to this website and cant be loaded. If you want them please e-mail me and i will send you the files via E-mail! thank you

[mameapl65]

ok guys im stuck on painting. I need a little advice from those who know paint! I bought some primer and black paint from dunn edwards paint store and i used a spray gun to apply the primer. I have put two coats on and after it has dried its not very smooth at all.

Should i...

A: sand down the primer with some 1000 grit sandpaper, then paint it black.

OR

B: spray on the black paint over the primar and then sand the black... then repaint black.

OR:

C: keep sanding.


I put C option in there because even though i think sanding is what everyone does... SOMEONE told me to just keep painting and the black paint will smooth out the bumps (then put like a clear on it).


im going to paint again when i wake up but ill check to see if anyone has any comments b4! thank you all!
p.s. new pics coming soon...

[BadBoyBill]

Yes after you prime it sand it down. Primer is thick and it fills in any crevices and you sand it smooth.

[jeepguy81]

I like the ideas dude, definitely cool to try to incorporate everything. I worked in car audio for about 10years, so a few things I would recommend.
Little iffy bout using a PC power supply, I would at least go w/ the external one you mentioned, or something like that. Never done this type of application but I would be cautious of the amount of current drawn through those wires. In 12v 4awg wire is big for a reason, and i've seen many a people burn the crap outta their cars for trying to use speaker wire or even 12awg wire in their system. We used small power supplies to power old decks for some tunes in our install bays all the time, i'd just be cautious of using the Amps. Some of the first run Diamond D5's did not have regulated inputs so when they needed power, they sucked it like there was no tomorrow.
I would just test it out every step you add, maybe try just powering the main speakers off the deck itself. you'd be surprised how loud ours got in the shop, might save most of the juice for the sub amp. Just a thought. Some really nice stuff, hate to see the output on the amp burn out from to much clipping.
Also, use the blue amp turn on wire out of the deck instead of jumping the power input of the map over to the remote turn on. A small spike down that 12v line can burn out the remote circuit in the amp, they're typically not protected. Plus this gives you the ability to actually turn the amps off, no need to have them running when not in use. Maybe setup a relay to give you a switched power for the deck itself?
Let us know how it goes!

BTW, nice woodwork ya got goin on!! reminds me of old shop i worked in.

[mameapl65]

UPDATE! today i just got done painting the 2nd coat of black paint BUT i have not taken pictures of it yet with the black. I do have the primer pics up and rdy to be looked at. Tomorrow i will take the finished pictures!

I was able to get this roll of HUGE plastic that folds out as you can see in one of the pics. It was long enough to create a wall around the paint zone and reach from top to bottom! Perfect paint room with no dust issues. I used an air compressor and a spray gun.

Two coats of primer and 2 coats of paint will be going on. This was my first time painting with a spray gun and it was fun. My dad helped out too and we learned a lot...

BEST IDEA of the day = get and use masks! i was able to get great deals on the heavy duty masks for cheap (i wouldnt have gotten them if they were not such a great deal... normal painters masks work too).

We did sand after each paint and yup! thats a 1965 fastback mustang sitting there waiting to be fixed up! (too much fun to drive).


Also a side note about the back door for the arcade cabinet... I ran out of wood big enough to fit it so i made this door from other wood i had. I didnt see the need to go out and pay another 30 something bucks for a door no one would really see in the back.

[mameapl65]

update. So, let it be known to all those looking to put some sort of clear coat on the paint that it can RUN a lot faster then paint. I was able to paint it black using a spray gun and it came out perfect. It was only till i put on the clear that everything went wrong. I have about 4 monster runs in the clear. I have looked up some interesting youtube vids on how to deal with it. Im thinking of going with the razor blade found in this vid. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi7LT0OBOis Then ill do some light sanding with 1000 grit paper.


If anyone knows any better way to handle this please let me know.

[mameapl65]

My computer is currently in the arcade cab and not hooked up to the Internet. This is from my phone but as soon as I get it out I'll post some more pics. As of now the cab has been primered, painted, and cleared, moved into the house, t-molding on, 6x9's and subwoofers installed. Control panel wired and artwork done, lexan cut and amps and monitor installed. Kareoke, and some other games working with buttons and joysticks!! Still need to install stereo wire, paint glass, install marque and marque light.

[mameapl65]

this is a little old but thought id toss out something to let you guys know im still working on it. The buttons on the bottom light up. I have the stereo wired and working. all the buttons and joysticks too. The best part.. its working! Later i will try to make a my first youtube vid. to show a little more of it with all the different functions.