(Topic ID: 183206)

American Pinball Houdini thread

By lllvjr

7 years ago


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  • Latest reply 2 days ago by JagDaniels
  • Topic is favorited by 204 Pinsiders

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Topic index (key posts)

41 key posts have been marked in this topic, showing the first 10 items.

Display key post list sorted by: Post date | Keypost summary | User name

Post #145 Houdini Pinball initial flyer Posted by HighProtein (7 years ago)

Post #184 Initial reveal at TPF Posted by SilverballNut (7 years ago)

Post #190 Introductory Price of Houdini Posted by 1iblind (7 years ago)

Post #198 Initial Pictures of Machine Posted by lllvjr (7 years ago)

Post #229 Playfield Close-Up Pics Posted by bigd1979 (7 years ago)

Post #284 Machine feature details Posted by rosh (6 years ago)

Post #312 More feature details Posted by rosh (6 years ago)

Post #385 Double switch lane picture Posted by pinballrockstar (6 years ago)

Post #420 Pinball show appearance schedule for Houdini Posted by rosh (6 years ago)

Post #434 Houdini pics from Allentown show Posted by PinballSTAR (6 years ago)


Topic indices are generated from key posts and maintained by Pinside Editors. For more information, or to become an editor yourself read this post!

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#14439 1 year ago

New owner questions:

My game was made 3/18, so I assume I need the power supply fix. Do you still receive a credit when ordered? I'd like to get the eos and knocker, so a credit would be good.

Has anyone wired in an external sub? As there's no sub in the game, I assume this would be a big upgrade. My assumption is I'll have to just split the amplifier input and take that to the sub.

How do you upgrade the code? I put the newest code on a usb and it says copying for a brief second, then it just has a message that the update succeeded (even though it didn't). Pic:

8669312B-6E43-41D2-8473-C308E9B7680A (resized).jpeg8669312B-6E43-41D2-8473-C308E9B7680A (resized).jpeg

#14442 1 year ago
Quoted from Soundkillr:

Looks to me like you're saving settings and scores to usb. The download should be from api, to the USB stick. Turn the game off... Insert USB and turn the game on. It should download the code from there. Sorry if this is redundant or I misunderstood...
Edit... Also you do still get a credit from api. Agreed with previous poster... Post a Pic of the power supply

Yes - I downloaded the latest PKG file from API to a freshly formatted USB stick then inserted into the game. There's a brief flash that says "downloading update" or something then I get the message above (and the update doesn't work).

Pic of power supply:

528960D4-FB0D-4D20-88CD-F05244F44767 (resized).jpeg528960D4-FB0D-4D20-88CD-F05244F44767 (resized).jpeg

#14447 1 year ago
Quoted from Ferret:

Congrats on your new game!
Not having the update "take" is usually a problem with the filename. Since you're coming from a very old build (that maybe has original software?), make sure the name of the update package on the USB stick is "houdini-gamecode.pkg" -- with no date or "(1)" or other such oddities in the name.
If you're still having problems, refer to this document to verify that your USB stick is formatted the way the game expects:
http://s4.american-pinball.com/img/support/2021-2/USB-drive-formatting-procedure.pdf
Hope this helps!

That was it! The version I downloaded from API had the version appended to the file name. Renaming it to houdini-gamecode.pkg worked great. Thank you!

#14451 1 year ago
Quoted from alan0310:

I used a Pinnovators pin sub kit($35) and a nice Sony external sub. It dramatically sounds better.

Which pinnovator adaptor did you use?

I have the pinnovator adapters that tap off the sub, but that won't work here as there is no cabinet speaker in the game.

On an interesting side note, I noticed API is using the "LEPY" amp vs the "LEPAI". I wonder if they reversed polarity on the right speakers to account for the design issue on the LEPY?

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#14468 1 year ago

Houdini waved his wand and my "C" and "E" targets disappeared! Yet, they are still awarded from a hit to the "N" target. Magic!

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The lock and right orbit after modification are still not "easy" shots, but at least not as frustrating for me. I may add them back once my accuracy improves, but for now it's nice to have a few more millimeters.

#14470 1 year ago
Quoted from pinballinreno:

You dont have to actually remove those targets.
On each of them, elongate the hole in their metal mounting brackets, and move them to the side a little to widen the lane a bit.
You can get another 1/8" of clearance on these as well as the others if needed.

I saw some people mention doing that and I agree it would help, but it still doesn't offer up as much room as removing them altogether.

#14472 1 year ago
Quoted from pinballinreno:

This is true! lol.
Now you need some nice 3d printed plugs for the holes.
Maybe replace the standups with eddy or magnetic sensors?
Tons to think about. Could be a great mod!

I actually talked to Sonic about an MRS switch several weeks ago and they don't have a solution yet for standup targets. He didn't say it was impossible, just that they hadn't figured out how to make it work yet.

The right ramp protector actually has enough space in the bend to loop it around the ball guide edge, so I feel comfortable that the protector supported by the ball guide will stand up to ball hits. I added some protection to the edge of the orbit ball guide.

#14475 1 year ago
Quoted from hlaj78:

With those targets missing, you are at great risk of breaking the ramps. Whitewater comes to mind in this situation.

Not exactly - there was no protector on the ends of the whitewater ramps (and the ramp ends were 1/2 inch wide), so the standup target would actually crash into the ramps and crack/break them. If you removed the target on whitewater, yes, the ball would slam into the ramp and break it.

Houdini is different as the ramp edge is thin with a metal protector that bends around it. The metal protector is large enough to loop around both the ramp end *and* the metal ball guide - see my pic above. Any ball strikes on the protector are absorbed by the protector, then the ball guide behind it - so the ramp should remain unscathed.

Quoted from bobukcat:

I agree but also really question how much this makes any of those shots easier to make, if at all

The lock entrance before modification was approximately 1 1/4 inches, now it's 1 1/2 inches with the little rubber protector on the edge of the right orbit rail. Without the rubber protector it's about 1 5/8 inch. So, the entrance is 20% larger with the protector, 30% larger without.

#14478 1 year ago
Quoted from bobukcat:

I find the ramp harder to hit and complete than the inner loop - I can backhand that pretty reliably.

Removing the targets increases the entrance to both the ramp and the right orbit as well, but only by 1/2 as much as the inner loop. Still - I'll take the 15%.

My hope is that Sonic eventually develops an MRS solution for stand-up targets, but for now, I'm happy with my solution. It's taken the game from Alice Cooper expert level difficulty to a still challenging, but "not so impossible that my wife won't play it" difficulty.

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