Clarksburg, MD
It was a very tough call for me, but my KISS Premium is out the door. Should I join this club now?
(Topic ID: 50762)
Linked Games
Metallica (Premium)
Stern, 2013-
Metallica (Pro)
Stern, 2013
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You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider jeffsarcade.
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Quoted from Gryszzz:Dude I was frothing at the mouth for 3 years to get into this club.
Who ya gonna call ? Trent. To order yer MET.
Hahaha... I actually already contacted Trent. Have a Premium Monsters lined up. But I won't pull the trigger until after ReplayFX next weekend just in case something jumps out at me. 
So, are all of he new premium monster editions shipping with the matching speaker panel decal and no "M" logos on the speakers? I seem to have seen it both ways when people post their new pics.
Quoted from j_m_:the original wooden back box LEs and premiums shipped with rounded rectangular (square) speaker holes that had the "M" on them. the newer metal back box machines all have round speaker holes and no "M" logos
I see. Kind of a bummer. I actually liked the plain speaker panel with the "M" logo. The decal they put on there now looks to be a little too much from the pics I've seen. I'll have to see it in person when I go to ReplayFX next weekend.
Edit: I think the pro translite actually matches the new speaker panel decal (and the rest of the artwork) much better than the monsters translite. I might have to find the pro translite and switch them.
I guess I'll just have to see when I get to play one next week. But I think I'd want both to interchange whenever I feel like it.
And of course, I still have to actually buy the machine.
Are flipper fidelity speakers a must for this game? I'm trying to get my mods in order if I decide to buy.
Thanks for the offer bigd! I might have to take you up on that sometime.
Are external subs tough to hook up to the machine?
I'm really asking about the audio because I'm coming from a KISS machine on the Spike system and the stock sound system was a major plus.
Quoted from gweempose:It's very easy, actually. Just solder a couple alligator clips on to some speaker wire, clip them on to the cabinet speaker terminals, and then run those wires into either the left or right high level input on the sub.
Another option is to go with the PINsub kit ....
http://www.pinnovators.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=38
Nice, I'll look into this. Thanks for the info! I actually have an extra 10" powered subwoofer lying around from a stereo that I'm not using at the moment. That will probably be good to start with.
1 week later
Just got the call... my MET Premium will be delivered tomorrow!
Quoted from tron1969:I'd like to see the post down just for the initial ball launch making the skill shot more challenging . Light plunge to hit the pop bumper area skill shot and a harder plunge or a miss plunge forces superskill shot. I know you can hold the flipper button down for the superskill shot but the basic skill shot is too easy you get it 100% of the time this would eliminate that. It would also be nice if once you plunge the lane selected is not changeable for the skill shot .
From the Metallica rules wiki, if you hold down the flipper to drop the post, the top left lane is worth 2x and the top right lane is worth 4x.
Quoted from DeathHimself:Work? More like a sick day coming. Those summer colds suck!
I work from home tomorrow.
I'm having an odd issue... after a ball drains, the front grave marker drop target pops up and down a few times and then normally just stays down. Even if I didn't hit it previously. Sometimes it will stay up and the 2nd drop target will drop to start the next ball. Any idea what I should check first?
Quoted from Meegis:Need to add washers behind the targets to push the lip forward. This is a common issue in many stern games.
There is a slightly elongated edge on the front of each drop that catches a lip and sometimes they aren't forward enough to negate the action of the spring.
With met though, you need to remove the assembly as all three targets share the same rod mechanism.
It's not difficult, but it can be frustrating if you aren't patient.
Thanks for the advice! I can get pretty frustrated, so this will be fun.
1 week later
Quoted from 85vett:No joke. I'm 5ft 9inch tall, so on the short side and I can clearly see the opening of the Sparky lane while playing (picture of eye level). If you are taller that area is even more visible. The only thing it really blocks for me is the captive ball. I'm forced to play a pro (league) all the time and when I play it I miss the snake the absolute most so I'm also surprised to see so many think it's not much of an added feature. yeah, the moving jaw isn't that big of a deal but the game play changes it creates is quite significant. Locking out the lane until it's available for something and (my favorite) it holding a ball during MB as part of the add a ball rules. If you are a control player this added feature makes blowing up scores a lot easier as you can play in MB with one less ball in the way while having the safety net of the added ball. Keep in mind it may only add a ball once but you can lock a ball in there more than once.
I'm curious though on how many "the hammer blocks __" people there are that have the snake mod (also in my picture). Now that does block something (the inlane lights).
It's interesting how drastic the hammer blocking things can be for different people. I'm 6'1" and the hammer blocks nothing for me except the captive ball. I was worried that it was going to completely block Sparky.
1 month later
You guys that switched out the plastic post behind Sparky for a metal one... which one did you buy? Also, is it an easy swap?
1 year later
Has anyone who bought a MET new in box over the past six months had any issues with it? Build quality, inserts, etc.?
I'm thinking of selling my AS Prem and rejoining this club.
Quoted from Pin_Guy:About the same as any NIB Stern, seems like all machines have their issues but the support from Stern and/or my distributor have been outstanding.
The good:
This is my favorite Stern release since LOTR! (subjective)
Near perfect registration on the playfield and no defects that I've seen (crossing fingers on this one)
The Bad:
Right head decal was peeling out of the box - replaced by Stern
The heatsink, screws, and washers (for the additional bridge rectifier installed in Premiums and LE's ) were floating around in the shipping container. This was corrected before powering on the machine.
The UGLY:
It appears there is a design problem with the coffin magnet controller board (LE/Premium only) that makes this a high failure item. All non-Stern suppliers of this board are out of stock as of today and mine failed in the first couple months; I've only had this machine since late November. I have my replacement board from Stern, which I promptly received by contacting my distributor after Stern failed to ship it in a reasonable time (3 weeks). The only other MET I play is on location at the Operating Room in West Des Moines, IA.; the owner there has replaced this board twice and 2 weeks ago I set the coffin magnet to disabled since he keeps blowing the magnet fuse, presumably due to a failure or the 3rd magnet board.
With that being said, I have no intention of selling my MET as its such a great game to play...even though it tends to frustrate the hell out of me quite often!
Other thoughts:
I also have an AS Premium that I would not part with, its an absolutely gorgeous game and a lot of fun to play; while I currently play MET more than AS, there are still code updates on the horizon for AS which will likely put it on par with MET if not better; IMO you should keep em both if you are able to; if not, it's a hard decision you are faced with and hopefully I was able to provide you with some useful information to help with this decision.
Quoted from imagamejunky:I just opened up my NIB premium 2 weeks ago (2/12). So far it’s been fantastic. It has a build date of 04-05-17.
I posted this the other day...As you can see these are only very minor things with easy fixes.
IMO you should re-join the club!
Thanks for the insight and advice guys. Ever since selling my MET Prem about a year ago, I have had that "you don't know what you have till it's gone" feeling. What a great game. Plus, I have been jamming to their music in my SUV for a few weeks now. I figured I would reacquire it at some point.
I really like AS as well. In fact every time I go down to my game room to take pics to put it up for sale, I play it and think "maybe I'll hold on to it for a bit longer." haha I love completing Walk This Way and getting super ramps then trying to put an X on that shot and start double scoring. What a rush!
I have a spot for a third game, but I want to wait and see what Iron Maiden and Elvira 3 are like or even if a TRON Vault materializes.
My main concern with build quality, etc. was about the inserts ghosting. I had that issue on Ghostbusters when I had it last year.
I know the magnet issue well. A buddy of mine had that issue on his and we had to wait for the magnet board from Stern as well. Are the ones sold by third party stores any better than the OEM Stern board or are they the same?
I'm really jonesing for MET, though.
Quoted from Jakers:^^^ THIS! ^^^
I concur.
The metal post really helped on my original machine.
Also, ColorDMD for this game is incredible. It's one of the main reasons I want to get back into this club. I was so hesitant at first, but when I finally put one in my TWD... it was like a whole new game.
Have you gotten your first "Jack Fuckin' Pot!!" yet? When I got my first I was so pumped for the rest of the day. hahaha
Quoted from Who-Dey:I hope the post helps for sure. I havent got a jack fuckin pot yet lol. I hope i do though one day! Color lcd is a must for me. I think the lcd is the one that looks the smoothest and most colorful right?
That is all personal preference.
The LCD can smooth the DMD images (no dots) but the colors are a little duller. (the LCD can also do virtual dots in regular and XL size)
The LED is only dots and the colors pop more, but I've seen complaints about the dots being spaced too far apart.
With that being said...
I prefer the LED with the dots and colors that pop more. After a while, the dot spacing issue went away for me and it looks natural. Plus I like that it's an exact replacement for the existing DMD. The LCD is a bit bigger and has to be set a little father back in the panel.
7 months later
Quoted from RobF:Same experience for me. Factory Stern balls magnetized pretty quickly. Replaced with Ball Barron shiny chrome. Those magnetized on short order. Caused all kinds of problems. I even managed to get *all four* stuck in the graveyard trying to collect the super on the MB. I had to pull the glass to get them dislodged. That sucked.
I recently replaced with Ball Barron carbon core and have not had any problems after a hundred or so plays.
[quoted image]
That should be some sort of quintuple jackpot!!
1 week later
Quoted from Lethal_Inc:That’s correct I want the extended plastic. Mezel Mods doesn’t have them in stock and Pinbits website is down. Any extras?
Pinbits should be back up soon. I just ordered and received one from them earlier this week.
You can buy the single protector. $7. They didn't have the pic up (when the site was up) but it was the correct extended protector and I received what I was expecting.
Pinbits is back up for the extended Sparky protector.
http://www.pinbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=630
Quoted from Dallas_Pin:I have it and love the look of it. No real 'interaction' through the game, just light changing LED's based on your specifications with the included remote. I can make a video tonight and send it to you if you want to see it in action. I actually have a topper for most of my games; helps complete the room as I don't have a lot of room for art above the pins.
I can also make a video of the PowerBlades in action if anyone wants to see the amazing stuff they can do to the game as well.
If you have a video, that would be awesome! I'd appreciate it! I have toppers on my TWD and GB so I need one on MET. hahaha
Quoted from Dallas_Pin:jeffsarcade
Here is a link to the topper ... might have caught the PowerBlades in there too. I have the topper on a slow, color changing cycle at the moment.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lmmg1t6nnnov4zb/IMG_9762.MOV?dl=0
That is excellent! Thank you so much for taking the time to film and post the topper! I am ordering this week!
I have owned both in premium editions. Just re-acquired Metallica this past week.
I liked Aerosmith... a really fun game and the music was good enough. It was just missing something for me. It seemed like some things were done a little lazy... like the final wizard mode being called "Final Tour" or whatever... wasn't really creative, in my opinion. And the modes were just bland to me. The toybox was very cool and trying to put all six balls inside was a really fun aspect and a worthwhile achievement.
I think Metallica is a far more complete game with a deeper rule set and better shots. I immediately regretted selling Metallica when I did so early last year. I really enjoy trying to get to "Crank It Up" modes. It's such a worthwhile achievement. Plus, I love the interaction with the ball when it comes to Sparky, the graveyard and snake (and hammer/coffin on the premium).
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:How to Set My Shooter Lane for Reliable/Straight Plunges?
Hi.
I'm having a heck of a time getting my newly acquired HUO MET to plunge properly. Most of my plunges do NOT sail smoothly into the orbit. Instead, they get tossed off track somehow and crash into the lane guides or whatever beneath the right ramp there. It's frustrating, obviously, as I want to plunge all the way around for the Super Skill Shot every time. I've aligned the shooter housing carefully so the shooter tip is precisely behind the ball. At this point, either my shooter isn't colinear with the shooter lane, or there is something amiss with that funky stainless ramp that lies at the end of the lane and carries the ball up/over the orbit wall. (See photo)
Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
[quoted image]
This has happened on every Metallica I have played, including my new one. I have never seen a super smooth plunge for this game. I thought for a while it was all the magnets or something doing some funky stuff because if the game was off, plunges would be smooth (this was on my previous Metallica. Haven't checked yet on my new one). But turn the game on and they would go back to being wonky. 
I noticed my right ramp flasher wasn't working tonight. Took a look under the playfield and something bizarre seems to be going on.
Tested the flasher in the settings... nothing.
Unscrewed the flasher from the bottom of the playfield... moved the LEDs around on the flasher bulb (turned the top panel) and it came on and stayed on.
In fact, it stays on for about 10 seconds after I turn the power to the machine off. Then it dims until the two center LEDs are partially still lit.
Anyone run across something like this before?
Quoted from Rob_G:Try a different flasher bulb. You may have internally shorted the current one.
Rob
I actually did that... had the white pop bumper flasher from Ghostbusters (I had replaced that one with a red one months ago). When I put the white bulb in the Metallica right ramp socket, it shorted out and that bulb's 4 middle LEDs now come on slightly. I put the original red bulb back in and still the same issue as before... either stays on indefinitely or doesn't come on at all. So odd. I can't tell if there is a short somewhere or if something is loose. I checked every connection I could find and tightened them. I guess I'll call Stern support.
Quoted from jeffsarcade:I actually did that... had the white pop bumper flasher from Ghostbusters (I had replaced that one with a red one months ago). When I put the white bulb in the Metallica right ramp socket, it shorted out and that bulb's 4 middle LEDs now come on slightly. I put the original red bulb back in and still the same issue as before... either stays on indefinitely or doesn't come on at all. So odd. I can't tell if there is a short somewhere or if something is loose. I checked every connection I could find and tightened them. I guess I'll call Stern support.
Just realized my flasher from GB was probably 5v since it's Spike and not the SAM 12V needed for Met. No wonder why it blew out.
I tried the left ramp flasher in the right ramp socket... same issue. So it's not the flasher. It seems that the power to that flasher socket is ALWAYS on as both flashers I put in it light up and never turn off. The flasher also seems to get very hot when it's on.
EDIT: I also posted this issue in the tech sub-forum.
I just finished Fade to Black for the first time this morning. Collected a $50m jackpot. What a rush! So slick how the playfield lighting "fades to black." Had a $300M grand champion score.
Quoted from BillySastard:Damn, first dibs if you ever sell your pin. Mine only awards points.
hahaha didn't even realize I did that!
Quoted from chuckwurt:You light them from the pop bumpers. They do nothing.
I thought they represented blown pistons? Then you shoot the fuel shot to collect them with 10 awarding an extra ball?
Quoted from chuckwurt:That’s what SHOULD happen. But the code never allows more than one blown piston at a time.
So if you’re vying for the blown piston EB, just hit the fuel lane target 10 times.
Ohhhh, I see. I was wondering why I never get an extra ball via the blown pistons, yet I keep hitting that shot.
I put in the upgraded steel post. Shooting the right loop is great now... no crazy bounce backs down the loop.
On the left loop, I still get bounce backs a good amount of time when I shoot medium - hard around the loop. Is that normal? Or should all balls be dead stopped and fall into the pops?
I just had the most frustrating and craziest game I have ever played on MET...
I started Grave Marker Multiball and ended up collecting enough items to light Crank It Up.
Unfortunately, I could not hit the Mystery Scoop for the life of me. I ended up accidentally starting Electric Chair, Snake and Coffin Multiball while trying to shoot the scoop. On Coffin Multiball, I even started Grave Marker Multiball again.
After all of this, and collecting over 60 of each item, I finally hit the scoop to start Crank It Up. Picked For Whom The Bell Tolls. Ball drained instantly canceling out the ball save. Then on the next shot it took a crazy bounce and drained in the outlane. A killer 650,000 for a CUI. 
Ended with a score of just over 170M.
So much fun yet so frustrating all at the same time. 
Quoted from Rob_G:I have the cross as blue on my premium because it syncs with the blue RGB. I also changed the cross flashers (not the cross itself) to blue. I made the chair purple as well as the 2 flashers under the chair.
Rob
I did the same with the flashers. I also changed the electric chair insert flasher in front of Sparky to purple. I plan on changing the Snake flasher to green this week.
Quoted from Bwilson:Is it normal for SAM games like MET to have a rather loud buzz or humming noise from the flipper coils? I checked the EOS switches and they seem to be working fine.
Yes. You can put a bit of paper towel between the coil and the coil stop and sometimes that will lessen the buzz. But you can never really get rid of it. Just turn up the music!
2 weeks later
I posted this in the Tech subforum about an issue I'm having with the snake's lower jaw:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/metallica-premium-snake-jaw-issue
If anyone can help or has some advice, it would be greatly appreciated!
10 months later
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