Metallica (Premium/LE)
Stern, 2013
Metallica (Pro)
Stern, 2013There have been 2,874 images uploaded to this topic. (View topic image gallery).
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Hoping to be a new member of the club soon and have started to dig through the vast info on this game. Since there are 175 pages could someone please give me some tips on what issues to look for on a used Pro or point to a compilation somewhere if it already exists? Specifically playfield issues or common problems that I should be aware of. I'm experienced in pinball and circuit repair, just new to Metallica! Thanks
For those who have installed the Pinbits plastic protector set what additional hardware did you need? There is a comment on the Pinbits site: "Please, order in addition thin washers and thin locknuts."
Quoted from j_m_:
you can replace those standard height ESNA lock nuts with the thinner (jam nuts) that places like scot @ pinrepair.com sells
http://pinrestore.com/Hardware.html (about 1/2 down the page)
Just in case I added some of the thin nuts to my pinbits plastic protector order. I think a bag of 10 nuts was $2.50
Does anybody have location measurements or a picture of the front hole locations for the playfield support rails on their Prem/LE? I have a pro and want to add these but no holes are predrilled for the supports.
Quoted from 85vett:
Figure it's easier to just quote myself. Hope this helps: )
Edit... let's try this again since the picture didn't show in the quote.
Are those dims for the front holes to the actual holes centers or to the edges of the brackets as pictured?
Quoted from Gryszzz:
So where's the least expensive place to buy an extree Sparky ? On edge with no MET fix tonight and its only been 1 day. Thankfully my boy ForensicD has a pair of sling rubbers I can *borrow* until mine get here. Couldn't go a week with no Sparky no sir.
$200 at PBL
Is Unforgiven used in many places in the game other than the game over sequence? I want to use Pinball Browser to replace this with a more upbeat song and make sure that won't affect other parts of the game.
Quoted from Sparky:
End of game only.
Thanks, that will make it really easy to swap!
Quoted from jawjaw:
Have you tried adjusting it? Mine is held tight up against the wood. The wood is has a cut out for it so it should not stick out from the wood at all. The ball should always make it all the way around on a left flipper hold skill shot plunge.
I did adjust it a bit, still slightly protrudes but seems better. If there are no more issues I'll just leave it, otherwise I could remove it completely to bend that end back towards the side rail a bit. On a full left flipper hold plunge the ball always makes it around. It's when I do partial strength plunges that sometimes it will catch on that rail and get knocked back down the pf and not even make it up to the pops.
That would be great, but I don't see it happening. Stern is going to sell plenty of them without investing another dollar into code.
Quoted from PhillyArcade:
My Metallica has arrived safe and sound! Merry Christmas to me! This is what we work hard for. I am an official Metallica pro wooden backbox owner. What an awesome game! 600 plays on it since new. Looks like it's got most of the Cliffys' done. I guess the guy did LED's on this one. I had it set up played 2 games and installed the color DMD what a difference! I did one in my Monopoly and it was a huge difference but the Metallica color DMD really pops! I love it! I guess speakers and shaker motor will be first up for mods! Is there a color changing led flourcent tube for these? Be nice to just do something like a color changing tube for a quick and easy change. I know I want to get that out of there quick before it kills the translate and ribbon cables!
The stock fluorescent bulb will not kill the translite or ribbon cables.
Quoted from bridgeman:
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Very nice. Get some magnet protectors and a sparky airball protector on there pronto! 
Quoted from zucot:
I wonder if it would be possible to mod a met to use newer style magnets.
What do you mean?
Quoted from Dee-Bow:
Just installed a color dmd and it flickers of the wrong colors every once in a while! What the heck?!? Besides that.. frikkin awesome!Haha.. but what should I do?!?!
What Met firmware version are you running and what ColorDMD firmware version are you running? You should be running the latest 1.7 code and the latest ColorDMD rom to match it and have no flickering.
Does anyone have the shot card/poster you get with one new for sale?
They are not included
I prefer the newer metal backbox version. Mine came off the line late Nov. 2016 and no ghosting issues at all.
Quoted from MustangPaul:
Yes I "think" so. Has anyone done that?
Quoted from pcprogrammer:
So I take it that board could be added on?
Yes. It's just plugs into the MPU and then the harness connector plugs into this board. No reason it couldn't be added to a non-LED Pro, however most people just use non-ghosting LEDs which would not require use of such board.
Quoted from KornFreak28:
I don't mind that at all. I just don't want to buy a NIB machine that's going to start ghosting from the get go. That's all. First time buying a Stern pin for me...
Nothing is guaranteed at this point, however I have seen very few reports of Met playfields ghosting in comparison to GB and SMVE. My Met with a late Nov. 2016 build date has not shown any ghosting but I can only speak for this one machine.
Quoted from Lermods:
I bought a met pro in December with a November 2, 2016 date stamp on the playfield that shipped directly from Stern, I have no issues with the playfield. Normal dimpling and no chipping or ghosting issues. In fact, of all the NIB games I've bought, this one required the least amount of adjusting and was almost perfect out of the box. Only thing I had to do was tighten the switch for the snake as it was registering only sporadically.
Ditto here, mine is from later November 2016 and no issues. I had to adjust the snake and mystery hole switches after about 10 games but they have been rock solid since then.
Quoted from golfingdad1:
I never updated to the latest code update about 6 months ago.
How is it ?
It is the best.
V1.7 - June 19, 2016
====================
- Timed modes (Blackened, Coffin Hurry-Up, Fuel, Lady Justice, Seek &
Destroy) were not being paused when the Crank It Up mode select was
active. This has been corrected.
- Changed combo scoring so 3+-way combos increase in value much more
quickly.
- Fuel lane now awards 1 blown piston for each lit light, instead of
1 blown piston for all three lit lights.
- Added speech to the "Enter Sandman" and the "For Whom The Bell Tolls"
modes.
- Synced knocker to run with replay/special effects.
- Added speech for chair guy fry ready (electric chair multiball).
- Added a speech call for snake lock lit.
- Fixed player up effects so they wait for speech.
- For whom the bell tolls mode was not displaying the score correctly.
This has been corrected.
- Added mystery awards for the "Crank It Up" modes:
Battery -
Awards 1 sparky hit.
Lights all shots at level 2 (blinking).
Increases the sparky value.
Increases the shot values.
Enter Sandman -
Awards the first blinking shot from left to right.
Lights 1 additional item.
Increases the shot values.
Fade To Black -
Awards the blinking shot.
Requires 2 fewer switch hits to achieve the next fade level,
to a minimum of 5 switch hits per level.
Increases the shot values.
For Whom The Bell Tolls -
Awards the first blinking shot from left to right.
Lights all shots to complete an entire column (1 time).
Increases the shot values.
There is no advantage to increasing the mystery level before collecting
the award; the award will not improve.
- Cross/electric chair/coffin/snake super skill shots now award +1
of the item towards bonus/crank it up/end of the line bonus for each
regular skill shot made.
- Fixed a problem with the bonus where stopping the bonus presentation using the
flipper buttons would leave one of the item flasher effects (cross,
electric chair, coffin, snake) running.
- Some switches would be flagged with an error in the tech alert when
they should not have been. The list of offending switches are:
TOURNAMENT START BUTTON
START BUTTON
TROUGH JAM
LEFT COIN
CENTER COIN
RIGHT COIN
FOURTH COIN
FIFTH COIN
TILT PENDULUM
SLAM TILT (OPTIONAL)
TICKET NOTCH
BACK
MINUS
PLUS
SELECT
DIP #1 - #8
- Added bonus for all items collected at the start of "The End Of The
Line". Added speech and sound effects.
- Added a lamp effect for coffin hurry-up start.
- Added alternate speech for fuel mode start.
- Removed "casket" text from coffin multiball start effect.
- Fixed an issue where the music was not quiet immediately after the player
selected a mode for "Crank It Up".
- Added super jackpot stage to snake multiball. After collecting 3
(adjustable) snake combo jackpots, all shots are lit for super jackpot
until the end of the multiball. Playfield shots disappear when
collected, and reappear when all have been collected or the snake
eject is scored.
- Added speech for HSTD enter initials timeout.
- Fixed a bug that was causing the device driver for the magnets to ignore
the "disabled" adjustment.
- Fixed the player up display effect so it does not end with blank text.
- Fixed stray (bad) pixels in the BATTERY mode intro art.
- Combos were not clearing a counter properly, which caused incorrect
combo values to carry over to other players. This has been corrected.
I think it should be the snake mod^3 because the snake mod was the plastic and decal, the snake mod mod was the 3D printed pieces and the snake mod mod mod is what you're doing!
I just sent payment for a PRO! Will finally become a member very soon
Can you guys please tell me the must have mods (specially to protect the playfield) I must get before I play the first game? Thanks!
Fully cliffy set including shooter lane protectors, mystery hole protector, and carbon fiber magnet protectors.
How about the cliffy aroud the snake and captive ball? Is that one really "necessary"? Who sells it?
Thanks!
No such thing
Can anybody please tell me the metal post part number (or name) that goes around the loop? I'm ordering everything I need before Metallica arrives. I would like to order this part now. Thanks!
On both my METLE and Pro, I left the plastic post in place. The ball comes back down the left orbit about half the time, and I actually like that. I don't think I'd like pops 100% of the time on that shot. When it does come back down the left orbit, it just feels like a really long dead-end lane, like the piston target, but longer
Agreed. I purchased the metal post but haven't installed. Sometimes the ball comes back down the left side, sometimes it goes into the pops. It really depends on the speed when it approaches the up-post.
Quoted from gweempose:
The fact of the matter is that the post is supposed to divert the ball to the pops every time the ball hits it. The metal post just fixes a poor design and allows the game to be played how Borg and Lyman envisioned.
How do we know that for sure? Unless some of the game designers have specifically said so, how do we know they didn't want a different outcome based on the approach speed? I just haven't been bothered to change out to the metal post but I may someday. Game is perfectly fun and playable with the plastic post IMO but my mind may change when I actually experience the metal post.
you mean like this?
Is this in the game??? Would love to actually change Blackened to Horsemen but everything on the DMD references Blackened during that mode...
no, it's a single frame that I modified for another pinsider that was running smartdmd. although, if you're not using a color dmd display, I would be happy to send you the macro to adjust frame no's 0x104D and 0x104E using the pinball browser software
if you inject the macro, save your .bin and reflash your game, you can replace the blackened screen with the one pictured here
Very cool! I'm not running SmartDMD so I can't use that but thank you for sharing.
yes, you can!
all you need to do is the following:
- download the pinball browser software from here: [ http://tiny.cc/pinballbrowser ]
- register the software (paypal olivier $10 for a license)
- download the 1.70 rom from the sternpinball.com website
here:
http://sternpinball.com/game-code/game-code-metallica-le
here:
http://sternpinball.com/game-code/game-code-metallica-premium
or here:
http://sternpinball.com/game-code/metallica-pro
- pm me with your email address for the macro and smartdmd.txt file (which contains the palette information)
- launch the pinball browser software, and then load in the metallica 1.70 .bin rom file
- from the 'smartdmd' button, click the 'configure your smartdmd device' button, navigate to where the smartdmd.txt file is located and select it (this is one of the files that I emailed you)
- from the 'macros' button, click the 'load' button [folder icon], and select the macro (.pbm) (this is the other file that I emailed you)
- click the 'run' button
- click the 'save as' button [disc icon w/ pencil] to save the new .bin file
- copy the .bin file to a usb drive
- re-flash your machine with the new .bin file
Oh I've already donated to get Pinball Browser and have made some music modifications already. I have a ColorDMD though so I can't make changes to the display frames.
I have the CF cliffy's on my magnets and like them. Zero wear or issues after a couple months. Just make sure to level the magnet core to be level with the top surface of the cliffy, just a fraction of a turn if anything is needed.
Quoted from yzfguy:
I don't know how you installed them, but my carbon cliffy ring is just about flush with the playfield. I have never had an airball off of it, as it's so thin. My cliffy's have been on for over a year and do a great job without issue.
Ditto here. Not a single airball off a cliffy.
Quoted from NightTrain:
Get this instead. I put them on all my games. They are great!
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=2894
How does that work? It just looked like an on/off switch, just not sure how you change the volume with it.
Is this magnet core better than the one that ships with met? Would it still get banged up the same and look bad after 50 plays?
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1837
Same core, it will get banged up the same which is normal and to be expected.
yes, it will work in just about any pinball machines that have magnetics to keep the balls from "sticking" in the trough
I don't know the difference between WPC troughs and Stern troughs but have you confirmed this will fit a Stern?
Anyone ever install these in a MET Pro? I've never owned a machine without the support brackets underneath, it really bothers me. How do you even properly work on these, I can't pull the playfield out far enough. I'm pretty sure the Star Trek Pro I used to own had them. Not sure how they'd even install, there are no holes for the t-nuts. Not even sure the exact spot to put them.
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1956
I have them in my Pro. You have to drill your own holes as Stern stopped doing this a while ago on the Pros. The supports will come with instructions. It's a pretty easy process.
Quoted from tron1969:
I made them, took measurements plotted them out and cut them with a digital cutter
I'm sure you could sell a bunch of them if you made some more.
Anybody have issues with drop targets not dropping completely down? This has happened to me a couple times which required glass removal to get the ball back. The 3rd/final grave marker drop target will sometimes partially drop when hit and will stay raised about 1/4" above the playfield. If the ball gets past it and it doesn't drop completely, the ball is now stuck and can only be retrieved by manually pressing the drop target to drop it down completely. Before I pull the whole drop target assembly and look for issues any tips?
Quoted from Meegis:
There is an adjustment you can make on the mechanism from underneath to level off the height of the target after it falls.
I don't think that's the issue. When the target drops fully which it does most of the time, it sits completely flush. Occasionally it will only drop most of the way down. Another hit will usually drop it fully unless the ball gets stuck behind then glass needs to come off.
Quoted from LOTR_breath:
Are you the original owner? Has the drop target assy ever been adjusted/modified?
I'm asking because I have the exact problem you describe. I created the problem myself but it happens rarely enough that I can live with it. The drops are notorious for either falling down on their own or bricking. I had the problem of falling down on their own. So I modified my drop target assy by adding washers which puts more pressure behind the targets. But I got too much pressure and sometimes the drop will actually hang up on the edge of the drop target decal, which means it will stick up about 1/8 inch above the playfield. Now, that is fine if the next ball is a fast moving ball because it will just knock the target the rest of the way down as it rolls by. But if it is a slow moving ball it may get trapped behind the target and require a glass removal to free the stuck ball.
I'm the original owner and have never touched the drop target assy mech. My symptoms sound exactly the same as yours. Just not sure where it's hanging up maybe something needed to be tightened or filed down, haven't pulled the mech yet.
Quoted from mrgregb123:
Has anyone experienced a random multiball at the start of Crank it Up? I know it can't just be my machine because it happened to me on a friend's Premium as well.
Basically, at the start of a Crank it Up, 2 more balls are shot out of the plunger. The game makes no reference to them but plays properly (if one ball is lost, the game doesn't end the ball). The mode plays exactly the same. It's happened to me twice on my machine (Pro) and once on a friend's (Premium).
Something is not right. CIU is strictly a single ball mode from everything I've experienced.
Spikes are easy to spot, there's only one board in the bb.
The location of the power switch in the backbox also gives Spike away without having to remove anything. Personally I like the SAM system and am glad Met is on it instead of Spike.
Korn - Regarding those centering brackets that you removed, I have never removed them but I'm glad it solved your issue. Get to playing! Don't wait for the cliffy's, you can still knock out a few hundred games without much worry. Make sure you read the cliffy instructions and follow them, especially for the shooter lane protectors if you got those. Your next post better be a picture of a high score you posted
You know how with Williams games the playfield slides in the lockdown receiver slots like butter....Now that I "fixed" my issue, now I just have to give it a slight push or slight adjustment and it goes right in. I just want to know if pretty much this is normal for Stern games? Sorry guys, this is my first time owning a Stern pin, not used to this at all. All my other pins are Williams....BTW, sucks that I had to remove brackets installed at the factory....but whatever works I guess
No it's not normal for Stern games. You should not have to remove those brackets. It's a bandaid fix but if you're happy then move on.
What is the part number or can someone post a link for the metal post? Thx
You just need to reach each CIU mode once, then EOL will be next. You don't have to make a single shot in CIU mode as long as you've started it.
Here is a decent rule explanation: http://www.pinballrevolution.com/threads/metallica-pro.3077/
Quoted from finnflash:
I tried changing the unforgiven to Dream no more, and it said i cant replace long files. Do i need to donate for it to work, or am i doing something wrong?
Yes you need to donate if you want to import songs longer than 10 seconds.
Quoted from PoMC:
On a positive Pinball Browser note....this is fun as heck listening to Metallica songs and coming up with replacement ideas.
My wife loves the Last Caress\Green Hell cover, but of course it's tricky to find shorter Metallica songs. We both wanted Unforgiven replaced and I liked Cyanide there. But my wife so far doesn't like the song.
So with Unforgiven's 6:26 to work with, this is what I came up with. Last Caress/Green Hell (3:12 after cutting out the Run to the Hills ending) and Too Late Too Late (3:12). That leaves only 2 seconds of empty space at the end, which is no big deal at all.
Fade to Black replaced with Hardwire & Holier Than Thou is a perfect fit and is a great pinball track.
For Whom the Bell Tolls replaced with Ain't My Bitch is also a great replacement. My wife said that she doesn't like the new Metallica songs. I said, this song is 20 years old! hahaha I told her she can't live off the first four Metallica albums.
One replaced with Trapped Under Ice & Whiplash is still holding up, especially with Whiplash playing during Lady Liberty because it really makes that mode a frenzy.
Unforgiven is a great song to change. Too slow for my taste and it also controls the end of game music (script 0x43D) and the high score initial entry music (script 0x451). I replaced Unforgiven with I Disappear and then spliced in Whiskey in the Jar for the high score initial entry music .
I still don't understand what sounds better about the pinnovators board for a sub? My sub is connected directly to the cabinet speaker. Super easy, free to install, and sounds amazing.
I had it that way on my games till they came out with the board. When I put the board in and turned the game on I had to jump under the game and turn the sub down cuz it was WAY louder and less muddy then with the alligator clips. The board lets the sub be a sub not a mix of sub and mids. Others may not be able to tell the difference but I sure can. My 2 cents.
Are you saying the board includes a low pass filter? Maybe that is the only audible difference then. I'm happy with the direct connection, sounds great.
Quoted from Thanos75:
I have been noticing that after the Sparky magnet catches a ball and holds it that sometimes the ball sticks after the magnet is released. It doesn't happen everytime and when it does it just takes a shake or another ball hitting it to knock it loose. Could one of the balls have become magnetized? Also I tried... Alone....to install those Blade graphics. One went on pretty good the other I made a total disaster with. I just have a pro so I don't have those fancy table legs and I couldn't find a good position for the playfield to get a good alignment on those. I will remove and try again and this time with help.
Are you sure that your magnet is level or ever so slightly raised so it's not allowing a stationary ball to get trapped at the edge of the hole?
I know everyone says it comes down to personal preference but in the end which one is better for this game?
Lol, how is anybody supposed to answer that other than with their personal preference? My personal preference is LCD.
You really need to look at both in person to see the difference. One big reason I chose the LCD is the additional display options (hirez, etc.). The LED display looks really nice and bright, but you are locked into dots.
Does anybody else sell the color insert mod for the 4 CIU inserts on the Pro model? HankScorpio made a nice looking kit to color these white inserts but I haven't been able to get a hold of him.
Quoted from Butterflygirl24:
Not sure if anyone else has made a kit if no one does then Cointaker sells the colored LED boards So you can do it yourself...
http://cointaker.com/
Phoebe
Those only work on the Prem/LE and not the Pro
I think I may try that. That sounds like what Hank's kit was but he had a nice plexi mounting plate included.
The pencil isn't doing you any favors, it's far from flat. The magnet still looks a bit high from the pictures, but that is better than low. If you aren't having any issues then you can probably leave it, might just have some quicker wear on the magnet core which is easy to change out when needed.
Quoted from GotAQuestion:
Unrelated to magnets, but after getting stuck in the mid 200Ms for a long time I finally threw a 390M GC onto my Metallica last night. Feels good man. Completed FWTBT and got the hell outta there fast, had a decent Fade to Black, and unfortunately an aweful Enter Sandman but still digging the new GC.
Don't you love it! Nothing is more satisfying in this game than getting the fuel x2 multiplier and then hitting CIU and completing it to cash out for a double jackpot. Just happened to me the other night and it was a bit over 70mil jackpot.
You can also recondition your magnet core by grinding it flat, then you have a spare ready to go for the next swap down the road. Belt sander would work.
Quoted from embryon:
Hi guys about to join the club with a nib premium. Can anyone advise on whether the fuel gels work on the latest premiums? Thanks
They work an all premiums. I actually bought a set of the fuel gels for my pro before I realized they do not work on pros... Send me a pm and you can have them.
Would installing new songs via flash drive be the same process as installing new code ?
Does it also reset scores and game settings ?
Yes and yes.
Quoted from cscmtp:
Okay, wanted to get some opinions, I LOVE my Met Prem, but I changed all the songs about a year+ ago with Pinball Browser. Since I changed the songs, there has been at least one or two software updates. I'm currently running version 1.63. Is there enough improvements in the most recent code to warrant upgrading the code (and the reason I haven't is I'd have to spend a lot of time re-doing my songs)? Would appreciate some opinions and maybe feedback and what has changed since 1.63.
I would update to the latest version. In all likelihood this is the final software version and I do not expect any further updates to Metallica.
Here is the changelog for the 2 latest updates since 1.63:
V1.7 - June 19, 2016
====================
- Added/implemented the setting "COFFIN LOCKS/MULTIBALL STACK WITH
OTHER MULTIBALLS", which existed on the PRO but was absent
on the Premium/LE.
- Added an addition rule for the spinners. Completing the guitar pick
targets lights the spinners for extra points (1-shot). The base value
is 100k/spin, and increases 10k/spin each time the guitar pick targets
are completed, to a maximum of 250k/spin.
- Timed modes (Blackened, Coffin Hurry-Up, Fuel, Lady Justice, Seek &
Destroy) were not being paused when the Crank It Up mode select was
active. This has been corrected.
- Changed combo scoring so 3+-way combos increase in value much more
quickly.
- Fuel lane now awards 1 blown piston for each lit light, instead of
1 blown piston for all three lit lights.
- Added speech to the "Enter Sandman" and the "For Whom The Bell Tolls"
modes.
- Synced knocker to run with replay/special effects.
- Added speech for chair guy fry ready (electric chair multiball).
- Added a speech call for snake lock lit.
- Fixed player up effects so they wait for speech.
- For whom the bell tolls mode was not displaying the score correctly.
This has been corrected.
- Added mystery awards for the "Crank It Up" modes:
Battery -
Awards 1 sparky hit.
Lights all shots at level 2 (blinking).
Increases the sparky value.
Increases the shot values.
Enter Sandman -
Awards the first blinking shot from left to right.
Lights 1 additional item.
Increases the shot values.
Fade To Black -
Awards the blinking shot.
Requires 2 fewer switch hits to achieve the next fade level,
to a minimum of 5 switch hits per level.
Increases the shot values.
For Whom The Bell Tolls -
Awards the first blinking shot from left to right.
Lights all shots to complete an entire column (1 time).
Increases the shot values.
There is no advantage to increasing the mystery level before collecting
the award; the award will not improve.
- Cross/electric chair/coffin/snake super skill shots now award +1
of the item towards bonus/crank it up/end of the line bonus for each
regular skill shot made.
- Fixed a problem with the bonus where stopping the bonus presentation using the
flipper buttons would leave one of the item flasher effects (cross,
electric chair, coffin, snake) running.
- Some switches would be flagged with an error in the tech alert when
they should not have been. The list of offending switches are:
TOURNAMENT START BUTTON
START BUTTON
TROUGH JAM
LEFT COIN
CENTER COIN
RIGHT COIN
FOURTH COIN
FIFTH COIN
TILT PENDULUM
SLAM TILT (OPTIONAL)
TICKET NOTCH
BACK
MINUS
PLUS
SELECT
DIP #1 - #8
- Added bonus for all items collected at the start of "The End Of The
Line". Added speech and sound effects.
- Added a lamp effect for coffin hurry-up start.
- Added alternate speech for fuel mode start.
- Removed "casket" text from coffin multiball start effect.
- Fixed an issue where the music was not quiet immediately after the player
selected a mode for "Crank It Up".
- Added super jackpot stage to snake multiball. After collecting 5
(adjustable) snake combo jackpots, all shots are lit for super jackpot
until the end of the multiball. Playfield shots disappear when
collected, and reappear when all have been collected or the snake
eject is scored.
- Added speech for HSTD enter initials timeout.
- Fixed a bug that was causing the device driver for the magnets to ignore
the "disabled" adjustment.
- Fixed the player up display effect so it does not end with blank text.
- Fixed stray (bad) pixels in the BATTERY mode intro art.
- Combos were not clearing a counter properly, which caused incorrect
combo values to carry over to other players. This has been corrected.
V1.64 - April 23, 2015
======================
- The coffin magnet was not honoring the "disabled" adjustment. This
has been corrected.
- Seek & Destroy mode has been changed so it now awards 1 cross,
1 snake, and 1 electric chair each time one of the main shots (left
loop, cross lane, left ramp, right ramp, right loop) is made when
lit. This allows progress towards lighting "Crank It Up" during
Seek & Destroy.
- Boosted Seek & Destroy scores from 750k to 1M (seek shot) and 375k
to 500k (regular shot).
- Added lamp status on the sparky lamps for electric chair multiball
and battery mode that indicate progress toward lighting the super
jackpot and completing the mode, respectively.
- Added art to the combo high score to date display effect in the
attract mode. Changed the font for the combo award and the combo
jackpot award.
- Increased lady justice "big value" score.
- Added design team members to the default (factory reset) HSTD.
- Increased the display/lamp/sound priorities for the multiball modes
(Coffin, Cross, Electric Chair, Snake). Previously, these were the
same as Fuel/Seek & Destroy, which caused interference. The priority
for Coffin was set to something higher than Cross/Electric Chair/Snake,
as Coffin is rare to get, and alternates between shots and the captive
ball (so there will be opportunity to see Cross/Electric Chair/Snake
effects on the shots when Coffin is available on the captive ball).
- Changed the names of the diagnostic buttons (these are translated now).
- Fixed a problem with the mystery sound effect not coming through due
to higher priority sound effects from previous effects taking too long
to finish up.
- Removed track #4 from outlane drain sound so big effects will not get
cut off.
- Fixed text running off the display.
Quoted from Shadrac:
Also, for those who disable the center orbit post, do you find the flow better or does the game is more fun? I think in this case there's a pro and a con. I have an IM but i let this post active, because it's useful.
I would never disable the center orbit post unless it was malfunctioning. It's a pretty key element to the game to use an orbit and have the post stop the momentum to send the ball into the pops for more fuel awards via blown pistons.
Quoted from Apollyon:
I would love to see Lyman add one more song to the game to replace the duplicitous use of For Whom the Bell Tolls (used for both Coffin MB and FHTBT crank it up mode). Since the "Coffin" is from the cover of the Death Magnetic album, I think it would make sense to use a song from that album. Personal preference would be All Nightmare Long or My Apocalypse, both of which are kick ass songs and would fit within the "Coffin" theme. Plus it would be great to have those songs to choose from at the start of the game.
It would be nice but I think it's extremely unlikely at this point that any songs will be added. That would mean a new or at least modified license agreement with the band and at this point Stern isn't going to throw extra money or complications into the build. They will sell just as many units without updating the code.
For the tournament they started the first CIU at 7 and the each additional was 2 more. So, 7, 9, 11 and 13. That's a little to easy for a home environment so I think I'm going to go 10, 12, 14, 16 and see how it plays.
Since I'm not the greatest player maybe I need to do this if I ever hope to see EOTL... closest I've ever gotten was to start a 3rd CIU with the factory settings.
I had eotl ready last night, based on what the dmd said, but i didnt know how to start it. Seemed I may have needed to hit a pic or two??
Is it not the same as starting a 5th CIU mode? I thought hitting the scoop when ready will start it. Never been there myself though...
Quoted from DatNoobAdam:
Hey everyone,
I'm buying a Met Premium NIB this week. Do you guys know if it will come with 1.7 or if I'll need to do an immediate update? Also are there other things I should plan on doing/adjusting straight out of the box? Thanks for your time and I'm ridiculously excited that my 2nd pin will be Metallica!! It's going to make my Earthshaker look like an ugly step child
A NIB will ship with the latest 1.7 software. I had to adjust both my mystery scoop and snake mouth switches within my first 10 games and they have been great ever since. I would consider using mylar or a carbon fiber cliffy protector at the magnets to prevent PF wear.
Quoted from DinoBob:
I'm curious what adjustments you had to make to your snake. I'm getting a fair number of rejects unless I hit the sweet spot on the shot. The mystery scoop is perfect and ejecting consistently to the flipper. LOVE the game!
Rejects are normal and happen sometimes. The problem I was having was the ball would go into the snake mouth, and then get kicked out but not trigger any snake hit in the game. The switch can be at a point where the snake kickout coil will recognize it's in there, but the game software won't recognize and it's as if you never hit the snake.
I received mine early March and it was on 1.67
No big deal to upgrade, just had to find a USB 2.0 as USB 3.0 wouldn't be recognized by the pin
What's the build date on your machine tag? Mine from November shipped with v1.7. Sounds like yours is from older distributor stock.
Where to find the machine tag/manufacturing date?
There is a tag attached to the cables in the cabinet, but there's just nothing printed on it...
The only date I can see is on the play field side (oct 2016), but it's no indication of a manufacturing date for the machine.
Very back of the cabinet on the outside.
Well, didn't take long for the Sparky protector plastic to break. It's been installed for only a week.
Looks like it broke right at a web line where it was weakened. Ask if they will replace it with their clear protector. The clear one doesn't have any etched web design and may be less prone to failure.
Sounds like a loose or mis-adjusted snake switch. It can work to the effect that the snake popper senses the ball and pops it out, but the game doesn't recognize that the snake switch was hit. Make sure the switch is adjusted properly and both screws mounting it are tight.
Quoted from Jakers:
What switch is this in the snake assembly? Recently, my snake doesn't score a letter sometimes and just kicks the ball out. Is it item #7 on the head assembly?
Yes switch #7. That is the only switch used in the assembly.
As I mentioned in my previous post...I just took the glass off my game, changed Feature adj. #17 to 3 (default is 1), and I got the exact same behavior you described.
It's not a switch adjustment.
I know for a fact and have experienced a switch adjustment causing this exact issue, you cannot certainly deny that fact. Could also be the adjustment you state, but if he hasn't changed it then it's not likely it changed on it's own.
Let us know how you come along with the fix!
Quoted from yuriijos:
What's the best way to access that switch in the snake? My snake has been acting weird lately too, I make the shot and no snake letter awarded but game senses ball there and spits it back out.
From underneath the playfield.
Quoted from monkeyboypaul:
Hoping to join soon - Met Pro LED purchase agreed in principle.
Anyone put an LED OCD board in MET Pro LED???
And is there an option for LED or Incandescent Light Effects, like in Iron Man VE? Guessing they just kept the incandescent Light Effects for the Pro LED model, but fudged it.
They added some resistor boards to the lamp matrix connectors for the Pro LED models, nothing more as far as I know. Looks great without any changes IMO.
Quoted from billsfanmd:
Looking to buy a sparky to have painted. Anyone selling one or best price to buy? Thx
Best new price: http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=3244
If I wanted to change the color of the F U E L lights on my premium, is it just a matter of swapping out LED's?
No, you need to swap the LED boards or use gels to color them on Premium and LE models.
https://mezelmods.com/products/metallica-pinball-gel-inserts
Quoted from Breadfan:
My custom shooter.
You really don't mind grabbing that thing? I would hate it! Looks neat though.
Anybody have difficulty getting to Blackened mode? For some reason I am finding it very hard, I almost never see it!
I had asked asked this higher up in the thread. If anyone has an opinion please share. Thanks!
The backglass florescent is God aweful dim.
I see there are a few different backglass options. Some are interactive, some just convert the lamp to LED, and some have RGB capabilities. I was thinking about the LERMODS RGB option or the Rock custom for my Walking dead and Metallica.
http://lermods.com/products/metallica-pinball-led-strip-backbox-light-kit
https://mezelmods.com/collections/pinball-backbox-lighting-kits/products/metallica-pinball-interactive-back-box-light-kit?variant=36041488712
Any thoughts on which looks the best?
Here is what I use. It works great, has a customizable setting to dim when a game has started, and is much more affordable if you just want white LEDs to replace the fluorescent tube:
interesting and reasonably priced. I am not crazy with the fact it requires you to clip on to the transistors on the main board. Is there a chance the transistors can blow out if one of those alligator clips come loose or touches a transistors next to it? I assume you need to unhook all the alligator clips if you need to get to the main board for service?
The alligator clips are quickly and easily removed or installed. Use the 3 specified transistors and any wire on any transistor will do. An adjacent transistor wouldn't blow if you happened to touch it with the clip. These are just low voltage sensing connections.
Also, is the code now considered to be fully baked? Not that i'm complaining.
Yes
Quoted from northvibe:
What's install like? Any cut wires and can it be reversed if you sell the game?
Man the glare off the backbox is now worse then the dmd
Install is super easy, no cut wires or soldering and it's fully reversible with no sign it was ever there if you wanted. Just 3 easily placed alligator clips which can also be removed easily.
If you plug a prem raising cross into a pro...is it even in the code to raise up? Or do you need timebandit's stuff?
You need timebandit's stuff to make the cross work on a Pro. I don't think there's anywhere to plug it into without timebandit's stuff.
Quoted from MJW:
Never noticed this until you pointed it out. Now it bothers me. Lol.
Dammit. Same here.
For anyone who has not replaced that plastic deflector post in the orbit with the steel equivalent, you need to make this a priority! I was skeptical that what seems like such a minor change would make a big difference in gameplay, but boy does it!!!! The pop bumpers are in play much more with this metal post than with the stock one. It's not perfect, but instead of 100% of all shots around the orbit getting sent back the way they came, now only about 10-15% of them are.
The question I have about this is how in the world did this part ever survive any kind of real-world testing in Stern's factory before the game was released?
Thanks for the reminder. I purchased the metal post months ago and forgot to install it so far!
Who sells the metal post and for how much?
PBL $10
Now that's interesting. This is a different part than the one I linked to. Which one is correct?
Damn you quoted me before I fixed it. The $10 is correct, reference Williams A-17986
Good luck moving that trough side cliffy after it's installed. The adhesive is strong and any bend upward in the cliffy will eventually pop back up.
Quoted from zpinman370:
Thanks for the feedback - can you enlighten me on how to best do this??
Loosen screws that secure the coil stop, might as well loosen the screws on the other side of the coil bracket too. Squeeze the assembly together to remove as much gap as possible and re-tighten.
Wired to the speaker-level input, or the low-level inputs? (i assume this sub has both, like my 2 Tannoys & 1 MissionM2s)
Speaker-level input since that is exactly what you are connecting it to.
Quoted from Monk:
I know this has probably been answered before, but I tried to search for it and found nothing. Let me preface this with I plan to purchase the pinnovaters connection kit, but how do I use the speaker wire to hook up an external sub. The Polk sub has a hookup for left and right speaker which would be a total of 4 wires.
So which one:
1. Use one speaker cable (2 wires, red and silver) and only plug into the left OR the right input in the sub
2. Use 2 speaker cable (4 wires) two silvers on one of the existing sub connection and two reds on the other existing sub connection. Then connect 1 speaker cable to the left input and the other to the right input on the sub
I'm not sure anyone is going to understand what I'm trying to say.
Use method #1. Either left or right sub input will work, but only use one of them for one game. If you had 2 games, you could connect to the other input and have both games using the sub simultaneously.
Quoted from gliebig:
What are those rails with the lightning bolt images for on your game? I've seen them on several MET's but I can't figure out what they are.
They are flasher bars
Quoted from shelby1000:
Ok so now I've been hearing about potential playfield issues with Metallaca? Does anybody have any info on this as to what they are and which ones are likely to have them? Or if it something that is really a non-issue. There doesn't seem to be too many people mentioning this for Metallica compared to others like Ghostbusters but I want to make sure. I'm getting ready to purchase a NIB Metallica Premium soon and don't want any negative surprises.
Who are you hearing this from?
This is an easy one to fix. You need the extended airball plastic. Rickwh used to make them. Not sure if he still does.
Pinbits has it
http://www.pinbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_74&products_id=630
sold out
Send Pam an email. They might be able to run a batch or just need to update the website.
The eyeball sticker mod looks like garbage compared to the skulls underlay. And you will get the skulls very quickly after payment.
Quoted from Rensh:
This is a nice mod but I recommend playing a smartphone screen protector over it. They have no glue so should be safe to remove if ever needed. My first one got damaged rather quickly.
Or just throw that garbage away and use the skull mod which goes under the PF
Quoted from joemoney24:
Still having issues with my captive ball registering shots. I did take the leaf switch out to adjust the gap in it (as it looked a bit too wide). However, it's not 100% resolved. Some games it seems to register as expected, but others it seems to only register 20% of the time with solid shots. I just don't get it. Software bug where a new game "fixes" it? Has anyone encountered this? I've played multiple other Pros out on location and they seem to work just fine.
I have contacted Stern. Their response was to adjust the leaf switch.
Also try cleaning the leaf contacts. If they are dirty it could be causing intermittent operation.
The mod is not for me. It looks like good quality, but the theme does not fit the snake at all IMO. The Met snake is more of a viper IMO and should not have a rattlesnake tail.
Quoted from MikeTangoIndia:
And not to be a smartass.....BUT.....rattlesnakes are vipers. Pit Vipers to be exact
Well I learned something new! I still don't like em
Has anyone with a met pro got their PF replaced and the switch wire harness in the cab not fit with the new pf switch plugs? Just talked with Stern and they are sending an adapter harness...but not sure.....
Was your pf replaced due to ghosting inserts? Is it a Pro or a Pro LED? I'm not sure but maybe there was a harness difference between the two? The only difference I knew about the Pro LED is that is has jumper (resistor?) circuit boards added to the insert plugs on the MPU.
Quoted from newpinbin:
Yes, this game is not mine but it was JUST opened (NIB) and now only has a few plays on it. The decal on the coin door also said "STAR TREK" and not "Metallica". The decals are coming off on both sides.
That is hilarious, gonna need some pics of that.
Quoted from chuckcasey:
Let me just say that Metallica is our current GO TO pin. We've had it since March (Nov 2016 build date), drop shipped from Stern. I haven't had one issue besides waiting in line to play when we have parties.
At least three friends now want to buy Metallicas but they're very hard to find here in SoCal. (unless you buy new).
Anyway, we love the game.
Love my Met, same dilemma I had as I was looking for a good condition used one. Well nobody wants to sell Met and if they do, they sell for almost NIB price so I just went for a NIB.
Quoted from Rickwh:
Can someone post a pic of the under playfield for the fuel insert pcb. Mine is a 2013 incandescent pro and i have sockets for each light individually. Just curious. Didnt remember peeps talking about that board when they made the switch to led pros.
Maybe they have had several minor revisions over the years that they have run Met.
Interesting
I thought only the Prem/LE had those LED boards? I have an LED Pro built last year and it uses regular sockets.
I say skip the shaker and get a subwoofer instead. The bass thump is more fitting to the theme.
A sub is no replacement for a shaker. A shaker is not sound activated but is programmed to go off during certain game events. I highly recommend BOTH a sub and shaker for Metallica.
Figured out problem. POMC, whom made the Dropbox for me, has pro, I have premium. Is there any way to fix this? I guess now would be an excellent time to throw $20 at the Pinball Browser dude. Been meaning to but never changed any songs, until now.
I don't think there is any way to convert Pro code to work on a Premium. I recommend just getting Pinball Browser. Once you learn how to use it and edit/clip music just right you control your own destiny and can change anything to your liking.
Quoted from Neal_W:
It is easy to install the metal diverter post, and it will never bounce backwards down the orbit again.
I wouldn't go that far as you will still have some bounce backs, but the metal diverter post has a much higher success rate of dropping into the pops.
Quoted from konghusker:
Without a picture, is this an extended one, or just a replacement for the factory stock one(same size). I bought mine from a pinsider, and it's been great, but cracked finally.
That is the extended one.
Quoted from Hdmike444:
Who has the best prices on nib Met premium shipped?
kingpingames has good prices
Quoted from Fezmid:
Stupid question....
Today I noticed that there's two red lights - one by the cross in the cemetery, and one by Sparky's feet. I believe those are the opto sensors, but before today, I never noticed the bright red light from them. Is that normal? I suspect it is, but it's weird that I didn't notice it at all over the last month....
Completely normal
How do you get airballs from striking a captive ball? I have a Pro and don't have any airballs, is something different on the Premium after doing the mod?
Quoted from raz0red:
Have a pretty basic question, but have not been able to find the answer by searching the forums. Is there a way to prevent the selected song from restarting each time the ball is plunged? In other words, continue the song from where it was when you drained.
No. If you listen closely the song actually starts at different points during balls 1, 2 and 3 but some of them sound similar.
Quoted from moonduckie78:
Am I crazy, or is the Metallica service manual on Stern's website an absolute f'ing out-of-order mess?!?!?
If you think that's bad, look at the Tron manual!
Unfortunately you are not crazy. Recent Stern manuals are low quality, out of order, missing info, and contain incorrect info for the affected game. Look at the SM manual for an example of what the quality used to be like.
Question on volume:
My menu volume is much louder on my Met than Tron. Both of the volume settings for the games are right about the same volume for sounds and music during a game, but the test menu is so much louder on Met. When I open the coin door and I get the 50V disabled beeps they are very loud as well, Tron is much quieter in the menu in general. I could not find a "menu volume" setting so how do you lower the volume of the menu sounds?
Quoted from amkoepfer:
My 6 year old has been playing metallica non stop lately. He is getting pretty good it seems. Hes had 49 million as his high score and he keeps saying he wont stop until he gets his initials up (shouldnt be too hard since my high score is only around 100 mil). Its great to see a new generation playing and trying to learn to play! He can pass between flippers easily and hit most of his shots if he aims. Problem is he never stops singing metallica now! Anyways, he has been begging me for the premium instead of the pro, and wondered if its worth the price differance. The hammer seems cool, rising grave marker and snake jaws all seem cool, but is it worth trying to trade the pro towards a premium?
I say no. Others say yes. So maybe
Quoted from Sonora70:
Became a member today.....my first brand new pinball machine as well. What a game. I've probably played at least 100 games on it today! If I knew how I would actually look to see. I actually dropped 8 quarters in to play my first 3 games then learned how to put into free play. Ordered some mods as well that haven't arrived yet. Shaker motor, mirror pinblades and snake fangs and decal set.
And one of the best mods (pricey but worth it) is the ColorDMD. Met has some of the best colorized dots ever IMO.
There is a setting that you can use which will help progress all CIU inserts faster including snake. I forget what the setting is called, but usually you lose your insert progress at the end of a ball unless you lit all shots and hit the hurry up. With the setting on, progress remains after you lose a ball.
Quoted from mattosborn:
Bingo!
Printing them out now in transparent filament. I'll take pictures of them installed and lit up when ready.
Looks to be miles better than the washers Stern includes. To their credit though, the washers are better than nothing.
So, it looks like my LE will be used in an upcoming tournament. Anyone know of a full-proof way to prevent the Sparky lock on issue where it sometimes locks on the coil when you open the coin door? I've had this happen several times as you hear the "click" of the coil when I open the door. I'll turn the game off at that point and all is good. In a tournament turning the game off isn't really an option and I don't want to just disconnect that feature for the show/tournament.
I bought the board and coil from pinball life but I'm not sure if that is a fix or just a replacement as the board looks the same as what is in my game now. I'm thinking of just locking the interlock switch to stay closed when the door is opened but am open to other suggestions.
The new step up driver board is a definite fix for the issue. You should see that the new board has a 20V input pin while the old board does not. Swapping this out fixes the issue (not sure if 20V is already present at the step-up board plug for old games, otherwise you'll need to route a flasher wire to it).
Quoted from DaveH:
June of 2016. Thanks for the advice. I contacted support on their website. Hopefully that's quick and easy.
Let us know how it goes...
No issues with my late 2016 LED Pro. Had to adjust the mystery scoop and snake switches which is pretty commonly needed and easy to do.
Pinballbulbs.com has them and the ninja star ones.
Can you provide a link? I am not finding them...
Quoted from Koos:
Do you have pictures of how dit does look? And can you just sand down the core? Isn't it a plated material?
It is not plated and can be ground down as needed.
Any Met Pro LED owners here with a ColorDMD LED Version?
I want to know if the LED panel doesn’t have the gap the LCD version has. Since you need to add stand-off posts on the newer metal back boxes.
I’m not sure if I like the additional distance of the panel and that I need to tape the edges.
My personal opinion is that the LCD being mounted a bit further back has zero negative effect on appearance. Get some weather stripping from your local hardware store to fill the gap.
Quoted from Jason_Jehosaphat:
Stern's Plans for MET Premium Production?
I'm just wondering if any of you are hearing rumblings/rumors at Stern that there will be a run of Premiums coming off the line this summer.
And will MET Pro wrap up at the same time?
If MET Premium will *not* have a run this summer, what is the likely interval of time before it becomes a Vault Edition? It's been out of production for two years, no? IM waited four years before being resurrected as a Vault, AC/DC even longer.
I would not count on there ever being a Met VE, or any future VE for that matter (including Tron which most agree is the next best chance for VE based on market price and demand). Met has not been out of production for 2 years. Mine is a late 2016 build and I think they were still making them in 2017.
Replace the cheapo stern leg brackets with stronger Williams style and glue. There are a few different posts showing pictures of the process but it's pretty straight forward.
Quoted from rad:
I have a problem with my MET pro - I am trying to update the code to the latest version but I am getting an error and I'd like to see if anybody else has seen this same error.
Here is the error -
"update failed" "Error Code: 1"
I have erased the thumb drive and downloaded the code to the drive again and then tried to install it again and I get the same error. I have searched the web and I haven't found any other people coming across Error Code 1. I will keep looking and reach out to Stern. If anybody has any experience with this, please let me know. Thank you.
What format is the file on your flash drive? What version of boot rom is installed on the MPU? (sticker on the chip should show version)
My left sparky spotlight bulb came out. I cannot find the f'ing thing anywhere.
Also check the bottom of the cabinet... it could've worked its way down the PF, into and through the ball trough and dropping in or around the coin box.
Here is the metal post. It replaces the plastic post diverter which is at the top of the playfield near the pops. https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=3591
Regarding the shooter lane issue, you may need to loosen the screws that mount the shooter knob assy to the cabinet. Take a look and make sure the plunger is hitting the ball on center.
Quoted from Graysonsdad:
Looked at the track list online an realized I'm missing "end of the line" as an option. Is this standard? Does it ONLY play if you enter end of the line e gameplay? Seems odd.
Also is there an option to make the song you choose continue through all balls. The song restarts every time you sewer.
Thanks
EOTL is not an available song choice at the start of the game. Only used during final wizard mode.
Songs do not restart at the beginning when you drain, but at a different later point in the song. Often this sounds very similar to the beginning but if you listen closely or play for a minute or so you will hear it's different. There is no option to continue the song exactly where you left off when the last ball was drained.
Playing around with it, it seems like the songs each have one checkpoint near the middle to restart at but that's it. Gets a little annoying playing with a 5yr old. Oh well.
May have to look into the track swapping I've heard so much about. There are a couple songs that I'm just never going to choose for a pinball game. I'm looking at you Enter the Sandman, Unforgiven and Fade to Black........tempo is way off for this game.
How is Hit the lights NOT in a game where you literally hit lights? No Whiplash? Come on lol
I swapped a few around. "One" is way too slow for my taste, replaced it with The Four Horsemen (which was originally supposed to be in the game for Blackened mode). A few other minor edits such as "I Disappear" at a key point in the song during the end game sequence, and Whiskey in the Jar if you get to enter your initials.
How difficult are we talking? I'm good with electrical, not so much with computers.
You will need to download Pinball Browser, then donate to get the full features unlocked. Then obtain the songs you want to replace in digital format (usually wav or mp3). The hard part is editing the songs to get them to start or end where you want. You can simply replace one song with another which works in some cases, but for more advanced edits like end-of-game music or high score entry music it will take some trial and error to get it just right. I'm pretty good with computers and don't consider it hard, just time consuming. I also had to do some volume equalization which required updating the game, listening through the actual game speakers, and making adjustments and re-updates until it sounded right with respect to the other songs.
From the looks of it, the mantis protector really doesn’t protect the play field right at the scoop that much does it? How could this be better than the cliffy?
It does protect the playfield edge. The ball rolls over the mantis edge instead of the PF. I use the cliffy and like it, but I would have no hesitation using a Mantis either. They have different approaches to protection, both are great options.
THanks for the info. Does anyone have a link to the site where you can purchase the light show mod?
Met is the best. I bought my dream game a while back (Tron) and thought it would be my #1 game forever. Well, I still love Tron and I think it is aesthetically my favorite, but Metallica's gameplay is just a little better IMO and can't be beat. Love both the games and I don't think I will ever sell either, but if I had to pick only ONE game to keep it would be Met.
Does this look correct? Was working fine in coil test with playfield up then I put it back down and it stopped working
No that is not correct. There is a hidden metal tab that is bent backwards on your game and you can bend it straight again to fix the issue. See post #9012 for pictures.
Think I got it. Thanks fellas. Put a little piece of sticky foam back there and test now works with playfield down.
Should I keep the foam there or try bending something? I don't want to break anything.
It may work now but it's not a long term solution. Did you look at post #9012? Bend that metal tab back up straight and remove the foam. Should last for quite a while.
Hidden cows have been a running theme on pinball machines for decades. Where you been hiding, man?
Of course, just never heard of the hidden cow in Met
Quoted from Damien:
For how long?
Nobody knows.... All I know is that Metallica has had the longest production run of any Stern. Any chance it will beat TAF? Probably not, but it's fun to think about.
Really? Mine were installed in about 5 minutes. Just had to loosen the screw in the roof of his mouth and click the piece in.
Maybe he didn't have an offset screwdriver... that simple tool makes it easy.
Quoted from jorant:
So has anyone gotten the diverter to actually work from the left loop so it drops onto the pops yet? Mine works once every 20 times.
I took the sleeve off to help "deaden" the ball, but no luck.
Swap to metal post and/or adjust angle of the diverter by bending the coil bracket as needed.
When I said I took the sleeve off, I meant I put a metal one in there. It did jack shit for me. Surely there's more to it than that, as metal didn't make a bit of difference.
As for bending the coil bracket, do you mean so that it comes out at an angle?
Yes, or remove the existing angle so it's straight up, or reverse the angle. Slight changes in the angle also have an effect if the metal post alone isn't working to your expectations.
Quoted from BillySastard:
Holy shit, we're back on the plastic vs. metal post debate again? Every other month this comes up.
Nobody is debating, it's generally accepted in this thread that the metal post is superior. They are still building these games and people sell theirs, so there's plenty of new owners coming in here to ask about the metal post or learn about it for the first time
Quoted from Rob_G:
Yes, the green light was lit, that I do remember. With the glass off I can throw the ball in the snake mouth one time after another and it keeps counting letters towards snake multiball. The requirement on the premium seems to be that you have to hit the jaw for the mouth to open, then you can put the ball in the mouth. When it's spits out, the mouth closes again. Each shot advances a SNAKE letter and lights a snake insert on the playfield (where the blue insert is pointing). Rules for the mouth to open during multiball are needing to hit all 4 pick targets and that opens it for 20 second 2x scoring.
From that it all seems pretty straightforward so I don't know why the snake would spit the ball out and not count the shot. I never saw a need to shoot snake inserts to light the snake.. The snake itself is what lights the snake inserts.
Rob
Very common issue, also happens in the mystery scoop kickout. The switch can register a ball to kick out, but needs slightly further engagement to actually register the hit. First try loosening the switch screws and repositioning so the actuator protrudes further into the mouth, otherwise you can bend the actuator arm.
Quoted from sohchx:
Anyone have any tips on the easiest way to hit the mystery hole? It is extremely rare that I ever do hit it, but the only way that I have been able to is to launch the ball, let it roll down and hit the left flipper while it's in the down position which bounces it up and to the right into the hole. My second method is to flip the ball right off of the very tip of the left flipper. I earn extra ball at least 2 times every game that I play, yet I can never seem to collect them most times. Super frustrating.
It just takes practice. Shoot from the tip of the left flipper like you are already doing, just gotta find that sweet spot.
Quoted from FuryosJustin:
I would say the ball is harder then the magnet.....
Truth! And it's completely normal, don't worry about it.
You need to hit the fuel standups to spell FUEL, then when you hit the fuel lane it starts double scoring.
Quoted from Who-Dey:
I love it when he says " Fry that Mother F*cker!" I wish i could make it say that every time.
That callout and "Jack f'in pot!" are my favs
Yes it does or at least it does on my game. You do need to do this near the beginning else it will go through the whole sequence.
Odd... I've never been able to cancel the sparky multiball intro.
Who here has made it to EOTL, the final wizard mode?
Rob
Closest I have ever gotten was 3 CIUs.
thumb (resized).pngQuoted from RobF:
Does there exist a version of the Met manual other than the one currently on Stern's site? What is available currently is a crappy B/W scan versus the nice source PDFs the rest of the games have.
I don't believe so 
Your best bet would be to manually copy over the higher quality pages from another SAM game (Spider Man for example) for all the common stuff that isn't game-specific, and splice in the stuff specific to Metallica.
I wish there was a higher quality color version available for Met.
Quoted from mcuzz:
Can someone post a pic of the “shadow “ the dmd makes. I wanna see how bad it is, thanks
I don't have a pic but I feel the complaints on this are overblown. I just put some foam weather stripping to close the gap and you can't tell at all.
I had wired up guitar picks only to find that they won't work with the met vault edition. I still can't comprehend why they won't light, but I guess it's a voltage difference or something. So.....I had to go back to my mirror. Mine is rectangular and I swiped it from my wife's makeup tacklebox
There is no such thing as a Met VE. Are you talking about the later LED runs?
I think the 4 horsemen sounds are during the Blackened mode
This. It is quite obvious that the animations were intended for The Four Horsemen but that song was changed to Blackened towards the end of development.
Quoted from Portal_Pinball:
I know this is probably a stretch but does anyone have a spare Sparky? Ours has lost both feet now and we’re getting stuck balls and some minor PF damage from it jamming under his legs.
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