WOW! I am admittedly shocked and surprised. That is a dramatic change from my earlier run barrel. Props to AP for sending you a replacement, and excellent job on your new barrel. Looks perfect as it should!

Thanks guys. I feel a sense of relief that I dont have to live the shiny purple barrel. The same friend helped me with painting a custom twd toy. He is a pro level modeler and his basement is so cool full of old aurora models that we all grew up with and so much more.

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Agreed, that new one isn't very nice at all for such a focal point on the game.

My helper getting the membrane switch swapped out!

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Hit a snag. This “pinix login” keeps looping vs. booting. Please help!
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For context I was on code 19.x.x and updated to the newest 22.x.x Then this happened.
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Resolved! Erased and Reformatted USB stick. It was brand new and empty but clearly had some fragments hiding...
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I played LOV and really like it. Been checking out oktoberfest and it looks really fun. Don’t know if one is near me to try. For those who played both or own both which one do you prefer?

I have both, although I literally just got LoV so maybe too early to say which one I prefer. However, I can say that:

Oktoberfest is a little more chaotic and fun, and there are so many ways to approach the game - you can go for any one of the three wizard modes (Food Coma, Duck Derby or Flipper Meister) and there are so many things to do. Plus the mutliballs are very rewarding as you have to actually work to get them.

LoV is more of a shooters game, there are a lot of combos and ramps/orbits and everything is a little more shooter based - there aren't any pops, and the shots are definitely easier to hit. The experience as well, with the artwork, sound, music and light shows being way better than OF I think.

Pretty different games - and as I said, I can't say which one I prefer as they are both so different. One thing is for sure, both are brilliant games - and so underrated its almost criminal.

Oktoberfest is my favorite pin in my lineup. LOV has great flow, and the upper flipper shot is fun, but doesn't have the variety of modes that Oktoberfest has. What I like best about Oktoberfest is each mode feels and plays completely different from one another. It is incredibly fun stacking certain modes with multiball. Spelling SOBER while having drunk flippers and beer goggles is one of the most creative and fun modes in the game. The left ramp is super steep and very satisfying when you hit it. I can go on and on about this game. I have had all of the American Pinball machines so far (except GTF coming soon) and Oktoberfest and Houdini are by far the most fun to play. Hotwheels and LOV have since moved on to new owners, but Oktoberfest and Houdini are not leaving anytime soon.

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Whats the story with people who are ordering new Oktoberfest's? There was suppose to be different versions scaled back last I heard. I haven't seen a pictures of what these other versions looke like? Personally removing anything in this game would just make it lame. The only thing I would change is the playfield artwork. Too many cooks in the kitchen I heard and it shows. If AP came out with a new playfield art package I would consider upgrading. Call it Oktoberfest Munich edition.

I thought fewer speakers, uniform head design, changes to the sculpts. I’ve yet to see a head shaped differently though.

Really appreciate your review and impressions. I have been eyeing Houdini for a while also but unfortunately none available near me to try. Again really appreciate you taking the time to reply to my post. Have a good rest of your day and have a good week!

I agree with this. I would like an alternate backglass too.

Looking for an Oktoberfest (for a client, though I will be the purchaser) in the CT/NY area for 6500 cash. Have transportation and help available to move.

While I agree that Oktoberfest's playfield artwork isn't as homogenous or aesthetically pleasing as other games considered to be beautiful, I appreciate its eclectic nature. Much like that found at any large fair, the playfield is a collective mix of colors and graphics that evokes a carnival atmosphere for me.

Higher resolution would’ve been nice

Adds to the alcohol induced vibe it generates.

Genius!

I agree the artwork could have been a little nicer, but also agree that somehow what is there does go really well with the theme.

I finished a custom shooter rod. I will install it tonight.

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Very nice!
Looking forward to seeing it installed!

Does anyone know why I would be getting major feedback through the speakers every time the shaker fires? It’s an audible buzz/hum tone at the intensity and lasting the duration of the pulse.
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Disabling shaker in the settings eliminates the distortion. How can I fix this so that the game works as it should with the rumble but no feedback?

I've been having the same issue. Sometimes it goes away on its own.

It’s present with and without the noise filter in-line. I bypassed that to see if it would resolve. No joy. Somehow the amplifier is getting a signal tied to the shaker. Seems mostly produced by the top two stereo speakers. Ferret rosh Any suggestions?

Only other thing I would check is that all the speaker cables (computer -> filter, filter -> amp, amp -> speakers) are nice and tight, so that it's not a matter of the shaker vibrating a wiggly connection.

Beyond that, I'd suggest filing a service ticket here: <https://www.american-pinball.com/support/service/> ... always a good idea if you have problems with your game, just to get the ball rolling.

Has your machine always had this problem, or did it just start recently?

Double and triple checked connections. Will do re: ticket. Vibration doesn’t cause the distortion (ala loose connection) the impulse of the motor (power surge) seems to somehow transfer and be made audible through the speakers. The machine is relatively new to me and both membrane switches needed to be replaced to get the multiballs to work. Therefore I am only just now experiencing the anomaly, but as Skilame mentioned about his, mine too has intermittently resolved itself for a short time but shows up again after a power cycle. The only thing that changed recently is that I added the topper lighting kit from the API website. Removing the new LED connection doesn’t eliminate the problem.

Does everyone’s machine make a pretty loud electronic pop from the speakers when flipping on the power switch?
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I have short videos of all the above that I’ll upload and share links to later.

I'd unplug them, clean them, then stick them back on.

LTG : )

Most my machines pop on startup.

Ok. Took the monitor off and unplugged everything. Checked all the connections and brought more slack out in a few spots. I separated audio cables from power cords to eliminate EMI/RF signals crossing. Everything is back together with the shaker turned on and it seems to like whatever I did. Thanks Ferret and LTG
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BTW Ferret, I somehow managed to hit a post off the plunge then nailed the upper flipper into the beer barrel. The game was a little surprised and stayed on the skill shot screen rather than playing the lock animation (call out worked). I don’t think it expected a barrel lock as the first switch hit during a plunge.

Heh... that is almost certainly true. Added to my Big To Do List, thanks for the report.

And very glad to hear that futzing with the cables fixed your audio problem. Pesky EMI. Hopefully something similar works for @skilame.

Yes...

Where is the best place to hook up the pinstadium lights?
Thanks,

I connected the primary lighting leads to the backbox LED strip for power.

The secondary effect lighting to the shaker motor. Lights up with pop bumper hits, roller coaster multiball, etc. More connection info here:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/oktoberfest-owners-10-/page/33#post-7354670

Thanks!

So I got a chance to reseat some connectors and dialed down the shaker setting and it fixed my speaker distortion. What’s really great is that I was able to tweak the settings on the amp from the factory settings, and now the sound is so much better. There’s much more bass and treble, so the audio sounds much cleaner. Thanks Ferret and LTG! Such a fun game!

Thanks for the update, @skilame! Very glad to hear that you've happier with your machine's setup now.

And of course, great to hear that you're loving the game! So much to do, so many ways to approach it, so much fun.

Enjoy!

SOLD

Selling two new, never used American Pinball membrane switches used in Oktoberfest. SWI-0022-00.

Known switch to need occasional replacement. Always good to have some spares on hand.

$50/switch, $85 if you purchase both. Selling for $75 per switch on American Pinball’s site.

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PM’d

Thanks for all the interest. Membrane switches have been sold.

Has anyone hooked up Orion's belt to anything? I have the Neo Atom Fusion in mine and it seems like a waste to not set it up.

If a guy wanted to borrow a little power from the GI which wires would he use? As I see with the full rgb gi there are 4 wires to each lamp, blue, green, red and orange. How do I tie a spotlight into that? Thanks!

For a spotlight pull 12v from the coin door eject lamps

Well I did that for something else but thanks. Hoping to use the GI for this one. Also Im installing a knocker but my game does not have any pre-drilled holes for the coil. Can anyone send a pic or measurement please?

AP's knocker comes with instructions? If you're attempting a third-party install, AP does also post the instructions on their site.

-hanks, I am using APs knocker and it did come with instructions. They say to attach the coil in the pre-drilled holes and my problem is that I dont have any predrilled holes in my game, so I want to make sure that I get the spacing right from the coil to the plate. My game also showed with no light strip in the back. Its a newer run game if you'd seen my barrel but they missed a few things on the line.

Mine was "Pre-drilled" but very hard to see, more of an alignment marking hole. The directions and video are strait forward, once I located those marks it went smoothly.
Link for reference

Thanks, Yes I have nothing like that. Ive looked with a flashlight and a mag lens but no marks of any kind. Just a measurement from the plate to the bottom of the coil bracket would get me there. Thank you

I checked the online instructions for houdini and it called that space at 1 3/16, so thats what I went with.

Just got back from the powder coaters and had both my Houdini and Oktoberfest wire forms powdered in transparent Gold. I think this will look money on both games and compliment the themes and the art.

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Pictures please

I went through the online manuel and didnt see any wiring diagram. Anyone know which 2 of the 4 GI wires are power?