WHAT ?

LTG : )™

Why?!?!

When I first got my EBD the sound board didn't work and I played about 30-50 games before I got it fixed. I don't want to say I hated it, but I didn't like it. Haha

The Gottlieb Spin Out that I used to own had a switch installed by someone that turned the chimes on or off.
I forgot all about that until now.
Kind of useful when you don't want to disturb anyone.

Wow. That's pretty clever. It sucked when I still had my strikes and spares because I couldn't ever play after my step daughter was put to bed.

I need the sound so I know what to shoot. If I turned the sound off it would make it harder not easier. Imo

Pinball without sound is pretty lame I think. I've played a few that way when I've been in the process of fixing the sound and its amazing how much a good sound package adds to the feel of a game.

I enjoy playing some machines with 0 sound, and I just listen to my headphones. some of my best scores ever actually.

CV is a very load game in a small room, even after I override the factory volume of 7 down to 1....so most of the time it's played the sound is off per the Pinnovators external switch on the coindoor. If its the only game being played, no problem, but if you want to hear the sounds/music on the others, this one gets turned off. I prefer the sound on, but I have grown used to playing it with my 2 year old sitting on a stool infront of me while I play. It is his favorate game, so I usually play a couple games almost everyday.

Try to play with the sound off and the glass off. It's interesting for a little while, anyway. But not enough that I would ever keep it that way for long. I get annoyed when I hit the start button too quick after power up on my Sys 11s and the background music doesn't start up.

Played a TFTC with broken sound. Did not enjoy. Sound is an important part of the game.

Turning the sound off is a terrible idea. Especially on pins with great audio like TAF and SS.

Wow, I would never do this. Sounds is 50% of the game experience. To miss 50% of the game experience would be to miss 1/2 of the fun. No thanks.

It's fun when listening to tunes. I rather enjoy it. You know a game is good when it's still a ton of fun without the sound. Sorry, but IMO pins like SS would fail in that regard.

Get back to me when you're not a pinball "newb".

I've had a few occasions to play with the sound turned off and I really don't like it. It just doesn't feel like pinball. Doesn't matter if it's EM chimes, SS beeps or full-on sub woofer stereo, pinball should have sound.

I played without sound when recording a gameplay video of WOZ. I had to do this to isolate the physical playfield sounds from the audio I captured directly through the line out jack in the back of the game.

The ambiance is gone from the total gameplay experience when the sound is off.

Turning off the sound, the game is terrible and unfun. Perhaps you should consider a collection of EMs. Those were made in a time where the technology didn't exist to have game sounds.

Your really gonna piss off some EM lovers with that comment. I still love the LOUD and nostalgic sounds of bells on the 50s woodrails.

I may need to figure out how to turn the sound off.. or at least the vocals on my Shaq Attaq when I get it going. I've read that it's really annoying.

Yeah, I play on location all the time.

Really don't like hearing the game at least some...

That said, I do sometimes wish you could turn down EMs a bit

Put on headphones with some metal or techno or ambient, turn off the sound, and watch your scores soar. Most games have visual cues for the important shots, so the sound is just for the enjoyment of the game. Removing the game's audio helps your brain focus on vision (the shots). I see a lot of competitive players do this. I keep meaning to do this at a tournament to see how much better I do.

I played without sound on MM. It was not by choice. My sound amp went out.

have you ever tried to play when you're not high on dope?

playing games without sound is completely dead experience I think. You don't really realize how much sound adds to the game. I think it adds way more than say something like, flashers. Hell, I've had games were the flasher fuse was blown for a month before I noticed the flashers wern't working.

Every time I go to a pinball show with a DJ.

I get better scores with the sound off. Significantly better. It's a valid experiment.
Yes, there's a lot of entertainment built into the sound, but there is also a lot of distraction and tension.

As an example, a few weeks ago a friend brought over a Firepower he got as part of a 'barn' buy essentially. This thing was a basket case. After combing through a gazillion issues I got it fully playable but still had no sound. It was really weird playing it with no sound. Really weird. On an EM I think it wouldn't have been quite as strange but FP needs that sound. Once I fixed the sound issues (amp, bridge rectifiers, voltage regulator and 6808 chip) it felt like a full game. I too could do without flashers but no sound...

Touche!

I do think people claiming they play better have valid points though. Less distraction and tension from the sound could definitely help.

I have played without sound a few times. I find it distracting, since I'm thinking "Dammit! Why did the sound go out again?"

I use playing without sound as a test of how fun the game is purely on the merits of the table design alone. The best games are still fun with no sound. Add the sound back in and those games are usually over the top fun. I think there are lots of games that use sounds as a crutch to prop up a less than awesome playfield.

Maybe for a game like Gorgar it would help. The sound of the heart beat getting faster is very stressful.

Yep, I think more people should try this, before they dismiss the idea. I used to scoff at tourney players with headphones, not any more.

Entirely agree- had this happen on a Whitewater, following numerous other issues; was not at all enjoyable.

Well, there are lots of reasons to play pinball. I play with sound to enjoy and discover, and play without to score better.

Pinball is an experience and the sound is a big part of it. Sometimes scoring doesn't even factor into it, I just like to practice some shots.

The_Tell_Tale_Heart_S-312863714-large.jpg

did my wife pay you to say this?

not falling for it!

i like it loud!!!

My sons and I went to the boardwalk this summer and hit up a few arcades, tucked into the corner of the last arcade we went to was a LOTR. I told them that it was a great game and they would enjoy playing a game. Needless to say they had the volume set to 0 and the experience was horrible and boring, so bad that all 3 of us walked away with balls still to play.

If you're doing it to practice shots then I fail to see the purpose of no sound, if you don't hear the machine taunting you or the clock ticking to make your shot in a pressure situation than you're really not helping yourself.

Sound enhances the game it adds drama and tension, without the sound pinball is horrible, like doing a puzzle with the pieces upside down... it's seems incredibly dorky.

Sometimes if you do not want to hear another view point you shouldn't ask people for their opinions.

YES!!!!! Spot on.

The louder the better.

Sorry, I can't hear you.

This used to be my answer until I found out about the good locations here.

The sound design of a game is part of the presentation and a big reason of why I play. It's part of the immersion. How can you play a classic game like Firepower and not listen to that awesome spinner when lit sound? One of Bride of Pinbot's best aspects is the sound design. Playing Attack From Mars and missing the callouts, humor, and sound effects takes most of the fun away. People add subs or Flipper Fidelity or Pinball Pro speakers just to get back some presentation you're missing out on with factory speakers. Playing without sound sucks the fun away.

If you're easily distracted by the sounds of the game there are other things you can do to improve your scores too: rubber bands on the outlines, play with the glass off so you can catch the ball before it drains, play emulated versions of games on The Pinball Arcade. Or maybe try taking yoga and mediation classes to help you learn to focus on whatever task you are doing.

In all seriousness, if you can play without sound, more power to you. I need it to enjoy the game just like I need the GI to have working lamps, good score displays, etc. My first priority is to have fun when playing. In a tournament, fun is secondary to scoring so I can understand that some feel the need to block everything else out.

That's a stupid strawman argument, but yeah...why don't you go say that to Jorian Engelbrektsson, or any of the top 100 players you find playing in a tournament with headphones on.

This thread is proof that most of the competitive players have moved to Tilt Forums...

It sucks, one of biggest complaints about playing on location is not having the sound loud enough.