Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast (LE)
Stern, 2018
Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast (Premium)
Stern, 2018
Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast (Pro)
Stern, 2018Quoted from Rdoyle1978:I’m not super familiar with the pros - my Premium sure as heck looks like it has speakers smaller than 5.25”; could there be some variation in the builds?
The Premium uses the same speaker plate as the Pro, so likely has the same crappy speakers as the Pro. So the Pro upgrade instructions and parts would work on a Premium, too. I'll update the OP.
Where is the settings to change Ohms in the latest software? I get crackles and it's mostly when entering high scores or at the end of the game. The music doesn't seem to be a problem. I am tempted to try this amp work around, sounds interesting.
I just can't believe how many things need to be done to make an expensive LE work properly. This is unreal.
Has anybody used the audio out jack on the spike board to feed a subwoofer?
I understand you would have to use the subs volume controls to control sub volume separately but won't this work just as well as the PinSub kit for just the cost of a cable?
I also want to use the subwoofer pin (7) on CN5. i think attaching the coax (center) wire from an rca to pin 7 and shielding to pin 4 may be the way to do it, but not sure. Can anyone confirm?
Quoted from Jsiegerman:I also want to use the subwoofer pin (7) on CN5. i think attaching the coax (center) wire from an rca to pin 7 and shielding to pin 4 may be the way to do it, but not sure. Can anyone confirm?
Yes, that should work.
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but my question is related to the discussion above and the awesome instructions that PinMonk provided. I’ve been trying to improve the audio on my Iron Maiden Premium. My first step is always to use an external powered sub (Polk PSW10) with cables attached to the cabinet woofer. I wanted to experiment with backbox speaker improvements so I bought all the parts to swap in the LE speakers (Kenwood 1366S). I can’t get these speakers to sound as good as the stock paper cone 4” speakers - using the 4 ohm setting sounds horribly muddled, and 8 ohm is too bright and clips often. For now I’ve put back the stock speakers, but would like to experiment further with the Kenwoods and external amplification. The Pyle amp in the OP is no longer available but similar ones are, and I’ve already ordered the parts from Digikey to tap into CN5 - including line level sub output to replace the speaker level output I’m using now.
Question: Does using line level output bypass ALL of the processing done by the built in system, including volume adjustment? It would really suck to have to go into the amp mounted in the backbox to adjust volume all the time.
Really hoping an external amp will help me here - I’m pretty stumped at why the LE speakers sound so crappy with the built in amp. Never owned an LE but I’d be pissed if this is what I got out of the box.
Quoted from TinyBlackDog:Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but my question is related to the discussion above and the awesome instructions that PinMonk provided. I’ve been trying to improve the audio on my Iron Maiden Premium. My first step is always to use an external powered sub (Polk PSW10) with cables attached to the cabinet woofer. I wanted to experiment with backbox speaker improvements so I bought all the parts to swap in the LE speakers (Kenwood 1366S). I can’t get these speakers to sound as good as the stock paper cone 4” speakers - using the 4 ohm setting sounds horribly muddled, and 8 ohm is too bright and clips often. For now I’ve put back the stock speakers, but would like to experiment further with the Kenwoods and external amplification. The Pyle amp in the OP is no longer available but similar ones are, and I’ve already ordered the parts from Digikey to tap into CN5 - including line level sub output to replace the speaker level output I’m using now.
Question: Does using line level output bypass ALL of the processing done by the built in system, including volume adjustment? It would really suck to have to go into the amp mounted in the backbox to adjust volume all the time.
Really hoping an external amp will help me here - I’m pretty stumped at why the LE speakers sound so crappy with the built in amp. Never owned an LE but I’d be pissed if this is what I got out of the box.
Increasing the volume increases the amount sent to the external amp, too. I don't think there's a way to avoid this using the pinouts on the board.
There are plenty of similar or even better mini amps in about the same price range. Doesn't have to be exactly the one in my original post that's NLA now.
This is one of the cheapest ways to make it sound better, though.
I’ve completed my upgrade and am finally happy with the audio setup on my Iron Maiden prem. I upgraded the cabinet speakers to the currently shipping LE speakers (Kenwood 1366S w/ all necessary 5.25” plates and colored rings as listed in first post). This alone didn’t improve things much if at all, but an external amp made a big difference.
I went with a really cheap amp and power supply that I mounted in the backbox with Command strips. Power supply is plugged into the utility plug on the main power supply.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CMJRQ7S
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088897J2D
My amp uses a 3mm audio plug for input so I used a three foot 3mm patch cable instead of dual RCA cables when making my cable to CN5.
I also use a powered external sub (Polk PSW10) and added an RCA cable from CN5 (pins 7 + 4) that goes to the line level input on the sub. I used a 3 foot cable to the bottom of the backbox then a 10 foot extension cable out the bottom of the cab to the sub. This had the added benefit of eliminating a ground loop hum I was getting since I share one sub with two machines.
I still hear a tiny bit of clipping on some sound effects, but I’m convinced this is in the original audio mix. The music sounds incredible now and I am hearing sound effects that I never did before (like crackling flames).
Quoted from TinyBlackDog:I went with a really cheap amp and power supply that I mounted in the backbox with Command strips. Power supply is plugged into the utility plug on the main power supply.
amazon.com link »
amazon.com link »
My amp uses a 3mm audio plug for input so I used a three foot 3mm patch cable instead of dual RCA cables when making my cable to CN5.
If you check the power of the AC adapter you've plugged into the service outlet, you maybe be able to clean the install up further. If it's 12v and less than 2A you can cut off the end and make a wire harness that just plugs into the power distribution board in the backbox or the coin door interface board in the cabinet. If you do that, make sure the harness you make has a small fuse just a bit bigger than what the amp pulls inline to protect the machine in case the amp shorts out.
Quoted from PinMonk:The crackling sound when you crank Iron Maiden is most-likely clipping of the on-board amp that is not up to the task of driving the JBL speakers. Fun fact: There is no standard for audio output (and mix levels?) levels between each Stern release. That can cause problems like this.
The solution? Use the line level output and hook up a small, inexpensive external amplifier in the head.
This took a while to round up because my first efforts were using the specs in the Iron Maiden manual. Silly me. The line out CN5 connector specs in the Iron Maiden manuals are wrong. This thread has the RIGHT specs for CN5, including two versions of the connector.
THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE SPECIFIC TO IRON MAIDEN. The Line Out has changed all over the place on the Spike/2 boards, so the details need to be adapted for other Spike/2 machines.
The built in amplifier on Iron Maiden LE shows strain when paired with the JBL Studio speakers, clipping when the volume is turned up into the 30s or so. The solution? Get a cheap external amplifier that can drive the JBLs better. To do that, you need to use the Line Out connector on the Spike/2 board. Pro/Premium owners can also upgrade their speakers AND amplifier to get sound better than the LE comes with.
I'm still waiting for parts to finish the Pro/Premium conversion, which I'll add to this when they come in, but I have the information and parts for the cable that adapts the pinouts to an RCA cable you plug into the amp, which you then plug into your existing LE JBL speakers. So let's get that info out!
To make the adapter, you need an RCA cable (I grabbed one out of my abandoned wires box):
[quoted image]
a connector housing (this is the 6 pin version) - Digikey Part number 281838-6
[quoted image]
some molex pins - Digikey part number 0016020087
[quoted image]
and some shrink tubing (not pictured, harbor freight has variety packs)
There are TWO kinds of boards in the Spike/2 Iron Maiden run. Both have a CN5 connector, but one has a 6 pin CN5 and one has a 7 pin CN5 because the woofer output was added. You first need to figure out what kind of board you have. Look at the area below the CPU on the Spike/2 main board. The area highlighted in this picture is the revision:
[quoted image]
Revisions 520-7031-01A, B, C, D or 199-7031-00A have a 6 pin CN5 connector and the pins are arranged like this:
[quoted image]
Revisions 520-7031-01E or 1997031-00C have a 7 pin CN5 connector (7th pin for a line out woofer), and the pins are arranged like:
[quoted image]
Revision 199-7031-00B was never produced, according to Stern.
So, cut the RCA cable, leaving about 18 inches from the cut to the RCA ends of the wire:
[quoted image]
Separate the wire halves for about 2 inches, then strip the insulation off each one. On each wire, you'll have a "loose" insulation wire and another, smaller insulated wire inside. Twist the copper "loose" wire so it's in one piece on each of the wires.
[quoted image]
Twist the two copper wires together and put some xtra-small shrink tubing over it (not shown), leaving a little bit of the copper peeking out the end. Shrink the tubing over the copper (ground) lead.
Cut a piece of small shrink tubing and slide it out of the way on the RCA wire so it's there for later (copper wire does not have small shrink wire on it in this pic):
[quoted image]
Crimp the molex pins on the Left (white), Right (red), and copper lead. These pins are SMALL. I used a magnifying glass.
[quoted image]
The two (legs) on the top and bottom of the connector FACE the CN5 connector, so they should be pointing right if you have the connector vertical in your hand.
[quoted image]
In that orientation, plug the red into the top, white next, then the copper lead in the 3rd position from the top. They should "click" and you should not be able to tug them out. Slide the shrink tube up so it's snug against the connector and shrink it to the wires.
[quoted image]
Your adapter is done, and you're ready to plug it into the Spike/2 board in the backbox. Turn off the machine and plug it in, like so:
[quoted image]
Then plug the RCA connectors into marked L/R input jacks on the back of the Pyle amp you got from Amazon (amazon.com link ») :
[quoted image][quoted image]
Then make a speaker cable adapter to plug into your JBL speakers (or just desolder the existing connector and solder the speaker wire straight to the speakers, noting the striped wire is +/red if you have naked copper speaker wire) and connect those wires to the output clips on the pack of the Pyle amp. You are good to go at that point. Make sure the amp volume is ZERO when you initially turn the machine back on, then slowly increase it until you get the level you want. This amp can overdrive the JBL speakers, so you won't be able to run it at max.
For the Pro/Premium conversion to better 5.25" speakers, you need to get the following parts (I got them from Terry at PinballLife - they take a LONG TIME and cost about $100 total, shipped):
2 x 515-1941-00 - speaker plate with threaded posts spaced for larger speakers
2 x 545-1046-02 - hard plastic red trim piece that goes around each new speaker
2 x 626-5113-00 - soft foam gasket/spacer
8 x 254-5000-01 - small plastic standoffs
These parts are pictured in the exploded drawing on page 40 of the LE manual.
Having completed the Pro conversion now - pictures to come - I would recommend ONLY doing it if you play your maiden at high volumes where it DOES sound AWESOME with this conversion. However, at low location-friendly volumes, it makes a difference, but it's very subtle (mostly cleaner highs).
Now that this project is done, how about these projects?
Reinforce the crappy Stern leg plates so the newer cabinet wood doesn't split at the corners:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/reinforcing-stern-cabinet-legs-step-by-step
Replace the noisy stock spike power supply fan with a much quieter one:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/replacing-stern-spike-noisy-ps-fans
Fix mid-game Spike resets:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fixing-stern-reboots-on-spike
Fix your LEDs and LED Flashers in spotlights so they don't pop out unexpectedly:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fixing-led-bulbs-flashers-that-fall-out-of-spotlights
Soooo….if you have the 7 pin type. Just ignore the seventh pin when plugging a six pin Connector?
Quoted from Gorgar666:Soooo….if you have the 7 pin type. Just ignore the seventh pin when plugging a six pin Connector?
Pretty much. The 7th pin is just for the woofer line out.
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