Quoted from Rarehero:LOTR has a tube behind the translite
Oops! I missed the part about it being for translites. I was referring to the GI. 
(Topic ID: 28946)
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Scott Depot, WV
In Cyclone, cool white looked like crud behind the faces. Washed everything out. Warm white brought it back to looking right.
Another game I wouldnt let LEDs come within 10 feet of is Whodunnit. That game was born to be mellow.
Quoted from shardian:In Cyclone, cool white looked like crud behind the faces. Washed everything out. Warm white brought it back to looking right.
...but which type of cool white? That's the thing...when I was anti-LED it was cuz cool white made everything look shitty. But, for some reason that I don't quite understand, PBL's 4-LED cool whites are amazing and don't have that too-cool-and-weird look...somehow they bring out the natural colors of the translite in an amazing way. Fleshtones look great on my Shadow & Whitewater.
Quoted from gweempose:it was something like LOTR, however, I'd recommend warm white.
Ablaze doesnt make a warm white, do they?
Quoted from Rarehero:...but which type of cool white? That's the thing...when I was anti-LED it was cuz cool white made everything look shitty. But, for some reason that I don't quite understand, PBL's 4-LED cool whites are amazing and don't have that too-cool-and-weird look...somehow they bring out the natural colors of the translite in an amazing way. Fleshtones look great on my Shadow & Whitewater.
...All of them. 
I have one of every type.
The PBL 4led didnt exist back when I went through all my testing. Ablaze 3led was borderline too much in some places. I blows my mind that the 4led would look good. If those elements are the same as the element on the CT mini as they appear... just...wow.
Mini's werent the best for Cyclone's backbox. Frosted was best. But in other applications minis were best.
Correction: I used CT ww frosted for the faces, and color matched PBL 3led for everywhere else.
Quoted from AndHart120:For those of you using PBL 4-LEDs behind your translites, are you using cool whites? Terry recommended the warm whites but I'm using cool whites in the GI lighting (T2 and Rollergames).
WTH?
Did I miss it?
When did Terry had warm whites to the 4 SMD lineup?
Edit: just checked the site and sure enough, that bastard Terry added warm whites to the 4 SMD lineup very shortly after I just placed a huge order for a bunch of those LEDs!
This was news to me as well. For now, it looks like the 4-LEDs are the only ones available in warm white.
Quoted from shardian:...All of them. I have one of every type.
The PBL 4led didnt exist back when I went through all my testing. Ablaze 3led was borderline too much in some places. I blows my mind that the 4led would look good.
I'm telling you, it's different! I tried all the various styles in my backboxes ...the 3-LED, singles, supers, ...didn't really like any of them ...I had some 4-LEDs that I bought for spotlights and HOLY CRAP they were perfect. They're insanely bright, so I dont use them in every socket...sometimes 2/3 sockets, sometimes half is enough. Just look at the pics I posted of my translites earlier in this thread...what do you think?
I took pictures of mine and the pics look like crap-ola - nothing like real world. I still don't understand how folks get nice pics of LED games.
Yes your pics look great. Next time I order from PBL, I'll have to grab a few to try.
I used CT ww frosted for the faces, and color matched PBL 3led for everywhere else.
I did the same thing on my Dr. Who. Here are some pics from a while back when I was experimenting with frosted LEDs.
Pic 1: Incandescent bulbs
Pic 2: Cool White LEDs
Pic 3: Cool White LEDs with Warm White LEDs behind faces
At the time I didn't have LED's in the lower 1/3 and was just experimenting, so that is why it looks so dark on the bottoms. However, you can see in the 3rd pic how their faces look better with the warm white mixed in because there is more flesh tone and the flames around their heads also have a more natural look.
The only thing that sucks is the frosted were pretty spotty and at the time they didn't have all these options with LED's that do a better job of dispersing light, like cointaker supers and Terry's 4-LEDs. So now I have to redo all my machines because I always enjoyed how the LEDs made the colors pop but hated the spotting effected. Now is seems you can get the best of both worlds and I figured that day would come.
Quoted from Rarehero:I'm telling you, it's different! I tried all the various styles in my backboxes ...the 3-LED, singles, supers, ...didn't really like any of them ...I had some 4-LEDs that I bought for spotlights and HOLY CRAP they were perfect. They're insanely bright, so I dont use them in every socket...sometimes 2/3 sockets, sometimes half is enough. Just look at the pics I posted of my translites earlier in this thread...what do you think?
I'm going to have to try this the 4-LEDs in the backboxes. I've done some experimenting and found single LEDs, even frosted, produce a noticeable hotspot. In general they just looked bad. I assumed that 4-LEDs would just be worse, but you could be right. If the throw is wide enough they could make the whole backbox "explode with light". I only have one left, but I can't wait to get home and try it out. If it's not spotty, I'll place another order from PinballLife.
Quoted from shardian:I used CT ww frosted for the faces, and color matched PBL 3led for everywhere else
I agree with Ct's frosted for back boxes or PF GI. I think the cap offers a more even spread of light rather than the spotting I get from PBL's. PBL's are great for color coding the PF inserts.
I assumed that 4-LEDs would just be worse, but you could be right. If the throw is wide enough they could make the whole backbox "explode with light". I only have one left, but I can't wait to get home and try it out. If it's not spotty, I'll place another order from PinballLife.
Here's a work in progress...STTNG. The backbox is PBL cool4-LEDs, but not in every socket. Notice how it doesn't have that "bluey" cool effect!!! All GI is CT - mostly 2-LED Dome, some frosted for the ones visible to the eye. I had 2 Retros leftover, so I used those under the slings. Inserts are about 85% done ...I need to get some CT Flex Premiums as there are a lot of "side mounted" bulbs on this game. Again, must be noted...the blown out white spots do not look like that IRL.
I just did my Family Guy G.I. ...started with cool, but it just looked "off" - even though I liked some of the effects like making Brian really white...but the game is just TOO WARM to work with cool G.I. So, I tried some warm white CT 2-LED dome bulbs in the GI and it looked really sharp! After doing the back panel, I didn't like the intense glare of the white bulbs on the Stewie Mini Pinball plastic top. I'm not really a fan of using too much color, but I thought..hmm...the Mini Pinball "cabinet" is blue...why not some blue bulbs? Wow, it looks REALLY COOL! It illuminates the clear plastic & tinges the ramps in blue - but doesn't monochrome out the mini playfield due to the spotlights. Here's a pic, but as usual - it looks better in person. Blue LED doesn't photograph well...imagine it much "deeper" blue.
That mini playfield in blue looks exactly like what i dislike about LED's.. so I hope it looks better in person!
Here is my Jackbot with PBL 4led's with about 1/3 - 1/2 of the sockets filled.. like it.. still not 100% certain going to keep it unless I end up doing all my games cause i dont like how they look so different from my other games. HMMMM... I must say, MUCH better than any other bulbs i have tried (and i have tried most).. thanks Greg for the great idea.
Quoted from JoeJet:That mini playfield in blue looks exactly like what i dislike about LED's.. so I hope it looks better in person!
Well, again - it's not monochroming any art or features. It's just blue-tinging the clear plastic hood and a bit of the ramps. The playfield itself is still in full 'real' color due to the white bulbs in the spotlights.
Quoted from JoeJet:Here is my Jackbot with PBL 4led's with about 1/3 - 1/2 of the sockets filled.. like it.. still not 100% certain going to keep it unless I end up doing all my games cause i dont like how they look so different from my other games. HMMMM... I must say, MUCH better than any other bulbs i have tried (and i have tried most).. thanks Greg for the great idea.
Dude that looks BEAUTIFUL! Look at that color! You know you'll wanna do the rest of your translites!
Melbourne
Quoted from Squizz:Rarehero, have you done your SM mode inserts?
Can you buy Led's now that show each of the modes when completed becoming brighter and brighter?
This was the only reason why I have never placed led's in mine.
I haven't done it fully ,but I tested the CT 2-LED Premiums in the villain inserts and yes - they gradually get brighter!
Quoted from Pimp77:Dr. Who looks incredible, but Fish Tales...meh, either way.
Yeah, FT is more subtle...it had a lot of warm colors in it to begin with...but the water is now more blue, and other little things pop more.
Quoted from Rarehero:Yeah, FT is more subtle...it had a lot of warm colors in it to begin with...but the water is now more blue, and other little things pop more.
Yeah, the water looks nice, but the boat and fisherman seem washed out now. Maybe it's just the pic vs real life?
Quoted from gweempose:It depends on the color palette pf the game. I would expect cool white would look great on T2 and Rollergames. If it was something like LOTR, however, I'd recommend warm white.
I've got cool whites in some places in my RG right now. They look horrible. Horrible under inserts. Horrible under plastics. RED + COOL WHITE = HORRIBLE. HOR. I. BLE. HORRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIBBBBBBBBBBBBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Christ. 
Quoted from Frax:I've got cool whites in some places in my RG right now. They look horrible. Horrible under inserts. Horrible under plastics. RED + COOL WHITE = HORRIBLE. HOR. I. BLE. HORRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIBBBBBBBBBBBBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Christ.
Again - WHICH cool whites? Makes all the difference in color temperature and light spread.
Quoted from Rarehero:Again - WHICH cool whites? Makes all the difference in color temperature and light spread.
Specifically.. I will have to go check. Honestly, I have a hard time keeping it all straight, but I'm placing money on CT Supers that were left over from STTNG/Stargate.
Light spread definitely isn't an issue. It's the color temp. Brilliant white inserts just look crazy out of place on that game, and make the team logos look like crap. And in the GI, they make the red "girders" look Donkey Kong pink.
Quoted from DrStarkweather:PBL is currently out of Red 3LED 555s....
waiting for them to reappear before I order again.
Been out for a good while too methinks. I wanted some for Rollergames, and wasn't able to get them with my last parts order either.. that was over a month ago.
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