Quoted from nogoodnames222:
Just picked up a very clean LOTR last week, really enjoying it so far. Couple questions for you guys:
1. LED OCD, any reason to get a GI board? I haven't noticed any GI dimming effects but want to confirm I can skip it.
2. Playfield figures, I'd really like to remove these if possible... My machine has a couple additions (Boromir + Gimli glued on top of the pop flashers) which will require some new plastics I'm thinking. Any documentation on the best way to remove all figures from the game, is ordering LE-style plastics necessary or anything? I'll obviously be holding onto them for any future owner but I'm just not a fan, after seeing how clean the LE playfields look I'd rather go that direction.
3. Audio quality, any way to clean it up short of a Pinsound?
Thanks for any help!
Please see my post above with the YouTube videos.
I did not need the LED OCD for GI. But I sure did for the controlled lamps. Not sure why vs. others that say it is OK. I thought the strobing was terrible. I have converted several other pins including WPC, System 11. DE/Sega System 3, Bally -35 and (oh the horror) one EM. No issues with those, but this LOTR was terrible.
I volunteer as a tech at the Roanoke Pinball Museum and they got a LOTR LE with PinSound (I believe). I hate it. It added stereo music sound effects that would sound great, but they are interspersed with the original lo-fi mono sounds of the game. The contrast is terrible.
Unfortunately, it is the original game sound that is the cause for the distortion. Not even Pinsound can clean that up.
I left the backbox speakers as is. My experience with upgrading those speakers is that it just brings out the hash inherent in the sounds that were sampled at a lower rate in order to fit them into the limited sized EPROMs at the time. I had that happen when I blew out the backbox speakers (defective amp board) in a TAF and I put in 4" car speakers. The better high end of the speakers just made the sound worse.
But the LOTR can use an upgraded woofer in the cabinet. I did my own and am very happy with it.
If you can handle the hassle, then be sure to upgrade the software and install a shaker. The LOTR LE software for the shaker is very good. The standard LOTR can be upgraded to it.
http://homepinballrepair.com/index.php/install-a-shaker-on-a-lord-of-the-rings-lotr-pinball-machine/
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