# Arcade1up TMNT Mega Audio MOD!

**Source:** RetroRalph  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2019-10-22  
**Duration:** 14m 8s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHt1kt-Ken0

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## Analysis

Retro Ralph demonstrates a comprehensive audio modification for the Arcade1Up TMNT cabinet, featuring HAP Competition joysticks, an amplifier with subwoofer, ground loop isolator, and upgraded marquee. He discusses installation challenges with joystick fitment, compares stock vs. upgraded components, and showcases the dramatic audio improvement with gameplay demonstrations. The mod is presented as incomplete due to control panel cover fitment issues but successfully enhances the gaming experience.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] HAP Competition sticks have better spring quality and center return than stock Sanwa clone joysticks — _Direct comparison shown with physical demonstration of spring response and stability_
- [HIGH] HAP Competition sticks are too deep and positioned too close to cabinet edge, preventing control panel cover from fitting properly — _Physical demonstration showing gap when attempting to install cover plate_
- [MEDIUM] Arcade1Up TMNT cabinet stock PCB has a grounding issue causing hum that can be resolved with a ground loop isolator — _Retro Ralph states he 'noticed that there's a little bit of a grounding issue' and added isolator to solve it_
- [HIGH] Adding a subwoofer and amplifier to stock Arcade1Up speakers dramatically improves audio without replacing the original speakers — _Demonstrated in gameplay footage with audible rumble and bass response; states speakers sound great without replacement_
- [HIGH] Arcade Game Factory Gen 3 marquee has zero light bleed — _Direct statement with emphasis: 'Zero light bleed with you. No light bleed.'_

### Notable Quotes

> "I told myself I wouldn't even buy this one because I had already made one, and then I made another one. This is actually my third DMNT."
> — **Retro Ralph**, Opening
> _Indicates strong enthusiasm for TMNT Arcade1Up model; shows repeat purchase behavior_

> "I know guys it's overkill but when one of the Foot Clan blows up and you hear the whole cabinet rumble it's so worth it."
> — **Retro Ralph**, Audio mod section
> _Justifies subwoofer addition despite acknowledging it as 'overkill'; emphasizes immersion enhancement_

> "The beauty of it is I didn't really have to mod much. So you'll see that everything's still controlled by the stock, you know, volume control."
> — **Retro Ralph**, Amplifier discussion
> _Highlights ease of integration through existing Arcade1Up volume control via 3.5mm jack_

> "It's a little frivolous but guys seriously it just makes it so fun so it's probably a cheaper way to do this but oh my gosh i just love it"
> — **Retro Ralph**, Final audio demo
> _Acknowledges subjective 'luxury' nature of mod while defending its value proposition_

> "I have this really kind of dialed in for the way this is right now...the way 1UP has it all wired, you can control it right out of your, this audio jack, which is really cool."
> — **Retro Ralph**, Amplifier setup
> _Praise for Arcade1Up's design allowing easy audio modifications through standard 3.5mm jack_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Retro Ralph | person | Video host and content creator demonstrating Arcade1Up TMNT audio modifications |
| Mark Kim | person | Person in Retro Ralph's production environment; makes jokes about his jacket appearance and is mentioned as present during filming |
| Arcade1Up | company | Manufacturer of the TMNT arcade cabinet being modified; provides stock speakers, PCB, volume control, and 3.5mm audio jack |
| HAP Competition | product | Premium joystick upgrade featuring improved springs and center return; installed despite fitment issues with control panel cover |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade1Up) | product | The arcade cabinet model being extensively modified; third unit purchased by Retro Ralph; serves as primary subject of video |
| Tulsa Arcades | company | Supplier of custom front panel and non-functional coin door modification for cabinet |
| Arcade Game Factory | company | Manufacturer of Gen 3 marquee for Arcade1Up TMNT with zero light bleed |
| Matt Scott Evans | person | Creator/designer of Arcade Game Factory Gen 3 marquee; credited as 'Version 3 is badass' |
| Sanwa | company | Manufacturer of JLF original arcade joystick used for comparison; stock cabinet includes Sanwa clone |
| Aurora Bass Shaker | product | Rumble/haptic feedback device mentioned as alternative mod approach; used in movie theaters; tested in past video |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Arcade cabinet audio modification, Joystick upgrades and compatibility, Arcade1Up hardware customization, Sound amplifier integration, Subwoofer installation
- **Secondary:** Control panel modifications, Marquee upgrades
- **Mentioned:** Coin door cosmetic modifications

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.82) — Retro Ralph expresses enthusiasm for the TMNT cabinet and modifications despite acknowledging some as 'frivolous' or incomplete. He praises component quality (HAP sticks, Arcade Game Factory marquee) and emphasizes the value proposition of audio enhancement. Honest about limitations and challenges (control panel fitment, incomplete aspects) but frames them as learning opportunities rather than failures.

### Signals

- **[design_philosophy]** Arcade1Up TMNT generates high enthusiasm among modding community; repeat purchases indicate strong appeal despite stock limitations (confidence: high) — Retro Ralph purchased three units; states TMNT 'hype is off the charts right now'; demonstrates comprehensive upgrade path
- **[market_signal]** Arcade1Up TMNT driving strong aftermarket mod ecosystem with premium component demand (HAP sticks, amplifiers, subwoofers, marquees, coin doors) (confidence: high) — Comprehensive ecosystem of compatible upgrades discussed; Retro Ralph purchased third unit; multiple suppliers offering solutions
- **[product_strategy]** Arcade1Up design enables easy audio amplification integration via standard 3.5mm jack without requiring major modifications to PCB or stock speaker wiring (confidence: high) — Retro Ralph demonstrates that amplifier hooks directly to existing 3.5mm audio jack and stock volume control still functions; minimal PCB modification needed
- **[product_strategy]** Third-party suppliers (Tulsa Arcades, Arcade Game Factory) have developed compatible upgrade components for Arcade1Up TMNT addressing stock limitations (confidence: high) — Coin door assembly from Tulsa Arcades; Arcade Game Factory Gen 3 marquee with zero light bleed mentioned as improvement over standard
- **[product_concern]** HAP Competition joystick depth and positioning create physical fitment incompatibility with Arcade1Up control panel cover due to cabinet design constraints (confidence: high) — Detailed demonstration showing control panel cover cannot close with HAP sticks installed; requires Dremeling cover or alternative solution
- **[technology_signal]** Stock Arcade1Up PCB exhibits ground hum issue requiring external ground loop isolator for clean audio output (confidence: medium) — Retro Ralph identifies grounding issue and implements 3.5mm ground loop isolator to resolve hum before connecting amplifier

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## Transcript

 Hey guys, welcome back. In today's episode, actually wait, wait, wait, whoa, whoa. Before we get started, I was literally walking into this room, and Kim's like, Oh, hey Retro Ralph, are you going to coach a kid's soccer team? No, no I'm not. But she said it because of the jacket, it made me feel self-conscious. So thanks, classic Kim. Thanks a lot. But anyways, yeah, she's kind of right, I probably do look like that. But whatever, you know, she's right about a lot of stuff. But anyways, that's not what we're here to talk about. We're here to talk about TMNT again. But this time, we're talking about the ultimate, the mega audio mod. Okay guys, so it is no surprise that the Arcade 1-Up Hype Train is off the charts right now because of TMNT. I told myself I wouldn't even buy this one because I had already made one, and then I made another one. This is actually my third DMNT. And although this episode is focused on audio, I'm first going to cover the joystick. So I didn't like the way the stock stick felt. I felt like the inside of the stick just had a little bit too much wiggle, so I wanted something with some stability. So I chose the Hap Competition sticks. You can see just from touching them right away, they're a quality stick. Like if I move the stick to the side and let go, it bounces right back to the center. It just has like a really good quality spring in it. It just feels awesome. So I'm going to show you, you know, how that was and how I installed those. But the thing is, every mod goes a certain way. This one is actually incomplete right now. So I do want to share with you, you know, some of the trouble I had with this mod because it may either deter you from doing it or it might challenge you to actually try to make it happen because there's one element that I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. So let me show you the control panel and I'll show you what my issue is and then we'll get to the audio mod. All right, so I already unscrewed the control panel, so I'm going to shut it off, and I'm going to take it out, and I'm going to unhook the bottom ribbon connector. So as soon as I show you the underside, you're going to immediately see what's wrong with it. Okay, there's no cover on it. So there's problem number one is there's no cover. So you can see right here as I pan across it, there's actually no cover on it. And you'll also notice that these sticks are really close to the end, which is a reason why the cover is not on it. I can't actually fit the cover on it. There's two problems. So problem number one is the sticks are way too close to the end. Now I'm going to show you what problem number two is. Problem number two is the depth of the stick is way too long, so it actually hits the bottom of the actual plastic plate. That's a problem. I'll show you right now. Here, I'm going to put the cover on so you can see. Okay, so I'm using the cabinet to rest the sticks on and you'll see I'm gonna put the try to put the cover plate back on And as you can see it actually never goes all the way down. There's a gap right there at the bottom So that's because the sticks are actually hitting right here So I had an idea that I would actually dremel out the squares because in actuality you wouldn't see this So that is one solution I could go with I could dremel out a rectangle right here and the sticks would show through but very very little and honestly I don think it really affect anything and then I could do that on every side So that one option. I'm not sure if I'm going to go with that yet but I just wanted to let you know that if you decide to put the half competition sticks on that may be an issue that you encounter. So just keep that in mind. Okay so quickly I wanted to show you this is the stock stick. This is actually a Sanwa clone. There's nothing actually wrong with this stick necessarily. It's just it's a little bit of a wiggle stick. Wiggle it just a little bit. I want to hear you wiggle it. So this is actually a Sanwa original JLF, the OG JLF. You'll notice JLF on the right, wiggle stick on the left. I'm actually not dissing the wiggle stick. It's actually not bad, but these clones are what you'd find in lots of China things. You'll find them in Pandora's boxes, the consoles, like those little consoles you buy with the two players on them. But anyways, what you're going to notice in the Sandwise, it's just the shaft itself, like the spring is a better quality, so it doesn't have that wiggle stick to it. So anyways, I'm not saying this is bad, the stock stick, but if you want a better experience, one that's closer to the arcade, I'd say either upgrade the springs in this one, which is pretty easy to do. You just remove this little restrictor here. Keep in mind, you need to push this down when you do that, because otherwise this goes shooting out. But anyways, or you could just do the Sanwas. So whatever your choice is, but I decided to do neither one and decided to be really difficult and do the Hap competitions, the Hyup, the Hyup competitions. But anyways, we're done with that part of it. We're going to go straight to the audio mod because that's why you came here. The audio mod. Let's do it. Oh my gosh. Before we get to the audio part, I forgot to mention the fine gentleman at Tulsa Arcades, we got this front panel and coin door. So we actually replaced the, oops, sorry about that. Well, I'm hitting all sorts of stuff. We actually replaced the front kick plate with one that's got a coin door. Now that isn't a working coin door. I went back and forth on this, but there is a four slot coin door. It's super expensive guys. Even Retro Ralph is not going to do it. Although there's people in separate modding groups that said they're gonna, Obviously this is non-working. If you want to do it functional you could do four coin slots and you would map each slot To actually each player one button because what one up does is player one Start is actually coin as well. So you'll notice that if you keep hitting it. It'll say cowabunga cowabunga cowabunga So that's because that is actually coin and start which is what they do on most of their systems So anyways, I think it looks pretty good It's just there for aesthetic purposes and long term what I like to do and I say this in all my mods is I like To put the audio amplifier right here, which I didn't do for this, but that's what I usually like to do. So Without further ado, let's get to the audio because I keep procrastinating Okay, you guys gonna think I'm joking but there's one more thing. So this is the arcade game factory gen 3 marquee This is the best one yet and it looks Amazing and there is no light bleed zero I want a light bleed with you. No light bleed Okay audio mod time, okay, so we're in the back of the machine this is what we have going on So actually you not gonna really be able to see this but the stock speakers above I actually left them stock I just put different wiring to them and that wiring goes directly to this amplifier that right here So John Youssi I actually added an amplifier for this mod but the thing that I did is I did leave the right and left stock but I added this subwoofer. So I know guys it's overkill but when one of the Foot Clan blows up and you hear the whole cabinet rumble it's so worth it. So anyways This is the amplifier I chose to use. It's pretty sweet. This is like a kit amplifier that you could... Oh, shoot. I probably shouldn't have touched that. It's a kit amplifier that you can use for... You can actually make this, you know, put it in any kind of sort of enclosure you want. But it does support a subwoofer, so you've got volume control, bass treble, and then your front speakers you can control independently. So right now, I don't have this mounted or anything. Sorry, I'm getting that feedback from my finger there touching that. I have it really kind of dialed in for the way this is right now. The beauty of it is I didn't really have to mod much. So you'll see that everything's still controlled by the stock, you know, volume control. And that's because the way 1UP has it all wired, you can control it right out of your, this audio jack, which is really cool. This 3.5 millimeter audio jack. So you can actually hook anything you want up to this. what I did is I have this going you're probably wondering what this piece is so I noticed that there's a little bit of a grounding issue with the one up PCB where it gives a little bit of a hum so I actually put a ground loop isolator in there and that seems to solve that problem and then this actually is just a 3.5 millimeter jack that goes into the input of the audio amp so it's on that left hand side so anyways that's really it I'll have links in the description of this amplifier so you can see. I'll also have a link to the sub. I mean it's overkill guys but it's still really fun. The one other thing I haven't tried I'm gonna go get it real quick and bring it back. There's one other thing I was thinking what could be fun for this and I've showcased it in a past video. I'm gonna get it real quick and bring it over. This is an Aurora bass shaker so I don't really know how this would work in an arcade one-up cabinet. It might rumble it to absolute hell but these are really fun so if you haven't played with these before they're a really fun way to get that really awesome bass response, that rumble. They use these oftentimes in movie theaters under seats to get that rumble bass effect. But anyways, it could be kind of cool. I didn't try it. It might rumble the hell out of this cabinet and honestly rattle. I'm not really sure. But one of those things, I have a video, I'll put a link up above to it, but I did a review of this Aurora Bass Shaker before and it was pretty fun. We used Afterburner as the test game. But anyways, let's go straight into the front so you can see what this thing sounds like. Okay, guys, so we're over at the front of the cab. I'm going to turn it on real quick. We'll start a game. And then I'll put the volume up so you guys can see what's going on here. So I only have the amp hooked up maybe halfway on the volume. So you'll notice that it's extremely loud. But I do have the stock speakers right here. So you'll see. I'm just going to give you guys a quick demo. So if you're watching this from a phone or something like that, it may not have the full effect but I don't know if you can tell that but when the Foot Clan dies, it's really, really loud. But it just makes it honestly this makes it so much more fun I know it a little frivolous like to try to yeah frivolous is the word right yeah for frugals when you don spend money yeah so it a little frivolous but but guys seriously it it just makes it so fun so it's probably a cheaper way to do this but oh my gosh i just love it it's silly it's a silly mod guys i mean but and there's many ways you could do this but i just think this is just, it takes the fun to another level. I mean, you guys probably can't tell, but it is rumbling the hell out of everything. I'm sure Kim in the other room is totally loving that I'm doing this video right now, just trying to watch TV. But anyways, I think this is really cool. I'm going to lower the volume really quick. Let me know what you think of this. Obviously, there's some incomplete things of this mod, and there's things that have to work on but as far as like the amplifier and everything you could totally you know utilize an amplifier like that or a different one or anything like that but just putting bass in the cabinet makes such a huge difference so I don't care how you achieve it it makes a huge difference and the fact that you can integrate the stock speakers for the treble and bait the the treble and mid range is totally fine it's out they sound great there's really no reason reason to change it I'm gonna show you something real quick before we wrap it up it was a failed attempt at upgrading these speakers I'm gonna show you really quick before I do my final thoughts. This right here was the old marquee and I had bought speakers to replace the back. The problem was is the back panel actually hits the magnets on the back of these so this actually didn't work but come to find out after I added the bass I really didn't need to upgrade the speakers they sounded great. So anyways just food for thought if you ever do decide to upgrade these back speakers maybe don't use a three inch speaker this high or or use a smaller lower profile 4 inch because those actually will fit. Okay, I was upstairs editing the video and I can't believe I forgot this, but here's a feature of the amp that's pretty cool. If I press this in once, it's now in pairing mode. So I'm going to go to the front where I've already paired my phone to this and I'll show you that you can play music. So it's kind of like having a jukebox as well. So kind of cool to have Bluetooth audio on your arcade as an added bonus. Okay, so here's my phone. I have no idea why, but when I go to record this side of the screen, you can't see it very good. But anyways, I'm going to play and you'll see. Oh, yeah. You got a jukebox and an arcade. It is final thoughts time. Oh, hap! I love myself some hapsticks! These things are awesome. It's not the original arcade, they had ball tops, but damn do they feel good. Scott Evans, you did it again, my friend. Version 3 is badass, and there is no light bleed in sight. Great job. Definitely recommend a pick it up. The Coindor, super frivolous, serves no purpose, but looks cool. Oh, the hapsticks. Hap, hap, hap! I hope you guys enjoyed this video. Don't forget about the subwoofer. It is awesome, also frivolous. But if you like this video, please like it, please consider subscribing to the channel and guys Thank you for watching and we will see you on the next one. Take care

_(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: a071dc2b-12ad-428d-8a95-e5e34eb9ce5d*