For those that listen to music during competition play. What do you listen to?

Putting that on my phone which is virtually out of memory right now.:headphones:

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Thatā€™s pretty good. Thanks for sharing.

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Another great person to listen to is King Megatrip. To me, he is the mashup KING! Here is a good resource to check out some awesome (and free) hour long sessions.

Iā€™d recommend starting with the Cocaine Barbeque (the mix was so good I bought the T-shirt) and Caveman on Campus.

Enjoy!

http://www.bmbx.org/category/king-megatrip/

Pinball machines make too many call outs and mechanical noises that I rely on to play with music. Iā€™ll listen to music only sometimes when itā€™s super annoying at the bar and need drown out the crowd. Even then, I think I need bluetooth headphones because headphone cords really get in the way.

That also reminds me of one time I walked into a photoshoot for headphones at my local pinball spot. They had all the pinball machines blocked off and I had to watch as the models feebly pretended to play pinball. I keep my eye out for the ad but havenā€™t come across it yet.

I donā€™t play competition pinball but I find that doo-wop really helps me get in the zone. I vividly remember having an amazing ball on Attack From Mars while listening to ā€œPink Shoe Lacesā€. Iā€™m the same when Iā€™m doing any task, I just need that other part of my brain to shut up for a while.

Iā€™m still trying to work out what benefits me the most about music during the game. Itā€™s either the rhythm, the tone (if itā€™s upbeat, chill/aggressive or relaxing) or the familiarity. One thing though, Iā€™ll rarely listen to more than one song on repeat during any one game. Different tracks can throw me, especially if the changeover is during a ball.

Yeah thatā€™s totally happened to me before. Getting in the groove to a song, having a great ball, next song comes on and I just immediately drain.

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And then thereā€™s the embarrassment of draining faster than it took to put in your buds and start the music.

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Was going to create a new thread but found this one, reviving!

Any update to the thesis idea?

I find the idea that listening to music can improve your play fascinating.

Anyone want to share their thoughts if theyā€™ve spent more than a perhaps ā€œhealthyā€ amount of time and energy exploring this?

Iā€™m thinking that listening to the same song or small playlist each time might be beneficial since youā€™re being placed in a very familiar ā€œplaceā€ when listening.

I also wonder if consistency in tempo is important and if there is an ideal beats-per-minute to strive for (like there is for cardio workouts)?

Iā€™ve only tried it a few times with mixed results but so far gravitate to heavier electronica or metal tracks with a fast beat that is consistent throughout the song.

On the other hand, I feel like I play more relaxed/better when Iā€™m just chatting with a buddy while making shots (forces me to play more subconsciously). Maybe listening to a novel or podcast would work? Anybody tried that?

Lately Iā€™ve been doing one or two songs on repeat. If things are going well, then it just helps me get back into the groove and stay focused. If things are going poorly, I might switch songs to try and turn things around. (Itā€™s never to ā€œblock out external distractionā€. I always use it for blocking internal distractionā€¦ie: getting nervous or thinking too much about outcomes, rather than focusing on the ball in play.)

Acid Hip-Hop by Acid Reign was a favorite for a while. If I needed something a little happier: I Love It Restrung by Hilltop Hoods.

Lately itā€™s been two songs on repeat: Wait, and Two Tone Rebel, by e-dubble.

I think I like this even better than one song (as Iā€™ll just pause and pick up where I left off, whereas with one repeating song I always found the need to restart at the beginning of the ball).

Usually I only listen while playing, but if itā€™s late into a tournament and I start thinking too much about the stakes between balls, Iā€™ll keep listening.

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Disco & funk. Seriously.

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Jazz, Aphex Twin, but itā€™s a very specific playlist.

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You gotta go specific with Aphex Twin! I wouldnā€™t want ā€œVentolinā€ kicking in mid-ball. And SAW II might be a bit too sedative.

I only listen to Pinball Profile episodes that Iā€™m a guest on. Seriously.

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No wonder you fell out of the top 40.

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Syro is full of medium stuff. The recent one is good too. You gotta cherrypick through the others. I donā€™t go too ambient. I need lots of stimulation.

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Might I suggest In My Head by Betablock3r. I could listen to this on repeat while playing. Haha

I have a Spotify playlist downloaded specifically for when Iā€™m playing pinball, has about 200 songs and if Iā€™m somewhere with spotty connection having it downloaded still gives me access. Generally its a ton of stuff Iā€™ve heard a lot of, lots of rock and electronica.

Recently have been leaning heavily on William Onyeabor, his songs both get me into the headspace I want right away and are all generally 6+ minutes so if Iā€™m having a bafflingly long ball there isnā€™t any having to focus in on a new song starting. Also find listening to music while watching an opponent blow up a game helps keep me relaxed and focused on what my path will be to catch up to that.

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I have hundreds of songs from many playlists that I listen to when I play. Itā€™s funny because often I will end up associating a particular song with a particularly memorable pinball ā€œmomentā€, indelibly linking the two together forever. For me, the funniest of these links occurred in group play in Pinburgh a few years ago on ā€œGame Showā€. As I started the grind to repeatedly hit the center ramp over and over and over, Blink 182ā€™s song, ā€œBored to Deathā€ came on and I had a big grin on my face for the next 15 minutes as I chopped that wood. ā€œā€¦save your breath, Iā€™m nearly bored to death and fading fastā€¦ā€ indeed. lol. YMMV.

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I have experienced stuff like that too, Adam. Once I was playing TWD in league and I was listening to some dubstep(no idea who) and in the song the guy kept saying ā€œjackpotā€ exactly while I was in multiball hitting lots of jackpots!

I have found that I prefer more up tempo stuff like Dubstep, EDM, or Metalā€¦ But when playing EMā€™s or slower SS games it just doesnā€™t work for me so Iā€™ll switch to some classic rock or my new favorite Greta Van Fleet. Several years ago someone on Tiltforums or Pinside suggested The Bolt on Sound cloud( Mix Master Mike of Beastie Boys fame) as the perfect pinball soundtrack. I have to agree!