I have only used metalic thread once. Had the right needle and it still wasn't working. I called my beloved repairman and he told me to jerryrig my spool so it was sideways to the needle, not sitting straight up. This was with a Baby Lock machine (which I no longer have). It made all the difference! I don't know why. I was quilting swirls into a waterfall and it worked beautifully. Hope this helps.
Also, I have just bought my first spool of the machine embroidery thread and can hardly wait to see how it works. If you go this route, let us all know!