ALL Soft Pad Discussion goes HERE

herbal_remedy · Basic Member Joined: 06 Mar 2003

Since I'm new to this thing, I just bought a couple of el cheapo especial pads off eBay for like $30 shipped. I'm going to try the plywood mod and if I get into DDR I'll try something bigger/better.

ChefGhost · Trick Member Joined: 06 Mar 2003 Location: Spokane, WA

Ke6dRRtY · Trick Member Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Location: Mesquite, TX

Yeah I tried splicing it once but the cord I tried it with had very fragile wires and I couldn't get it to work. I got another cord tho, just haven't gotten around to splicing it again.

ChefGhost · Trick Member Joined: 06 Mar 2003 Location: Spokane, WA

BTW, how long does the foam in the BNS DX pad usually last? This is with the plywood + pad covering mod under pretty serious play for one to two hours a day.

shinobier · Trick Member Joined: 18 Feb 2003

theguru1974 · Trick Member Joined: 31 Mar 2002 Location: Richmond, VA

Hi -

I need some new soft pads and have these simple requirements:
1) Must be arcade-sized
2) Must NOT have any extra foam inside, no zipper, just a regular pad

I have some soft pads now that BNS no longer makes, they are arcade-sized, very flat, and when modded on wood with a dance pad cover they are 100% flawless - until they wear out which mine have started to do.

Any suggestions? The only pad I could find that satisfies my requirements was the "MYMYBOX SPECIAL EDITION ARCADE STYLE DANCE PAD" shown here:
http://shop.store.yahoo.net/mcpmall/20007003.html

Thanks for your input,
Eric

Ke6dRRtY · Trick Member Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Location: Mesquite, TX

I think the Mad Katz Beat Pad 2.0 is about arcade sized, or it might be a little larger. I've heard these pads can be awesome when modded.
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categories/products/product.asp?pf_id=222136

ChefGhost · Trick Member Joined: 06 Mar 2003 Location: Spokane, WA

monkeykins · Trick Member Joined: 24 Feb 2003 Location: East Lansing

If you are talking about the Ultra DX foam inserts, the foam in theory should never wear out. This stuff is pretty hardcore.

Update on my situation: BNS has still not returned my e-mail, and their web site still does not work. I salvaged what I could and built a metal pad (which works great and makes me very happy). I still have a working BNS-DX Ultra, but I seem to have torn the top of it doing sit-ups. Slapped a piece of duct tape on it, and it still works fine. I won't be using the soft pad very often any more, since I like the metal pad better.
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pathos · Basic Member Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: Austin, TX

Hey, the search feature here keeps timing out, so I'm sorry if this has already been discussed (a cursory skim through this topic didn't show anything up.)

I just got the RO Ignition 2 pads, and after modding them with a plywood cradle & carpet runner they feel great. The one big problem, though, is that I have men's size 13.5 feet, and while I can fit completely within the 'dead zone' circle on the ignitions, it still causes phantom button presses since it pulls down on the pad material which will trip the nearby button sensors.

If I really work hard I can find a position where I'm not tripping any buttons, but it's a real pain and it's not easy to sustain. Mostly it makes navigating the interface a royal pain and my feet are killing me.

I'm thinking of just getting a 1/2" sheet of that insulation stuff mentioned in another guy's mod example and putting a square of that under the dead zone, since maybe it'll elevate it to where it's not tugging the arrow button sensors as much.

But I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem (good lord it's so annoying) and if so how they dealt with it.

thanks!

Ke6dRRtY · Trick Member Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Location: Mesquite, TX

It might just be the carpet runner is too tight. See if you can loosen it up a little then try again. While the runner should be fairly tight, it can cause these phantom presses when too tight.

pathos · Basic Member Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: Austin, TX

nah, the way i did it, i took a 34.5" x 38.5" piece of 0.75" plywood and lined the edges with 0.75" x 1.5" strips of pine (so there's kind of a 3/4"-thick fence) except for the top part where the cord comes out.

and i screwed the carpet runner into the bottom of the plywood.

so really it's just like a little short box that the pad sits in pretty snugly. i can take the pad out and it's completely normal; nothing's affixed to it.

and the problem happened even before I did anything to the pad anyway... just standing on it on the carpet the up or down buttons would be permanently pressed.

argh.

Ke6dRRtY · Trick Member Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Location: Mesquite, TX

Oh I know what you're talking about now. I have size 15 feet, but what I just do tho is never stand in the middle.

ChefGhost · Trick Member Joined: 06 Mar 2003 Location: Spokane, WA

pathos · Basic Member Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: Austin, TX

but that sucks! browsing through the UI is a big pain standing to the side of the pad.

is there any kind of PS2 peripheral that acts as a splitter, so you can hook the pad and a normal PS2 controller up at the same time to port 1? that way i could use the controller to choose songs and options and stuff, and the pad to play on...

Ke6dRRtY · Trick Member Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Location: Mesquite, TX

Some DVD remotes have a controller port built into the receiver so it doesn't waste a port, maybe that would work?

ChefGhost · Trick Member Joined: 06 Mar 2003 Location: Spokane, WA

dvdashot · Basic Member Joined: 15 Mar 2003

Just registered to say that I modded my MadCatz pad with TommyGun's instructions and it works great! Still a bit of slipping but response is beautiful and bunching is completely gone. I'm going to have to think of something to get rid of slipping. Perhaps drawer liner. Thanks TommyGun!
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limegreenpotato · Trick Member Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Location: las vegas

HI, um yea i think i have the same problem as pathos cuz i have 2 red octane pads and on each one of them like if im in the center then the up arrow will react its like i can either hit the up arrow or stomp on the middle to make it react on the game its so annoying!!!!! so yea if anyone can help me id appreciate it. like do i need to take it apart or mod it or what?

thanks
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Sleepydrakos · Trick Member Joined: 08 Mar 2003

I recently modded my softpads using .5 thick ply wood that has the same measurements as the pad. I then strapped it down and it works ok for my ignition pad but my cheapo MadCat Pad could be better - cant feel the buttons.

I also read a misleading site called creating a DDR PAD SANDWICH. I purchased 2 pieces of plexi glass measuring 31.5"X31" and it looked delicious. But I quickly realized that although you can wear shoes on this pad, the weight is distributed throughout the entire pad on any single stepping.

Now for what you've all been waiting for:
My question is how can I use plexiglass so that it does not affect the entire surface of the pad while just pressing one button.
Examples of what is happening. I stay in the middle and selections are made. I stay in the middle and arrows are being pressed. I stay in the middle and the game resets. AGGGHHHH! I feel I just wasted $30 on this step.

So if anyone could help a fellow DDR Freak/Nut so I can spare my $30. and use the plexi glass somehow. I would greatly appreciate it!!

Thank you for viewing,

Dave