ALL Soft Pad Discussion goes HERE

banal_o_rama · Basic Member Joined: 06 Aug 2003

Hi, first post ^^.

I started playing DDR in April of this year as a means to lose weight, which has so far been going along swimmingly; I'm a solid 6-7 footer now (OK, 5-6 foot in the arcade ~_~), and I think I've dropped about 20 lbs. without dieting. I bought a Redoctane Ignition back in June to replace my crappy Toys R Us pad, and it sadly conked out on me (sticky arrows, phantom arrows, and general lesser responsiveness) in less than a month and a half. They were nice enough to send me a new replacement, which I just received, but I'm leery of getting onto it without a few reassurances.

1. I've heard that RO's are very durable, but to the people that have had them for a long time, how long or how often do you play? I weigh between 200 and 250 (I don't know exactly how much--I refuse to get on a scale until I'm sure I'll like what it says), and I play 1000 calorie workouts on average 4 times a week. At my level of skill that's 50 songs, so about 2 hours of play time. Does anyone else play that much that often? If so, did your pad hold up OK? If it's just that I had a bad pad, then I'll feel a lot better about it, but if the RO can't really take the kind of abuse that I give it, I'll be sort of upset. I really like the pad, I'm just worried about its longevity. I didn't think that I was hardcore enough to break a pad so quickly XD.
2. Is a cover a good investment? I haven't seen too many mods for Ignition-type pads that could help prolong their lives, so it seems like a cover might be the best and only way to go. Of course, if anyone can give me pointers on how to shore it up myself, I'm all ears.

In general I'm very very pleased with the RO pad, just disappointed that this one gave out so early, and worried that it might happen again. It was an expensive proposition even on sale

;;.

Thanks!

Swinky · Trick Member Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Location: Fort Collins CO

I bought a cypher games deluxe ignition version 2.0. It worked well until one day when I had a bunch of friends over. Dispite having two fans running, the room got really hot and somewhat humid. At that point, the right arrow began to stick. It still does, weeks later. My questions about this are:

1) Could the arrow be sticking because of the humidity/heat in the room?

2) Could it also be do to the fact that one of my friends is a really heavy stomper?

3) Is there a way to get it to stop sticking, or is it time to buy yet another pad?
_________________

"I am a banana!"

Ebisumaru · Trick Member Joined: 06 Jul 2003

For the Tommy Gun Mod do I use the cover like this?

I'm getting the exact ones he has off ebay. So It should work good.

Swinky · Trick Member Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Location: Fort Collins CO

Ok, I've been looking at my pad from the above post by me. In troubleshooting, I realized that if I take the foam out, the pad works perfectly. Is it possible that its static electricity with the foam or something? Or maybe is the foam just too big?

_________________

"I am a banana!"

Dubble Oh Kevin · Trick Member Joined: 07 May 2003 Location: Reading, MA

KiMMery · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2003 12:11 pm Post subject:

Hey, my friend and I just impulsively bought DDR Konamix for the original Play Station and a Mad Catz Beat Pad. I'm starting to worry about this Beat Pad now. We only got it because it was the only one they had, and now I'm wishing I had bought an official one, just because I've never trusted Mad Catz in the passed.

Any reviews on this pad? We only bought one, but if it's good I wanna get another...The only thing is I can't open it if I wanna return it, which is so lame, I won't get into return policies...

Another thing is about modding. I've had the CHEAPEST little soft pad ever for the passed three years - it's some old-school knock-off. I've never bothered to mod it, because I knew it wasn't a permanent thing. But if this Mad Catz one meets standard, I should probably mod it.

What mod would you recommend? Almost my entire house has carpet floor, and the place I'd probably play is carpet.

My friend - he's got dibs on the first mat - has carpet, hardwood, and linoleum in his house, and I have no idea where he wants to put it. I'm asking about the best mod for him too, because he's not a forum-friendly kind of guy.

Any help? Do you even remember my requests? I'm getting a little off-track here...

Reviews for Mad Catz Beat Pad. Advice for modding. Danke.
_________________

got stream?

Yan Man · Trick Member Joined: 29 Sep 2002

hey everybody mi friend is lookin into a new mat since his mad catz one is busted but he doesn't know which one to choose... he's either goin to get a redoctane ignition 2.0 (http://www.redoctane.com/ignitionpad.html) or a mymybox premium dance pad ver 2.5B (www.mymybox.com) sorry i don't have a direct link to the mymybox pad. Can someone tell me which one would be better? thx alot!
_________________

Yan Man who doesn't have time to make a sig yet...

DDRDanceBoy · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2003 9:46 pm Post subject: Question about modding

Can you mod an Ignition pad with a 1" foam insert? I just upgraded from a Mad Catz to them, big improvement, but I'm starting doubles, and despite the pretty good non-slip bottom, they're coming apart when I accidentally step in the middle of them. So I was just wondering if there was any way to mod them so that they won't move. All the soft pad mods I've seen have been for ones without foam inserts, and I'm not to big on stapling when I'm risking the foam.
_________________

Sometimes there's a sig, sometimes there's not. If you're reading this, there either is, or there isn't, depending on how you look at it.

yyr · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2003 5:38 am Post subject:

You can try the low-tech method of duct-taping them together on the bottom, but the combined platform will probably slide around some. It would be better to attach them to plywood somehow.

I just wanted to leave a note here that Konami is re-releasing their official pad in the US! The DDRMAX2 USA Game & Controller bundle is now available for pre-order at ebgames.com (and probably everywhere else). I don't know if they'll be selling the pad separately, but they didn't when it was bundled with DDR USA, so I figure they won't. Anyone looking to try the official Konami pad should go for it, as the bundle is priced only $20 more than the game itself! (game is $40, bundle is $60)

~yyr
_________________

My GameFAQs reviews
Play Snake360 today!

easy · Basic Member Joined: 25 Aug 2003

i'm not sure where to put this, so i'm putting it here because although these are hard pads, they're not metal. please advise if i should ask somewhere else or if this has already been covered.

i am totally new to DDR. i'm not ready to shell out the cash for a pair of cobalt flux pads. i'm curious about some pads i've seen. they are a hard plastic and have eight circular buttons on them. does anybody around here have experience with these or know where i can find a review? any information is greatly appreciated.
_________________

NO!!!

diabloslayer469 · Trick Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Location: Neo-Geo Land

About TommyGun's mod: Do I need to sand down the pieces of wood? How does it help? Do I need to use double-sided carpet tape? I plan on moving the pads around from the playing area to under my bed. What clear covers is he talking about? Where can I get them? So I get the plywood, place the pad on it put the telephone cover around the arrows, put the cover on, and then use electrical tape to secure it?

Boogery_Boy · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2003 7:56 pm Post subject:

diabloslayer469 · Trick Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Location: Neo-Geo Land

Boogery_Boy · Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2003 11:38 am Post subject:

What is this telephone wiring thing you are talking about?

As for the difference in the covers: nil. Really. Just buy the cheap stuff from Lowes/Home Depot whatever, then make a sheet of it by arranging it the right way/possible taping it into a proper sized sheet.

And yes. you tape the pad after the cover is on top and the plywood is on the bottom.

diabloslayer469 · Trick Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Location: Neo-Geo Land

Boogery_Boy · Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2003 5:33 pm Post subject:

I guess that would be a matter of preference, but if your a decent enough player, i guess it really wouldent matter at all.

dOoM BoOtS · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 7:39 am Post subject:

aha! right forum! okay......oh yeah, i've been playin DDR for about a year now, im pretty good....but i've just started on doubles because i just managed to get a second pad, now my problem is i cant play doubles!!! because the pads are slidin all around and everything, i've tried tape and that works like crap and im out of ideas....i know not too much thinkin going on in my head now, but anyway one pad is a redoctane, my first pad its nice...but gettin old a little worn, the other is i believe a madkatz one...so what can i do? please help!!!! should i just mod them with wood idividually or seperate or what!?!?!?!?! ahhh!!!
_________________

Fact: Everyone loves monkeys. Next fact: my pants are loaded with monkeys--300, to be exact. Final fact: If you don't love monkeys, you're un-American and the terrorists have won.

Robert H. Magnusson · Trick Member Joined: 18 Jan 2003

(moved from a new topic) I wanted to know if anyone has picked up the wireless dance pad, made by third-party hardware manufacturer Pelican, and how it compares to my current favorite pad, the Naki DPR2, especially in terms of feel and durability. The wireless gimmick seems very arbitrary to me, but if it lasts long enough to warrant paying $10-15 more than Naki's soft pad, I might consider it. I've found most of the damage to my home pads has been less wear and tear from dancing than from folding and storage; Pelican's pad claims to have a lifetime warranty, but what specifically is covered? (The box claims to replace your console if use of the controller damages it; that has been the furthest thing from my mind, damage wise, with dance pads. Usually I unfold it to find a fatal crease on the down arrow.) GameStop, for one, carries the wireless pad for $35 and $20 for the soft pad. (The lights on the Naki pad seem like a pointless gimmick at first, but they help to determine if a sensor is being activated when it should be or not if it isn't.) Simply put: for a retail-available pad under $50, which can you most recommend?

(P.S.: I mostly play DDR, usually MAX, some Konamix, some original PS, soon lots of MAX2, upstairs on a wood floor in the space between my entertainment center and my bed (the Naki DPR2 just fits there without me hitting my ankles on the bed on the down steps, but it does slide a little)... I weigh about 160 lbs., if it matters. The official Konami pad I got with the first DDR PS1 game still sort of works, but the seam on the bottom has torn apart. Also, the highest difficulty song I've gotten an AA on is 5 (Take It To The Morning Light, and 3rd Mix Dynamite Rave, both Light.)

-- Robert H. Magnusson

Ayukawa · Basic Member Joined: 12 Aug 2003 Location: Syracuse, NY

xxaznflavahxx · Basic Member Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Location: south jersey

ok i dunno if anyone asked this question before but my computer is really slow. is there anytype of covering i could put on top of a soft pad dat allows me to slide. i kno sum of the soft pads are made of sum type of material dat allows you to slid (sorta like nylon). i once thought about puttin plexiglass over my pads but i realized that may weigh down the buttons and all. any suggestions?