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Dog_E
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Joined: 19 Apr 2005
Location: MN |
100.  Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 12:38 pm Post subject: Re: Afterburner vs TX-3000 |
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| swackerl wrote: | Okay, so it looks like the Afterburner is now released and available for purchase on the RedOctane website. I'm new to DDR and would like to get a metal pad. I had my eye set on the Afterburner before I realized that shipping will add $50 onto the price (I thought their free shipping offer covered metal pads, which it doesn't).
So now I'm left with the decision of getting a TX-3000 ("tournament edition", no bar) off of ebay for around $195 shipped or an RO Afterburner from RedOctane.com for around $250 shipped. I want a pad that will last the longest and if it breaks I'd like to be able to modify it to work again (that's the only thing that worries me about the TX-3000). I know that few people have tried out either pad, but does anyone have a suggestion either way for which pad looks the most reliable? The RO warranty doesn't mean much, as I'd rather fix a pad myself than pay $50 shipping to have RO send me another broken one. |
Alright, I'll give my oppinion on this one. Mind you I have no experiance with playing on metal pads and I have an Afterburner ordered and waiting to ship.
So with that in mind I can give you a decent list of reasons why I chose the Afterburner over all the other pads out there and why I think you probably should too.
First, lets talk about the TX-3000. People in the USA have had a lot (and I mean lot) of problems with these pads. The ones shipped to Europe seem to work really well but we've had no such luck with them in the states.
First off you have the problem of the TX's wiring. The way it is shipped it seems that the wires to the contact system have usually slipped out of the little bracket they were ment to fit into. Meaning that unless you open up all the panels and secure the wires back into place your going to end up with torn wiring that your probably not going to be able to fix unless your pretty handy with a soldering iron.
The second big problem with the TX series is the arrows. The arrows used in TXs are made of acrylic. This is an extremely thin and fragile material that is likely to break on you within the first week. And by "break" I dont mean just crack a little bit, I mean split into 3 or 4 peices and or shatter from one stomp.
Unless you weigh under 100 pounds you are going to end up with some seriously broken arrows within the first few months I think.
Also, you can't replace the arrows with a TX. There just doesnt seem to be any store out there that sells replacement arrows for this kind of pad. So that will mean that you will essentially have to go somewhere and have some poly carbonate or lexan cut to the appropriate size and then duct tape sheet metal to them and insert em' back into your pad. This would get really expensive really fast I think.
Lastly, you will have to sheet metal mod all the arrows on your TX if you want it to last for more than a week. Although this will only cost $20 or so its likely that after your arrows all break you will have to pay another $20 to do this mod again on the new sheets of lexan you just paid $30 or more for.
So now that I've talked about all you can expect to go through with the TX pads lets talk about the Afterburner.
Basicly, no one has really played much on this pad so its hard to say exactly how it will preform. But we do know a few things about it.
1. The arrows are made of polycarbonate. This makes them 10 times (or more) more durable than the TX's acrylic arrows. Although if you stomp hard enough you still may crack the arrows after a few months of play. However, in the event that your arrows do crack after enough strain you can always but replacement arrows off of Red Octane's website at a reasonable price.
2. The pad uses sheet metal contacts instead of the rather worthless foil contact system pads like the TX use. This means that your not going to have to do the sheet metal mod on this pad. That alone saves time and money.
3. The wiring system has been completely upgraded from the last RO metal pad. The wiring now connects to the bottom of the contact plate instead of the upper corner of it. This means that customers should no longer experaince any problems with arrows dying because a wire pulled out and they had to resolder it.
4. And finally, this pad should feel more arcade-like than any other pad on the market. Its the only thing out there with recessed arrows and a steel center/corners. It seems to me that if you just practice at home in an effort to get better for when you go to the arcade then this is deffinately the pad to buy.
So after all this talk I think I have explained my reasoning behind why I think your much better off with an Afterburner than a TX. Sure the Afterburner is going to cost you an extra $50 up front, but I think that the extra $50 is going to save you a lot of time, hassell, and money over time.
Red Octane is really the only way to go here 
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swackerl
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Joined: 10 May 2005
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| 101. Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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| The TX-3000 is the TX model with the stainless steel face, so I don't think it would have the arrow breaking problem that the TX-1000/TX-2000 had. However, you raise a good point about the wiring (foil vs sheet metal). Does anyone else agree or disagree? |
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Thomas Hobbes
Trick Member
Joined: 20 Aug 2002
Location: San Francisco // NorCal |
| 102. Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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I'd rather get the RO After Burner if I were you.
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Dog_E
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Joined: 19 Apr 2005
Location: MN |
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Shogun
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Joined: 02 Apr 2005
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| 104. Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Mine has also shipped. Should get here next week. |
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Jeremy37077829
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Joined: 20 Jan 2005
Location: New York |
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Thomas Hobbes
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Joined: 20 Aug 2002
Location: San Francisco // NorCal |
| 106. Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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I think they can only charge tax(es) if you're in the state that they're in. RedOctane is in California so it's 8.50% tax here.
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tepp
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Joined: 07 Apr 2005
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| 107. Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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Mine has also shipped... ETA FRIDAY!!!!
I am so sick of my softpad.... I am stuck B'ing Red Room cause I just can't get my !@$#@!$ softpad to register all my jumps.... it was so frustrating today trying just once to A that song... for an hour... and failing because the pda would miss too many jumps.
I wonder if I can talk my boss into letting me come home early friday.... |
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Dog_E
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Joined: 19 Apr 2005
Location: MN |
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do_da_cha_cha
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Joined: 06 Oct 2003
Location: NWI |
| 109. Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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I can AA just about every 9 on ultramix/ultramix 2 on my softpads....the jump windows aren't THAT small...my pads are over a year old and are standard madcatz beat pads mounted to plywood....don't worry, you'll get the hang of it
I can't pass any 10 footers without shoes though, so I will be either building my own or buying an AB/CF in the next few months...
dare I say CF could be in trouble?
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edschmoe
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Joined: 05 May 2005
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| 110. Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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| do_da_cha_cha wrote: | | dare I say CF could be in trouble? |
Man I am in the same boat as you, I still play on a soft pad. I'm not sure that CF is in trouble yet though. Nobody knows how long these pads will last. imo |
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tepp
Trick Member
Joined: 07 Apr 2005
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| 111. Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 8:45 am Post subject: |
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| do_da_cha_cha wrote: | | I can AA just about every 9 on ultramix/ultramix 2 on my softpads....the jump windows aren't THAT small...my pads are over a year old and are standard madcatz beat pads mounted to plywood....don't worry, you'll get the hang of it |
Standard konami orange and green pad sitting on top of an area carpet, that is lying on top of wall-to-wall carpet. No plywood mods.... It's got a very slushy perfect window. You have to stomp to get it to register and sometimes it just won't take the stomp even though you know you did it.
It works okay until you get to songs with lots of jumps back to back, because I can't stomp and jump fast enough, my jumps don't have as much weight as when I just stomp around, so it misses jumps. Very frustrating.
But, tomorrow this ugly orange and green pad will be banished to the closet, and a new reign... of the Afterburner... will begin 
I wonder if I drag my pad all the way to the hallway, where there's a wood floor... if I can pass Red Room today? I may try, seeing as if I wreck the konami pad I will shed no tears.... |
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drummerdude781
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Joined: 20 Mar 2005
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| 112. Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 11:08 am Post subject: |
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| Ohh snap, I just ordered mine last night. These will be an excellent replacement for my stupid ignition ripoffs, which lasted like 2 months. At least they were a good deal, 2 for 50 bux, but now afterburner is going to kick buttocks. I'll give a report when they come. |
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qu1ck
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Joined: 07 May 2005
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| 113. Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 1:49 pm Post subject: |
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I'm definitely getting one. I hate practicing on softpads, then walking to the arcade and sucking because I'm so off.
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qu1ck
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Joined: 07 May 2005
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| 114. Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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| do_da_cha_cha wrote: | I can AA just about every 9 on ultramix/ultramix 2 on my softpads....the jump windows aren't THAT small...my pads are over a year old and are standard madcatz beat pads mounted to plywood....don't worry, you'll get the hang of it
I can't pass any 10 footers without shoes though, so I will be either building my own or buying an AB/CF in the next few months...
dare I say CF could be in trouble? |
No offense but the Ultramixes have some pretty crappy songs on them 
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Dog_E
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Joined: 19 Apr 2005
Location: MN |
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sephiroth1215
Trick Member
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Yorktown Hts., NY |
| 116. Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 4:42 am Post subject: |
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| If I order mine with ITG does that mean I have to wait for the release? |
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Johancrowind
Trick Member
Joined: 30 Aug 2004
Location: Wayne NE |
| 117. Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 7:52 am Post subject: |
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| Dog_E wrote: | | Quote: |
I just don't think its possible to even pass Orion .78 (civilization mix) on this Gamestop soft pad I'm working with right now. Playing in socks with this pad ontop of 3/4" thick partical board I just can't get the kind of spring in my feet needed to ace all the jumps in that song. |
Okay I take it back, after warming up with Matsuri Japan (standard), Abyss (standard), Holic (standard), Paranoia Evolution (light), and Max 300 (light) I was able to pass Orion .78 (light) with a C.
The jumps are crazy fast but it is quite possible to do them on a softpad. I think my inability to complete this song was more due to my skill level then it was the actual pad. Just one of those songs that I have to be in "Overdrive mode" to pass I guess 
Oh wells... I'll get better with more practice. I've only been playing for a month anyway.
But now that thats said, back to the Afterburner talk. Just thought I'd note that I was mistaken when I blamed the pad for my lack of skill. |
I thought you ment on heavy? .. even so most softpads can handle Orion 78 civ mix on heavy.
I dunno if im getting this pad or CF i'll just have to see. |
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nekura
Trick Member
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
Location: Bellevue, WA. |
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Jeremy37077829
Trick Member
Joined: 20 Jan 2005
Location: New York |
| 119. Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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| sephiroth1215 wrote: | | If I order mine with ITG does that mean I have to wait for the release? |
That is a good question. I am guessing yes.
As for the pics that nekura provided, that pad is an absolute beauty. Mine should be coming in a couple days now. Ill give a full review with pics and maybe video tape myself doing a song on it.
Those who have gotten your pad, where are you from? I am all the way on the East Coast and haven't gotten mine so you guys have to be from the midwest or (I hope) near New York.
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