Pad Recommendations for College Gameroom

jef · Basic Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005

I am the supervisor of the student center of our local college and the manager of the gameroom. My boss recently saw some students playing DDR on one of the TVs in the lounge and asked me about getting one. So I've been looking into it. We are going to be using our PS2 and a dance pad.

Anyway, I've played DDR at the arcade and what not, but I'm not a 'freak' as the name of this site would suggest. I've been browsing through tons of topics and looking for information primarily on pads. The problem I'm running into is that I'm really concerned about durability. If to get somethign built like a brick I have to sacrifice some performance, so be it. If you were buying a pad that is going to be used in a gameroom by college students, what pad would you get?

While I'd love to give an idea of our budget, I've been challenged to 'put together a couple packages with pros/cons.'

Thanks a lot for any help you can provide.

ThePandemonium · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jul 2005

The BEST pad you can buy is a Cobalt Flux, but it is very expensive is they are $300 each.
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psisarah · Trick Member Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Location: Toronto

You need a metal pad, no doubt about it. Anything lesser won't last you a week with students frequenting in and out of the game room. Basically if you go with anything other than a CF you're going to be paying constantly for replacements. It is expensive yes, but the price will be worth it since you don't have to always pay for repairs/replacements.

Maybe look into renting a machine?
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jef · Basic Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005

mouseish · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:49 am Post subject:

Jef,

There are two pads that will work here. One of t hem exists in a number less than 30. Knowing about these types of applications, the only pad that is going to last is a Cobalt Flux. The soft pads will tear, the metal pads will crack and any other pad will probably break as well. Just my .02

kyj197 · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:10 am Post subject:

The best way to do is modifying it!
buy one soft pad, one dance pad cover and One playwood!

Put Playwood on the bottom, then put the soft pad on the top of the playwood. then put the dance pad cover on the top of the soft pad then use duct tape to hold dance pad cover!

By doing like this, you can save lots of money! ^^

Armadillo King · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:36 am Post subject:

Yeah, but soft pads don't really feel 'solid', even if you mod them, so I'd at least go for modding a foam pad (basically, getting an Ignition-style pad and replacing the foam with plywood). That should hold for at least a decent while, unless people actively go out of their way to try to damage/destroy the pad.
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noise_tank24 â¶â · Trick Member Joined: 22 Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH

Although I'm not a huge fan of the Cobalt Flux, I must say that it is the most durable pad out there. This pad may cost $300, but its simplicity in design means that you will not have to replace it. And, may I recommend that if you do go with the CF, order an arcade mod. Regardless of what type of arcade mod it is, it will help newbies feel their way around the pad and learn quicker.
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jef · Basic Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005

Thanks a lot for all the help. I'm gonna put the hard sell on for a Cobalt Flux. Ahh, the joy of begging for money is once again upon me!