The Pad Arena Thread:Which pad is better? Ask/Find out here!

yukihime · Trick Member Joined: 12 May 2008 Location: Philly, PA

right now (37 minutes left) they have an auction up for the same mis-represented pads ... $24.99 with free shipping - gamezforless is the seller name

And I honestly? don't think you'd be really happy with the controllers. They were, if I remember right, rather "skimpy" compared with, say, the standard konami flat pads.
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ChilliumBromide · Trick Member Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Location: Beaverton, OR

I just like the 11-button softpad chips for wiring; I can actually wire up 2 full controllers to them and use them for StepMania with my USB adapter. And they already have the axis override built in so you can press left+right and up+down.
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maxhavoc · Basic Member Joined: 28 Dec 2007

I'm looking for a good, high end soft DDR pad and from what I've gathered, it seems like two of the best soft pads are the Red Octane Ignition and the Blueshark Deluxe. I'd like to know which one people consider to be superior and why.

After shipping the Red Octane is $5 cheaper and has a 90 day warranty vs. the 30 day for the Blueshark so it seems like the Red Octane is better in that regard.

Anyone have some thoughts on this? Is there another soft pad that I missed which is better? Thanks.

ChilliumBromide · Trick Member Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Location: Beaverton, OR

maxhavoc · Basic Member Joined: 28 Dec 2007

Do you mean this? BNS DX Xtreme Fusion Dance Pad

http://www.buynshop.com/productinfo/4985/VG-DDR-ULTDX/

Pezzle · Trick Member Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Location: Pennington, NJ

I'm getting tired of the Red Octane customer service runaround. I wanted to build a home-brew pad to save money and get good performance, but I have never built anything in my life in that caliber. Is it possible I could pull it off if I followed the directions to an exact T? Or would I need better experience in being a 'handywoman'?

That being asked, the question is who has the better customer service with the best pads? Who do I know I can trust will have replacement parts in stock (aka not out of stock for 3+ years at a time)

ChilliumBromide · Trick Member Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Location: Beaverton, OR

Betson. But you don't want to waste $2500 on one of their pads.

You can definitely build a DDR pad, especially if you follow very precise directions. All the underlying principles are quite simple, so the biggest issues for rookie pad builders wind up being straightness of cuts and clean holes.
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Pezzle · Trick Member Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Location: Pennington, NJ

vividgalloper · Basic Member Joined: 07 Sep 2007

Hai I would really like some advice.

Im looking to buy a metal pad WITH BAR, preferably under 300 dollars.

- I would prefer to buy one off of ebay (is that a bad idea??)
- I am currently playing 9-10 footers and require a bar to move up to more challenging stepfiles

What is the most reliable and arcade replicating metal pad I can purchase off of ebay thats not going to break or have the bar snap off.

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vividgalloper · Basic Member Joined: 07 Sep 2007

just checked with my parents, it doesnt have to be on ebay

so I guess the question is really

what is the best metal pad with bar on the market?

Ive heard a lot about the blue shark but WHERE do you get it, I cant find any sellers on google

also what does ddrfreak think of ion and energy pads?
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Szalkow · Trick Member Joined: 09 May 2008

Unfortunately there are very few metal pads that have bars included and are of decent quality.

eBay is a particularly bad place to purchase metal pads - you will often receive lookalikes or cheaper versions which can break or wear down quickly. Purchase a metal pad directly from the company when possible.

The BlueShark from MyMyBox is hands-down the best metal pad with bar available on the market. The downside is that they sell out quickly and do not take back-orders. The next batch coming out in 2009 is already completely accounted for, meaning you'll have to wait a whole year to get one. That, and the pricetag is $550-$650 plus $50-$100 shipping.

The TX-2000 and other TX series are okay. The bar on these is a little fragile and has been known to wobble or break. They are more affordable than BlueSharks, costing between $150-$350 plus $50-$100 shipping.

The iON, Energy, Ninja, and other pads you mentioned are very cheap and not worth buying. Although they cost less and have a manufacturer site, no one on DDRfreak recommends them.

The other option available is to build your own pad with a bar. If you just want functionality and sturdiness, you can build a metal-surface pad with bar for $150-$200, plus more if you want to add some special tweaks. Homebuilt pads can be as sensitive as you want, and if they break you can fix them easily.

vividgalloper · Basic Member Joined: 07 Sep 2007

I have a two more questions

1. does cobalt flux make pads with bars

2. are you SURE I should go with the TX-2000 because I read a lot of bad reviews, If you say yes then Im going to get it for sure.

also trust me, I would LOVE to make my own, but Im a sixteen year old girl with no tools and no idea what to do hardware confuses me a lot, I can program a computer but cant build one...

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Szalkow · Trick Member Joined: 09 May 2008

vividgalloper · Basic Member Joined: 07 Sep 2007

http://www.fitnessandkids.com/TX-6000-Dance-revolution-DDR.html

what about tx-6000?

Im hearing good reviews about sensitivity on the TX-2000 thread.

I dont want to take chances with the 2000 because TONS of people over there said they were terrible

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Szalkow · Trick Member Joined: 09 May 2008

The bar is somewhat better on the 6000, and the sensors are less likely to break. You have my go-ahead, just look around a bit and make sure it's the one you want. And be prepared in case some minor repairs are needed.

ChilliumBromide · Trick Member Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Location: Beaverton, OR

vividgalloper; whereabouts do you live? If you're in Oregon or Washington, I will make you a 4" thick pad with a sturdy 1.5" oak and PVC bar if you can pick it up in Portland.
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PureBlue · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 2:19 am Post subject:

Alright, I'm probably going to get a metal pad soon. I'm trying to decide between a TX-6000 and a Cobalt Flux. Which one would be better for me? I'm a somewhat decent DDR and ITG player. I have a few heavy AAA's and about 5 **'s on ITG on my current pad which is an Ignition 3.0 but I want a pad is sturdy and will hold up with my playing and won't break after a year.

ChilliumBromide · Trick Member Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Location: Beaverton, OR

Cobalt Flux would be an easier transition from an Ignition 3.0, but the TX-6000 is much more arcade-like, so it really just depends on whether you're more interested in getting good scores without adjusting your style at all or playing well at the arcade.
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CGRemakes · Basic Member Joined: 23 Jul 2008

I'm interested in buying this pad, but there are so many pads that look the same, it's hard to know which ones are good, and which ones aren't.

http://www.gamezfl.com/Items/Item.aspx?sck=2996901&SKU=ups-(two)-foamddr2.5&caSKU=ups-(two)-foamddr2.5&caTitle=TWO%20PS2%20DDR%20v2.5%20Dance%20Revolution%20Foam%20MAX%20SUPERNOVA%20PAD

From what I can tell, it's a pretty respectable pad, but I can't tell for sure if it's the same Ignition pads they sell at places such as http://www.cyphergames.com/dadarev2sude1.html

Anyone have any experience with these pads?