DDR: How to begin?

[Pendragon]

I'm probably somewhat unique to these forums, as I've only played DDR three times. Last summer, I was lucky enough to spend some time with some guys who had DDR stuff, and I got to watch them play. I was only able to play three times, but after that bit and after watching one of the guys (who was phenomenal) play, it fixed in my memory. The outlay of money is too much to buy for myself, but my cousins (two) are in need of Christmas gifts, and given that they are active and own a PS2, DDR came to mind. Needless to say, DDR is not to be played with a gamepad, so I come to you with a question:
What pad(s) are best to start out?
I am limited in available funds, and I do not know whether or not DDR will be enjoyed, so I can't spend a large amount of money, but I would like to get them either one high-quality pad, or two lesser-quality pads. If DDR ends up being popular, they can (and probably will) upgrade. To start off tho, I need to find a pad solution that will give them a representative experience without breaking the bank.

Hard pads would be preferable in terms of gameplay, needless to say, but soft pads are much cheaper. Is there a soft pad that is stable enough to accomodate dancing?
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Admin, Source Films
The Half Life 2 Machinima Team

[-Mystik-]

go to the console game forums, it has a discussion about hard pads.
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[Phrekwenci]