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Yeehaw McKickass
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Joined: 06 Oct 2002
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0.  Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 11:06 pm Post subject: FAQ about Arcade DDR |
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1998.
The beginning of the revolution.
Not many people could have imagined that a game with a simple premise, and an innovative interface could spark people all around the world to get up and dance to minute and a half long songs. Even more surprising is the popularity in American arcades, where fighting and driving games previously ruled the day.
At current, Dance Dance Revolution often serves as THE game to draw people into an arcade. This is largely due to the sights and sounds of the game, and the sights of players seemingly flailing to hit certain parts of the stage in synch with arrows scrolling up the screen.
But there?s another side to the game, as there is to every game made. Arcade games require a surprising amount of work to keep in top shape. DDR machines require a bit more because of the type of human interface.
As such, this FAQ is geared towards the operators side of things, though it does address several common player-side questions, and is based off of frequently asked questions on DDRfreak.com?s DDR Arcade Games sub forum. You can see the ongoing FAQ thread there.
Optimally, this FAQ should be useful for arcade operators, players looking to purchase their own machine, or anyone curious about an arcade DDR machine.
Table of Contents:
Common Player Questions
Bootleg Mixes - Hacked versions
DDR Extreme - Extreme and hacked version questions
Miscellaneous - Others
Operator Questions
DDR Arcade Operations - Operator Mode, Joint premium, etc.
Physical Specifications and Maintenance - Sizes and Upkeep
Up/Downgrading and System Errors - Brief answers on changing mixes,
and some common errors.
Buying a Machine - Where to buy, sample costs
Miscellaneous - Other questions
Common Player Questions
Bootleg Mixes
Q: My arcade has a DDR machine called DDR Megamix (or Extreme Plus). What?s the deal with these?
A: Congratulations, you're privy to what's essentially a poorly made bootleg of Extreme. You can expect lots of messed up backgrounds, machine glitches, and Freeze Arrows that start like blocks.
Q: My Extreme has .25x, .5x, Brake, and Wave selectable. Why doesn?t this other arcade have them?
A: The guys over at the Aaron in Japan forums decided to snoop around the extreme programming and found the tags to activate those modifications. They also activated a few different oni steps for songs too. While pretty cool, this is technically a bootleg version.
DDR EXTREME:
Q: Why are there only a small amount of songs in Extreme?
A: There are several different list sortings in Extreme. Default only shows a small portion of these. Hit  and  at the same time to access the others.
Q: Can I get the modes in the Trick oni course other places in the game?
A: No, unless your arcade is using the hacked version from the AIJ forums.
Q: I went too far on the Option Select screen between when I picked my song and before it starts. Is there a way to go back to a higher row and change that setting?
A: Yes there is. Hold either or and press start button to back up to a higher row.
Miscellaneous
Q: My machine has memory card slots. How do I use them?
A: See Cutriss? Memory Card Faq both on forums and in the main site?s FAQ section for instructions on that. Note that you MUST use a Playstation one memory card in a DDR machine. Also you have to have a link file only accessible through a Japanese mix or download.
Q: I just matrix walked and broke the screen, what do I do?
A: Expect one (or more) of several consequences, ranging from other local players wanting to beat the life out of you to being arrested for destruction of property.
Q: Will an arcade disc work in anything other than an arcade cabinet it.
A: No. Older mixes (on the 573 board) discs won't function any setup other than a 573 board. PC's can access some of the information, but not play the actual game. DS Fusion and DDR Supernova are locked to the new Bemani PC system.
Operator Questions
Arcade DDR Operations:
Q: How do I get to operators mode?
A: When you open up the top (coin) door on a ddr machine and look in, you?ll see one of two possible configurations.
The first configuration (Japanese machine) has two knobs arranged vertically and an on/off switch to the left, three red buttons in the middle, and 8 small knobs to the right. To enter operators mode, press the button in the middle.
The second configuration (Korean/international machine) is simpler, containing two knobs, a coin meter, and two buttons in the top right. The two buttons are white and red. The white button is service credit, while the red button will put you in operators mode.
Q: What are the unlock codes?
A: There's an announcement by Phrekwenci right at the top of DDR Freak?s arcade sub forum and in the FAQ section for Extreme under Songlists & codes The second link also includes instructions on how to input the codes.
Q: Where's Joint Premium at?
A: It's in the operators menu, under coin options. You?ll have to try several different combinations of coin settings to activate it though.
Some bootlegs might put it in a different place.
Many arcades will not activate this option, as it has the unfortunate side effect of cutting profits. It's usually activated for a special occasion or situation--or if they don't know any better.
Q: What's event mode?
A: Sfetaz (a vivid member on the board who owns an Extreme he rents out) answered this question, here's his post as a link to the orginal thread:
| Quote: | Sfetaz came out NOWHERE to say:
Event mode at the arcade is different from home versions. At the arcade, you can still set the number of songs for event mode. Lets say you set it to 4 songs. There is no failing in event mode. After the 4th song it shows your total score for all songs. Then instead of the credits screen, it will go back to the green screen with the logo and will say "Dance Dance Revolution". Then you can start a new game. You can still fail in nonstop and oni mode. In those modes you cannot set a high score. |
Q: Ok, I know what event mode is, how do I get to it?
A: Put the machine on free play, then hold down the service button (only) when exiting the operator's menu.
Q: Where?s the volume control?
A: Volume controls are the two knobs inside the coin door. The top knob controls treble, the bottom controls bass.
Q: It's still not loud enough, can I hook up more speakers?
A: Sure, there's two RCA Audio jacks (red and white) on the back of the machine. There's also what looks like a VGA port, which is actually an external monitor hookup. This will be on the opposite side of the power cord.
Q: Any way to change the amount of time to pick songs?
A: The only way that's been found so far is event mode, which just eliminates the time limit.
Q: Can Fail be turned off?
A: Only if your machine is bootleg. This link has some information on turning fail off completely. Otherwise you?d have to use event mode to disable game ending failing.
Q: Can Auto-Fail be turned off?
A: Yes, it can. It's under the game options menu as "Fail during song". If this option is changed, you fail at the end of the song.
Physical Specifications and Maintenance
Q: Monitor size?
A: 29". With some bracket reinforcement you can also use a 27? monitor.
A: Ok, how big is the entire sucker.
Q: Most web sites that sell the suckers list this:
"H2252 X W1780 X D2760 mm"
Doesn?t do a whole lot of good for U.S. residents, so let?s do some conversions.
First off lets get this sucker to meters:
Height: 2.252 meters
Width: 1.780 meters
Depth: 2.760 meters.
Ok, now feet:
Height: 7.38845 Feet
Width: 5.8399 Feet
Depth: 9.05512
Depth probably includes the pad at full distance away for some reason, so you can knock about 6 feet off that number. Making a machine small enough to fit through a standard doorway.
Height includes the marquee. With the marquee off, a machine is around 6? tall.
Q: On the topic of the pads, How much do they weigh?
A: 221 lb. per side. They are splitable and on wheels.
Q: Ok, how about the total weight of the machine, pads and all.?
A: 427 kg. or 939.4 lb. Without the pads it comes up to 497.4 pounds.
Q: What's the dimensions on the Pads?
A: Each arrow is around 11 inches by 11 inches, as are the metal squares. There's a 3 to 4 inch metal section to the front of the pads, and the sides are covered by metal approximately 1/4 inch wide. The back by the bar is around 4.5 inches thick with the corners chopped at around 45 degrees. The total width for two pads is approximately 70 1/8" with depth of 42 1/2". The pads are about 4 inches thick. Arcade pads are somewhat larger than most common flatpads.
Q: How big are the bars on the back of the pads?
A: | Damage wrote: | Someone else asked this about 7 posts down the page, so I'll repost my response and add a few things since I'm at work, it is dead, and I like tape measures.
The top of the bar rises 36" from the top of the pad and the legs on the bar are 17.5" apart, measured outside edge to outside edge. The pipe is 2" diameter steel with approximately a 3/4" pad on the top part of the bar. The 36" measurement was without the pad.
Addition: The left and right player bars are 18 3/4" apart measured from the facing edges of the interior legs. The edge of the bar is 2 1/2" from the back edge of the pad and the outside bar on each side is 9" in from the flat side of the pad, not the angle in the back corner.
The stage itself is 70 1/8" wide and 42 1/2" deep.
Damage |
Q: How big is the marquee?
A: 27" wide by 25" 3/4 tall.
Q: My machine doesn?t have the ?Stay Cool? plates on it?s back. Any idea where they?d be?
A: Check on the inside of the machine. If they?re not there, you probably didn?t get them. Not a big loss as the only real purpose they serve is to keep trash and people's feet from going under the pad.
Q: I got sent Pump It Up sensors instead of DDR sensors, can I rig them up to work?
A: Yes. For all intensive purposes, they're the SAME EXACT piece of equipment, PIU sensors are just slightly longer. All you have to do is figure out which wire is which on the PIU sensor, apply it to the ddr sensor (can't use the connectors, they're different), and rig it up. I'll leave the figuring up to you, for now. (Both types of sensor DO NOT USE MERCURY.)
Q: How do I clean the pads?
A: Instead of me boring you with lots of annoying test, you can look at This article by Ho-Man or this topic on a the global ddr board.
Cleaning the pads will take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how much help you have and the amount of dirt in there.
Q: How do I keep the brackets inside the pads from falling off so much?
A: Pretty simple, actually. There are L-shaped brackets screwed into the sides that cover over each of the four sensors underneath each arrow. This is what causes a pad press to register. The screws for those brackets eventually come loose from all the stomping and bass. Normally, you can get away with just screwing them back in. In a higher traffic situation, you may have to resort to more ?drastic? measures.
This is Loctite comes in. For those who don't know, Loctite is a plastic like coating you can spread over the threads of a screw that hardens and tightens things down pretty solidly.
Of course, you don't want the screws to be immobile (if the brackets are immobilized, nothing registers), so you don't want to use anything stronger than a medium hold on it. Using anything stronger will result in the screws being stripped if you do have to take them back out again.
Q: My machine won?t hold freeze arrows, any way to fix it?
A: Grab some business cards or paper tickets (something small), and stick them on the underside of the sensor. This lifts the middle of the sensor up to ensure the L-Brackets keep better pressure on the sensor.
Q: I have an arrow that isn't working, any way to get it working again?
A: In order or probable cause: Check your connectors, then L-brackets, swap with known working sensors, test your wiring, replace sensors. I/O Test in operators mode will tell you what sensors aren?t registering.
Q: Light replacement?
A: Lights burn out, sad fact. ChannelBeat has them, but they're usually on backorder. The lights near the top speakers are easy, but the neon's around the lower speakers and below the arrows can be a bit tricker to deal with because of the bends. Neither are too hard to replace, and you?ll figure out how to do it when you pull the lights out.
Q: What if I have to replace a power supply?
A: Just make sure it connects up properly. While Japanese machines work on different voltages and frequencies, they can handle the differences.
Q: Speakers aren't putting out sound, what's up?
A: Check your connections. That's the number one problem with a DDR machine, so much bass gets pounded out a connection or two is bound to get loose. Also check your fuses and such, you might have blown one. If that's not the problem, you'll probably have to either replace a speaker or call someone in to fix it. (ChannelBeat has speakers on backorder)
Upgrades and System Errors
Q: I want to add memory card slots. How do I do this?
A: This is discussed briefly in Cutriss? Memory Card Faq both on forums and in the main site?s FAQ section.
A few things that aren?t touched on in Cutriss? FAQ. Namely that you must have a Japanese machine in order to do this.
There?s also an older thread about the inner workings of the memory card slot system on the forums. The discussion was left up in the air though.
Q: How do I upgrade a machine?
A: Any mix above second (including most Dancing Stage machines) can be upgraded easily, though you may be forced into using a bootleg kit.
If you have a legit upgrade kit, it's a simple matter of swapping out a cart, switching an IC chip and putting the new game disc in the machine.
If you have a bootleg, I hope you got instructions. It's generally not much harder though, adding a security bypass chip is usually the only additional step.
Q: I want to upgrade a 2nd mix to something higher. How do I do that?
A: Good luck. Upgrading from a 2nd mix is a pain in the butt, and very costly. You'll need a digital I/O board and a 32 meg flash cart. You may just want to consider entirely new boards or a different machine.
Q: Can I downgrade?
A: It?s essentially the same process, but you can?t use a legitimate mix. You'll have to replace a the disc, and use a bootleg security lockout chip. These chips usually work for 3rd through Max2, sometimes excluding 4th Plus.
Q: I'm getting an error code, what's it mean?
A: There?s a lot of different error codes, but most of them go back to something not being plugged properly or a fan going out. Fans are easily replaceable, and you can always push something that shakes loose (like the security cartridge) back in.
If you get a general ?Machine error? unplug your machine for about a half hour, then plug it back in.
If you get an error relating to your CD-ROM drive, congratulations. The System 573 board that all of Konami?s Bemani games run on are very testy about what brands of CD-ROM?s work in them. It has to be a CD-ROM (no r/rw and no dvd) of at least 24x speeds. Even still it may not work.
Q: Ok, my machine?s freezing or doing weird things in game, like freezing. What?s up?
A: Well, there's two possible reasons. First is you have a bad bootleg. Check for that first.
The second reason is that your CD-ROM drive is going bad, or caused damage to your disc. Repair/Replace that and any media destroyed by it.
Buying a Machine
This topic was covered in one of the other guides on the site, Choosing a DDR Machine guide by AnimeNathan. Since the question is asked so often on the forums, here?s some answers.
Q: Where can I get a DDR machine for myself?
A: www.channelbeat.com if you want to take a chance on losing a lot of money.
www.coinopexpress.com usually stocked, but shipping charges are pretty high, Dance Beat Arcade recommends them.
www.ebay.com occasionally has them, Do a search for Dance Dance Revolution.
Check your yellow pages under Amusements. There's usually arcade vendors there, you might be able to score a cheap machine there.
Tilt arcades have a game sale around Christmas time (NO THEY'RE NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS), and DDR machines go up. You, on a huge long shot, might find one for a reasonable price.
Betson Imperial is Konami's official american arcade distributor, they have pretty much have everything from parts to full machines.
Q: Same question but upgrade kits?
A: Same answer but you might not have any luck in the yellow pages, and you?d have to go through Tilt?s corporate office to inquire about parts.
Q: How much can I expect to pay for a machine.?
A: Again depends on where you go. ChannelBeat ranges from $3695 for a 2nd mix to $5495 for an Extreme. However they've been proven shady and have a bad shipping track record.
Coinopexpress has better prices, a 2nd mix will run you $2413 while an Extreme will run you $4995. The snag with Coinop is that your shipping charges will be an 8-footer (Exorbitant).
eBay is hit or miss, you can sometimes find a good deal on something, others you wont find squat.
Amusements vendors in the Yellow pages vary by region. Don't expect to only pay 500 dollars though.
Betson Imperial will have the highest quality, but you'll also pay some of the highest prices. They are, however, recommended by Sfetaz.
If you?re looking for a higher mix and want to save money, consider buying a 3rd mix, then upgrading.
Q: Ok, what about upgrade kits.
A: Channel beat, while not recommended by some, has most of the upgrade kits (they have no public info on 2nd mix to a higher mix) at this link:
http://www.channelbeat.com/products/upgrades/dance_dance_revolution_upgrade_kits.html
Coinopexpress supposedly has them, but they?re hard to find.
eBay is again, hit or miss, I've seen a 6th mix upgrade kit that went for only $40. Kits don't show up too frequently.
Vendors/arcades are hit or miss too, and not very likely.
Betson Imperial has a strange price scale. Extreme upgrade kits (legit) run $2000, but 5th mix will only run you around $295. You?ll need to get a hold of a Betson Catalog, which can be a bit tough if you don?t know what you?re doing.
Q: Ok, what about parts?
A: Channelbeat has parts, they've been linked already.
Betson Imperial has the highest quality parts, has good quality replacement equipment (including sensors at around $25), and even the hard to find stuff like security cartridges.
http://www.betson.com/products/amusement/IMP-92-501032 Is a link to the betson page for purchasing parts. Roxor also sells sensors compatible with ITG, DDR, and PIU cabinets.
For other, non-DDR specific parts, Happ Controls is the number one source for arcade parts. They even sell some of the tools you need to various jobs. Their web site is http://www.happcontrols.com.
MIscellaneous Questions
Q: What tools would I need to do the various things I need to do to keep a DDR machine working right?
A: Pretty simple. An array of both flat head and phillips screwdrivers, wrenches, a Digital Multi meter (voltmeter), and on rare occasions, solder and soldering irons. A Molex pin extractor is another useful too.
Q: Is there any logic to the coloring on the wires inside my machine?
A: Yes, actually. DDR machines are JAMMA compliant, so if you know anything about a jamma board, you?re a jump ahead. As a quick refresher Black wires usually mean ground, red wires usually mean +5 volts. To CD-ROM you?ll have four wires, two black, a red, and a yellow. In this instance the two black are ground, the red is +5, and the yellow is +12 volts. ( A CD-ROM won?t spin up if it doesn?t have it?s 12 volts.)
You may also run into -5 volts, and very rarely -12 volts.
Q: Is there a specific voltage I should keep my machine at?
A: Yes. At your Logic board (where the jamma connection is) you should have between 5.00 and 5.15 volts. This varies by machine, but is considered the acceptable range for nearly every JAMMA compliant game out there. (The only exception I know of is the Silent Scope series, which needs closer to 5.35 volts at it?s logic).
Q: My monitor went out, is there a way to bring it back?
A: Possibly. First make sure all your connections are all good, then look for a connector that has two wires(white and black) or three wires (white, green, black). Put your multi meter?s ground pin in with the black wire, and the red pin in with the white wire. If you get less than 110 volts there, you?re not getting enough voltage. If you get the full 110 or more, and don?t have picture (with everything else working), you?ve got a problem on your hands that requires anything from resoldering all the leads, to replacing parts on the monitor board.
Thanks and Contact Info
Thanks to: Baka Orochi/Bob Earl, Ho-Man, EndOfTomo, sfetaz, and Cutriss for their help; the DDR Freak staff for putting up with me and having the forums, Ginnie for hiring me and teaching me how to pop open and clean a ddr machine, Vicky P. and Kevin K. for putting up with my insanity as a manger for Tilt, USER for being attentive when I taught him the various cleaning and repair techniques on a machine, the Tilt Joliet (R.I.P) crew for putting up with my various tests on the machine (I STILL HATE DAIKENKAI!), and Konami for producing and supporting DDR.
Thanks for reading.
Edit one: 12/28/03 at 5:40 central time. Added machine costs, upgrade costs, modified fail/auto-fail Q and A
Edit 2: 12/28/03 at 845 central. EndOfTomo addendums.
Edit 3: 12/29/03 ? time. clarifications
Edit 4: 12/29/03 11:30 pm central. BakaOorichi Addendums. some wording changes.
Edit 5: Broadband-less edition: added PIU/DDR sensor question, found out this suckaz stickied. 12/30/03 955 pm cst.
Edit 6: I forgot what I added and when. 
Edit 7: 01/03/04 1035 central. stefaz addendums.
(MP aiv) snoitseq azoolapalA .lartnec mp 03:01 40/80/10 dellats deelbeson :8 tidE
9th style edit: 15 minutes later, I suck at the math.
Edit 10: there was an edit 10?
Edit 11: 2:30 pm 1/15/04, event mode information changed, added website for Betson Imperial.
Edit 12: 8:45 pm 1/20/04, TEMPORARY edit to inform of 4th plus machine for sale on ebay/price.
Edit 13: ???
Edit 14: 1/26/04 6:10pm, Added bar size Q&A, removed temporary edit.
Edit 15: 2/03/04 4:30pm, breif DDR Megamix bullflop. Yeah, I just wanted to put something else in.
Edit 16: 3/12/04 10:22pm, Machine freeze Q&A added.
Edit 17: 3/25/04 10:12pm, removed long winded pad cleaning explination for a link to Ho-Man's article on IndyDDR.
Edit 18: 4/28/04 6:02pm, Added hacked extreme entry and external sound question
Edit 19: 6/20/04: added Loctite section (securing L brackets).
Edit 20: 8/30/04: added aproxamate dimensions on the pads.
Edit 21: 9/14/04: misc. section started, no you can't use an arcade disc in your pc.
Edit 22: 9/14/04: edit to number 21.
Edit 23: 9/29/04: Hay guys, what's going on in this FAQ? Maybe the start of something big?
Edit 24: 10/3/04: Added back up in mod select screen question.
EDIT 25: 10/28/04: FAQ POSTED IN MAIN PAGE TIPS AND GUIDES SECTION, THIS VERSION CHANGED TO MIRROR THAT ONE. That's what edit 23 was about.
Edit 26: 11/8/05: Wait WTF? An update to the faq. you think that's good I've got more up my sleeve! Added Marquee size question.
Edit 27: 8/31/06 Pricing update and link in parts q/a. I really need to do a full update on this.
Edit 28: 11/1/06 Clarification on usage of 573 type game discs. Still need to do a full update.
Last edited by Yeehaw McKickass on Wed Nov 01, 2006 4:33 pm, edited 28 times in total |
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Tomo_kun
Trick Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Location: SE-WI. |
| 1. Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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I hope you dont mind me making a few corrections  | Quote: | Q: TURN IT UP...TURN IT UP!!!!!1!!!1one!
A: That's not really a question, but volume controls should be in the operators menu also. They should have their own section.
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Actually, there are 2 nobs in the machine, one for the upper speakers, and one for the bass speakers.
| Quote: | Q: Back on the topic of the pads, How much do they weigh?
A: A LOT. They're generally on wheels though so it helps with movement.
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Well, atleast on a machine that shipped with fourth mix plus (but i doubt there is much difference) it is 221 pounds. Now, im not sure if that is for each side, because it dose have the sticker saying how much it weighs on both sides of the pad (its the white part that is facing the machine, its a silver sticker with numbers on it)
EDIT: after reading it over again, Channel beat will sell replacement lights and speakers, but they are on back order (a local arcade, to be sepciffic, www.gamecastleonline.com) has orderd a DDR extreme upgrade kit, speaker and 2 lights. First, the extreme was legit so that is a plus for a company that usually gets bad reviews. But they do sell replacement lights, but, again, the speaker and lights are on back order.
About the Event mode, on DDRMAX2 and DDREXTREME, there should be a secret code to put in (a combonation of hitting buttons in a sequence, no numbers or letters) the op menu. a long long time ago there was an announcementon the front page of ddr freak for the code on ddr max 2. I knew where to search for the code for ddr extreme before it was available on the JPS2. So its harder to find now.
Just somthing to add:
"why arnt the stay cool plate thingies on the back of my ddr pad? where we ripped off?" Actually, ALOT of arcade op's dont know that they actually have them. When an arcade was upgrading to DDR extreme, he found the 2 floor plates in the machine itself.
_________________
| Cutriss wrote: | | FLCL, God of Gods wrote: | | Uh... so when do we get the porn forum? |
If you can't find porn on the Internet, you're not trying. |
Last edited by Tomo_kun on Sun Dec 28, 2003 7:06 pm, edited 1 time in total |
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Yeehaw McKickass
Contributor
Joined: 06 Oct 2002
Location: Chicago Area |
| 2. Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, I'll edit those in.
edit: VVV I'm surprised too, at least three of the questions I answered have been asked again in the last couple days.
official request for mod sticky (not that I really have any right to do so).
Last edited by Yeehaw McKickass on Mon Dec 29, 2003 2:45 pm, edited 1 time in total |
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ver314
Trick Member
Joined: 24 Jan 2002
Location: Albuquerque Nm |
| 3. Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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I'm suprised this hasn't been stickied yet.
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Baka of the Orochi
Trick Member
Joined: 26 Jan 2002
Location: Chicago area |
| 4. Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 4:52 pm Post subject: Re: FAQ about Arcade DDR |
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Here's a ton of things to add =P
| Yeehaw McKickass wrote: | Q: Onlly 30 songs? This sucks! HURRRRRR!!!!1!!!
A: Hit :leftsel: and :rightsel: at the same time. It jumps you to the other list sorting. |
If it's 30 songs, you're playing either on a Max1 machines or a USA. Thus, that won't do any good. It's only worth is on Extreme.
| Quote: | Q: THERE'S AN OPERATORS MENU!!! HOLY CRAP, HOW DO I GET TO IT!
A: If you don't own the machine, or work at an arcade, you probably shouldn't be getting into it. But it's usually the top button when you open the coin door.
Junior Asparagus and Ho-Man answered this question (ho-man with a picture) at:
http://www.ddrfreak.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=73735
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Unfortunately, it fails to mention that's a pic of JAPANESE machines. US, Asian, and Korean machines look very much different, in that it's much simpler: white (left button)=service, red (right button)=test menu. Unless the wiring on your machine is screwed up, that's how it should be. Unfortunately, the remote for the monitor is NOT on US/Asian/Korean machines, you have to go to the back of the machines for those.
| Quote: | Q: Where's Joint Premium at?
A: It SHOULD be in the operators menu, under coin options. Bootlegs and official mixes sometimes put this in different places. |
It's always under coin options. However, it does not always appear. Sometimes, the menu may require you to change your coin options, exit test menu, then re-enter it for the option to appear.
You can also note that EVENT MODE:
a) Does not affect bookeeping.
b) Does NOT let you enter high scores (unless the machines I've played on are just funky).
c) Will reset if you hit all three buttons, even if you're trying to change song sorting (thus, it's just left+right) or going back up in the options screen (thus, it's just any direction+start, rather than left+right+start)
Q: How do I cleaned pads?
A: Belive the entierity of the pads get VERY dirty. The tools I use to cleanse the pad I work on are as follows:
Windex. Paper towels. Mini Shop-Vac. Large blunt phillips screwdriver. Small sharp phillips screwdriver. Any size flat head screwdriver.
Cleaning the pad.
DDR Global BBS has a great FAQ about sensors on their board too, I'd take a look there as well, it also adds some other very important points about the sensors:
http://pub131.ezboard.com/fddrjamzglobalbbsfrm1.showMessage?topicID=2524.topic
| Quote: | | This should be done with the machine off |
I've never turned off the machine while cleaning a pad, and I've cleaned numerous amounts of pads. Unless you have some funky loose circuit, or you're worried you might somehow electricute yourself, or you're just clumsy, it's not a huge deal.
I also want to add, for the metal brackets, clean those things up (and the sides) REAL good. The brackets love to stick to those if they get worn down enough.
| Quote: | Q: How do I upgrade a machine?
A: If you have a legit upgrade kit, it's a simple matter of swaping out a cart, and putting the new game disc in the machine. If you have a bootleg, I hope you got instructions. |
It's not a whole lot harder. You just need to be careful of snapping one of the legs on the replacement ROM chip.
| Quote: | Q: I want to upgrade a 2nd mix to something higher. How do I do that?
A: Good luck. Upgrading from a 2nd mix is a pain in the butt. Largely due to the fact you basically have to replace all the boards on top of doing the regular upgrade stuff from above. |
No, just the digital I/O and the 32MB flash card, which will cost you a pretty penny.
| Quote: | Q: Same question but upgrade kits?
A: Same answer but no yellowpages or Tilts. |
I can say Channelbeat has given us some pretty solid upgrades. The prices are pretty standard as well, and the marquees all seem to be very good quality. The games always run without a hitch or freezing.
I've also seen and heard of people buying 3rd Mixes for $2500. Keep looking if you want to know where. They're out there. Just don't PM me.
Here's another QnA you should add.
Q: Can I add memory card slots?
A: If you have a Japanese machine, yes. If not, no. All other machines that are not Japanese do not have the extra connectors on the mainboard for memory card slots.
Where can you buy slots? Heh, got me there, I wish I knew.
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Tomo_kun
Trick Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Location: SE-WI. |
| 5. Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 5:01 pm Post subject: Re: FAQ about Arcade DDR |
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| BakaOrochi wrote: | Here's a ton of things to add =P
| Quote: | Q: Where's Joint Premium at?
A: It SHOULD be in the operators menu, under coin options. Bootlegs and official mixes sometimes put this in different places. |
It's always under coin options. However, it does not always appear. Sometimes, the menu may require you to change your coin options, exit test menu, then re-enter it for the option to appear.
| Quote: | Q: Same question but upgrade kits?
A: Same answer but no yellowpages or Tilts. |
I can say Channelbeat has given us some pretty solid upgrades. The prices are pretty standard as well, and the marquees all seem to be very good quality. The games always run without a hitch or freezing.
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One thing that i found out about joint premium, with the official silver disc addition of DDREXTREME, the machine needs to be COMPLEATLY unlocked, then the item will appear in the coin options.
I agree on the channel beat note. (note, i DO NOT own a DDR machine, nor do i service one, i just know alot about them) They recently sent a local arcade, as i mentioned earlier, an official 2nd addition ~silver disc~ DDR extreme. Compleatly legit, On the card, it has the official sticker with copywrite info and *i belive* serial number. . I havnt checked the disc, but it has the official arcade vynle header (but, no Konami logo, or copywrite.)
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| Cutriss wrote: | | FLCL, God of Gods wrote: | | Uh... so when do we get the porn forum? |
If you can't find porn on the Internet, you're not trying. |
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eryk
Trick Member
Joined: 25 Jul 2003
Location: Toronto |
| 6. Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Hooray for Yeehaw McKickass! This should be stickied so we don't see threads like "OMFG mY dDr iS nOt l3G1T!!!!111111!!!!!1!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!!!11!!!" and such. |
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Baka of the Orochi
Trick Member
Joined: 26 Jan 2002
Location: Chicago area |
| 7. Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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Tomo: You gotta be careful though. Just because it *looks* legit doesn't mean it is. If the kit comes with that ROM chip board (not just the chip itself), then it is the bootleg, whether or not the disc looks original. Bootleggers make stuff look REALLY damn good these days. I have seen a bootleg 7th Mix, disc looks like an original, but it's def. a bootleg.
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LouieT
Trick Member
Joined: 06 Nov 2002
Location: Visalia, Central CA |
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Tomo_kun
Trick Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Location: SE-WI. |
| 9. Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 7:35 am Post subject: |
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| Louie826 wrote: |
An arcade close by here used to have a legit DDR USA (who would bootleg that mix?  ) . It had autofail off. |
note: he said that autofail can be turned off, but fail cant.
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| Cutriss wrote: | | FLCL, God of Gods wrote: | | Uh... so when do we get the porn forum? |
If you can't find porn on the Internet, you're not trying. |
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The Game II
Contributor
Joined: 06 Mar 2002
Location: Long Beach or Glendale, CA |
| 10. Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 2:17 pm Post subject: |
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Could you tell me whether sensors on a PIU pad work on DDR pads, and if so, whether there is a special procedure in making them work.
Thanks.
This is a good FAQ. 
--GCII
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Whezzy
Basic Member
Joined: 30 Dec 2003
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| 11. Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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| I plan on getting a ddr 3rd or 4th mix the 3rd is american but the 4th is jananese what do you guys think (im gonna upgrade whatever i get) |
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LouieT
Trick Member
Joined: 06 Nov 2002
Location: Visalia, Central CA |
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Tomo_kun
Trick Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Location: SE-WI. |
| 13. Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 11:55 am Post subject: |
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| Louie826 wrote: | | EndOfTomo wrote: | | note: he said that autofail can be turned off, but fail cant. |
Okay now I'm confused.
Fail and auto-fail are different?
The site that was linked under the Fail question was talking about autofail.
...or there's a subtle difference I'm not catching.  |
Fail means that you can not fail (perioud)
Auto_fail off means that you fail at the end of a song.
There isnt an american 3rd mix Wheezy, also, ignore the copywrite notice (They dont care!)
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| Cutriss wrote: | | FLCL, God of Gods wrote: | | Uh... so when do we get the porn forum? |
If you can't find porn on the Internet, you're not trying. |
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Baka of the Orochi
Trick Member
Joined: 26 Jan 2002
Location: Chicago area |
| 14. Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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Any "Asian" mix, whether it's Guitar Freaks, DrumMania (aka Percussion Freaks), DDR, or KeyboardMania (aka KeyboardHeaven), any text is COMPLETELY in English. Only few GF/PF versions retain the English text, but in no means does it say that those are the American versions.
If you don't know what version you have, read the FAQ section on the front page.
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endless
Trick Member
Joined: 28 Sep 2003
Location: highland, CA |
| 15. Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Aren't you all forgetting something like "How do I get my memory card to work at the arcade?". Well, I can't answer that question, but I thought I'd just let you all know that you're forgetting a Q: and A:. |
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[S4U] Evo
Trick Member
Joined: 21 Oct 2002
Location: El Paso, Tx |
| 16. Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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| endless wrote: | | Aren't you all forgetting something like "How do I get my memory card to work at the arcade?". Well, I can't answer that question, but I thought I'd just let you all know that you're forgetting a Q: and A:. |
Click Here for the memory card FAQ!
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Maxx!
Trick Member
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Southeast KY |
| 17. Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2004 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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adding some
Q: Can an upgraded mix be downgraded back to whatever it was originally?
Q: Can the time given on the Menus be raised or lowered? (i.e. Solo 4th gives 20 seconds to pick a song. Can it be changed to 30, etc.?)
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Baka of the Orochi
Trick Member
Joined: 26 Jan 2002
Location: Chicago area |
| 18. Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2004 2:35 am Post subject: |
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| Maxx! wrote: |
Q: Can an upgraded mix be downgraded back to whatever it was originally? |
They can be downgraded to bootleg mixes, however I have heard they cannot be downgraded to the original official Mix. I have yet to try this.
| Quote: | | Q: Can the time given on the Menus be raised or lowered? (i.e. Solo 4th gives 20 seconds to pick a song. Can it be changed to 30, etc.?) |
No. Only EVENT MODE will hold the timer to 99. Otherwise, that's the time limit set by Konami.
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sfetaz
Vivid Member
Joined: 02 May 2002
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| 19. Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2004 9:13 am Post subject: |
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Great FAQ, I would like to add somethings
In purchasing a machine or upgrade kit, there is 1 more source. Betson Imperial. They are the official konami of america arcade distributer and I have heard have a majority stock in that department. They sell LEGIT machines and upgrade kits. Their machines come in like new condition and run between $8000 and $9000. Usually they have memoryard slots and come direct from Japan. Their Legit Extreme Upgrade kit runs $2000, but their legit 5th mix upgrade kit is only $299. I got a replacement konami rom from them for $65. They are also a sell replacement parts, like official konami sensors, replacement arrows that DO NOT BREAK (Damn channel beat) and a lot of other things. Their sensors used to be about $100 each, now they are $32.95. It should be obvious that they are very expensive, however you can be assured you get great customer service from them and official parts.
(This may be a little confussing) Each sensor for every foot music game (PIU, DDR, Techno Motion) should have two wires. One is for normally open, the other is for common (usually called ground) To get any sensor to work with DDR, you need to first see if the sensor will fit in the connector in the machine. If not, you must get your dead DDR sensor that will fit, splice off the connector with some wire left. Then splice off the connector on the sensor you want to use. Strip off some a little bit of the rubber on all 4 wires (2 for each part) and then twist 1 to 1 together. Then connect your newly made sensor to the machine and test it out. THIS IS NO WHERE NEAR A GOOD WAY TO EXPLAIN IT AND I AM TELLING YOU NOT TO LISTEN TO ME SINCE YOU WILL PROBABLY DO IT WRONG! |
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