DIY home made controllers?

Weapon · Trick Member Joined: 20 Apr 2002

Been reading in the DDR console page and obviously most of u will know about the home made ddr pads but I was wondering has anyone tried making controllers for the other games? I see some have "attempted" making beatmania controllers but what else have people made? Anyone tried making them for the other bemani games? or have links to pages of people making them?

Tomo_kun · Trick Member Joined: 26 Oct 2003 Location: SE-WI.

There are some instructions floating around for making Pop'ns. Not that many people are actually doing this, Alot of people are now building ASC's for Pop'n and IIDX now.
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hooded__paladin · Trick Member Joined: 10 Nov 2003

Because of Beatmania's turntable, few people have successfully made their own mechanism (except the people who are going to mass-produce them - and we all can't wait!). Instead, people use a regular beatmania controller, or the Rave Discman (this is the only good use for it). And, because of the buttons, they aren't cheap, either.

Pop'N controllers are pretty cheap (you could do one for <$75 if you get the buttons from the right place) and easier to make than a DDR pad.

Larrikin · Contributor Joined: 17 Feb 2002 Location: Illadelphia

Someone make this and I'll buy it
http://duck.cool.ne.jp/gamebaka/sencon/matcon.html

I wouldnt buy this but itd still be cool

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CatchyPhraseOwen · Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 2:44 pm Post subject:

I figure a homemade DrumMania controller wouldn't be that hard to do... I'd think Para Para Paradise and IIDX (thanks to the turntable) would be hard as hell to make, and KeyboardMania would just be damn pointless. I dunno about Guitar Freaks though, would it be hard to make the "strings"?
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hooded__paladin · Trick Member Joined: 10 Nov 2003

Guitarmania doesn't use 'strings'. It uses 3 'chording' buttons at the top and one paddle switch that you flick to either side.

I think a good GF hack would be to take a 3rd party controller and replace the horrible parts with arcade buttons and some sort of paddle switch. Like that broom, but... not a broom, that just sucks.

Weren't there some old instructions to make a homemade dancemaniax controller on team gwai lo? Those could be used for para para, too.

I had an idea for a really easy DM controller (a bad one). Make the drum pads out of sheet metal, cover the ends of the drumsticks with some sort of metal contacts and wire those up to a hacked PS controller. Triggers whenever touching. The sound might be bad, though, and the wires might break or annoy you.

Tomo_kun · Trick Member Joined: 26 Oct 2003 Location: SE-WI.

Why would you make a home made DMX controller when the game isnt out on PS2?
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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.

Larrikin · Contributor Joined: 17 Feb 2002 Location: Illadelphia

Because its out for Stepmania
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davidbrit2 · Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 5:07 pm Post subject:

Larrikin · Contributor Joined: 17 Feb 2002 Location: Illadelphia

davidbrit2 · Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 5:45 pm Post subject:

Because the official one doesn't have invincible microswitch buttons from Happ Controls. ;-)
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Baka of the Orochi · Trick Member Joined: 26 Jan 2002 Location: Chicago area

I hope that's sarcasm, because those home controllers hold out a ton longer than a Happ cherry switch/microswitch does O_o

davidbrit2 · Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 10:18 pm Post subject:

Do they use microswitches? Besides, this cost me less than half of what I'd pay for the Konami, plus it's rock solid.
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Chibi Nappa · Trick Member Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Location: Delaware

I'm about to start on a Pop 'n controller myself. I already ordered the parts and await their arrival. Man, those jumbo dome buttons....ouch they're expensive. $26 each at Happ. That's not even worth thinking about. $10 each at Wico. I went for those. Still....$90 for just the buttons.

Mito · Trick Member Joined: 25 Jan 2002

Baka of the Orochi · Trick Member Joined: 26 Jan 2002 Location: Chicago area

The official one uses contacts, not microswitches.

The good thing about microswitches is that they're easily replaced, but from what I've experienced, they don't last nearly as long as pad/contacts, at least in PNM's case.

I've already had to replace a switch on a PNM ASC, whereas my home controller is still holding out strong.
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davidbrit2 · Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 9:13 am Post subject:

Well, microswitches are like a buck each. It's a small price to pay for the increased sensitivity and responsiveness. And mine have been holding out for nearly 5 years now (my controller has buttons that were originally used in my MAME joystick console).
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LOKI · Trick Member Joined: 24 Jan 2002 Location: Folsom, CA, USA

In a few months or so I'll be building a DMX controller so I'll make a how to when I get done. As fro IIDX and POPNMUSIC here's two site with info.

IIDX:
http://www.opticalflats.net/2dx/

POPNMUSIC:
http://dwi.kindlespine.com/
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Chibi Nappa · Trick Member Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Location: Delaware

Well, I worked on my Pop 'n ASC this weekend and it's almost done. I just need to wire up the lights (yes, the Wico domes light up) and construct a bottom. I might also re-print the top graphics on vinyl instead of paper and add some button labels...but we'll see.

And yes, they are microswitches in there. Feels great to me. I'm having a blast with it. I'm a total Pop 'n newbie, but I can hold my own at IIDX...and so far I can pass songs around a 20 rating or so with this thing. I'll keep you updated as I finish.

Edit: By the way, I used the directions given in the link directly above this post to build this thing, but with a few important modifications: I ordered the large Wico domes instead of the medium flat Happ buttons given in that link, and I made the button spacing 5.7 inches instead of the 4.6 inches given in that link.