09/12/07: Updated with a review of the Konami Arcade Style Controller (KASC). Most likely will be updated!
09/11/07: This is a first draft so I will more than likely add more to it, and edit. I will also some youtube videos eventually to accompany it. Please feel free to ask any questions and comment!
Hello everyone. Today I’m going to be making a
non-biased review and analysis of the two custom Beatmania IIDX arcade style controllers currently available to the public, the DJ Dao Platinum Edition (or PE) controller, and the Desktop Arcade-arcade style controller (or DASC). Both controllers I bought are the standard packages offered, minus the DASC, which has RED LED’s in the turntable.
In this review, we will be going over the following things:
- Availability and Wait Times
- Packaging and Delivery
- Gameplay and Technical Issues
- My overall experience using both controllers Availability and Wait Times
Desktop Arcade is owned by arcade enthusiast and hobbyist Steve Handelman. Behind him are both artists, Sarah Moulder and Jeff Ramos. Desktop Arcade mostly is known for their Pop’n Music and Beatmania IIDX controllers.
As of now, a Beatmania IIDX DASC starts at 225 dollars for a single controller. This includes your choice of DA modded soft or medium keys, Cherry microswitches, and color for the controller shell. To have your controller fully LED’d, you would have to include an extra 55 dollars to your purchase. Other options include official arcade Sanwa keys (60 dollars) flippable key panels for playing on both 1- Player and 2-Player side (10 dollars), plexiglass under the Start and Select buttons (5 dollars), and customized designs and colors (price ranges). Non of these prices include shipping. Payments are primarily through Pay-Pal, although Desktop Arcade accepts most forms of payments.
I ordered my DASC on February 14th, 2007 after having sent a 100 dollar deposit through Pay-Pal, and received it on September 6th, 2007. Although seven months does seem a bit excessive, I blame part of the delay on my own personal problems I had during the summer in which I told Steve to put my controller on hold till further notice. Shipping times seem very sporadic for Desktop Arcade however. From the official Bemanistyle thread, it seems wait times can range from 5 months to over a year (although the latter seems to be a few isolated cases). It would seem that custom designed controllers take longer amounts of time to be made. Non the less, I received my controller in 7 months after I ordered it.
DJ Dao is owned by a man simply known as DJ Dao. What is known about his company is that it is a small business in China who make controllers primarily for beat games such as Pop’n Music, Beatmania IIDX, DJMAX, and O2JAM.
As of now, a PE Beatmania IIDX controller is set at 260 dollars for a single controller. However, shipping to the United States is 110 dollars since the controller is being sent from China. Adding the western union fee (around 12 dollars), the controller in the end will cost around 382 dollars. This includes official Sanwa keys, Omron microswitches, blue turntable LED’s, and your choice of Red or Blue key LED’s. You can also buy extra microswitches, different color LED’s, and practically anything else from DJ Dao for a set price. Payments are primarily through Western Union or Pay-Pal, although buying a PE through Pay-Pal is significantly more expensive due to fees (60 dollars more to be exact). I also will note that the controller has an extra two buttons next to the Start and Select buttons, presumably for Speed+ and Speed- on PC simulators.
I ordered my PE controller on August 7th, 2007 after having sent all 370 dollars to DJ Dao through Western Union, and received it on August 28th, 2007. Judging from the official Bemanistyle thread, average wait times are 2-3 weeks. Customers on the East Coast generally receive their controllers sooner than others.
Packaging and Delivery 
My DASC was sent through DHL, and the package was simply dropped at my door. It arrived very well packaged in bubble wrap. Included was a paper bag with several bookmark sized advertisements and four complementary microswitches.
My PE controller was sent through EMS post, and was delivered by the USPS with signature confirmation. It arrived very well packaged as well in bubble wrap and Styrofoam. Included was what seems to be a serial or game port to PS2 converter (for playing PC simulators) and two DVDs full of
very nice goodies =)
Gameplay and Technical Issues
Playing on the DASC is very nice. The buttons, although not official arcade keys, feel great and respond precisely. The first thing I did notice though, was that the keys seem to be closer to each other than what I am used to. Upon further inspection, I further realized that my keys seem to be misaligned. It would seem that Desktop Arcade doesn’t have a precise way of cutting the holes for the keys to fit in. Non the less, this is mainly a cosmetic problem and doesn’t affect gameplay at all.
The next thing I quickly noticed was that the Select Button was on the left and the Start button was on the right, unlike its Konami ASC (or KASC) counterpart, which has it in the reverse order. The turntable is also reversed, with Up being Down, and Down being Up. Both these can be very confusing at first, especially for veterans of the IIDX series. The Start and Select buttons can be fixed quickly with some cable switching, but there has yet to be a guide to fixing the turntable, which from what I understand, was made that way due to legalities.
The power supply for the LED’s runs through a single 9V battery
By far the most impressive thing about the DASC is the turntable material. The surface feels like hard grip rubber, and it’s a breeze to move the turntable unlike its arcade and KASC counterparts. In the 10 or so hours of gameplay on [A] difficulty, I am happy to say I encountered 0 misfires from the turntable or keys. It all just works perfectly, the way it should.
Following suit, playing on the DJ Dao controller is also a grand experience. The buttons being official arcade buttons feel fantastic, immediately reminding me of when my arcade used to have a Happy Sky machine. The first odd thing I noticed, was that the turntable is built around a circle of what seems to be sanded down plastic or plexiglass. This is really weird at first, considering Arcade and KASC controllers have the turntable completely exposed. Since the distance is the same, this doesn’t affect gameplay, however, it did take a bit of time for my pinky to avoid hitting the circle.
And on the subject of the turntable, I did encounter turntable misfires after a combined 10 hours of gameplay. The problem is caused when the turntable is set at a certain position that makes the sensor register several times, and because of that, can easily be solved by simply moving the turntable to get it out of its stall. The problem being easy to fix however, can still be a nuisance. I was setting a new record and it was shattered after I desperately tried to move the turntable while concentrating on the actual notechart. This is a matter of getting used to it though, and even then, the problem has only happened a limited number of times
The power supply runs through USB. Just simply connect the USB cord to the PS2 and you have lights.
Overall experience with both controllers
Both experiences with the controllers have been pleasant. In my opinion, the DASC has a more reliable turntable than the DJ Dao, considering I’ve experienced misfiring with the PE, but have yet to experience misfires from the DASC. However, I prefer the Sanwa buttons on the PE over the modded DA keys on the DASC (you can have sanwas for an extra 60 dollars though). To me, they feel more springy and full over the DA keys, although this is not saying that DA keys do not feel nice as well. The PE also seems to have brighter turntable LED’s over the DASC LED’s, which can be seen at the top. Basically, in the end, it boils down to this:
DASC
+ Located in the USA
+ Custom designs are accepted
+ Best turntable I’ve ever played on
+ Cheapest of the two (standard packages at least)
- Inquiries can take days depending on when Steve can answer them
- Switching of the Turntable’s directions can prove to be a pain for veterans who aren’t accustomed to it.
- Although cosmetic, my buttons being built misaligned still doesn’t look good.
- Wait times vary incredibly
DJ DAO PE
+ All in one package of Turntable and Key LED’s with arcade keys and microswitches
+ Arcade perfect measurements (buttons aligned perfectly)
+ Wait times are highly acceptable (Usually no more than 3 weeks)
- Circle of plexiglass/plastic around turntable makes 0 sense and can cause frustration
- Turntable is prone to misfiring, which in some cases can prove to be a hassle
- Prices start at 370 dollars with little to no customization.
Konami Arcade Style Controller, and how it stacks up 
This is a picture of my old Konami Arcade Style Controller (KASC). Since people are curious as to how it stacks up against the two custom controllers, I decided I'm going to go ahead and talk about my experiences with it.
This was my first arcade controller, and I had
a lot of fun with it. The turntable was downright perfect, the buttons, although not being actual arcade buttons, felt great, and overall it was just a damn good controller.
The turntable responded 100% of the time I went for it. The problem with it though, is that it is very slippery. Getting a grip on the turntable may not be hard for some, but for some people it is a pain. I remember me and my friend were playing IIDX and he had the hardest time grabbing a hold of the turntable. I did fix this however, with a simple tape mod (as you see in the picture), and I had 0 problem from then on.
Another problem with the KASC is that the keys require constant maintanence, more so than a PE or DASC. Grime and dirt build up VERY fast on the sides of the keys, and they require a good alcohol cleaning maybe once every week of gameplay. This is at the most, a 15 minute process, but it is a chore non the less.
Problems aside, even with my PE and my DASC, I
still miss my KASC XD It was a great controller, and I had a lot of memories with it.
Ok, but how does it compare to the PE and IIDASC?
See, heres the problem. It wouldn't be fair to put the KASC in the same group as the IIDASC and PE. Although the KASC makes itself to be an arcade controller, it really is not. Its honestly a big KOC with fake arcade buttons, a huge turntable, and microswitches. IIDASC's and PE's actually have arcade buttons, and parts, such as LED's, sanwas, DA arcade buttons, etc. I absolutely recommend a KASC as a
imitation of the arcade experience, but as an arcade replica? I would much rather go with a DJ Dao or IIDASC.
Heres a video of me playing when I used to have it (I ASSURE you my youtube videos will be better quality >_>):
http://www.bemanistyle.com/tatsujin/...d=290&game_id=
IIDASC vs DJ DAO PE (REVIEW AND ANALYSIS) 
