Best, Most Economical (Metal) Dance Pad Out There...

Cellac · 03-06-2009, 08:54 AM

Hi,
Before I start I am sorry if this kind of thread has been made before. I've looked at the links in the sticky and used the search function and I couldn't see similar topic. But if this has been talked, it would be much appreciated for someone to point me in the right direction.

Enough intro, lets get to the point. I'm looking to buy a new Dance Pad since I think I want to get serious again in DDR. But I haven't got a clue which pads work the best since there are so many choices out there. I used to have the cheap plastic one but this time I'm looking for a better one, foamed or metal perhaps.

I'm looking for one that has great durability and is worth the price. It has to be able to endure the madness of a 10 footer and that's essential since I don't want to waste money on arcades anymore to practice boss songs. It would be great if it can perform well in Stepmania although I have PS/2 adapter as well.

And oh, if someone knows any game store in Melbourne, Australia that sells these pads, it would be very much appreciated

Thanks guys and wow that ended up long...

ranatalus · 03-06-2009, 09:39 AM

Hey. Unfortunately, being in AUS you're going to get slammed with shipping costs no matter who you go with.

That being said, Cobalt Flux is still the best company to go with for durability. As long as you're willing to do a little maintainence on the pad it'll last you years. Downside: doesn't feel anything like an arcade pad and you may have a hard time adjusting between the two, even if you get the arcade style mod.

For quality and arcade similarity, you may be better off going with a RedOctane Afterburner. It's not quite as high-quality as the Cobalt but it'll still last you quite a while. It's also about half the price.

Links:

https://www.cobaltflux.com/xcart/pro...age=1&featured

Afterburner? Metal Dance Pad

delrio · 03-06-2009, 09:49 AM

Fair warning about the Afterburner, though... they can be pretty hit or miss as far as durability goes. I have one, and a friend of mine has one, and after about 3 months of fairly good use, my right arrow has completely died. Just a bad connection, I guess, but trying to fix that could be entertaining. However, my friend's pad is still going great.

Oh, and RedOctane has to be one of the _least_ helpful companies ever when their dance pads break. They've redirected me back and forth with Activision so many times, I just said screw it with them.

ranatalus · 03-06-2009, 10:13 AM

cobalt flux and mymybox were just as bad; once you bought their pad they'll all do everything they can to avoid speaking to you ever again

deathrazor · 03-06-2009, 11:12 AM

I had an Afterburner for 2+ years of solid play and nothing went wrong with it. I liked it so much that I recently bought another one, since I sold my first one in the spring.

delrio · 03-06-2009, 01:57 PM

Yeah, I'm not saying to absolutely avoid the AB. I love my pad, and when I get a good weekend off, I will be opening it up to get these connections fixed.

I would buy an AB again, I've had such great fun with it and I love the feel of it. However, their "90 day warranty" on it seems to be a joke.

And ranatalus, isn't MMB still just as bad as that?

EDIT: 3 hours after posting this, RedOctane finally got back to me about exchanging it. Irony.

FINAL EDIT: It took a month, but I finally got the replacement. If you have trouble with RedOctane, just be sure to hammer them about it till they do something. Someone smart will eventually read your support requests.

ranatalus · 03-06-2009, 03:32 PM

yeah i meant to use present tense, haha

Cellac · 03-06-2009, 05:36 PM

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

The red octane sounds good to me though unfortunately it seems that the company doesn't ship outside the states. I found these two metal pads in ebay with reasonable price and free shipping. Sounds too good to be true, but have any of you guys had any experience with these?

Links:
DDR 3 in 1 Metal Platinum Dance Pad for XBOX/PS2/USB - eBay PlayStation 2, Sony, Accessories, Video Games. (end time 13-Mar-09 11:54:58 AEDST)
New! Premium Metal Dance Mat PS2 Xbox PC USB Dance Pad - eBay PlayStation 2, Sony, Accessories, Video Games. (end time 08-Mar-09 21:14:00 AEDST)

Not sure what brands since neither mentions them.

DAVE101 · 03-07-2009, 07:55 AM

ebay pads = big no no

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranatalus

cobalt flux and mymybox were just as bad; once you bought their pad they'll all do everything they can to avoid speaking to you ever again

I wouldn't say that about cobalt flux.

ranatalus · 03-09-2009, 08:51 AM

dave is right--generic ebay pads are a good way to waste money. you might get lucky now and then and end up with a good pad but in general, they'll break/die within a few months

Cellac · 03-10-2009, 10:15 PM

Hmm,
Thanks for the insight but atm, $300+ for a pad doesn't appeal to me.

I also realised that even when I become good at DDR using those pads, I'll still have a hard time trying to adjust when playing in arcade (as I recently found out). I guess the indentations on the arrows of the arcade pad make it all that harder when doing 10 footers.

jctaft · 03-12-2009, 01:55 AM

Well you figure that the cobalt flux is 300$, but it's a 300$ that you'll only spend once, and I don't know that could be said of any other pad. For me, the Cobalt flux really was the most economical choice, because any other pad has to be replaced after a period of years or even months. Ranatalus is right that the cobalt flux doesn't feel much like the arcade. That never bothered me, but it does bother some.

DAVE101 · 03-12-2009, 01:57 PM

I thought it was worth noting that Cobalt Flux is on sale at BestBuy.com for 239.99.

CatchRothy2.0 · 03-12-2009, 04:00 PM

Build your own. Seriously, it's not THAT hard. When I did it, I took an old Ps2 controller I had and stripped the case. Looked online, found out where all the button sensors were on the board inside. Then, frammed out the pad and for the sensors put two pieces of thin sheet metal and spaced them with 16th inch weather stripping, and lexan on the top with a arrow graphic from a cut up shit plastic pad.

There's manuals on how to do it online.

deathrazor · 03-12-2009, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CatchRothy2.0

Build your own. Seriously, it's not THAT hard. When I did it, I took an old Ps2 controller I had and stripped the case. Looked online, found out where all the button sensors were on the board inside. Then, frammed out the pad and for the sensors put two pieces of thin sheet metal and spaced them with 16th inch weather stripping, and lexan on the top with a arrow graphic from a cut up shit plastic pad.

There's manuals on how to do it online.

Aren't you banned?