DDR Pad Modding

CouRageouS

CouRageouS

CAGiversary!
Feedback
27 (100%)
I just modded a soft pad today, I'm curious if any other CAGs have. I did the wood board mod, but added a little twist on it. I'll post a couple pics and details of mine in a sec, once photobucket finishes their maintanence or whatever. So has anyone else ventured into DDR pad modding, wood board, chairmat, or otherwise? Perhaps maybe built their own?
 
Yeah, the first 2 softpads I got i did a particle-board/floor-covering mod to. After those started wearing down (about 6-8 months), my gf and I got a Cobalt Flux. But yeah, if you have a soft pad, modding is a no-question.
 
I did the lazy mod from ddrfreaks.com, where you just put some velco strap on the back and attach it to a hard board. Primitive, but I have yet to have a problem with my pad. I'm interested in getting a Colbat Flux, but after bills, food, girlfriend expenses, and gas, that would be all the spare money I make in almost a month (or at least half a month). I wish I was 18 again.
 
f61a6a2a.jpg

Theres my pad. I used the Madcatz Beat Pad, $15 at CC, pricematched the website the other day. People have gave that pad bad reviews but from everything I've read all softpads are all the same, and I picked this one cause it was cheap and I liked the color scheme.

I did your basic mod from DDRfreak, but a couple differences. Instead of hardwood floorcovering, I got this thick clear plastic material from my local arts and crafts store. That way its large enough to fit in one piece. Costs just over $4 for yard, thats all you need. Wood was over $5 for a 3 x 3 foot board. Dude wouldn't even take a couple bucks for tip when he carried it on his shoulder all the way to my far ass parking spot. So that worked out great. Now here's my twist on my pad mod..
484c0290.jpg

I put magazines, yup MAGAZINEs under the arrows so you can feel the pad. Instead of buying foam or some other material, I got resourceful and used some old PSMs. Each a 'button' (ripped out pages to make each = 200 pages) wrapped together with tape, then secured down with more tape. It feels real nice.

After I finished everything, it was great. Haven't played DDR at home for years and this experience was the best. Only problem was I put the plastic on a bit too tight, so that the triangle button was pressed and the game would exit. I just redid a staple and solved that problem though. I'm considering doing another pad since it only cost around $25 for the pad and materials. It'll be nice to have two when I have people over.
 
I like the magazine idea. Great way to recycle! I've always been a little fuzzy on the plastic wrapping part though. Does the wrapping hold up well considering it is stapled to the board? Also. what do you think about using a spray adhesive to attach the pad to the board? I thought that would be a cleaner way to join the two together but I could be wrong.
 
I was thinking of modding a NES Power Pad. It's about the same concept. Anyone done one of those?
 
I bought a few of the third party brand pads for the PS2 a while ago. They wore out. Then, I bought a metal pad (cheap ass, BTW) and have another third party pad I need to mod. What's the best way to mod, since there is more than one way?
 
I modded two of the Naki Softpads in the following way. I set the pads onto medium density fiberboard. I then bought hardwood floor protector sheeting (its fairly rigid plastic like carpet protector, but without the spikes on the bottom). I then stapled the floor protector to the fiberboard with the pads in between. I then used black duct tape along all the edges to secure everything and make it look a little snazzier. I have had zero problems after 4 months of heavy usage. The only problem I am told I will have in the long run is that I did the mod without removing the foam inserts from the soft pad. Eventually usage will cause the foam to compact in size, but I have yet to experience any problems with this.
 
[quote name='daphatty']I like the magazine idea. Great way to recycle! I've always been a little fuzzy on the plastic wrapping part though. Does the wrapping hold up well considering it is stapled to the board? Also. what do you think about using a spray adhesive to attach the pad to the board? I thought that would be a cleaner way to join the two together but I could be wrong.[/quote]
The plastic serves more as a protective layer, at least thats how I see it. I got the thickest kind they had. Keeping the pad as flat as possible, not getting scrunched up or anything. You'd also won't be stepping directly on the pad. The plastic holds up great, what I did was first staple one side, then pulled it real hard so its on snugly before stapling the other side. Before trimming the excess I stapled the bottom, which made it a little too tight when I put a staple too close to the corners but fixed that. Spray adhesive could work if you just want it on a board, but doesn't quite prevent the top layers of the pad from getting bunched up.

And about the power pad, you could mod it the same way but I don't think you need to really. I have a power pad, heavily used from way back and it still works. My theory is because on the power pad you just do a steady up down motion on two buttons, so its not really prone to DDR movement damage.
 
[quote name='Rig']I bought a few of the third party brand pads for the PS2 a while ago. They wore out. Then, I bought a metal pad (cheap ass, BTW) and have another third party pad I need to mod. What's the best way to mod, since there is more than one way?[/quote]
Heres your basic instructions, great guideline: http://www.ddrfreak.com/library/faqs-modding.php
But instead of using hardwood floor protector, I suggest just going to your local arts and crafts store, and getting the thick clear plastic there. They sell it by the yard and its just over 4 ft wide, so a yard is plenty at around $4. That way you do it in one piece of plastic, intead of 2 like that sample.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top