Metal Dance Pad for DDR

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I don't like -- and do NOT want to buy -- the cheap plastic DDR pads, so please don't recommend those to me. I'm really interested in buying a metal DDR pad. I'm thinking of buying one from Ebay. Is the TX1000 any good? What about the ones with the handles? I would like to use it mainly for my PS2; and my second choice would be for the PC.

I'm also not interested in building one from scratch, so a pre-assembled one would be nice. Any advice would be helpful, especially if you own a metal pad.
 
Most hardcore DDR players hate the TX1000, but some like it (it's also been replaced by the TX-4000 and TX-6000). I would recommend avoiding that.

What's your budget here?
 
My budget is $100-300; but with that kind of money, I'm thinking of buying the G25 Racing Wheel instead. Dancing or racing? Ah.

Sounds like people recommend the Cobalt.

I want a good responsive one (not too responsive but just right); the plastic pads are terrible at getting response. I'm also afraid some metal pads would make too much squeeking noise.

Has anyone heard of the Ninja? It's on Ebay.
 
Cobalt, all the way. It'll last you a really good length, and the only thing better is arcade. Most ebay pads are crap, honestly. You'll get ripped off half of the time. In fact, I trust the plastic pads on ebay more than the plastic ones.

Shameless plug; if you're looking for any DDR or ITG games, I'm selling some, so hit me up if you need any ;D.
 
If you're willing to spend $300 you might as well get a Cobalt. They're really the best home pads that are commercially available.
 
[quote name='Larc']My budget is $100-300; but with that kind of money, I'm thinking of buying the G25 Racing Wheel instead. Dancing or racing? Ah.[/quote]
If you really are into DDR, and have the money, it's really best to just drop the bills and get a Cobalt Flux. They aren't EXACTLY arcade-perfect, but they're very durable. Again, this is on the ceiling of your budget, so it's definitely something you only want to buy if you're really going to play it a lot.

[quote name='Larc']I'm also afraid some metal pads would make too much squeeking noise.[/quote]
Heh. If any noise is any concern at all, then metal pads aren't for you. It's noisy by nature. ;)

[quote name='Larc']Has anyone heard of the Ninja? It's on Ebay.[/QUOTE]
Just avoid most of that garbage on eBay, really. Buying one of those basically guarantees that you'll end up as one of the lost souls on DDRFreak posting a "Help, my metal pad off eBay is broken" threads.
 
lol, Tybalt Flux recommends the Cobalt Flux? Of course. Thanks for all your advices. The Cobalt Flux does look pretty nice and not that many people seem to complain about it. That would be my #1 choice right now.

Does the official website ever have any special deals like free shipping? $48 shipping hurts my budget. Any other good resellers? Also, is the Cobalt Flux Arcade-Style Mod Kit worth getting?


I really want the G25 racing wheel too... Spending soo much money on video games when I could 've bought a really nice laptop too. :x

[quote name='evilmax17']If you'd rather go cheap, you can do a plywood mod on a soft pad.

http://www.ddrfreak.com/library/contributor-article.php?postID=7890244

The results are actually surprisingly good. They require a little maintaince, but they're definately usable for most Heavy songs.[/quote]
lol, that's way too ghetto! I should've mentioned that I care cosmetic-wise too.
 
why not wait till you try the pad without it. If you stiil want to get it then get it. YOU WOULD SAVE 25$ plus the 10$ in shipping. Rememember you can alwas buy it later
 
I guess you're right. I thought I would save shipping costs by ordering it together but I guess not.

I read a few posts at DDR Forum and is it true that they take like a month to build and ship?

Also has the price ever gone down or any discount coupon? I don't have to have it now but if the price never has changed then I see no point in waiting and would order it.

How much does it weigh anyway? Would it be bad to use on the carpet?
 
Another recommendation for the Cobalt. If you are a serious player and know you will still be playing for awhile, it's worth the investment.

It weighs approximately 50 pounds. It's definitely safe to use on the carpet. We had ours in the basement TV room, and there was no damage whatsoever to the carpeting after 2 years of steady use. The pad pretty much stays in one spot, so there's not a lot of pulling or tugging on the rug fibers.

The only discount I've ever seen on the site is if you buy 2 pads. Otherwise, the price and the shipping cost has been the same. And yes, they pretty much build-to-order.
 
[quote name='Larc']So would it be worth getting the arcade-style mod for the Cobalt Flux?[/QUOTE]


I've got the arcade mod on mine and love it. Makes it sooooo much easier to play since you can actually tell where you are on the pad (I took the corner overlays out because I thought it looked better this way):

cfarcademod.jpg



Whatever you do though, DO NOT get an Afterburner. Sure, they look pretty but they are poorly made and have so many problems. I had one and it totally fell apart after 3 months. All the arrows cracked, the bottom was starting to pop out, and the left arrow was very flaky. The friggin control box didn't even register on USB either (which was a common problem for early AB's). I sent it back to RO and got a brand new replacement. Sold that on Ebay and used the money to buy a 2+ year old Cobalt Flux (pictured) for $215 shipped that *STILL* works perfectly. Just gotta clean the arrow contacts once every 6 months.


Watch out playing on carpet with a CF though. After a couple months of playing, I noticed a couple of huge cracks across the base of the pad. Had to make a base mod after that so it wouldn't crack any more. But I'm 6'7 and 240 lbs. though, so my size could have had something to do with it.

Just save some cash and buy used instead. You can sometimes find them on Ebay for under $200 shipped. CF's are built like tanks. As long as the c-box is good and you take care of it, you don't have to worry about it crapping out on you. Mine is over 4 years old now and still plays like new.
 
I finally got myself a Cobalt Flux. This thing kicks ass. It's just like playing at the arcades.

Ok, I know I'm a couple months late in replying, but wow, norkusa, that's a lot of games! Did you get the clear arcade mod and not the black one? Is it easy to install or remove?

When you remove the screws, is it okay to discard the white stuff where the screws go in? It doesn't seem that important. I removed the four corner decals too.
 
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