Mad Catz Beat Pad / Beat Pad Pro

Molobolo · Trick Member Joined: 12 Jul 2004

lol my pad is 3 months old and it doesnt work..its crumbled up into a little ball in a closet....$20 bucks well lost

Chibi_Sven · Trick Member Joined: 13 Nov 2004

Just a tip from a guy who knows. Don't fold your mad catz pad as it will cause the contact sensors to become stressed and tear.
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I swear, if you stomp on my pad one more time...

Dont blame the pad, you'll hurt it's feelings

csieg · Basic Member Joined: 28 Nov 2004 Location: Liverpool

I was told told to repost this here so here it is...

The original thread was - http://www.ddrfreak.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=7919090#7919090

My MadKatz pad to Metal pad mod

Someone out there has probobly already done this, and may even have made a simaller thread. For all I know this could be common knowledge like the chairmat mod, but as I don't see any threads for it I guess I'll post it anyways. I recently was atempting to build DDR Homepad's metal pad, but a cash limit held, me back. I decided to instead, mod my soft pad. Before it had been just taped to the floor, but I wanted to make it feel like the arcade. Here's how I did it:

1) Take a soft, Madcatz pad (other brands will probobly work but I cannot be sure as I have not tried them), and cut off the back, plastic side.

2) Take some regular electrical wire and attach it to the top, conductive strip inside the X (A if you have an x-box) button. Do the same for the bottom.

3) Place a small piece beetween the two conductive strips, so the pad doesn't short circuit when you drill down on top of it.

4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the Triangle (B if you have an x-box) button.

5) Place 2 more small sheets of paper between the other 2 buttons.

6) Cut out 5 squares of 1/2 inch plywood. I'm not sure exactly what size it is so measure your pad.

7) Cut out 5 pieces of the same size sheet metal.

8) Line the pieces up over the non-arrow squares, and drill them to the board. (Be sure that your screws are long enough to get into the bottom piece of wood but not too long that they stick out)

9) Find something about a centimeter thick (I used two pieces of cardboard taped together), and cut 16 triangles out of it. Place the triangles in the corners of the arrow spaces. These will be used to hold the arrow up so it doesn't constantly hold down the button.

10) Cut out 8 pieces of lucite (plexiglass) that fit your arrows.

11) Sandwitch your arrow graphic (You can use any image. If you want to be ghetto like me you can even draw them) between the two sheets of lucite and place it in the arrow space. The arrow should rest on the triangle pieces.

12) Drill screws through the spots where you have the triangles.

13) You may want to attatch the wires for the Triangle and X buttons to a switch. You don't have to as you can always just touch the wires together though. Your choice.

...And you're done! Plug in your pad to your system and break it in. If you did it right it will feel like a genuine arcade pad. If you did it WRONG then...well...take it apart and do it again.

My pad currently works fantastic. I am building a second pad for doubles and a trick bar for my freestyle routines. If I missed anything or made something unclear, I'm sorry. Please tell me and I'll fix it.

BTW, I know that SOMEONE is going to ask for pictures. I currently don't have any but I'm working on getting some step-by-step for you.
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Best songs ever - Freckles, Butterfly Upswing Mix, Brilliant 2 U (OG)

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ropeadope · Trick Member Joined: 20 Jul 2004

Well, this pad does kinda suck, but what do you expect for $20? Plus it has a 5 year warranty, which isn't that hard to take advantage of. I sent mine back in and got it back fairly quick. I'm looking to get a metal pad now though, these things are too slippery (especially the newer ones it seems), and they break much too fast. Probably the best cheap pad you'll find though, because of the 5 year warranty.

csieg · Basic Member Joined: 28 Nov 2004 Location: Liverpool

RadMooseKiller · Trick Member Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Location: Northeast Ohio

when i got this pad it broke within an hour of using it.
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ITG>DDR

ropeadope · Trick Member Joined: 20 Jul 2004

You do you you're not supposed to attack the pad right?

It also says on the box you're not supposed to play in shoes.

I've only worn out 3 beatpads in the last year, that's not too bad really. I play fairly often. I might just keep getting these beatpads actually, it's like getting two for $20 if you make use of the warranty. Plus they are fairly sturdy. I'd get a metal pad, but the good ones cost too much. Someone needs to make a real nice metal pad for under $150.

Stadsport · Trick Member Joined: 18 Jul 2004 Location: Tucson, AZ

When I started playing in June I got two of them and DDRMAX for my birthday. One wore out completely, I tried a softpad mod and it worked okay, but wasn't very responsive. Second one just worn out. I bought another one, which started to wear (surprise) and my dad got me another one before I moved to Arizona. Yes, four MadCatz Beat Pads.

And they all sucked

<-- Saving up for a CF

ropeadope · Trick Member Joined: 20 Jul 2004

Welcome to Tucson >_> - Have you been to Golf N Stuff? I think the machine there is kinda broken or something.

I wish there was a better selection of Metal Pads out there. I do want one, but there's nothing out there that appeals to me. Might just have to make my own. I doubt i'll do that though. I'll just have to keep using these beatpads if i cant i guess.

DDR Slave · Trick Member Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Location: Winnipeg

Metal pads cost mondo $$$... something we're all short of.

I just got DDR Extreme for Christmas with two Mad Katz beat pads for the ps2... so far they work fine. I acted on a hunch and something I read from this site saying they'd last longer if you put duct tape on the arrows. Now it helps because when you play barefoot, you can't always tell if you're stepping on the arrows or not. With the tape, you can at least sort of tell with your feet. Yes, the non-slip claim is bull, but the duct tape counters that. I also like to duct tape the pad down to the carpet/hardwood/whatever and works for the higher level songs. It's pretty wasteful of tape though...

Anyways, duct tape solves everything, but I'm hoping it doesn't screw around with the sensors inside the pad or something, what with the added stress of tape combined with my body weight pushing down on it and all.

Suggestions? Will this mess around with my pad?
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Akira_247 · Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:00 pm Post subject: my pad mod

lol i've been searching for this thread!!! but i got a madcatz regular 25$ cheapo and did and did the softpad modding by panda in the guides/ (with some difference!!) i cut squares of od towels and duct taped them under the arrows and did everything else the same and it works GREAT!!!! id reccomend this for anyone who cant afford a redoctane (even though they suck TERRIBLY!!

) or lives high in an apartment because it makes almost no noise!!!!
peace out

Septagon · Trick Member Joined: 18 Sep 2004 Location: Kingwood, TX

I've had one of those before, it sucked. I reccommend against these pads.

However, if they are taped down to the floor, they work allright.

Davyinatoga · Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 9:33 pm Post subject:

Gosh darn it, what the hoohah do you people do to your Madcatz pads? I admit, there are some that stop working quickly, but you can find a good one that'll last at least three times longer that another of the exact same brand. Not all Beat pads are created equally. My first one failed on me after 1 1/2 months, and the one I exchanged it for still works today. I love them, especially for college living: cheap and space-efficient.

Hell, you basically get an unlimited amount of pads for $20 if you guys go through them that fast. There is a reason those pads come in a box all folded up: you can put them away instead of leaving them taped to the floor!

It even specifies in the manual to fold them between the buttons. As long as you do that, you shouldn't have any problems. It frustrates me.

And yes, I've played on an Ignition. It's ok. It is nicer than a Madcatz, but it's not 5 times better (which is a price comparison).
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ropeadope · Trick Member Joined: 20 Jul 2004

Yeah, they're pretty good *for $20* i think. I have to keep using them anyways because there is really no alternative out there, not enough pad companies. For me it's either a madcatz, or a cobalt flux, and i don't have much money. Some company needs to start distributing a nice metal pad for under $150, one that will never break.

Sinistar · Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:30 am Post subject:

gu002 · Trick Member Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Location: Jersey

I got these pads about a year ago at EB games for some special where they had 2 for $30. They worked great for me when i was a beginner, until i got a couple of those fake ignition style pads from ebay which are pretty amazing but i have to use them without the foam padding. Back to the MadCatz pads: These pads still work although they are garbage to play heavy songs on.

Davyinatoga · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:23 pm Post subject:

I just thought of something: you could use those pads as a lesson: If you're destroying those MadCatz pads so quickly, think about what how you're dancing, and what you must be doing to those pads at the arcade... especially those who broke their MCs while playing light! I play catas on mine! Crazy...
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wowfactor

Bought PS2 and 2- Pads for Christmas for the kids.
After about 4 Days, the pads stopped working.
A regular Sony controller works, but not the pads.
I took the pads back to EB Games thinking they were defective, BUT they worked in the store's PS2....both pads.

Any one else experience this. The people at EB had not seen this before.
Any remedy?
Other than returning the PS2 for repair/exchange.

Thank you

robbiej · Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:55 am Post subject:

Somethin similar happened to me.
My boyfriend just bought me 2 Beat Pad Pro's for christmas and for some reason the pads only work if they're plugged into the 2nd player controller port on the ps2 but not in the 1rst player controller port. Regular controllers work in either port just fine though.

any ideas/help?
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Davyinatoga · Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 11:06 am Post subject:

wowfactor: Sometimes they need a bit of rest. If something stops working, lay off for a day or two, and try again. My old pad has done that several times to me. once it gets worn in it'll stay working for more days at a time. Although the first one I got did stop working after a month and a half... that's about it, I'd say. Leave them alone for a couple days and they should be fine.

robbiej: Beat Pad Pro... that's the one that plays on both PS2 and X-box, right? Ok, my cousin sometimes has to wiggle the port around on his. Start up the game, then insert the BPP pushing it upward, then push down on it a couple times when it's in. I'ts the PS2 port connection, not the X-Box-PS2 connector.

Well, that's how I've seen these problems fixed. Hope they work for you.
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