Foam or Metal ?

[steph1o21]

//

[cranium]

[Alex3305]

I think a metal pad is better cause my foam mat ripped at some arrows after a month or 2..
_________________

My Weblog (Dutch) | R.i.P. Capt. Jack ! Great BEMANi artist !

[boss matsumoto]

It would seem like a simple desision, but it really isn't. Many, many people say the Cobalt Flux is the only metal pad that really works, the redoctane dies quickly and the BNS ones just plain suck. Yes, I own a flux, and it is better than the ignition pads for me, simply because I like to play in shoes. I have heard of people who like the redoctane ignition better than the flux though, saying its raised buttons make the game much easier, and the flux hurts their feet. Not everyone has $350 to spend on a controller either (its 350 after shipping), so it's all a matter of preference. From what I have seen the redoctane ignition responds just as well as the flux. Just buy whichever you feel more comfortable with.
_________________

I suck, but I am in Team Phunk!

[DDR Seth]

I hate my foam pad unless im playing something easy, other then that it will give you random misses and boo's that absolutely drive me crazy. Then again metal ones cost more and are more pricey to fix/replace so its pretty even competition IMO.

[Vash7ehStampede]

A good foam pad will be very helpful, and far cheaper than a good metal one.
I recomment Level Six (levelsix.com), but they're on a backorder of about a month right now. Inexpensive pads that perform well and last a considerable time.

[steph1o21]

///

[souma]

If you play at an arcade regularly then get a metal pad, it costs more but it pays off. more practice on a metal pad=better arcade ability.

I play without shoes at the arcade because i'm not used to the extra weight because I play at home on a foam pad.

[DDR Seth]

[Alex3305]

[boss matsumoto]

[DDR Seth]

Just got a Red Octane Ignition, i'm loving it.

[ropeadope]

[Alex3305]

[cam]

I bought a TX-1000 and it sholding up pretty well! I'm not an advanced ddr dancer- once I get good enough I'm gonna buy some a set of arcade colbalt flux (with the bar) pads. But really guys, the TXs arn't THAT bad!

[Dancing Dan]

Like it was said before, it is all preference. I prefer metal over foam because metal helps prevent the pad from shifting. Even the high quality foam pads still move underneath my feet because my weight causes the pad to shift quite a bit. My CF metal pad NEVER moves, and i weigh about 210 lbs
_________________

[Sabre]

I velcroed my foam pad to a plywood board. Now I have a hard soft pad AND an oxymoron.
_________________

FEAR THE MUFFIN! FEAR IT!

[wathomas777]

Foam:

Pros: Light weight, easier to store, softer on your feet, quieter to use, Less expensive per pad. Many have raised arrows to be able to "feel" where the arrows are without looking down.

Cons: Can still slip on higher "foot" songs, can wear out quicker, requires you to wear socks or bare feet.

Metal:

Pros: More durable (especially CF's), can wear shoes, more arcade like feel (though CF's don't have "recessed arrows"). Zero slippage, even with the most extreme songs.

Cons: Not easily stored, Expensive, Noisy, Harder on your feet, Some are flat (CF's for example) which makes "feeling" the arrows more difficult"

My preference (personally) are the ignition type foam ones. I have a small living room, so I don't want to continually lug heavy pads in and out of it. The ignition knockoffs I have I "modded" by replacing the foam with real "RO" foam inserts from RO's website, and at $75.00 for two, it was easier to convince my wife of that expense then the $150 to $300 required for a good metal pad.

Of course if I end up buying pads every 3 months, I may change my tune by quite a bit.