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How to play DDR in an apartment
 
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Aiwemor
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0. PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:54 pm    Post subject: How to play DDR in an apartment Reply with quote

Hi,

I don't know if this has been asked before, but I was wondering if anybody had any ideas on how to make playing DDR quieter for my neighbors who live below me. I know you can try to step lighter, but I like to jump a lot because I use it as a workout (since I am trying to lose weight). I also am not exactly the lightest person in the world either... So, does anybody know of something I can put beneath the pad, or if there is a pad I can get (that isn't way expensive) that would make it better. I know it can't get rid of all the noise and vibrations, but any ideas would be great! Oh, and I play the DDR for Wii (sometimes), but mostly on my PC with the simulator program.

Any thoughts or comments will be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!

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chennymountain
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1. PostPosted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can press lightly just play harder songs

You can also very very heavily pad your dancemat by buying like sheet of foam from like the craft store and put that dance mat on that
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Arcnx
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2. PostPosted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also, you can use chairs or something to use it as "the bar" like you'd do it in the Arcades to minimize the sound but still be able to play difficult songs
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yukihime
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3. PostPosted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

chennymountain wrote:
You can press lightly just play harder songs

You can also very very heavily pad your dancemat by buying like sheet of foam from like the craft store and put that dance mat on that


stepping lighter may help, but I can tell you that things like those "puzzle piece" gym flooring sets they sell in stores? will not help one little bit. I've tried with a layer of 20mm under my rug, then a layer of 12mm under the 1/2" wood, then dance pad. My roomie wanted my head on a plate. those types of pads/cushions just aren't really made for what we're doing - stepping, stomping, jumping, etc. in a fairly concentrated area.

And you have to consider the "ripple" effect of noise and vibration. Just fill a bowl with water, let it get nice and still, then add a couple drops of water and watch it ripple out - that's kind of what happens with DDR or anything where you're jumping around.

What is helping ... note I say helping, because unless you're going to do major rip up the floor and get into the subfloor/ceiling beneath you type construction, there's not much that will completely kill the noise and vibration:

I've found a company called soundproofing.org. They're very nice, take each person's problem seriously and really try to come up with a solution. They have a site (how I found them), an 800 number and a forum you can post your problem in. They just need as much info as you can give them - size/area involved, what the floors, ceilings are made of, what kind of pad even, your approximate weight, stuff like that. They will try to help you out! (no I don't work for them or get anything out of this)

Right now I have a layer of super-seal impact isolator (this is supposed to go under a wood floor, but mine's on the wood floor), then a layer of closed cell Mass Loaded Vinyl - then my rug (4x6' - I have a small livingroom). THEN, I had an extra piece of the isolator, so I ordered a 3/8" thick SSP Foam Mat with self-adhesive backing. Stuck them together, that sits on top of the rug, then my wood, then the pad.

Perfect? nope. Better, yep.

I'm still using a dense foam pad, on basic/starting to practice standard, weigh in as of today @ 110lbs (go up to 115), step light cause I'm old and have arthritis in both knees.

But right now, at least I'm not putting cracks in my roomie's livingroom ceiling (her's is under mine on the second floor), this IS an old house - wood floors, plaster walls/ceiling and I'm not driving her insane if I happen to be playing when she's home - which I try not to do, out of respect for her and cause I get sick of being ragged on.
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ライス
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4. PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 1:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

be lazy like me and play with the analog controller.
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Slowpoke
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5. PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 3:11 am    Post subject: Re: How to play DDR in an apartment Reply with quote

Aiwemor wrote:
I don't know if this has been asked before, but I was wondering if anybody had any ideas on how to make playing DDR quieter for my neighbors who live below me
Been there, done that. The only solution is to have neighbors who can deal with it. Nothing you do is going to make the noise and vibrations inobtrusive. I understand the desire to try to minimize it, but whether we're talking about a herd of elephants running around, or just a half dozen, it's not really a distinction for the person living below it.

(and that's an analogy, not a weight joke)
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markielowski
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6. PostPosted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Place your pads as close as comfortably possible to the main walls, like the outside walls or supporting walls, it seems to work for me. A lot of the jumping energy goes into the main supports of the building and doesn't really transfer anywhere else
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Suko
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7. PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There is nearly nothing you can do.

Trust me, I work in the Architecture and Construction field, and 90% of apts in the US are cheap wood frame construction. The floors will bend and transmit sound better than anything else except paper. My suggestion is to consider moving to the ground floor unit if its that important to you. Otherwise, there's always the arcade.
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Marq(uistadorous)
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8. PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 9:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Suko wrote:
There is nearly nothing you can do.

Trust me, I work in the Architecture and Construction field, and 90% of apts in the US are cheap wood frame construction. The floors will bend and transmit sound better than anything else except paper. My suggestion is to consider moving to the ground floor unit if its that important to you. Otherwise, there's always the arcade.


I completely agree. Unless you want to put a trampoline under your dance mat, it's going to be really loud for the people under you.
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