Does anyone have their own DDR machine? Tell your story.

[Kotarius]

Today I bought a DDR machine for my office, I think I got a very good deal. For $3000 dollars I got DDR Extreme with new sensors. The pads work extremely well, but I am going to clean them anyway later.

Today I spent about 4 hours cleaning the cabinet. I took it apart and wiped everything down with Formula 409.

I took off the metal edges of the machine and beneath them there was an orange combination of rust, sweat, and grime. It smelled pretty bad, too. But after my cleaning, it was fine. The CRT and both sides of the glass pane in front of it were covered in a layer of dust. After cleaning it, the screen was a lot brighter.

I am waiting on the keys (the previous owner is mailing them to me).

Here are some pics (look at them from right to left):


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DDR In Los Gatos

[Kotarius]

Update:

They didn't have the marquee that goes at the top, so I had muffled sound. I added a small stereo and plugged it in to Line Out on the back of the machine, and it works great.

I degaussed the monitor and it got rid of the magnetic anomalies in the top corners of the screen. It looks brand new!

The decals were worn so I am replacing them as well, from an Australian Website.

The DDR machine came without keys, so I hired a locksmith to replace the locks. The total comes to:

DDR Machine $3000
Replace Locks $330
Replace Decals $160
Stereo $80
Total: $3570

I also entered the unlock codes to add the extra songs.

PS. Here is another picture:

[Kotarius]

I made it available to the public: http://www.ddrfreak.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=8960929

[jesusfr3ak4evr]

If you could upgrade it to play custom (ITG) songs, then that would be awesome. I would buy it from you for 4.5k lol.
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- http://www.youtube.com/UMBCSS

[Suko]

Question:

When you receive the decals, could you do the entire community a huge favor and scan them into a high res file and share them? I wouldn't mind hosting it for a while either. I have been looking for these decals to use for fliers, posters, and small touch-ups to otherwise machines.

Also, what kind of job do you have that allows a DDR machine in the office? That has to be the most disruptive arcade game I can think of to be in an office. That's awesome that you have it there though!
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"Arcades have gone away but the culture is not gone."

DDRecall | Groovestats | Beatspace | UI Bemani Club | Suko's Shirt Shack

[Kotarius]

[Kotarius]

I cleaned the pads today. Took them completely apart and also adjusted the sensors. After cleaning, my greats were reduced by 30% and my misses were reduced by 80%

[Da-Risin-Smoke]

[Russo`]

Ahh- Greed.
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I love this dancing to death. I'm striving to become the best, will I accomplish this? We will have to see. Be sure to watch out for my simfiles, videos, and posting new groovestats scores from day to day or something. I Will become the best.

[__]

I'm not sure if you know this, but I'll say it anyway.

There's a feature in the user menu that allows you to check the sensors. Using this might help you address your "miss" problem.

[Kotarius]

[Kotarius]

I compiled a list of items that need to be done to DDR machines that people can propose to arcade owners:

cabinet:
cleaning subwoofers (removes accumulated dirt and creates richer bass)
cleaning metal liners (gives cabinet new look)
cleaning CRT and front glass (brighter picture)
aligning picture and degaussing (best possible picture)
cleaning buttons (better response, no sticky buttons)

pads:
cleaning and soaking screws (required for pad maintenance)
dishwashing arrows and metal plates (removes dirt and makes pad look new)
scrubbing brackets (prevents pad sticking)
scrubbing metal plating (makes pad look new)
vacuuming inside of pad surfaces (removes accumulated dirt)
scrubbing and cleaning inside of pad surfaces (removes stains and dirt)
aligning sensors and testing sensor pressure (increases pad sensitivity)
cleaning out the bar area (removes stains and dirt)
polishing finished pad (makes pad look brand new)

[Kotarius]

started a meetup: http://www.meetup.com/ddrlosgatos/