New to dancing games, what's a "soft pad"?

[TheGuyWhoGoesMoo]

I was just looking at some pads and saw some advertise that they were "soft"... All I could think of were those crappy pads that looked like miniature aero-beds, but they were 100$+, which I don't mind paying if I get a good pad.

[Anticrombie0909]

A soft pad...is a pad that's soft. Lol seriously though, soft pads are more like mats that you can roll up, etc. The alternative hard pads are a lot better quality, but they're much much more expensive.

[dontcareaboutmyid]

i plan on getting a hard pad as soon as i get the money for it

but seriously, soft pads are pretty much crap

[Anticrombie0909]

I know...I ordered one off ebay, NEW, and the fuckin thing started to rip within a month, then the back arrow stopped working within 2 months. Piece of shit.

[Cenright]

I still have never played DDR.

[altairian]

neither have i

[DDR_fLiP]

you should start playing then...if you're good on FFR then DDR is eassy
its just maintaining energy for the songs...thats what you might want to look out for

[jewpinthethird]

I bought two generic ignitions off of ebay, I love them. Had them about a year, still work good as new.

[dontcareaboutmyid]

if you must have a soft pad, go for the madcats in stores, thy cost 20$ and are accually quite durable for what you're paying

then i recommend ductaping the bottom so it doesn't split open when you play. it'll will stiffen it up a bit and the pad won't go all scrunchy.

the pad im looking at is i think orion or omega or something like that, but it was in Playstation magazine and the thing looked really freaking cool.

[Vantor]

i have the pos mad catz pads. they were given to me like in june i believe so im not really complainin that thats all i have. im complainin cuz they suck so bad.
come on the down button has barely worked on EITHER pad for like 4 months. now the left button is goin on one of the pads an the up is goin on the other one. definitely go for a hard pad if u want to get good ones...or hard foam filled ones...not too hard yet very durable
btw mad cats as dontcare said r about $20...but the foam filled u can get for near 50 maybe...ur choice pay an xtra 40-60 bucks an get 10 times better pads...or save some money an have dead pads in a few months

[Anticrombie0909]

Lesson #1 for n00bs. Use what we like to call in the school industry 'correct spelling and punctuation'. Hell, I'd settle for readability.

[XsmurfX]

hrmm... i don't have a playstation, or a pad.. but i'm thinking of buying a seccond hand one off of e-bay just so i can play ddr... what do you guys think.. ? good idea? bad idea? or should i save up and buy a new one in stores?

[Alkaiser88]

if you must have a soft pad, go for the madcats in stores, thy cost 20$ and are accually quite durable for what you're paying

then i recommend ductaping the bottom so it doesn't split open when you play. it'll will stiffen it up a bit and the pad won't go all scrunchy.

the pad im looking at is i think orion or omega or something like that, but it was in Playstation magazine and the thing looked really freaking cool.

RedOmega

[Twisteddragon33]

I have an upper grade soft pad. By soft its ripstop viynl with plastic leyrr between the viynl layers, then under it all is an inch layer of hard foam/foam rubber. Then encasing it all is a layer of viynl like cloth. Took over year before it started to rip. A year of me on standard playing it near everyday, and my cousin on heavy.

was $120 so i think it was a good deal for lasting a year.

There are:
Flat Pads, cheapest, lowest quality.
Soft pads, Foam or something under it/in it. Better than flats.
Hards, Plastics or acrylics coating making them mroe durable, when they break they are nearimpossible to fix in most situations, but very good quality.
Metal, Best cuality. Most are arcade or higher quality. Incredibly durable.

Flats: about $15-$30
Softs: $50-150
Hards: $200-300
Metals: $350-up

[Alkaiser88]

I have an upper grade soft pad. By soft its ripstop viynl with plastic leyrr between the viynl layers, then under it all is an inch layer of hard foam/foam rubber. Then encasing it all is a layer of viynl like cloth. Took over year before it started to rip. A year of me on standard playing it near everyday, and my cousin on heavy.

was $120 so i think it was a good deal for lasting a year.

There are:
Flat Pads, cheapest, lowest quality.
Soft pads, Foam or something under it/in it. Better than flats.
Hards, Plastics or acrylics coating making them mroe durable, when they break they are nearimpossible to fix in most situations, but very good quality.
Metal, Best cuality. Most are arcade or higher quality. Incredibly durable.

Flats: about $15-$30
Softs: $50-150
Hards: $200-300
Metals: $350-up

Flats: 20$
Softs: 24.95-39.99$
Hards: 69.99-99.99$
Metal: 189.99$

All of those include shipping. Check DDRFreak, prices may be cheaper.