Image: www.pixiv.net/artworks/93659275
Preface#
Restoring column writing!!!
After browsing the domestic internet, I didn't find any tutorials on modifying DDR soft pads, so I decided to write one myself.
I bought my first soft pad at the beginning of the year, but I played quite intensively, and it broke within a week.
Then I bought another one, and it broke again.
Sigh, I originally wanted to tough it out and get a foot platform, but first, I had no place to put it, and second, the price was quite high. At that time, I saw a recommended tutorial for DDR PAD on Reddit, where I learned that you can make simple modifications to DDR soft pads to greatly enhance my gaming experience. After doing some modifications myself and experiencing it for a while, I decided to write a column to recommend this method to everyone, as well as share some usage experiences and insights.
First of all, I'm not a very skilled DDR player; before experiencing the modified pad, I could only pass level 9, but on the first day of using it, I could jump to level 10 and 11 songs (of course, my skill level is still quite low).
What are the benefits?#
So why modify the soft pad?
- First, modifying the soft pad can greatly extend its lifespan (I have drawn some conclusions about why pads are prone to breaking after some investigation and disassembly, which I will put at the end).
- It makes the pad more stable and easier to jump on, which significantly improves your DDR experience. Without a wrinkled pad sliding around, your skill level will be greatly, greatly, greatly enhanced.
This guide may not cover everything; many things you will naturally understand once you get hands-on. So the best way is to read this guide once, buy the materials, and get started. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments.
I referred to DDR Soft Pad Modification By Penguinlord (https://www.angelfire.com/pro2/softpadmod/) and DDR Soft Pad Modification Tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soem9tnzeG0) while making this. I will also take screenshots of any images I forgot to take for the column from those sources, so if you're interested, you can check them out.
Buy Materials!#
The materials you need are roughly as follows:
- Soft pad: The price of soft pads on Taobao is around 40 to over 100. I've only bought two or three, so I can't guarantee which ones are of good quality and which are not. But based on my observations, they are likely the same model, so just buy the cheaper ones.
- Wooden board 100cm * 90cm * 1.5cm: It's best to go to a nearby lumber store or hardware store to see if they have suitable sizes. If you live in a remote area, you can just pick up a usable piece.
So expensive
- Decorative tape: You can buy a roll of this tape in bulk on Taobao, a roll for five or six yuan with free shipping will do. Choose the color as you like.
- Double-sided carpet tape: This tape will be used to secure your soft pad to the wooden board. Most carpet tapes you buy will have enough stickiness, but it's best to buy a slightly wider one.
- PVC protective film: I bought the kind of transparent vinyl tablecloth often used at wedding banquets. It seems that floor protection film would also work; I haven't tested it, but it's best to buy a relatively thin one. However, I suggest buying a bit more to have some extra. You can calculate how to buy it cost-effectively.
You need:
- A piece at least 100cm * 110cm (which means about 5cm extra on each side) to cover the top of the pad.
- Eight pieces of 23 * 28 cm to place under the soft pad (if you think it's too low, you will need 12 pieces, so it's best to buy a bit more).
- Single-sided cloth tape: Used to secure the PVC protective film pad to the wooden board.
In addition, you will need some tools. If you don't have them, it's best to go to a nearby hardware store or buy them on Taobao.
- A quality staple gun, as you need to drive staples into the wood, so it's best to buy a stronger one.
Both U-shaped and door-shaped are fine
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A hammer to drive in any staples that didn't go in.
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A tape measure or ruler to measure lengths.
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A pencil for marking.
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If the wooden board's size is incorrect, you will also need a tool to cut the wood.
The above are roughly the things I need to modify a DDR soft pad. If you want to make two pads, one roll of tape should be enough.
Start Modifying!#
Before You Start#
First, take out your pad and plug it into the computer to test if it works properly, checking if all buttons respond. If you test it after everything is assembled and it doesn't work, then...
Well...
Take out your large protective film. This protective film serves two main purposes: first, to cover the pad for protection and to increase friction; second, to create some bumps under each arrow, which helps you feel the position of the arrows while jumping. You might feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but once you get used to it, it will be very helpful.
First, lay your opened PVC film flat on the wooden board, leaving about five or six centimeters of excess on all sides. Once you confirm that the size you bought is correct, fold it up for now.
Cutting PVC Bumps#
Take out the remaining protective film and cut it into squares of 23×28 cm. You need eight of these bumps, two under each arrow. Of course, if you think two are still a bit flat, you can increase it to three. The purpose of these pads is to help your feet feel the position of the arrows.
After cutting, you need to combine the bumps in pairs (or threes). Due to the PVC's properties, they will stick together. If you feel they aren't sticking enough, you can use tape to secure them.
Positioning the Soft Pad#
Next, take your DDR soft pad, lay it flat on the wooden board, and press it down. It's best to leave it there for a while to let gravity help it flatten completely. Then, take a pencil and mark the position of the soft pad so that if it accidentally shifts, you can restore it.
Securing the Bumps#
Now you need to add two or three of the cut bumps, aligning them directly under the arrows on the board.
Here's how I did it: I placed the soft pad on the wooden board, then slid the protective film underneath to align it (align the center of the protective pad with the center of the arrow). When you feel it's in the right position, lift the pad and use tape to secure them to the board.
Once you have pasted one block, accurately place the pad back in its original position, aligning it with the reference lines you previously marked. This way, when you place the next arrow, the first arrow won't slide, and so on, until all four arrows have their protective film pads in place.
Securing the Soft Pad#
Next, you need to stick the soft pad to the board. This part is a bit complex; first, ensure your soft pad is fully stretched on the wooden board without too many wrinkles. Apply a circle of carpet tape under the four blocks and the middle one.
About this much
You can stick along the white edge
Be careful not to place the carpet tape directly under the arrows, as it can lead to accidental touches and poor foot feel. Additionally, if you want to remove the soft pad later, it will be troublesome.
I suggest starting from the top and sticking the two upper ones first, then the middle one, and finally the two lower ones. Be careful not to let the carpet tape stick under your arrows; first, it may cause a difference in foot feel and lead to accidental touches. Secondly, if you want to remove the soft pad from the board, it won't damage the soft pad under the arrows.
Once you have completely secured the soft pad to the wooden board, you can test it a bit, but be careful not to apply too much force.
Securing the PVC Film#
Next, cover the top layer with the protective film. First, lay the PVC film over your soft pad. You will notice that the control box on top is a bit in the way, so cut a notch in the protective film to allow your control box to pass through.
First, tear off a small piece of tape to secure the protective film to the wooden board.
Then you can start stapling. You can choose to staple it on the side.
However, I think this way is a bit hard to apply force, so I chose to staple it on the front. But be careful; if there is extra space at the bottom of your wooden board, you also need to secure it or simply cut it off. In the end, I didn't feel the staples on top during the experience. If your staples can't fully penetrate the wood, it's time for your hammer to come into play to drive them all in.
I suggest going around in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. When you start stapling, be careful to keep the protective film straight; you don't want it to be wrinkled when you jump. Of course, don't pull it too tight, as it may cause one button to trigger multiple buttons. Just keep it slightly loose when tightening.
When you get to the corners, you will find that there is excess protective film. Just use scissors to cut it off so that your protective film can fit your wooden board perfectly.
Space the staples about five or six centimeters apart. Once you're done stapling, cut off any excess, connect it to the computer, and test if everything is working properly.
Decoration#
Finally, it's time for the decoration part. Take out your decorative tape and stick it around the edges of the wooden board and the staples, completely covering them. Do not stick the tape on top of your pad.
Done!!
Experience#
After a week of experience, it indeed doesn't slip anymore. I found that the foot feel has improved a lot. Initially, I tried jumping barefoot, with socks, and with shoes. Ultimately, for me, the friction with socks was just right; barefoot and with shoes had too much friction, though this may vary from person to person.
Placing two thin blocks together underneath feels slightly low for me, but I think if I added a third, it might be a bit too high.
The noise, compared to the sound of the soft pad twisting and turning, hasn't decreased after modification, but it is deeper and less noticeable. Additionally, with two layers of cushioning in the middle, the disturbance level has significantly decreased.
Problems with the Soft Pad and Some Solutions#
The most common damage to the original soft pad is that the down arrow cannot be pressed together with the other arrows; otherwise, the down arrow will not respond.
The cause of this, based on my disassembly and some online examples and guesses, is that the circuit from the down arrow to the control box has broken. This usually happens because the internal wiring of the down arrow extends outward along the center point of the soft pad. After playing for a few weeks, the wiring of the down arrow, being the longest and most prone to breakage, starts to show slight fractures, which prevents the signal from being transmitted well to the control box.
When modifying the soft pad, you need to try to keep the wiring and your protective pad straight, which can minimize the movement of the soft pad and avoid breaking the internal wiring.
Of course, if this problem still occurs, you can choose to disassemble the soft pad, carefully cut open the rubber pad on the back, and connect a wire from the down arrow to the control board. However, a pad costs about thirty to forty yuan, so you can also choose to buy another one. Nonetheless, disassembling it to see how the dance mat works is quite interesting.
Have fun!