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SmittS · Trick Member Joined: 08 Mar 2004 Location: Clemson, SC

Ezzelin you bought this type of pad? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3083662008&category=21188#ShippingPayment Is this the pad with the HARD foam? Thanks.
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NOOB!

MingTran · Trick Member Joined: 15 Jan 2004 Location: Vancouver

I got a Dance Mat, but some of the arrows are not sensitive enough and keep missing when I step on it on time. what can I do to fix it?

Ezzelin · Basic Member Joined: 14 Mar 2004

Ezzelin · Basic Member Joined: 14 Mar 2004

OK, I've decided to do a more proper review of the new Vortz pads I got off Ebay. I also have some questions for all of you.

Pictures:

1. Here's the big box they came in.

2. One of the pads, fully assembled, sitting in front of the boxes.

3. Close up of the pad's surface. It's not slick or shiny, it's kind of textured like nylon or something. Click on the picture (or any of the others) for a close up.

4. Here's a shot of the inserts. They come in three pieces, are hard foam, and weigh 4 lbs. Nice stuff, but smells a little like new shoes. (Is this a common thing?)

5. Non-slip foam back. Doesn't really skid around for me, other then maybe an inch or so over a few songs. I don't notice it during gameplay, and I play mostly 6 or 7 footers at this point. It doesn't look like it will be a problem either.

6. And finally, a picture of the inside of a pad. It looks like it has nice construction here, with all of the internals covered by nylon or some kind of fabric. The 4 main directional arrows are also reinforced with more foam, and are slightly convex. Perhaps there's some plastic inside of them? Either way, they definitely feel nice to step on, and I can tell where I am on the pad. The foam under the arrows is actually shaped like the arrow graphic, so the two outside corners and the inside curve are cut out of the foam. I guess this makes the shape of the foam under the arrows distinctive as well.

Is this kind of one piece construction typical of ignition pads? How does this compare to the inside of a BNS DX or RO pad? Do I need to put tape anywhere to prevent tearing? It doesn't look like this kind of design would tear, and it looks like I can expect them to last me a long time. I don't think that I need to mod them, but if anyone has any suggestions I would be interested, because these are my pads and I want to keep them for a long time.

In conclusion, I couldn't be happier with my purchase. These pads look like top quality gear, and seem responsive to my every touch. And the price--you can't beat $60 including shipping for two well built hard foam ignition pads! I'd be certainly interested in other people's impressions of them, or how they differ in comparison to BNS DX or RO pads. If anyone has any more questions about these pads, let me know.

vsamaco · Trick Member Joined: 08 Mar 2004

Those are some nice pics Ezzelin. From those pictures, the pad's build is very similar to a BNS DX ignition pad and DDR Nation clone. As for the internal fabric underneath the buttons for DX and Nation pads (and prob most ignition pads) aren't very resilient. After having Nation pads for 3 days and playing 15-20 songs (6-8ft), the internal fabric began to tear at seams around the outline of the buttons and at the outer edges. This only happened in the pad with hard foam, but no tearing has occured with light foam yet (or i just haven't played enough on them). The inside of my pad has a series of duct tape strips where it was tearing. The tearing though doesn't deter the pads functionality for me yet. Check the inside of the pad every once in a while. Don't fold the pad either, or it will crease the internal fabric. Does anyone know if redoctane or mymybox internal fabric the same or different, which is more/less suseptible to tearing? If it isn't, why spend $100 for one?

With my DX pad, which I had for almost 6 months of moderate-heavy use, stop working properly. The lights still lit up, but none of the buttons registered. The cord from the control box began to wear down and the wire was exposed. Just my luck, I had a very beaten up BNS Ultra NX softpad and jacks its control box and used it to replace the one on my DX pad. And now it works! So the lesson I learned, extensive cord movement(pulling, bending, etc) causes the cord to tear away from the cord spring (spiral thing), wears away the plastic that holds the cord to control box and, pulls the wires that connected inside. So keep the cord from moving too much. I duct tape the first 2 inches of the cord to control box sideways to mobilize it a little.

Despite these problems, my BNS DX pads are still going. Thats my experience with ignition pads.

WoodyWindy · Trick Member Joined: 10 Feb 2004

Aside from the graphics, those look pretty much identical structurally to the BNS DX pads I got a few weeks ago.

Slowpoke · Trick Member Joined: 28 Oct 2003

Looks like a nice pad. I haven't tried one yet with the heavy (4 lb.) foam, but I'll definitely have to try those next.
One problem I keep having with these softpads is not internal tearing, but the pieces that cover the arrows start moving around inside the pad. Once that happens, my choices are either leave it alone and start missing arrows, or cut it open, reposition the piece, which usually damages the internals and I start missing arrow. It's a lose-lose situation.
Am I the only one who's having this problem?

vsamaco · Trick Member Joined: 08 Mar 2004

Slowpoke · Trick Member Joined: 28 Oct 2003

I've gotten them off ebay... the first set I got were MyMyBox, and the next set isn't branded, but it's the kind with the shiny plastic covering, not the textured nylon type, like the previous ones had. Both sets gave me that same problem... and so far, I've never heard anyone else complain about this, so I feel like it must be *me*... but it's not as if I weigh more than everyone else who uses these pads, and my style doesn't involve sliding around the pad either... so I'm kinda stumped. Hopefully I'll have better luck with my next set...

vsamaco · Trick Member Joined: 08 Mar 2004

mwestep · Trick Member Joined: 06 Jul 2002

Ezzelin, I got the exact same pads you got, came in on Monday. So far they are awesome, registers steps perfectly and everything.. Im planning on duct taping the inside vinyl pretty soon (I'm 300 pounds, play 8-9 foot songs...).

I am wanting to play doubles, but anything over 5 feet, the pads slide around too much, causing me to not know where the buttons are.

Anybody with these type of pads (ignition) have a suitable fix for that? Some way to connect the two pads together so they won't move around at all. Something light weight so the pads can be moved easily would be preferable.. Oh, and cheap

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WoodyWindy · Trick Member Joined: 10 Feb 2004

DX Manaic · Trick Member Joined: 28 Aug 2002 Location: Outer Limits

Just want to let you guys know:
Vortz pad=the mymybox pad I have=Level Six 3.0's
My pad used light foam and it never had any of the problems.I wonder if I got lucky
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mwestep · Trick Member Joined: 06 Jul 2002

WoodyWindy · Trick Member Joined: 10 Feb 2004

DDRonthebrain337 · Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2004 7:04 pm Post subject:

vsamaco · Trick Member Joined: 08 Mar 2004

daggis mchaggis · Basic Member Joined: 14 Feb 2004

NRGizyeN · Basic Member Joined: 10 Mar 2004

is http://www.gameenhancer.net/ ignition pads any good?