Dance pads with a USB connector are the easiest type to use with StepMania. With very few exceptions, you can plug them into your PC or Mac and they'll work with very little effort.
Manufacturer:RedOctane Comments: Has a built-in connectors for USB, PlayStation, and Xbox.
It has connectable USB, and built in PlayStation, and Xbox connections. You can use this pad with game consoles. For stepmania play, you need an adapter
It's sturdy. The foam insert is the thickest/heaviest of all foam insert pads and the pad slides around less than the others.
This pad automatically maps in StepMania 4.0 and newer.
Note: Some users report that when using the USB connector with AMD-based systems, the pad responds sluglishly. Others report, that this pad does not work with some PCs. Buy:RedOctane |
| Amazon
Manufacturer: Konami User Comment: Stepmania 3.9 by default uses DirectInput, which under Microsoft drivers treats this pad as a standard XBOX 360 game controller, making it suffer from the joystick axes problem. If only one step is down at a time, the controller works normally, but if multiple steps are depressed then the driver reports no steps are depressed. XBCD and XInput have both successfully been used to correct this issue; the former by remapping buttons, the latter by using a software shim between StepMania and the pad.
Manufacturer: (many) User Comment: Tested and works great. No joystick axes problem. User Comment: I just bought this dance pad and works great, no problems, works smoothy and very easy to setup on Stepmania. Just plug it in a USB port on windows xp and it will install the drivers automatically, no installation CD required. #1 Recommended, saves alot of money and reliable. I bought it from play-asia for just 10 bucks + 18.00 for shipping. It's from Hong Kong, so expect it to be about 8 days to your door. Caffeine Comment: As of 19Jan07, the pad is $10.90. For one pad, shipping is as low as $18.60 to the USA. For two mats, lowest shipping jumps to $45.10. All prices are for www.play-asia.com. Buy It:Play-Asia |
DDRGame | FutureMax | 2-TECH |
| Amazon
Manufacturer: Positive Gaming User Report: Impact Dance Pad has USB connector and it is meant for PC/MAC only. It doesn't require drivers and automatically maps in StepMania 4 and newer. Pad has thin non-removable foam insert for the four directional arrows, rest of the pad has no extra cushion besides the very thin foam base. My overall impression was good, this has to be one of the best foam pads available for PC. User Report: Works fine and it doesn't reguire any drivers or anything with XP. Buy:Positive Gaming
Manufacturer:SpectraVideo Comments: Bundled with "Dance Dance Dance" PC game and comes with with a ps2 keyboard adapter. User report: Works perfectly. Purchased on eBay. User report: Has the joystick axes problem because left+right and up+down don't work. User report: I'm using the PS/2 keyboard version of the pad, and it does not show the joystick axes problem. However, after folding and unfolding a few times, the down-right corner diagonal arrow does not respond, thus Pump It Up play is unusable. User report: I'm using the PS/2 keyboard version of the pad. It works perfectly, you can press all buttons at the same time. You need PS/2 keyboard to get this pad work. It has button to select Player and Keyboard mode. When you use player mode this enables you to use the pad and keyboard mode enables you to use a keyboard. NOTE: You have to set pad to keyboard mode when you are rebooting computer or turning it on. User report: I have the USB version (no PS/2 adapter). No joystick axes problem. Configures for one-player automatically. Two-player doesn't work unless you reconfigure the pads with the free program Glovepie.
Manufacturer:Front Fareast Indutrial Corporation Comments: Bundled with "Cyber Groove" PC game and comes with a USB connector. User report: Works well, but keys started flickering and the up-left arrow stopped responding altogether. Purchased from a surplus site.
Manufacturer: Kraft Buy:Kraft Comments: The Kraft pad suffers from the Joystick Axes Problem. It can be easily opened up to cross the wires and make the arrows map to buttons instead. Comments: If you want to mod your pad to correct fo the Joystick Axes problem, check out this wiring digram from Angela and this tutorial from Jesse and another tutorial from Paul.
Manufacturer: Digital Praise Buy:Digital Praise Comments: Sold bundled with the Dance Praise Software or seperately. $24.95 ea. 9 ft cord gives. Foam insert pad. User comment: It's a nice pad to start with; not the best out there but good enough. Worked fine for me; just plugged it in and it was good to go, no driver or anything else other than setting up key mappings in Stepmania. Buy:MusiChristian | Amazon
Manufacturer: ??? Comments: Bought from eBay UK. The wiring is identical to the Kraft pad. This Dance Mat suffers from the Joystick axes problem, despite the controller supporting 12 buttons. This can be fixed either by cutting the traces on the board and re-wiring them with wire and solder or by the aluminium foil method as described in the Kraft dance mat section.
Manufacturer: Gamesis Inc. User Comment: This is a multi-platform pad (PS2, Xbox, USB), it has 1 cable with 3 attached connectors. I have only used the USB connector and it worked right out of the box, I only had to map the Start and Back/Select keys Stepmania. No joystick axes problem. Caffeine Comment: Everything in the previous comment is accurate (except the pad also works with PS1 as well as PS2, XBox, and USB). Here's some more information. As of 19Jan07, the pad is $34.99. For one pad, ground shipping in USA is $5.99, and priority is $8.75. For two pads, ground shipping in USA is $7.00, and priority shipping is $13.80. Buy It:HandHeldItems
Manufacturer: Blade Dance Pads Comments: User Comment: USB connector works great in Windows XP and doesn't need drivers. The pad is silent when pressing the arrows and has a control box with Select and Start buttons. Also has PlayStation and Xbox connectors, but I didn't try those. User Comment2: I have heard that with the TX6000 the bar falls off easy, that someone broke it off in 2 days. Buy:FutureMax | Imarket TX4000 Dance Pad | iON Metal Dance Pad |
Buy: Onlyddr.com |
Product page says: Protrudent arrow design,(Tx19000 is flat-arrow design)
Pure commercial model, the steel pad is 3 times thicker than TX 6000。
9 pieces stainless steel pads
Firm arcade metal handrail can easily sustain an adult.
Compatible with PS,PS2 XBox and PC USB
Needs No driver softwares.
Buy: OnlyDDR China |
Product page says: Protrudent arrow design,(Tx19000 is flat-arrow design)
Pure commercial model, the steel pad is 3 times thicker than TX 6000。
9 pieces stainless steel pads
Firm arcade metal handrail can easily sustain an adult.
Compatible with PS,PS2 XBox and PC USB
Needs No driver softwares.
User Report: This pad works. It looks like the DANCE UK dance mat. It links straight to your USB and does not suffer from the Joystick Axes Problem (you can step on two arrows simultaneously without a problem). Because of the layout of the mat (like dance uk), it may be a bit different from the normal DDR mat, but works nevertheless.
Comment 2: Easy to set up, comes with 3 sticky pads to help prevent sliding of the mat. Still crinkles up easily... Seems like the only one of two you can get in Australia. (Shipped from Australia）
Manufacturers Report: This pad behaves like USB HID Gamepad with 9 buttons. There is no axes problem as both of the axes are non-functional on purpose. There are only 9 buttons (all 8 directions + center) that you can configure as you like. Comes with a mat that prevents sliding. Buy: www.trinpad.eu
Manufacturers Report: Logic3 top selling high quality, durable, non-slip Dance Mat Controller for Psone and PS2 consoles. Ideal for use with all dance titles for PSone & PS2 including Dancing Stage series from Konami and Athens 2004: Olympics from Sony.
* Unique slip resistant construction
* 8 Action buttons
* Start / Select control
* Heavy duty plastic covering
* Hard wearing pressure pads
* Dimensions: 107cm x 88cm
* Now with L1, L2, R1 & R2 Buttons
