Frequently Asked Questions

These are general questions about Dance Dance Revolution and StepMania pads. For more information about DDRPad.com please visit the About, Shipping, Returns, and Contact pages.

Home Pads FAQ

What is the best dance pad for playing at home?
To figure out which dance pad is best for you please visit our Pad Buying Guide.

What is the best pad for playing StepMania?
Most dance pads can be used for StepMania. To figure out which pad is best for you please visit our Pad Buying Guide.

What is the difference between soft pad, hard pad, and arcade pad?
"Soft pad" refers to any foldable pad made of foam and soft plastic. They are generally okay for beginners, but are not recommend for advanced players. "Hard pad" refers to more durable pads made primarily of wood, metal, and hard plastics. Hard pads are preferred by advanced players and are better quality than soft pads. The highest quality option is an "arcade pad", which is constructed primarily of steel. Arcade pads are commercial grade equipment designed for use in public arcades.

What is the best pad for playing Dance Dance Revolution on PlayStation?
The best pad you can get that is compatible with PlayStation, Xbox, Wii, and other video game systems is Cobalt Flux. For help figuring out which pad is best for your please visit our Pad Buying Guide.

Can I play Dance Dance Revolution on PlayStation with L-TEK pads?
The stock L-TEK pad does not allow you to connect to PlayStation or other video games systems. You can only connect via USB to PC and play StepMania. For those who want to play DDR on PlayStation or other video game systems we offer a DIY Mod Kit for the L-TEK.

Where can I buy a Cobalt Flux pad?
If you want to build your own pad we sell a Cobalt Flux Style DIY Pad Kit. The best place to find used Cobalt Flux pads is the Facebook group Buy and Sell Cobalt Flux Pads.

Where can I buy or sell used dance pads?
The best place to buy or sell an arcade or home pad is on Facebook in this group Buy/Sell Pads (DDR, ITG, StepMania, PIU).

How can I increase the sensitivity of my dance pad?
We sell copper "Penny" Style Sensitivity Mods and Steel Plate Sensitivity Mods for both L-TEK and Cobalt flux pads. For more details visit our Cobalt Flux Parts and L-TEK Parts pages. 

How do I penny mod my L-TEK or Cobalt Flux?
We sell a variety of option for increasing the sensitivity of L-TEK and Cobalt Flux pads. From our "Penny" Style Mod to our Steel Plate Mod.  For more details visit our Cobalt Flux Parts and L-TEK Parts pages.

How do I mod my L-TEK dance pad to poll at 1000hz?
Older version L-TEK pads have a stock PCB (printed circuit board) that polls at 125hz. We offer a L-TEK USB Controller Board - 1000hz PCB that can be used to upgrade older L-TEK pads to poll at 1000hz.

How can I fix the cracked panels on my L-TEK?
Check out our L-TEK parts pages to see all of the available replacement panels for L-TEK pads. 

How do I modify my arcade, L-TEK, Cobalt Flux, DDRGame, or other pad with FSR sensors? 
For those of you who want to modify your pad with FSR sensors we offer a Force Sensing Resistor (FSR) Sensor - Mod Kit. We have Long and Square FSR sensors available with solder tabs and 2 pin female housing. For more information on using FSR sensors see our DIY and Repair Guide.

Can I build a DIY pad with FSR sensors? 
If you want to build a DIY FSR pad we offer a Force Sensing Resistor (FSR) Sensor - Mod Kit. We also have Long and Square FSR sensors available with solder tabs and 2 pin female housing. We have a wide variety of DIY Parts that can be used when building a FSR pad. For more information on building a DIY FSR pad see our DIY and Repair Guide.

What are the best shoes for playing Dance Dance Revolution?
Our favorite shoes to wear when playing DDR and StepMania on home or arcade pads is the HFS - Lightweight Road Running Shoe. It has a thin 5.5mm highly flexible sole that protects your foot but still allows you to feel the pad when playing. It’s also super light averaging just 6.8 ounces each. Click here to learn more.

 

StepMania FAQ

Where can I download StepMania?
To download StepMania and DDR songs for free visit our StepMania Guide.

How do I get Dance Dance Revolution songs for StepMania?
To download DDR songs for free visit our StepMania Guide.

How do I get In The Groove songs for StepMania?
To download ITG songs for free visit our StepMania Guide.

How can I connect my pad to my computer to play StepMania?
We sell a USB StepMania Control Box that can be used to connect almost any pad to PC to play StepMania. To download StepMania and DDR songs for free visit our StepMania Guide. 

How do I map my pad with StepMania?
For help connecting your dance pad to StepMania visit How to Map a Dance Pad with StepMania.

How do I add songs to StepMania?
If you need help adding songs to StepMania see our guide How to add songs to StepMania.

 

Arcade Pads FAQ

How do I increase the sensitivity of my arcade pad?
We sell a variety of mods that can be used to increase the sensitivity of arcade pads. This includes our Sensor Channel Mod for DDR, ITG & PIU, Sensitivity Mod for Arcade Sensor, and L-Bracket Sensitivity Mod. New sensors are also a great way to improve your pad. We have both Dance Dance Revolution Arcade Pad Sensors and Pump It Up Arcade Pad Sensors.

How do I connect my arcade pad to StepMania?
To connect a DDR, ITG or PIU arcade pads to PC you will need a PAD2PC to connect the pads and lights.

How do I convert my arcade cabinet to StepMania?
To connect a DDR arcade cabinet to a PC you will need J-PAC JAMMA to PC Adapter to connect the arcade cabinet system 573, and PAD2PC to connect the pads and lights. For a detailed guide visit JEFFREY CARL FADEN'S BLOG.

How much does a Dance Dance Revolution arcade machine cost?
Prices vary a lot depending on demand, version, quality, and location. A rough estimate for full arcade cabinets is $3,500-$10,000+. For more information check out our Pad Buying Guide.

Where can I buy a Dance Dance Revolution, In The Groove, or Pump It Up arcade machine/cabinet/pads?
There are a variety of different DDR arcade machines and the prices can vary a lot. Some of the more common ones are Dance Dance Revolution Extreme Japanese (j-cab) and Korean (k-cab), DDR 5th mix, SuperNova, DDRX, DDRX2, DDR A, In The Groove, Pump It Up, and PIU LX. These cabinets have a wide range of age and quality, as well as different manufactures and price ranges. The best place to find a cabinet is on Facebook in the Buy/Sell Pads (DDR, ITG, StepMania, PIU) group.