Best DDR cab to buy/mod in the UK

Hi all,

I've been dipping in-and-out of DDR for the past 10 years but I'm finally in a position to get my own arcade cab. I've decided to source one from a refurb company like Libertygames or Homeleisuredirect (UK based sites) as I can't really be bothered with the hassle of private transactions. (Organising couriers, returns etc). I understand I'm paying a premier but I guess I'm paying for the convenience!

First off: Would anyone strongly advise against going down this route? I intend to do my own work on the cabinet anyway but I'm not sure if anyone's had a bad experience with refurb sellers.

Secondly, what cabinet version should I aim for/avoid if I want to ultimately mod it with Stepmania/OpenITG? I've done a little bit of research into it and obv. DDRX1/2s are a big no-no but I'm not sure about Supernovas. Rhythmarcade wiki mentions that Supernovas can get upset with 3rd party mods due to the updated controller input boards but I haven't heard about this problem elsewhere. Plus, I'm kinda wanting to get a decent official build with the machine so I have something reliable to play. So really, I'm trying to juggle between the cabs with the best quality pads, latest official versions and modability.

I've already been in touch with one of the refurb companies so should there be anything specific I should be asking? (They seem to be fairly knowledgeable about the cabinet histories)

Lastly (mostly out of curiosity), where do people usually source arcade upgrade kits (new and used)? I suppose it's not a 'commercial retail' only thing?

Thanks all and sorry for asking so much on my first post!

Stick with a 573.
You can switch from all the boards that use 573 if you want to switch to official.
If you switch it to Stepmania you can just download a stepmania 2014 theme and put Official DDR Songs only.

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I only hear good things about DDR EXTREME dedicabs. SuperNOVA and SuperNOVA2 cabinets, in addition to what you said about the updated controller input boards, have less space under the hood for hardware, as they're designed for the horizontal PS2-based hardware that they use. Cabinets EXTREME and under are more vertical-friendly, so there's more space to fit your hardware and you can throw pretty much any upgrade kits at it. The pads are very responsive, especially with regular maintenance and foam-modding. I'd recommend an EXTREME dedicab, but if you're mostly in it for the modding with StepMania and OpenITG, an ITG2 dedi might be a good choice, but I'm not sure they're exactly easy to find.

An EXTREME is a 573 with a good songlist. I'd recommend it for what you want.

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Dont think he has much access to ddr extreme cause UK not sure about that

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In the UK years back there was Dancing Stage Arcade cabs those we basically the same as the ones here in the USA try to find an Dancing Stage cabinet on eBay or something

Perhaps a Dancing Stage EuroMIX 2 cabinet could be a viable option as well given the location. I would go on a limb and mention Fusion but I think that's closer to a SuperNOVA cabinet than a 573-era cabinet.

found this on eBay it's an Dancing stage Fusion http://www.ebay.com/itm/KONAMI-DANCE-STAGE-FUSION-DANCE-GAME-MACHINE-WORKING-/161067276420

You'd be surprised how many imports are here.

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Thanks for the replies so far! I'm assuming a 573 is anything up to an Extreme? (Possibly a Euromix 1/2 too?).

If there was a 573 that had been upgraded to a Supernova, should I expect any major changes apart from the main PC? (Such as the controller boards?) And should I be able to mod Stepmania onto it without a problem?

Finally, if I had to specify a 573 model to the refurb company and they didn't know what I meant, what would be the easiest way to find out?

Many thanks again!

(Edit: I was writing this response as some of the replies came in so sorry if there are any redundant questions!)

1. I think Dancing Stage Fusion is 573 as well, but don't quote me on that.

2. I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to get Stepmania running on it if it was a 573.

3. State that you want anything before Supernova.

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573: 1st - Extreme, DS EuroMIX and DS EuroMIX 2

But if you want to run extreme you'll want a EuroMIX 2 or anything running 3rdMIX or newer as those games have 32 MB flashcard

To upgrade to extreme itself, you'll need a disc...

Python 1: DS Fusion (don't buy this.)

Phython 2: SuperNova & Supernova 2

I would say a 573 machine gives you the most options for upgrading via a JPAC or MiniMaid etc - they are super easy to run ITG or any other PC software

I would also say that if you wait a Little while and are happy to do a little cleaning up, machines are available for a hella lot less than when the likes of LibertyGames - I found myself a DS EuroMIX machine for £400 on eBay, then paid £30 for a flashcard and voila: DDR extreme.

I currently have a JPAC, but haven't got it up and running because my PC died, but I could run Stepmania now if the PC was working


1: Fusion is one of a kind, and can't be upgraded to anything AFAIK

2: it is indeed, easy as pie

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Thanks for the thorough breakdown! Very helpful =). I have considered sitting on this and seeing if something decent comes up on eBay but I wouldn't feel confident taking on a large refurb project without the experience. One of the companies has offered me some discount, thrown in some spare parts and free delivery (and me being in the north of Scotland is a good deal!) so it's not all bad. Thanks for the suggestion =).

I will add, one of the companies also offered a monitor conversion in the price (to LCD) but I'm not too sure about this. I've had mixed experiences with LCD screens on DDR so is it a simple case of making sure the screen has the lowest screen latency or should I ask about other specs?

An LCD mod should be alright for Stepmania, where you can adjust timing but the 573 mixes will always feel slightly different on an LCD display - you should ask what size display they are putting in, as well as its aspect ratio and resolution - I'm not sure you can get displays that will fit perfectly like the 29" monitor that's already there

Also remember that Arcade monitors are stupid, they run at a completely different scan rate to normal displays and you'll need to tinker with Soft15KHz or buy an Arcade Graphics card for the PC you are running

At the end of it all if you just want a playable machine, and you have the money just go for it, but some modding is probably going to be required no matter what you buy

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I wouldn't go LCD Cause if you want to switch to 573 from playing stepmania...
Thats the issue. It wouldn't be the same than a Arcade Monitor.
Just get it running with a real monitor, Do the modding, Foam mod, Sink it And load it with 2014 theme.

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Are you saying that an LCD is fine with a Stepmania mod but not with a 573? The company I'm getting it from will upgrade the 573 to use an LCD screen so surely this would be okay both ways?

573s only output a 15khz signal, whereas most commercial computers/TVs/etc. work at 31khz. So if you get an LCD in your cab, you'd have to use an upscaler to convert the 573's 15khz signal to 31khz. As with most things electronics, any time you add some new component to your setup, you experience a degradation in quality and, in this case, a potential increase in lag or weird timing issues. So, you could get an LCD, but if they don't include an upscaler then you'll have to get that yourself, and even if they do, playing 573 mixes will probably feel weird. I'd recommend just using the normal 15khz monitor. If you wanted to play StepMania/OpenITG, you can downscale the signal from your computer to 15khz pretty easily with the right graphics card, and it looks just fine. (Source: I have multiple machines and have 573/ITG conversions set up for them.)

I know people are mentioning that you shouldn't buy Fusion, but if you did, I would gladly trade you a 573 for a Fusion kit. I've never played it (I live in the US) so I've been looking for it.

I've got a EuroMix 2 cab from Aztec coin, UK. I have it with PC and it's good with a minimaid. I did get it working with jpac before but I wanted the lights as well

I'd recommend looking for older Radeon cards and using CRT Emudriver in Win XP to drive the 15Khz to your existing monitor.

I have also seen some EuroMix 1 cabs with TFT conversions (including glass). You can find it very expensive from leisureservices.biz