All adaptor questions go here!

[onoessnaked]

I swear we used to have an adaptor sticky floating about some time ago, but it appears to have disappeared into the realms of mystery. So here's another one.

If you have advice about pad adaptors, feel free to help out. If you have any questions, ask them here. The days of a million and one threads asking the same questions are over.

GOGOGOGOGOGOGO
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Well, it explains the disappearance

[raven_tker]

ahhh...how refreshing! thank you, Phi.

Remember, if its redoctane, its Start, Select, and Up!
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[diddrstrait]

the following FAQ will cover the use of the smart joy plus and super joy box dual adapter, as well as a couple of other questions I see frequently in this forum.

FAQ
(please add more in your own post or PM me to edit if you find any misinformation or just anything else you want to add.)

how can I see what adapters work with stepmania?

go to http://www.stepmania.com. click on "adapters" to see which adapters are compatible.

Why won't my pad stay in dance pad mode/go into dance pad mode?

1. you might have a missing Pin in the plug for your pad. check to see that they are all there. if they aren't, it is likely that the pad will be receiving power, but it will not be transmitting data (this happened to me awhile back) .
2. you have SM set to auto-map the pad. shut that off...it maps adapters with a seperate dance pad mode wrong. after you shut it off, go into the joy mapping options and remap your pad.
3. you have the older version of the dual joy box which does not have the dance pad mode. or your adapter is faulty. get a new one.

Can I use a multitap to get two pads hooked into a single player adapter?

most single player adapters don't accept more than 16 different input signals (aka buttons/d-pad) multitap is for the most part useless with a usb adapter. you can't (as far as I've seen) use a multitap to plug in two pads to a single player adapter. it won't support the hardware. instead get a two player adapter like the super joy box or use two single player adapters.

how can I check to make sure my super joy box/smart joy plus is working properly?

this is assuming you are using a PC. other than just testing it in SM, you could also check through the control panel. open up game controllers from the control panel and select your adapter. it should be the only one listed unless it is a two player adapter, then there will be two of the same...pick the one that your pad is plugged into. step on an arrow and it should indicate that your pad is registering that as a direction. now try holding UP+START+SELECT for 3 seconds or so (the code goes in instantaneously, but the 3 second thing is just sort of extra insurance). release that and press an arrow. now it should register as a direction and a button. go into stepmania and remap your pad.

Will my radio shack adapter work?


not likely. don't waste your money on one just because you see it for sale at an actual store. order a reliable adapter from the internet instead. you'll be much happier.

My pad won't register double steps (up+down, left+right), what do I do?

1. download the newest version of stepmania and remap your pad.
2. try the start+select+up code, and remap your pad.
3. your adapter is lame. get one that doesn't suck....and remap your pad :0)

Why won't my ems usb2 work?

chances are you have the little switch set to "game" instead of "PC." it must be on PC to work with your PC. if you have an ancient version of stepmania, you also have to go set it to ignore joy axis. all newer versions of SM automatically ignore joy axis...might as well get with the times!

UPDATE: 7/13/04

Images of the different dual adapters

it has come to my attention that many people may have been getting the wrong kind of dual adapters thinking they were the super dual joy box.


this says it's a super joy box...well yeah, that's the brand name. but it is not the correct adapter


this, while it also calls itself a super joy box, is NOT the correct adapter...the four port monstrosity doesn't work.


this even calls itself the "super joy box dual adapter," but I digress...this is the wrong one again. sorry for anyone that got hosed with this one.



and we have a winnar!!!!
this is the true super dual joy box. this one works with the code as stated above. not tested with mac OSX. would assume that it would work though because it is basically the same device as the smart joy plus, which is compatible with macs.


this pretty much the single player version of the above adapter. it also uses the same code. compatible with mac and windows. May not be compatible with metal pads. It also might be lacking the code if it is an older model.


the ems usb adapter works great without the code. there are other versions of this adapter that look different, but are all advertised to work with ddr pads. will not work with macs. sorry...



This is the PS Joy Converter. it's a fairly expensive single player adapter that you can find on Lik-Sang. It has the highest compatibility of all adapters, but to play two player, you need two adapters and two free USB ports (might have issues with USB hubs). highest compatibility with metal pads of all adapters, and requires no code.



this is the Buy 'n Shop printer port adapter. it will work with any pad with the use of NTPad drivers (found here) and possibly Joy2Key. the downside to this awesome adapter is that you can only have one pad hooked up at a time. but if you don't mind that, go for it!


PAD COMPATABILITY ISSUES WITH THE SUPER DUAL BOX (update: 7/26/04)

After some major frustration with my DPR2 pad resetting itself to axis mode, I found this compatability issue.

there are two versions of the DPR2. one has a green trim and LEDs, and the other has a blue trim without LEDs. it seems that playing with just model that has LEDs causes an error that resets the dance pad mode on the super dual box. playing with a combination of the version with LED and the non-LED pads in two player mode seemed to solve this reset problem somehow. at first I thought this was an adapter problem, but I believe it is the way the DPR2 LED model is wired.

I haven't tested other pads with LED lights, as my knock-off ignition doesn't have them, so I don't know if this is a problem with other pads. a friend of mine hasn't had this problem with his redoctane ignition that has lights, so I'm assuming it is a problem with this type of pad.

if anyone else has this problem, let me know what kind of pad it is. I'm guessing the pad not staying in dance mode is mostly a pad error at this point.

Update 9/30/04
Another Pad compatibility issue is with the Red Octane Dual Platform Ignition. This isn't a problem with the adapter, but with the pad and how the adapter is unable to recognize it as a standard Playstation input device.

and that's it for now. as I said, feel free to PM me or reply to this post with any corrections or additions.

[fusion_05]

This will definatly be a beneficial thread. now someone tell me why my ems usb2 wont work i've tried everything i can think of to get it to work!

[OMGhi]

Can someone tell me if this adapter will work for with my Cobalt Flux's on Step Mania? Thanks.

http://www.lik-sang.com/image.php?category=23&products_id=3176&img=super-dual-box&show=1

[diddrstrait]

though I've heard of timing issues with cobalt flux pads and ALL adapters, that is probably one of the best USB adapters you can buy. read my FAQ on the usage of it. I have yet to find a pad that wouldn't work with it...although I've never had the pleasure of using a cobalt flux pad. even if it doesn't work with the CFs, it will most assuradly work with nearly all other pads. give it a shot...and you can probably find it on ebay cheaper. just be sure it is the right kind. and remember the code, up+start+select!

[Morter]

Ok, after trashing the concept of a comp in the living room with a taped down konami soft pad, I have the desire once again to use Stepmania as to practice all desired songs. Now here's the thing. I have an ignition pad for the Xbox, the only one I have, and I had to bother my father [rhymes] to get him to buy me that pad. I use it for Ultramix on Xbox, and I'd like to use it on Stepmania. I have an adaptor for Xbox -> USB, but its a Super Joy 12, and requires a driver. The problem is the default driver for that pad is based on analog play, and thus I can't do up+down or left+right jumps. On the soft pad, I had used a different adaptor which uses the smaller port-plug, which the soft pad has, but the ignition doesn't have.

My problem is that I don't want to use the soft pad, nor do I want to buy a PSX ignition and adaptor, and have the Xbox ignition go to waste. WHAT DO I DO?!

My main request is this: Is there an Xbox to PC adaptor that uses the larger plug [the plug that you actually put into the Xbox console] and requires no specific driver?

[diddrstrait]

I'm not sure if this helps as I know hardly anything about XBox pads (I DO own an Xbox though...) and only saw this idea on techTV quite a ways back.

Xbox controllers are wired with USB cables. you don't really need an adapter, just an old USB device like a mouse or something that you can cut the plug off of and wire it to an extension cord for an xbox controller, then plug the pad into the extension cord (that has the standard USB plug spliced onto it) and then plug that into your computer. there should be more detailed and correct instructions floating around online if you google it, as well as the drivers to recognize it as a game controller of your choice (i.e. you should be able to make it recognize your directions as buttons to bypass the analog control problem).

I can't be certain that it is possible with pads and that the drivers will work correctly, but I know for a fact that Xbox controllers use USB, so an adapter might not even be required at all. just search around and see what you can find. I'll help you if you need it.

[Shenjoku777]

Edit: nevermind about my problem. I managed to find a driver that makes it work. So I'm all set
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"Life is a dance floor, so get up and dance!"
~me
My DD:Recall | ITG Freak thingy

[ProdigySim]

The EMSUSB2 is hailed as the god of Adaptors by most. This is true, it is awesome.
However, there are A FEW problems with it.


Here are the problems I've found so far:
Does not work with the Naki Dance Pads (Found by self)
Has delayed reactions with the Cobalt Flux (Link)

Tell me if there are any others!

EDIT: Yeah, I know it's not a question, but it's useful info about adaptors anyway.

[enossel]

Alright, I have a RedOctane Ignition pad. The pad has LED lights in the pastic piece where the cord goes into the mat. Has anyone had any problems getting the EMS (what I'm planning on buying) or any other adapter working with the Ignitions with LEDs in the plastic piece?

Thanks.

[diddrstrait]

the super joy box dual adapter is carried by redoctane...I would imagine it would work perfectly. EMS USB2 should work perfectly too if you know how to configure it correctly (I don't know what that involves if anything). If anyone has had any trouble with ignition pads and these two adapters, I haven't heard about it. I think the EMS USB2 has a problem with connecting two pads that have led lights, so if you plan on doing that, you might want to check into all of that and consider a different adapter if it turns out that this would be a problem for you.

[ivinjay]

I'm ordering an EMS USB2 PS2 to usb adapter. I just realized there are three versions. Is there a site that has pictures of what all 3 versions look like?
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Help....!

[diddrstrait]

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=ems+usb2&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=ff

google is your very bestest friend in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!

[ivinjay]

That's just where to buy but doesn't have revisions.
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Help....!

[diddrstrait]

hey, you asked for pictures...be specific

you'll find feedback on each of those sites that all say the various versions work with stepmania just fine.

[ProdigySim]

http://www.cobaltflux.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2406
There ya go, all three versions pictured.
(And read the posts, he's not right about the grey with blue connectors box)

[PDub]

Although this looks just like the 'Super Joy', anyone able to verify Vortz is selling the Super Joy and just not labeling it as such?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3677&item=8114470549&tc=photo
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[diddrstrait]

I'm fairly certain that's the same seller that I got mine from...it's the same picture at any rate. there is just bad lighting on it. you'll find when you get it that it is a much lighter adapter. that should actually be a super joy box. listed for the same price as the one I got too...hmm...yeah. I'm pretty sure that's the right one

[ivinjay]

I'll let everyone know what happens when it arrives.
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Help....!