Indonesians can buy the product here
Hello guys today I will be reviewing a 3D printed mini SDVX controller, which costs about 39 USD (IDR 575.000). Right away, I will tell the pros and cons of this controller.
Pros
- It is cheap, where else can you get a Sound Voltex Controller for under 40 USD? The next cheapest SDVX controller would be this, and what you get for 18 extra USD is better build quality (wooden box and acrylic top panel).
Cons
- Build quality leaves a lot to be desired. The bottom panel is very loose, and is only secured by a single screw (as you can see on the picture above)
- Has that distinct 3D printing diagonal pattern, which hurts my fingers if I tried playing any intense songs (the thumbnail should show the diagonal lines)
- Controller is so light, that any laser heavy songs (e.g. #Endroll EXH 18) will cause the controller to move around. The bottom has circular glue/resin feet, but it kept moving around when I play any hard songs.
- If you are a SDVX player already, your muscle memory will work against you, especially during one hand sections (e.g. that one part on BOF EXH 17 where you move the laser around while fiddling with BT-A BT-B and BT-C)
Conclusion
It is a perfectly servicable controller for songs under level 15. For 16 to 18 is still servicable. I haven’t tried 19-20, but I can imagine it being even harder to use.
It is perfect for someone who is learning how to play Sound Voltex, but don’t want to spend money on the arcade for the learning process. For people looking to go pro, you are better off spending money for a controller with the same dimensions as an arcade cabinet.
Personal experience
Starting from this point, it will become subjective territory. No objective points at all. None.
Pre-shipping
The listing says that it requires 3 pre-order period to make the controller. I bought it on 28 March in the morning.
It arrived on the 6th of April. The shipping itself was fast, the pre-shipping leaves a lot to be desired. Oh well, as long as I get my controller.
The first night
It arrived on a weekday, which means I only can try it out when I got home. Setting up the controller is pretty straightforward, because it is detected as a Sound Voltex controller. I just go to K Shoot Mania and bind the controller keys on a gamepad section, and set the laser controls to analog.
After a few 16s (C18H27NO3 EXH 16, Brain Power EXH 16), I tried BOF EXH 17. It went surprisingly well during the famous AB BC CD BC AB part. Tried a few 18s as well (Pure Ruby MXM 18, Demise Quartet EXH 18), and I managed to pass those. But my fingers hurt, so I stopped playing.
Happy with the results, I finished my order, and the seller got the money. Everyone is happy, right?
The second day
Since the keys are actually keyboard switches, I got a genius idea: replace the stock keycaps!
So I did. My fingers no longer hurt!
But tragedy struck. When I tried playing 消失 EXH 18, suddenly the left knob, BT-A, BT-B, and FX-L stopped working during the song. Since I finished the order already, I can’t complain about the order… So I just asked the seller if it is possible to send it back for fixing. They helped me diagnose the problem, and we managed to single out the cause:
A wire was disconnected from the solder (see the wire that is pointing towards the red cable), and since sending it back and forth seems to be a hassle for both parties, I decided to try out soldering for the first time.
I wish I didn’t.
Trying to solder for the first time
My dad has an old soldering iron, and I bought a rosin core for soldering. After watching some videos, consulting some friends and reading up stuff online, I still have no idea how to actually achieve it. But I had a plan that formed in my head:
- Wait for the soldering iron to heat up
- Lube the soldering iron by using the rosin core
- Point the soldering iron to the old solder
- Reconnect the loose wire
The soldering iron refused to be lubed up by the rosin core. So I tried pointing the soldering iron to the old solder anyway. The loose wire seemed to reconnect, so I backed off and examined the results.
There are visible damages to some other cable sheath (the white one and the blue one), and the loose cable ended up disconnecting from the solder again.
But it somehow got “fixed”. The left buttons cause the knob to rotate by itself (not physically, think of it as joycon drift), and there are “ghost” inputs which are definitely felt during sections with a lot of notes.
So I got a partially fixed controller, damaged a few cable sheath, and smoke inhalation from the soldering iron.
Mental health slipping away
I gave up. I’m done. Even if I send it back to the seller, it will end up being extra effort on packaging and shipping, for the sake of… a controller that moves a lot during laser sections and scary build quality. I might try to fix it again some time later on the future, but I’m just very pissed at myself right now. Yet another purchase which I ended up regret.
Maybe I should make a new blog post which lists the purchases I ended up regretting. Here is the list currently:
- Kinera Celeste Gumiho, nine tailed fox motif on the IEM (WHICH I DIDN"T EVEN GET, THE SELLER SENT ME A PLAIN BLACK ONE), “cheapest” “square planar” v-shaped mess with sibilance and recessed mids.
- Dayton IMM-6, a RTA spectrum mic which can generate frequency response graph. Turns out the app people use is iOS only, and RTA apps on Android is just a hot mess. Tried room EQ wizard, but I can’t find a good tutorial on how to set it up. Everything looks overcomplicated.
- SDVX 3D Mini Controller, you are currently here.
Between me spending money for garbage I don’t/can’t use, head aching when my hair is rustled (not sure if bruise, mosquito bite on hair follicle, or my hair being pulled during a haircut), being always tired, wasting 3-4 hours of my life every Monday to Thursday, no clear future prospects due to layoffs everywhere, me gaslighting myself by saying other people have it worse, “AI taking over everyone”, etc, future ain’t looking bright.
But I’m still here, and still trying.