To all them arcade stick users - help?

[NeZQuick]

So rather recently (before SFVI) I picked up a budget PXN arcade stick and I kinda fell in love, playing mostly indie platformers with it and also a bit of DBFZ (but not that much).

I got my DP's and QC's down both ways, even tried some Gief command grabs out of curiosity and it's "allright".
But what I'm struggling heavily with is a double QCF - yes specifically forward (or 'right' just so we're clear).

Anyone out there got any advice for why this could be? Do I need to just lab more when I have no idea what I'm doing wrong? I mean, even the input list shows that I did it right, and I dont believe I'm doing it too slow... A single QC is fine both ways as I said but I can only get a proper double like maybe 20% of the time to the right, and about 90% of the time to the left <.<

Also, any thoughts on the HORI Alpha Stick? I'm heavily considering it tho it might be just a teensy bit tight on my budget o.o
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So, update:
Actually didn't expect to go 2 pages with this question, don't usually get much advice on the net xD
A solution I found - propping my palm on something and adjusting my grip has helped a ton
I have also ordered a bat top and 8-gate just to try them out. Still considering my options on an upgrade from my PXN0082 to a DRONE2 or HORI Alpha or anything else thats still considered budget but good.

Glad I found other people that also had struggles with right side commands as I thought there was something wrong with me xD

Slow mode: definitely something I'm willing to try when I struggle again!

[NeZQuick]

ALSO ALSO - I actually find canceling from a DP into a super easier than double QCF
so TL;DR: wot is wrong with my hand? xD

[IPlayGamesOnPC]

It takes practice to get the motion precise. Go into training mode, turn on the input display, and slowly do the motion over and over. When you feel confident you can do it at that speed, go a little faster. Keep repeating this until you are doing it fast enough to do the SA.
SF6 has a shortcut to make it easier though - you only need to go into the corner once. So 26236 or 23626 will both work.

[NeZQuick]

Originally posted by IPlayGamesOnPC:

It takes practice to get the motion precise. Go into training mode, turn on the input display, and slowly do the motion over and over. When you feel confident you can do it at that speed, go a little faster. Keep repeating this until you are doing it fast enough to do the SA.
SF6 has a shortcut to make it easier though - you only need to go into the corner once. So 26236 or 23626 will both work.

oooh ok, shortcuts I do like I'll check that out - and yes practice is what I did for all the other motions, just for some unexplained reason I'm strugling with 236236 specifically, cause im totally okay with 214214

[Tobithecomic]

An issue I had at first is that I was pressing the button for the super before I finished the second QCF. Try going into practice mode and turning on input display to see if you can identify any issues you make with the input.
If everything is correct without any problems but it still doesnt come out, you might be a bit too slow with the input.

Either way I recommend that you try doing the motions slow at first until you get them clean and then start speeding things up over time. At least thats what worked for me

[NeZQuick]

So all in all just more lab is the answer after all, I mean I figured as much, just thought that maybe there could be some sort of reason, like yknow, I'm holdin my stick at a weird angle, got a messed up wrist or whatever.

Is still weird to me how I can do it okay one way but not the other though xD

And no opinions on the Alpha? o.o

[C1REX]

I mentioned this few times already but I changed the ball top to a bat top and square gate into an octagonal gate and after 20y of using an arcade stick I felt instant improvement.

You may brute force and keep practicing but you may simply prefer to slightly modify/upgrade your stick.

[NeZQuick]

Originally posted by C1REX-PL:

I mentioned this few times already but I changed the ball top to a bat top and square gate into an octagonal gate and after 20y of using an arcade stick I felt instant improvement.

You may brute force and keep practicing but you may simply prefer to slightly modify/upgrade your stick.

Actually something I also considered instead of buying a whole new stick, just modding some parts of this budget one - thing is, reviews say this specific chinese model doesn't like getting modded, low stick clearance or some such (I'm still a total noob with minimum knowledge on this stuff), I could at least start with that bat top as the ball does seem somewhat uncomfortable to me at times

Also - as I see you're also PL - you got any good polish arcade stick shops/e-shops I could browse for parts/future upgrades? cause I find I a real pain to find those on our usual sites xD

[ryu600RR]

PXN is bit of a simulation toy is it, glad you're having fun with it.
if you pick up the HORI alpha that's the entry line in the big league

basically HORI used to make decent sticks with outsourced sanwa parts, somewhere along the way decided to manufacture their own parts called the hayabusa line

long story short the hayabusa was designed by/for sako, AKA sakonoko of VSF/3s fame, known for pulling impossible/unseen combos in tournament settings back in the day, then he sorta disappeared from the scene, took guile's advise and became family man

if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for anyone, he's still the brand ambassador i think

if you wanna move up a tier beyond alpha for something even more solid/durable/comfortable, i'd recommend the obsidian, that's as close to old school arcade experience as you can on a budget

as for double QCF motion, PXN looks like a small stick, but if u had a wider palm area on the left, you could angle your hand and wiggle twice really fast, hard to explain

there's 2 ways to do double QCF, looking at the number pad, you could 214n214, returning to neutral in the middle,
or you could also do 2141214, like a double rub without going back to neutral

hope that helps,
most of all, glad u'r having fun ~

[Call Sign: Raven]

If you still need help, this video basically solved any discomfort I had using stick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi0QMmYnaKM&t=3s&ab_channel=JoyStickNY

[NeZQuick]

Originally posted by KungFuAndrewTV:

If you still need help, this video basically solved any discomfort I had using stick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi0QMmYnaKM&t=3s&ab_channel=JoyStickNY

oh yeah i followed that vid like a bible, still have a tab open just to remind myself "you don't want to strangle the stick"

Originally posted by ryu600RR:

PXN is bit of a simulation toy is it, glad you're having fun with it.
if you pick up the HORI alpha that's the entry line in the big league

basically HORI used to make decent sticks with outsourced sanwa parts, somewhere along the way decided to manufacture their own parts called the hayabusa line

long story short the hayabusa was designed by/for sako, AKA sakonoko of VSF/3s fame, known for pulling impossible/unseen combos in tournament settings back in the day, then he sorta disappeared from the scene, took guile's advise and became family man

if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for anyone, he's still the brand ambassador i think

if you wanna move up a tier beyond alpha for something even more solid/durable/comfortable, i'd recommend the obsidian, that's as close to old school arcade experience as you can on a budget

as for double QCF motion, PXN looks like a small stick, but if u had a wider palm area on the left, you could angle your hand and wiggle twice really fast, hard to explain

there's 2 ways to do double QCF, looking at the number pad, you could 214n214, returning to neutral in the middle,
or you could also do 2141214, like a double rub without going back to neutral

hope that helps,
most of all, glad u'r having fun ~

I mean I did some research of my own but reading this... yeah I think I'm sold - althoooough now that you mention the obsidian, qanba i presume - makes me think about the DRONE 2 - heard many good things about that one and although cheaper than HORI ALPHA - i would need to probably ship the drone from outside my country - which is a pain but i'll just keep doing my research AND labbing before i commit my moneys xD

I'll keep the advice on the QCF aswell, everythings worth trying after all

OH and last thing! The PXN, it's PXN 0082 specifically, and from what i can tell from the reviews its basically the absolute best you can get for THAT dirt cheap (aside from building one yourself i guess, and certainly best budget option here in Poland unless you wanna buy a box that looks like it was made just around the corner in a shady shack)
and i have to agree, aside from the low stick and not much resting space i have nothing bad to say about it - tho i presume i'll feel a major change with higher quality parts and more room, like changnig from a rubber keyboard to a mechanical xD

[Swansonhart]

To practice the inputs slowly but comfortably, you can turn on the game speed to 50% while in the training mode.

[NeZQuick]

Originally posted by Swansonhart:

To practice the inputs slowly but comfortably, you can turn on the game speed to 50% while in the training mode.

I've considered that aswell but I feel like that would only make the timing even worse to get used to? Like back when I played guitar hero I actually had worse scores in the slower songs XD

still worth trying it out, thanks!

[mycle7080]

simple buy a hitbox. take a look at the snack box

[NeZQuick]

Originally posted by mycle7080:

simple buy a hitbox. take a look at the snack box

I had the opportunity to try a hitbox in an arcade once, and then theres the olde left hand keyboard right hand on pad buttons method of simulating that
and while the inputs do end up being super clean - i still prefer the stick so much more due to the fun value xd

[NeZQuick]

Originally posted by ryu600RR:

as for double QCF motion, PXN looks like a small stick, but if u had a wider palm area on the left, you could angle your hand and wiggle twice really fast, hard to explain

OK no joke this had me thinking real hard and well, everythings a mod if you put your mind to it right?
I placed (i shid you not) a half used t-paper roll to rest my wrist on to give me more space - and aaaall the inputs are now SO much cleaner and easier to do

turns out - wrist/palm position can matter a whole lot, now i need to decide on a bigger stick, or make an actual proper mod xD