lol guess your not under NDA 
Whoo hoo! Iām glad it got to you safe and sound! Just as a note, they will normally come unassembled. Because I havenāt had time to make my assembly video, and needed to ship the cases out right away, they are assembled in these pics.
Now would be a good time to announce the testers are jdm714, Networkingpuppy, Shiryu22 and DanMartigan (Same guy who created my custom panel builder). They will be helping me with some questions, giving their personal thoughts, their own pcb mounting methods, etc. A couple may make an informative video, more pictures, etc. So should I not be around to answer questions, they can help out. And itās always best to have other experienced peopleās opinions on the product rather than just mine alone.
But please donāt bombard their inbox unless they say itās ok. We can keep the questions on this thread whenever possible.
Iāll be back to answer some questions but Iāve gotta jet right now to pick up more acrylic supplies.
Thanks again guys!
I just spoke to Art, and I will be presenting his DIY cases on TeamSpooky stream live @ 9pm EST on the link below:
a 24mm hole just like the start/select button size. usually on custom sticks they have an extra 24mm hole for the guide button. i just feel like a guide button 24mm hole should be an option for those who prefer having a guide button along with the optional neutrik hole.
my suggestion is:
- 4 holes in the middle of the front panel like this
[ example pic of b15sdmās āfront panelā: http://www.joystickvault.com/showfull.php?photo=3433 ] - at the angle of the pic. the start/select would be together on the left then the optional neutrik hole. then a guide button on the right.
- i think with this layout, itāll be really hard to accidentally hit the guide button 'causeā¦ if you want start/select, you use your right hand and if you want to hit the guide button, you use your left handā¦ both of these separated by the neutrik.
thanks for replying to my question and i love your work. especially with my 2 TE plexi / white plexi dustwasher i got from you 
iām going to order this day1 that you release it on your website!!!
i just hope my suggestion goes through as an option because not everyone will want their name like this: [ http://www.tek-innovations.com/arthobbies/images/tekcase/casebut2.jpg ] behind their see-through front panel which is why you have the start / select button off to the left side like that.
yo ben, watching your video makes me want this shit even more! good shit. ben = godlike modder, my TE stick got dual modded by him and the 360 pcb from madcatz TE [ which is GARBAGE ] still works perfectly for me. knocks on wood
Hey guys, Romeo here. Like many of you, Iām a happy ArtHong plexi customer :D. Iāve gotten the go ahead from Art to reveal that I am one of the full acrylic case testers :). If youāve got any questions, comments, or concerns, post them up! I have an incredibly busy week or two ahead of me, so I might not be able to put a video up for awhile. However, I will have access to a computer, and should be bringing the stick with me. Iāll have internet access as well, so feel free to continue with queries. Rest assured, I will be playing ST - one of the most unforgiving games execution-wise - on the road with this stick 
Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.
Hereās a sneak peek of the finished and working build (PS3 only Cthulhu, four OBSN-30s, two OBSF-30s, Sanwa JLF mounted to the JLF mounting plate, no Neutrik adapter for now [had to have it built for SNCR]). I worked really hard on it, and Iām sure Art has worked much, much harder on the designing, testing, and implementation. Some of the testers for this product are known for being well versed in stick building and various stick specs; I, myself, am fairly new to the whole DIY deal when it comes to sticks. To put things in perspective, the most DIY Iāve ever done before this is dualmodding a 360 TE with a PS3 only Cthulhu and imp. So in that regard, you can consider me the ānewbie specialistā - direct any questions that fit in that category my way Of course, if you have questions of another nature, feel free to ask those too. We would all appreciate any questions or comments - if youāre wondering it, Iām sure others are, as well!
If you will be in attendance at Super NCR in San Jose, California this weekend and are interested in seeing it, come find me. I will have the stick with me, so if youād like a look at it firsthand, get at me :rock:
-Romeo
This is one of the most awesome things art has ever done, no questions about thatā¦ I just hope the first cases are deep enough so I could use Happ Buttons (My prefrence is now happ buttons with a JLF stick for best of both worlds)
So three out of four Testers chose Light Blue.
Wonder what DanMartigan got.
Laugh.
My question is thisā¦is it durable and as good(case wise) as the Madcatz TE stick? I plan to get one of those acrylic cases but I want to make sure Iām getting my moneys worth(and a hell of a good price $60) my TE just broke and when I saw those Acrylic cases I immediately decided to instead of buying a new TE I might as well just purchase 1 acrylic case and just put the rest of the parts in. Also how good was it playing the stick? Does it feel more like a Madcatz SE stick or TE stick?
Great stuff dude, thanks for the review!
Ah I see. Well, keep in mind the name plate is not there just for looks, itās also used for extra support for the case. By placing the 4 24mmās in the center as suggested would require the nameplate area to have those holes. But it presents a problem for seimitsu screw in buttons because the name plate is in the way. Snap ins would still work but itās limiting to just one type of buttons. There are further issues to consider. Thereās a bit more work to add those options, and a bit more explaining to do. While having a lot of options is great, too many options can start to confuse people. I have enough details and text on my website as is, and many people still donāt read the fine details. So being that Iām already going to have a lot of options, each of those options need to be relatively simple. By telling people that this specific setup will only support screw in buttons and other specific details, Iām bound to have those who miss the details and question how everything works later on.
If someone wants those 4 buttons on the front panel, thereās enough room to place another 24mm hole next to the Neutrik hole on the far left/right, depending on how people want it setup. But for the buttons to be specifically in the center, due to certain factors (with some mentioned above) I will not have that option available on release. A lot can happen after the cases are in production and I get more feedback, so lets wait and see.
The key factor to consider is to adequately control all possible options. Really, the sky is the limit when it comes to placement of everything, but I have to place limitations because too many options will throw off the average user, and add extra prep time to production therefore increasing the costs. So in such a case, itās better to offer the most common options while also trying to make a few other unique, but simple to produce, options available. At this point Iām going to go with most people would prefer the name plate for their own custom identification, rather than not.
Regardless, thanks for your feedback and I will keep such ideas in mind.
Nice dude. I look forward to hearing your competition stories with the new case =)
Thanks dude! But unfortunately for these versions of the case, there is not enough clearance for HAPP buttons. Itāll need another added 1/2" height to work. But, that just means all I have to do is make the side panels, name plate and pcb unit 1/2" higher and itāll fit, while still reusing the top and bottom panels with all the joints. While that option may not be available in the first release, I will look into adding that option soon after for those who prefer more height clearance.
Lol, yeah when you guys gave me your color preferences Iām thinkingā¦ hmmm, they might be surprised when they see each otherās case. And it goes to show I better have more Blue acrylic in stock by the time I get these going, heh. As for Dan, he actually hasnāt given me his exact color preference. He just has a clear one from an earlier prototype and was too busy to get back to me on his colors. When he gets around to it, Iāll have to suggest him to stand out and go for Fluorescent Red with Fluorescent Green borders and Fluorescent Orange Name plates!
Iāll let one of the guys chime in for their personal opinions. But it would be better to specify the question a bit further. For example, whatās considered āgoodā to you may be different for someone else. So āas good as the MCTE Stickā is very subjective. Many consider the size of the TE is good, while there are those who like a smaller profile. There are those who really like the weight of the TE, while there are those who prefer something lighter. Do you consider the workable spacing within the TE housing as āgoodā? I can tell you thereās more workspace in the Acrylic Case (Iām gonna start calling them TEK-Cases, lol).
But durability wise, TE is more durable for the fact that top and bottom panels are metal so you can go ballistic on them. Tek-cases top panels are capable of withstanding vigorous button smashing and intense joystick motions, but itās not suggested to karate punch straight down the center in a fit of rage. Those details are mentioned in post#2 Q&A, and there have been videos of the Plexi Panel Replacements on the TE which are essentially the same things. But in terms of the entire case, it is very sturdy as Networkingpuppy has pointed out. More details can be given by jdm and shiryu.
Hey Art, glad to see the positive reception for these cases. If anyone is wondering what it feels like to play on this case, it feels very similar to the replacement plexi panels. The buttons are essentially the same as the TE or HRAP, but the stick feels slightly different when mounted directly on plexi as opposed to being mounted to metal. Itās not a bad feeling, and completely playable for sure. I had no problems pulling off the typical FADC to Ultra. Plus, the case itself is very solid, and the size is just right.
Also, as for final colorsā¦ I am thinking bright green and pinkā¦ with art underneath so I can put my trademark non-slip stuff on it.
No rush though, I can wait like everyone else!
arthong, first off thanks for the very in-depth response. i really appreciate it. i didnāt forsee the factors you brought up and didnāt realize how little space there was between the front panel and the nameplate support. obviously you have greater insight than i do and thatās why you do what you do haha.
let me propose a modified suggestion [ sorry for being a bother but i love this case and i just wanna toss more ideas out there for you to consider <3 ]
- an option to put three 24mm holes in the middle [ or anywhere together where itās aesthetically pleasing really ] of the right side panel [ start / select / guide ]
- an option to remove the start/select holes in the front panel [ so only the neutrik hole is there ]
pretty obvious i am obsessed with these 3 buttons being together for some reason O;. i think itās my OCD-ness thanks again for responses!
āGoodā is subjective, so thatās a bit hard to answer. Having used the case for a few hours today in a SSFIV session, I can definitely say that it feels like a standard stick - to me, it feels more like the TE than the SE, but this may be because the actual dimensions and top panel are more similar to the TE than the SE (I can really feel a difference on the slant for the SE). Danmartigan mentioned that the joystick feels different when mounted directly on plexi - I didnāt experience this, but I consider my joystick motions and button presses fairly subtle. Iāll keep this in mind during testing, and post up any findings. Please also keep in mind that during the session today, I mainly played on the floor and not on my lap, which is often where players will place their stick during tournaments. Once Iāve played with the stick on my lap, I will report my findings.
Soā¦ āgoodā? Donāt forget that a HUGE pro of this case is that it is completely modular - if you want a different color scheme, or a piece breaks, you can easily replace that part without having to do major case work / rehauling. I personally love this aspect and havenāt had any major concerns about the actual case yet, except for the fact that itās a bit light. Regarding durability, check out Artās post a few posts up.
Barring support issues, these requests seem sound. Being a modular case, having options seems natural - but like Art stated, too many and it may confuse potential customers. Weāll see what Art has to say
Thanks manā¦Iām looking forward to buying one of those and putting the rest of itā¦also with the color scheme how and a engrave name(mines Boriqua Kyaku) how much would the price be and a nice template that you can see like the Iron man one? if you can answer this great if not I can wait as wellā¦
Ok you say you had no problems pulling the FADC to ultra but how about other combos? I play Akuma and only him so how is it and is it just as easy pulling Akumaās combos and doing his shortcuts to his ultra 1&2? Also Iām concern on how will it play when the acrylic case is played on your lap? My concern is since Iām use to playing with a TE in my lap does it some what resemble(feeling wise) like the TE?
suscribed to thread and ready to order when they are ready! good stuff arthongā¦
Good points Romeo. My play style may be a little different than most peopleā¦ I have big hands so I tend to hit the square gate pretty hard during dashes and dash cancels. The stick only feels different when you are hitting against the gate, and like I said itās not a ābadā different. Art designed the panel with plenty of wrist space as well- I think even more space than the TE.
I also play on my lap all the time, not just tournaments.
Like I said above, the feeling is just slightly ādifferentā when hitting the gates hard. Itās not better or worse, in fact you might see an improvement in execution. The case was designed very well, with plenty of wrist space and is very comfortable to play in your lap. The only mod I will probably make to mine is to add some non-stick rubber backing to it, but I do that to all my sticks. And since the layout is the same, it feels very much like the TE.
Thanks man and I canāt wait to get this acrylic case I just wish he has them sooner for purchase cause like i said earlier my stick broke as far as the TE cable so I would have to wait 3 months before i can play SSFIV and after seeing the case I wanted to get one and didnāt want to add more money when I can purchase the DIYā¦and make a new custom oneā¦
Also you wrote that your adding the non stick rubber backing to it so what does that do and once you do that will you post a utube vid on how to do it? Sorry for so much questionsā¦
Thereās not much to it, I just buy this stuff from Amazon, cut it (with non-stick coated scissors), and stick it to the bottom of my arcade sticks. Works on metal & plexi.
http://www.amazon.com/Sponge-Neoprene-Adhesive-Thick-Wide/dp/B0035G95X4
Makes it nice for lap players, instead of the rubber feet.
Hey Art, Iāve sent an email to you about further evaluations on the acrylic case.