Do you mean the LS-32 or the LS-32-01? Because the LS-32 is the model that uses individual microswitches sort of like how the Korean sticks have them, whereas the LS-32-01 has the microswitches soldered onto a PCB, sort of like on a Sanwa JLF. They’re both the same joystick, it’s just you have a choice as to whether you want a PCB or individual microswitches.
Either way, it should be straightforward to wire up. The LS-32-01 can use the same wiring harness that’s already installed into your Mad Catz TE as long as the PCB’s pins are facing the same way as the JLF’s were. The LS-32 will require a conversion harness, but if you know how to wire up a Crown 303-FK, you should have no problems wiring up an LS-32 with the harness.
To mount an LS-32-01, you’ll have to do a bit more work than you would with a Sanwa JLF. Because parts of the LS-32-01 like the restrictor gates and the PCB block the mounting plate’s holes, you’ll need to take it apart partially in order to mount it. It’s not difficult, it just takes a little more time compared to a JLF. It’s fairly straightforward too, since you’re unscrewing stuff layer by layer.
Every stick has some deadzone in it, and the LS-32 is no exception. However, you definitely won’t get anywhere near as much deadzone as you have in a Crown stick. The deadzone’s comparable to that of the JLF, maybe slightly less. If you’re okay with the deadzone in a JLF, you’ll be fine with an LS-32.
I had an LS-32 installed in my HRAP2SA for a few years before I decided to return it to stock, and I think it’s a really great joystick. The LS-32 is a well balanced stick that is great for both fighting games and SHMUPs. It’s got Matsushita microswitches and uses high quality plastic for its construction, so it won’t feel cheap; it feels just as high quality as a JLF.
I only have a handful of gripes about the LS-32, and of these, only one of them has any validity as a complaint. The rest are just my personal opinion.
- I don’t like the fact that it doesn’t have options for a shaft cover, and although it has a protective coating on the shaft, I’d rather have a shaft cover to save myself from rust. You can however mod a Sanwa JLF shaft cover to fit over an LS-32 shaft relatively easily though, so that’s a simple option.
- The dark blue sub-gate is something I personally never liked the feel of while it is in place. This is easily remedied by simply removing it and using just the light blue main gate.
- There’s a known quirk of the LS-32 where if you push a lever all the way to a side, you will feel the stick “jump” a little bit. I want to say it’s due to the actuator of the LS-32, but I’m no expert. Either way, this “jump” is something that I only noticed if I paid close attention to it. In the heat of a match or when I was concentrating on dodging bullets, I didn’t notice it at all. Mileage varies from person to person though; some people are really bothered by it, some people could care less. I will say as an addendum that a joystick “jumping” when it reaches the edge of its throw isn’t something unique to the LS-32. Even the Sanwa JLF, which people consider to have a higher build quality, has this problem, though it is far less obvious compared to the LS-32 and is something you really have to hunt for.
Anyways, that was my two cents on the LS-32. It’s a really really great joystick, and it’s something that everyone should at least give an honest try.
EDIT: I made a small vocabulary error in my previous post. I mixed up “actuator” and “pivot”, so my post has been edited to reflect. The actuator on the LS-32 is fine; it’s the pivot which is the source of the jumping issue.
