Bass Transducers

[Metzger82]

Hello Guys,

I was looking around the internet for information about something similar to buttkicker gamer or advance.
I dont realy understand how it works and what I need to buy despite the transducer itself can anybody explain me

Thanks!

 

[asteroulis]

Bass shakers / tactile trasducers etc are essentially same technology as speakers. They need the correct amplifier to get the energy to move their coil, and depending on the signal ( sound based or telemetry based waveform) you get usually low frequency effects that either enhance the bass or give you live feed from what the car is doing.
Buttkicker usually have their own amp. For the rest you get the one that suits your needs. For example you need a 50w/4ohm amp for an Aura pro bass shaker. Search for it, read and invest in tactile feedback for your simulator if you are really interested in sim racing. it really helps for the car to come alive!

 

[Metzger82]

Thanks for the reply!

I did searched a bit but what I dont understand is if I plug the amplyfier for the transducers in my sound card, where I will plug my headphones or whatever I use for sound ? The butkicker amp may I plug more than 1 shaker to it ?

 

[asteroulis]

If you want to use simvibe for telemetry based tactile feedback then you need at least one separate soundcard. This is the best option but you really don't need to start from there to see if you like it. You can use a Y-cable to split the sound out from your sound card so that you can have sound on your speakers or headphones and also on the shaker. But you need to have only low frequencies to the shaker. So you need to either get the signal from the subwoofer or put a low pass filter to keep just the low frequencies.

 

[Metzger82]

Now It is more clear I dont know if the PC is capable to produce the sound to both sound cards but I guess it is possible

Thanks for the help!

And one more thing - how powerful shakers I would need for good expirience ? I see that the buttkicker is 90w but auras are less..

EDIT:
If I m not using buttkicker, what should I look when I choose the Amplifier ?

 

[asteroulis]

If the pc is capable of playing games its more than capable for extra sound cards.
The wattage depends on your rig and needs and placement etc etc. There is no clear answer to that. I have tried cheap transducers and the most expensive one I had was the Aura which did not impress me for the money. Now I am building 200W RMS DIY shakers which will be very strong and capable of wider frequency spectrum. The problem is that the DIY solutions usually take significantly more space. But are cheaper and stronger.
If cost is not an issue I suggest that you start with a buttkicker and then move on to your liking.

 

[eSEA One]

I got one of these "Bodyshakers" for €17 including shipping, hooked up to an amp from an old speaker set with the following specs.
Bodyshaker Characteristics :
28-55 Hz resonant frequency (varies with the type of mounting surface)
100 Watts, Impedance 4 Ohm
Dimensions : 88x30mm, Weight 0.7Kg

Amp:
Inspire 2.1 2400
Model #CSW135
Subwoofer: 12 Watts RMS
Signal-to-Noise Ratio80dB
Frequency Response
42Hz - 20kHzWeigh

I original had converted the sub woofer into a tactile transducer by removing the cone (see my YouTube vid) I physically broke the sub woofer by mistake while tightening the mount I made but this was after quite a few months use, thats why I got the Bodyshaker
The sound comes from a "Y" out of my PC to headset or speakers. This all works well for me now but have plans to get some more Bodyshakers and hook it up to the Simvibe software but I will have to get a second sound card.

 

[asteroulis]

I got one of these "Bodyshakers" for €17 including shipping, hooked up to an amp from an old speaker set with the following specs.
Bodyshaker Characteristics :
28-55 Hz resonant frequency (varies with the type of mounting surface)
100 Watts, Impedance 4 Ohm
Dimensions : 88x30mm, Weight 0.7Kg

Amp:
Inspire 2.1 2400
Model #CSW135
Subwoofer: 12 Watts RMS
Signal-to-Noise Ratio80dB
Frequency Response
42Hz - 20kHzWeigh

I original had converted the sub woofer into a tactile transducer by removing the cone (see my YouTube vid) I physically broke the sub woofer by mistake while tightening the mount I made but this was after quite a few months use, thats why I got the Bodyshaker
The sound comes from a "Y" out of my PC to headset or speakers. This all works well for me now but have plans to get some more Bodyshakers and hook it up to the Simvibe software but I will have to get a second sound card.

Yeah , I got 4 of those as well. For the price they are fine. They are 50W actually with 100W peak , and are extremely similar to the inserts of the AURAs if you google any pics. So I can only suppose its the same inside and the AURAS have the brand and cooling casing. So VFM. What must be taken into account when mounting those , is that you must give them some space to vibrate. I have put some nuts between the mounting points to keep them spaced 1cm from my rig surface and they are much more effective. If you got them sticked to the surface there is no vibrating space available.

 

[RichardHessels]

Make sure you have a beefy Amplifier, these things return quite a lot of energy back to Amp.

 

[JeffL]

Long thread I started a while ago lots of good info, read thru it
http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/inexpensive-transducers-for-simvibe.91743/

 

[Dave Stephenson]

Long thread I started a while ago lots of good info, read thru it
http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/inexpensive-transducers-for-simvibe.91743/

Jeff seriously that thread. Every time it pops up I lose a day of my life reading and my cockpit still doesn't vibrate

but yeah @Metzger82 he's right, it's a good read.

 

[JeffL]

Jeff seriously that thread. Every time it pops up I lose a day of my life reading and my cockpit still doesn't vibrate

just, lol

 

[Alex Townsend]

Funnily enough this couldn't be a more current topic for me. I got home late from work last night and tried to set up my Aura interactors about 2am in the morning. Didn't really work and got just a terrible treble bass sound coming from the transducer. I don't have a second sound card so it was hooked up to the subwoofer port on my on board sound back panel input. Could be the issue. But looking to sort this out as I have 3 aura packs lying around doing nothing...

 

[JeffL]

Do you have sim commander?

 

[Alex Townsend]

No I don't. I was just starting to look into it as it's the next level for me and my rig

What are the options as I heard it was pretty expensive.

 

[asteroulis]

Well the software is not cheap for sure but it's worth every penny. After the first transducer its the next step, and then you can keep expanding channels.

 

[Alex Townsend]

Well then, I guess now is the time to take the plunge... lol will let you know how I get on.

 

[tnguyen2905]

I am wanting to get a buttkicker but I cannot decide between the Gamer 2 or the Simulation kit with the Mini LFE. I've read that some people swear by the Buttkicker Gamer 2, and some others with the Mini LFE. I will also be getting simvibe.

 

[Moxley6969]

BKG2 mounted properly, Kicks the Crap out of the Mini LFE X2 setup on the Dayton 150.....Pure Shake wise that is, Obviously the BKG2 has its limitation's but overall has more tactile "volume"

Once the dust settled, I ended up with Mini LFE's in BKG2 frames.

 

[tnguyen2905]

The BKG2 is hard to come by nowadays..even the official buttkicker website does not have it in stock.