Inexpensive transducers for simvibe

[JeffL]

Some of the guys in the club were asking about some affordable transducers for Simvibe.

I have $50 sub and the 4 pack 16 0hm minis ($44) drive in 2 zones by 2 - $20 lepai amps and not even close to using all the power. Actually just the large shaker and one amp would be sufficient but....

The company that makes the transducers is Dayton Audio but the best price is from Parts Express

http://www.parts-express.com/cat/tactile-transducers-exciters-bass-shakers/18
Have fun.

 

[asteroulis]

Hi guys
whats the verdict on those cheap bass shakers? good bad?

For their money they are fine. Nothing jawdropping , but much better than Dayton Pukes for sure. It seems that even Auras have the same mechanism inside the radiator.

Can someone tell me how many 16ohm 8ohm 4ohm shakers I can connect to one 4ohm two channel amp? (So i can understand the math and logic behind ohms)
cheers

It depends on the way you connect them and the watts of each.
Search : ohms in parallel vs series
In pictures you'll have many many examples to understand.
So for example :
In an 4ohm amp you can connect "
-1 4ohm speaker/shaker
-2 8 ohm speakers in parallel or 2 2ohm ones in series
-4 16 ohm speakers in parallel
etc etc.

But you also need to keep in mind the watts that you need to drive. If you have a 20W amp (lets say cheap chinese amps) and you want to install 4 of the cheap above shakers in one channel like in 2 pairs of parallel and series connection then you have a 4ohm 200W shaking need and maybe even on full power it wont be able to make them shake.
So try to have close match in the watts as well.

 

[Dan Costa]

What would you guys choose

A

2 x 130mm 80W 8 Ohm body shakers
1 x LEPAI 2 x 40W 4ohm Amp
total cost= 96€

OR

B

2 x 120mm 80W 4 Ohm OEM shakers
2 x LEPAI 2 x 40W 4ohm Amp
total cost= 95€

A uses 2 8ohm shakers to use with one 4 ohm 2x40W Amp
B uses 2 4ohm shakers that need 2 4 ohm 2x40W Amp

 

[JeffL]

8- 16 ohm
4-8 ohm
2-4 ohm

 

[asteroulis]

I am not really sure of the power output of cheap units. Lepai amps could have decent sound quality under circumstances, but they are cheap. Bass shakers do need decent amping. If you go with two amps use the sub output of this model that gives the +68watt. It does that because subs and shakers have more need than mid/high speakers.

Starting adding tactile feedback on a rig scales up because of the potential it creates.
Start with something good and upgrade. Get one amp and one of each shakers. You will then try all combinations. With speaker out, sub out etc.

But the most important part is simvibe. Get shakers, amps, low pass filter and Y connector for audio tactile and once you realize how good it feels go buy simvibe. It will fet it to anotger level.

 

[asteroulis]

8- 16 ohm
4-8 ohm
2-4 ohm

?

 

[JeffL]

What's the question?

Edit: I answered same time you did so i didn't see your response, but he asked for the amount for a 2 channel 4 ohm amp.

 

[JeffL]

By the way , for your system to operate efficiently you want to match your amp ohms to your transducers setup ohms and power isn't really an issue with transducers it's efficiency.. With transducers your not worried so much about a little harmonic distortion. It is not an audiophile situation.

 

[Dan Costa]

8- 16 ohm
4-8 ohm
2-4 ohm

Hi

But the amp i posted only supports 4ohms.
Oh, I see. Is it 4 ohms per channel (left + right)? I always calculated 4 ohms total.

In that case, In solution B I would only need 1 amp as well! that further reduces the cost down to 65€ !

 

[JeffL]

That's correct. The other thing is when you try a y cable setup with transducers and bass speakers you have to make sure that they are have the same phasing, if not they will phase out or cancel and you will either get strange oscillations or severe drop in bass. I don't recommend that route.

 

[Dan Costa]

I am not really sure of the power output of cheap units. Lepai amps could have decent sound quality under circumstances, but they are cheap. Bass shakers do need decent amping. If you go with two amps use the sub output of this model that gives the +68watt. It does that because subs and shakers have more need than mid/high speakers.

I figure the amp either supports 2x40W OR 1x68W, correct?

The transducers I'm quoting are both 50-80 watt parts. But from the conversation on this topic, i got the impression even weaker amps (2x15w) are enough to drive 80w transducers.

So that is a good question.

Will I either use one amp + 2 transducers (40w each) and save money on extra amp, Or buy the second amp and use 68 watts on each of the two transducers.

Assuming they dont bottom out easily (rattle), more power more fun?

 

[JeffL]

No, no, no, LOL. they will chatter pretty easily the more powerful the amp the lower you will turn it down. The transducers vibrate very easily compared to a speaker. The volume and intensity largely depend on the accoustic surface that you mount it on. If you mount it on a brick it will be quiet, if you mount on a steel garage door even a small transducer will feel and sound huge.

 

[Dan Costa]

wooden ikea seat? If i glue a board across the chair feet, maybe.

small apartment ailments

 

[JeffL]

Glue it to the front just below the seat, and mount the transducer on the back of it. The floor will dampen it on the bottom.

 

[Dan Costa]

I see. Vertical horizontal orientations matter much ?

 

[JeffL]

No, it just needs to be farther from the anchor point. (floor) if you pluck a guitar string at either end you get very little vibration but it you pluck it in the middle you get much more vibration, see what I mean?

 

[Dan Costa]

Got it I remember reading buttkickers needed to be horizontally. But if it can be in any position great

i'm all set then! Thanks guys! you're the best

 

[JeffL]

If you get into really large transducers, gravity may play a factor but with these small ones. Not so much.

 

[Dan Costa]

nice could chassis mode work on that chair? rear transducers on the chair, front transducers on a board bellow the pedals?

 

[JeffL]

Sure but it's all about experimentation. There is some basic rules but half the fun is discovery.

 

[Dan Costa]

For their money they are fine. Nothing jawdropping , but much better than Dayton Pukes for sure. It seems that even Auras have the same mechanism inside the radiator.

Hi again! could you tell me if your shakers work well in vertical position? are they noisier? Been reading some feedback about the auras making more noise when vertical. It seems they were made to be horizontally


cheers