Tactile Immersion - General Discussion - Hardware & Software

Mr Latte · Oct 25, 2017

Its got pumpkin orange lights so its ideal for autumn/Halloween season.

Zoof2 · Oct 25, 2017

DM77 said:
Hi Zoof2, welcome to the forum

There aren't many "idiot guides" unfortunately due to the amount of variety in each persons build.

The amplifiers, cockpit construction and materials, placement, strength, type and number of tactiles, the software you choose, and the configuration of the software settings can all have good or unexpected affects. IMHO the biggest limitation is budget, which will force your hand one way or another in deciding what to get, where it will go, and which software you will run it with, at least in the beginning.

If you have a trawl through the threads on here you will pick up a lot of information, most of it won't mean much to start with, but as you start to understand the basics more of it will make sense. I've spent a solid 10 days reading up on stuff and only fitted my tactiles yesterday afternoon, so my own situation is similar to yours, and my knowledge is still limited.

This thread in particular helped me no end, I had to read it a few times and keep referring back to it after reading some of the others to verify my understanding, but I ended up with the same hardware and it has been great so far (other than a faulty amp which is nobody's fault):

http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/buttkicker-setup-advice.132153/

If you can let us know which sim rig you own that will help. For your budget you will probably be limited to a single Buttkicker, and the Simshaker Wheels software (commonly abbreviated to SSW on the forums) which costs around £24 accounting for the exchange rate of Rubles to Sterling. It's pretty simple to set up and "just works" if you just want the basic functions, which is a good enough starting position.

You could use Simvibe software as an alternative, but it costs more, takes more setting up, and is more complex to navigate, but the end results may be better than SSW. I have a feeling Simvibe might be overkill for a single buttkicker, but I could be wrong and am more than happy for someone else here to correct me if necessary. With your budget in mind I would personally go with SSW.

The basic requirements are usually a dedicated power amplifier to drive the tactile, a sound card in addition to your on-board audio to control what signals are sent to the amp, a 3.5mm stereo to RCA cable to connect the sound card to the amp, and some 14-16 gauge speaker cable to connect the amp to the tactile.

If you buy a Buttkicker (once you decide which model is best for your needs) you will get the required amp and cables included. Not sure if you will need any additional cables to run from your sound card to the amp, but I'll check later.

If you want more than 1 tactile from your budget you will be looking at the very entry level for an amp and a pair of Rechorn BS200's https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reckhorn-s...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=94BQXS401P0N1FC2Z0YY

The results may be limited, and there are better options available. I believe the Rechorns are similar to the Aura shakers, and I've seen a number of posts mentioning that the Aura's are relatively low impact and limited in scope compared to other shakers. Is it worth your time and money to go for a single, more powerful option like a Buttkicker or amp and ADX Maximus level transducer, with options to expand later, or go for 2x Rechorns to fit the initial budget?

There are definitely reasons to think about either upping the budget, or getting something you can add to over time.

The amp I use is an SMSL SA 98-E which was £97.99, it's a stereo power amp so it can drive a pair of shakers. It works great with my ADX Maximus shakers which were £80 each, but the quality is hit or miss according to the reviews. My amp arrived a few days ago with a faulty channel, so I will shortly be putting up a 2 star review and returning it for a refund. If it wasn't faulty I would give it 5 stars because when it works it's great value for money.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SMSL-SA-98E-Amplifier-TDA7498E-Digital/dp/B00JESRNKO?tag=racedep-21

After experimenting with my rig today for a few hours I can honestly say if I only had 1 shaker under the seat I would be underwhelmed because the seat seriously dampens some of the frequencies, and I imagine it would be quite easy to overload 1 shaker with numerous effects unless you invest some time tweaking and deciding which effects to use and which effects to ignore completely. However - I have not taken any steps to isolate my rig yet, so I have no idea how much energy is being leeched away into the frame of the rig, or how much it is possible to improve the performance of the seat shaker.

As it stands right now I can seriously recommend having at least a pair of shakers, one for the seat and one for the pedals.

SSW is doing a nice job so far and Mr Latte has given me some great pointers (huge thanks!) but I'll still look into purchasing Simvibe next month.

Thanks so much for the detailed reply and link. At the moment im settled on the following and hoping i get the required affect :
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reckhorn-shaker-audio-therapy-BS-200/dp/B00AMH17GC
X2 of these .
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00LM2Y2WC?psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B074M54JC3?psc=1

DM77 said:
Hi Zoof2, welcome to the forum

There aren't many "idiot guides" unfortunately due to the amount of variety in each persons build.

The amplifiers, cockpit construction and materials, placement, strength, type and number of tactiles, the software you choose, and the configuration of the software settings can all have good or unexpected affects. IMHO the biggest limitation is budget, which will force your hand one way or another in deciding what to get, where it will go, and which software you will run it with, at least in the beginning.

If you have a trawl through the threads on here you will pick up a lot of information, most of it won't mean much to start with, but as you start to understand the basics more of it will make sense. I've spent a solid 10 days reading up on stuff and only fitted my tactiles yesterday afternoon, so my own situation is similar to yours, and my knowledge is still limited.

This thread in particular helped me no end, I had to read it a few times and keep referring back to it after reading some of the others to verify my understanding, but I ended up with the same hardware and it has been great so far (other than a faulty amp which is nobody's fault):

http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/buttkicker-setup-advice.132153/

If you can let us know which sim rig you own that will help. For your budget you will probably be limited to a single Buttkicker, and the Simshaker Wheels software (commonly abbreviated to SSW on the forums) which costs around £24 accounting for the exchange rate of Rubles to Sterling. It's pretty simple to set up and "just works" if you just want the basic functions, which is a good enough starting position.

You could use Simvibe software as an alternative, but it costs more, takes more setting up, and is more complex to navigate, but the end results may be better than SSW. I have a feeling Simvibe might be overkill for a single buttkicker, but I could be wrong and am more than happy for someone else here to correct me if necessary. With your budget in mind I would personally go with SSW.

The basic requirements are usually a dedicated power amplifier to drive the tactile, a sound card in addition to your on-board audio to control what signals are sent to the amp, a 3.5mm stereo to RCA cable to connect the sound card to the amp, and some 14-16 gauge speaker cable to connect the amp to the tactile.

If you buy a Buttkicker (once you decide which model is best for your needs) you will get the required amp and cables included. Not sure if you will need any additional cables to run from your sound card to the amp, but I'll check later.

If you want more than 1 tactile from your budget you will be looking at the very entry level for an amp and a pair of Rechorn BS200's https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reckhorn-s...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=94BQXS401P0N1FC2Z0YY

The results may be limited, and there are better options available. I believe the Rechorns are similar to the Aura shakers, and I've seen a number of posts mentioning that the Aura's are relatively low impact and limited in scope compared to other shakers. Is it worth your time and money to go for a single, more powerful option like a Buttkicker or amp and ADX Maximus level transducer, with options to expand later, or go for 2x Rechorns to fit the initial budget?

There are definitely reasons to think about either upping the budget, or getting something you can add to over time.

The amp I use is an SMSL SA 98-E which was £97.99, it's a stereo power amp so it can drive a pair of shakers. It works great with my ADX Maximus shakers which were £80 each, but the quality is hit or miss according to the reviews. My amp arrived a few days ago with a faulty channel, so I will shortly be putting up a 2 star review and returning it for a refund. If it wasn't faulty I would give it 5 stars because when it works it's great value for money.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SMSL-SA-98E-Amplifier-TDA7498E-Digital/dp/B00JESRNKO?tag=racedep-21

After experimenting with my rig today for a few hours I can honestly say if I only had 1 shaker under the seat I would be underwhelmed because the seat seriously dampens some of the frequencies, and I imagine it would be quite easy to overload 1 shaker with numerous effects unless you invest some time tweaking and deciding which effects to use and which effects to ignore completely. However - I have not taken any steps to isolate my rig yet, so I have no idea how much energy is being leeched away into the frame of the rig, or how much it is possible to improve the performance of the seat shaker.

As it stands right now I can seriously recommend having at least a pair of shakers, one for the seat and one for the pedals.

SSW is doing a nice job so far and Mr Latte has given me some great pointers (huge thanks!) but I'll still look into purchasing Simvibe next month.

Hi and thanks for the detailed reply its a great help . So far ive settled on the following and hoping to get the reqiured results :

2 of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reckhorn-shaker-audio-therapy-BS-200/dp/B00AMH17GC

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B074M54JC3?psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00LM2Y2WC?psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0...ch+android&dpPl=1&dpID=31RL1FPQGGL&ref=plSrch

Not sure if il need anything else ? Il also look at into sim shaker software as simvibe looks over complicated .
Thanks let me know if u think ive missed anything out my list .

Furnace Inferno · Oct 25, 2017

Zoof2 said:
Thanks so much for the detailed reply and link. At the moment im settled on the following and hoping i get the required affect :
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reckhorn-shaker-audio-therapy-BS-200/dp/B00AMH17GC
X2 of these .
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00LM2Y2WC?psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B074M54JC3?psc=1

Hi and thanks for the detailed reply its a great help . So far ive settled on the following and hoping to get the reqiured results :

2 of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reckhorn-shaker-audio-therapy-BS-200/dp/B00AMH17GC

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B074M54JC3?psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00LM2Y2WC?psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0...ch+android&dpPl=1&dpID=31RL1FPQGGL&ref=plSrch

Not sure if il need anything else ? Il also look at into sim shaker software as simvibe looks over complicated .
Thanks let me know if u think ive missed anything out my list .

Having tried both when I got my first buttkicker last month simvibe is much easier to use and has much better feedback out of the box. In SSW rumble strips didn't cause any vibration at all and every bump felt identical with the same thud and I couldn't see any way of changing that with simple frequency sliders like simvibe.

Try the SSW trial first and see if you come to the same conclusion but I definitely didn't like it and seeing the other thread which seemed to show the need to create custom audio sounds to change the frequencies it looks much more involved.

Mr Latte · Oct 25, 2017

Furnace Inferno said:
Having tried both when I got my first buttkicker last month simvibe is much easier to use and has much better feedback out of the box. In SSW rumble strips didn't cause any vibration at all and every bump felt identical with the same thud and I couldn't see any way of changing that with simple frequency sliders like simvibe.

Try the SSW trial first and see if you come to the same conclusion but I definitely didn't like it and seeing the other thread which seemed to show the need to create custom audio sounds to change the frequencies it looks much more involved.

Id say the default setting in both are not that good but compare one with altered settings and the other not is hardly fair is it? Simvibe "GENERATES TONES" however SSW uses "AUDIO FILES" so in the case of SSW you then apply more suited files to the tactile your using and the nature of the effect.

This can give more control than Simvibe but it does need input from people to help create and generate good working files. Some may not know how to do this or even want to learn but that does not mean others cannot help with creating better effects files. Do keep in mind Simvibe has been out for 5 years SSW has only been out a short time.

Simvibe default settings have Hz used that are nowhere near offering the best sensations. Although they do help stay clear of frequencies that can cause the "BK Piston" issue with the Mini/Gamer tactile models.

Sure, people will have their own preferences, each to what they prefer too but lots of people havnt much clue about Simvibes settings in what some are really doing. You can spend HOURS in Simvibe making constant adjustments or messing around with layers and settings. Perhaps moreso if/when the user has multiple tactile units and in some cases even different models in their configuration.

SSW does not complicate things if you have decent files to use.
As a community its up to people to decide if they want to improve that element with SSW and be productive, work together to make some available.

I said this in the past for Simvibe and Id say it also for SSW as well.
People would pay a few quid/bucks etc for good working profiles, be they created for individual sims, cars or different tactile units. Yet for such companies to invest and profit from such would need such files linked to "user accounts" so they could not be easily duplicated.

This is where in my own view the Simvibe Owners Club wasn't so good as anyone could upload and share files. Many of them utter tosh. Rather than Simx have they're own made, tested, validated and released by them. I don't even think Simx in 5 years created any profiles for customers to use, although I can't be sure with their favorite i-racing?. I certainly didn't see any for Assetto Corsa.

Some have units on 4 corners then crank the crap out of the settings to get or feel the energy (as much of the energy is leaking elsewhere). Others have units installed more directly to pedal/seat locations and if using decent isolation too, can not only work better but are much more efficient too. Differences in these factors do apply to (settings users) may use. Yet, with Simvibe no guidelines or instruction is given regards many of the settings and installations. I do know of people that got fed up with it all and the frustration or they found themselves constantly making changes rather than racing.

Mr Latte · Oct 25, 2017

@Zoof2
That amp looks a bit tacky fella (lol). You do not need an amp with .1 output or the features it has.
You want an amp that can output good low bass with limited distortion and at a power level even beyond what you need.Tactile are quite demanding on amps (more so than speakers) so you don't want an amp that's running at 90% capacity constantly.

While DM77 got a faulty one delivered, the SMSL 98 is a proven good choice for under $100/£100 and powering 2 channels. Lots of people have used them. Just be wary as quite a lot of junk out there but hey the choice is yours man.

Check with the supplier of the Reckhorn that it 100% is the model with GOLD connectors and not SILVER. As the newer improved version 200i has GOLD.

See here

Hope you enjoy your entry into tactile....

Zoof2 · Oct 25, 2017

Thanks il not order that amp and have a look at the SMSL 98 instead as my knowledge of amps is limited i was just trying to stay within budget . Appreciate the advice

Zoof2 · Oct 25, 2017

Zoof2 said:
Thanks il not order that amp and have a look at the SMSL 98 instead as my knowledge of amps is limited i was just trying to stay within budget . Appreciate the advice

Are there any other types of amps you can recommend in that price range ?

Mr Latte · Oct 25, 2017

Zoof2 said:
Are there any other types of amps you can recommend in that price range ?

I cant vouch for this seller but shop around...
I did find this price quite good and based in UK.

Furnace Inferno · Oct 25, 2017

Mr Latte said:
Id say the default setting in both are not that good but compare one with altered settings and the other not is hardly fair is it? Simvibe "GENERATES TONES" however SSW uses "AUDIO FILES" so in the case of SSW you then apply more suited files to the tactile your using and the nature of the effect.

This can give more control than Simvibe but it does need input from people to help create and generate good working files. Some may not know how to do this or even want to learn but that does not mean others cannot help with creating better effects files. Do keep in mind Simvibe has been out for 5 years SSW has only been out a short time.

Simvibe default settings have Hz used that are nowhere near offering the best sensations. Although they do help stay clear of frequencies that can cause the "BK Piston" issue with the Mini/Gamer tactile models.

Sure, people will have their own preferences, each to what they prefer too but lots of people havnt much clue about Simvibes settings in what some are really doing. You can spend HOURS in Simvibe making constant adjustments or messing around with layers and settings. Perhaps moreso if/when the user has multiple tactile units and in some cases even different models in their configuration.

SSW does not complicate things if you have decent files to use.
As a community its up to people to decide if they want to improve that element with SSW and be productive, work together to make some available.

I said this in the past for Simvibe and Id say it also for SSW as well.
People would pay a few quid/bucks etc for good working profiles, be they created for individual sims, cars or different tactile units. Yet for such companies to invest and profit from such would need such files linked to "user accounts" so they could not be easily duplicated.

This is where in my own view the Simvibe Owners Club wasn't so good as anyone could upload and share files. Many of them utter tosh. Rather than Simx have they're own made, tested, validated and released by them. I don't even think Simx in 5 years created any profiles for customers to use, although I can't be sure with their favorite i-racing?. I certainly didn't see any for Assetto Corsa.

Some have units on 4 corners then crank the crap out of the settings to get or feel the energy (as much of the energy is leaking elsewhere). Others have units installed more directly to pedal/seat locations and if using decent isolation too, can not only work better but are much more efficient too. Differences in these factors do apply to (settings users) may use. Yet, with Simvibe no guidelines or instruction is given regards many of the settings and installations. I do know of people that got fed up with it all and the frustration or they found themselves constantly making changes rather than racing.

I'm not saying it's bad just that it wasn't as simple as Simvibe. I tried all free options because I was hoping not to spend the $89 + conversion fee for Simvibe but didn't have a clue what to do with the free X-Sim option after spending an hour searching, then I went to SSW and again fiddled around with the free trial but couldn't see any simple way to change the feedback to what I wanted so by that point I just sucked it up and bought Simvibe.

Simvibe just worked it downloaded the games and automatically set what I assume are the most popular effects for a seat only buttkicker as they are the ones most people say they use. The only thing I changed was the intensity of the shift thump which I thought was unrealistically strong and collisions because they made the amp clip. However even at stock it was much much better than SSW for me, trying SSW actually made me think I had made a mistake getting a buttkicker and it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.

I was under the impression SSW had been tuned for BK Gamer2 since that's what the creator has along with another BK under the pedals?

Anyway I'm just giving my experience a major positive is SSW gives a trial at least to test which SimX disappointingly do not.

DM77 · Oct 25, 2017

Zoof2 said:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reckhorn-shaker-audio-therapy-BS-200/dp/B00AMH17GC
X2 of these .
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00LM2Y2WC?psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B074M54JC3?psc=1

regarding your list of items, you only need 1x https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00LM2Y2WC?psc=1 which is the cable that runs from the sound card into the amp, you wont need 2 of them.

You will also need some 14-16 guage speaker cable to link the amp to the Rechorn shakers. I used this which was fine: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01D5H8XOY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These bananna plugs are also useful for having a tidy connection on the end of the speaker cable, and to make it quicker to plug in and unplug the cables from the amp and the Rechorns, they save a LOT of potential messing about:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00169BIF0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

As Mr Latte mentioned, and I second his opinion whole-heartedly after I used to work in a hifi shop for 3 years, the original amp you selected is very budget, and would probably not be worth the money for doing a job as strenuous as constantly powering bass shakers. The spring connectors on the back which secure the speaker cable would probably drive you insane too when you try to wire everything up. The SMSL amp would be a far better bet, as long as yours has no defects like mine did

It really is a great little amp and well worth the investment.

Buying electronics is always a lottery, if the worst problem I have setting up my tactiles is a faulty amp I can return for a refund, ill consider myself relatively lucky.

Zoof2 · Oct 25, 2017

DM77 said:
regarding your list of items, you only need 1x https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00LM2Y2WC?psc=1 which is the cable that runs from the sound card into the amp, you wont need 2 of them.

You will also need some 14-16 guage speaker cable to link the amp to the Rechorn shakers. I used this which was fine: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01D5H8XOY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These bananna plugs are also useful for having a tidy connection on the end of the speaker cable, and to make it quicker to plug in and unplug the cables from the amp and the Rechorns, they save a LOT of potential messing about:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00169BIF0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

As Mr Latte mentioned, and I second his opinion whole-heartedly after I used to work in a hifi shop for 3 years, the original amp you selected is very budget, and would probably not be worth the money for doing a job as strenuous as constantly powering bass shakers. The spring connectors on the back which secure the speaker cable would probably drive you insane too when you try to wire everything up. The SMSL amp would be a far better bet, as long as yours has no defects like mine did It really is a great little amp and well worth the investment.

Buying electronics is always a lottery, if the worst problem I have setting up my tactiles is a faulty amp I can return for a refund, ill consider myself relatively lucky.

Thanks buddy really glad i didnt order that amp before coming on here. Sim vibe out my budget for now but il be ordering the hardware this week and start from there

DM77 · Oct 25, 2017

Zoof2 said:
Thanks buddy really glad i didnt order that amp before coming on here. Sim vibe out my budget for now but il be ordering the hardware this week and start from there

It's definitely a good idea to prioritise getting the right hardware first, specially with stuff like this. I don't think you will regret getting the better amp. More expensive isn't always "better" but aiming too low and underpowering speakers with a lower output amp is pretty much throwing your hard earned money away. Let us know how it all goes

DayGlow · Oct 26, 2017

Quick question.

I'm looking to make 2 transducer setup in Simvibe EM more, one for the seat and one for the pedals. (I have a wheel stand and am office chair so a 4 transducer chassis mode would be harder to do).

I'm lookin at using x2 Aura Pro bass shakers and the SMSL-98E to run them.

The question is that the amp had 2 output channels for the bass shakers, but only a stereo input. How do you run the bass shakers in EM mode? Looking at the Simvibe documents the chair channel runs on the front left channel from the soundcard and the pedal channel uses the rear left of the soundcard.

anton_Chez · Oct 26, 2017

I can speak for the SMSL amps, I have 2 of the 100W units, running 4 Aura shakers and they have been great so far. Inexpensive, look great and pretty simple. I have had one Aura fail but the retailer sent me a new one from the US to Aus free of charge without wanting the old one back. Recommend Parts Express, especially for US residents for this sort of stuff, they looked after me. Hopefully I am allowed to say that, mods?

DM77 · Oct 28, 2017

I've had my Bheringer amp a few days now, unfortunately I've not had much chance to get testing and configuring the DSP, however it definitely powers my pair of ADX Maximus far better than the SMSL amp, but when you are talking £100 vs £170 amp cost there should be a noticeable difference.

For me it makes way more sense to get the Bheringer amp to have proper and individual control over the shakers, rather than "saving" £70 and going for the SMSL. OFC not everyone has the same budgets or priorities but I was happy with the SMSL, and am almost blown away with the Bheringer by comparison.

Even something simple like being able to instantly alter the gain on the L and R channel if I notice one of them clipping makes the additional funds a worthwhile investment. I just wish the fan in the damn thing wasn't so noisy!

I'm looking forward to figuring out how to tame some of the frequencies. 40hz through this amp with the ADX on my GT Omega ART chassis almost disintegrates everything!

Beef36 · Oct 28, 2017

Mr Latte · Oct 28, 2017

Glad you see the benefits and value in the amp DM77 its got so much potential for tuning and controlling. These amp are well recognised to pump out great bass frequencies in powering large 15" or bigger subwoofers or have no problems with the strongest Buttkickers around. Wattage of the DSP 1000 model is more like a real 200w but we don't need anything close to that with tactile.

You would think in the 5 years or so these amps are out they would have opted for a quieter fan solution. However, the fan used sure pushes out a lot of air.

Cable Fan Mod
Its a hard cable to find but this is the type
4-Pin Standard Fan Connector (Male) to Mini 2-Pin GPU Fan Connector (Female)

See Here
For the exact fan, many have switched to with no issues see Here

I've had mine running for almost a year and it's powering much larger tactile with no issues with the mod in that time. Highly recommend doing it and being able to switch it back to standard when under warranty. The lid on my amps had no security seals so was easy to do, just swapped over and used a few small cable ties and that's all.

I even added 6x 3M sticky back heat sinks to mine, but the internals/design has varied a little over the years. Most recent models maybe have some additional modifications or cooling on components perhaps?

DM77 · Oct 28, 2017

Thanks Mr Latte, I'll keep an eye out for one of those cables. I can't imagine the noise that would come of of 2 or 3 of these amps with the standard fan! I like the heatsinks too, great touch.

DayGlow · Oct 28, 2017

DM77 said:
I've had my Bheringer amp a few days now, unfortunately I've not had much chance to get testing and configuring the DSP, however it definitely powers my pair of ADX Maximus far better than the SMSL amp, but when you are talking £100 vs £170 amp cost there should be a noticeable difference.

For me it makes way more sense to get the Bheringer amp to have proper and individual control over the shakers, rather than "saving" £70 and going for the SMSL. OFC not everyone has the same budgets or priorities but I was happy with the SMSL, and am almost blown away with the Bheringer by comparison.

Even something simple like being able to instantly alter the gain on the L and R channel if I notice one of them clipping makes the additional funds a worthwhile investment. I just wish the fan in the damn thing wasn't so noisy!

I'm looking forward to figuring out how to tame some of the frequencies. 40hz through this amp with the ADX on my GT Omega ART chassis almost disintegrates everything!

The issue for me is that the SMSL in Canada is just over $100, a iNuke DSP Is over $300

Mr Latte · Oct 29, 2017

DayGlow said:
The issue for me is that the SMSL in Canada is just over $100, a iNuke DSP Is over $300

I think its a similar problem in Australia as well.

If using with higher end tactile hardware such as BKA or BK LFE I'd still say its worth 3x the price (in such regions) of the SMSL. As you can power these units with this model and really get to make use of subharmonics below 20Hz. To essentially suit the capabilities and characteristics of the tactile hardware being used.