Butt kicker alternative advice

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by F1Aussie, Apr 24, 2017.

  1. F1Aussie

    F1Aussie Well-Known Member

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    Hi all, I am sick of waiting for buttkickers to be back in stock and am looking for an alternative setup. Maybe a couple of pucks and a cheap but effective amp that can be used straight out of the box. I just have onboard sound.
    Any thoughts and advice is welcome.
    Cheers
     
  2. fl0wf1r3

    fl0wf1r3 Well-Known Member

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    and since this weekend I have MDF platform with Sylomer damping pads. My neighbor says she does not hear me any longer :)

     
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  3. le_poilu

    le_poilu Well-Known Member

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    I use (very very) similar shakers as above, my guees is that they are the same with other brand on it :
    https://www.amazon.fr/Subwoofer-Auto-100W-Sinustec-ST-BS/dp/B005FWXOTC

    I use 4 of them. Works pretty well, my only complain is that they can be noise on peak surge. If you're going to use simvibe you'll need to tweak it to avoid theses peak but it's hard to do.
    I also modified them by including some foam inside, with that they make less metallic noises.
    But I think about remplacing them by buttkickers Mini LFE one day.

    For the amps I bought a used car audio subwoffer amp. A MacAudio MPX 1000W (can be use for 1x1000w -2x500W or 4x250W).
    https://www.amazon.fr/Mac-Audio-1104110-mac-1000/dp/B00C8Y04ZC
    It's a cheap solution that works great, but you'll need to add a 12V power-supply. I use a PC ATX power-supply that can deliver 40A on a single 12V rails (Antec Neo Bronze 520W), this give me 480W for the 4 Shakers, witch is enough for 4 100W shakers:)

    Is simvibe is on the use you may need to add at least one soundcard. A cheap 4 way PCI card will do the job:
    https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B001D767GA/ref=pe_386181_51767671_TE_dp_2

    Amps+power supply cost me less than 100€
    Shakers cost around 40€ each => ~160€ the set
    Audio cad : 15€
    For less than 300€ you have a full 4 shakers set :)
     
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  4. fl0wf1r3

    fl0wf1r3 Well-Known Member

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    yeah, I think the shakers from Reckhorn are the same. whoever the manufacturer is :)
    https://www.amazon.fr/Reckhorn-BS-2...=UTF8&qid=1493045280&sr=1-3&keywords=reckhorn
    there are two models I think, BS-100 and BS-200.
    https://www.amazon.fr/Reckhorn-cana...=UTF8&qid=1493045280&sr=1-5&keywords=reckhorn
    since the amplifier has an active cross-over network I don't need simvibe yet. I use the audio signal form the HDMI connection to my TV and then to the amplifier. But it always depends on your setup of course :)
     
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  5. le_poilu

    le_poilu Well-Known Member

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    You don't know what you miss :)
    Even with cross-over on the amps, you can't create something that doesn't exist and you'll always be limited to the sounds that the game output.. witch is far far far far away from what you can get with simbive :)
    I.E. you'll never have road texture / bumps, Shifter effects or even engine vibs related to engine RPM.
     
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  6. fl0wf1r3

    fl0wf1r3 Well-Known Member

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    I thought simvibe is using the game audio stream? it is not? ok, I since I have the onboard sound card turned off at the moment I might have a look at it. But even without simvibe, a bass shaker gives so much more immersion :) I am happy that I don't disturb my neighbour any longer.
     
  7. le_poilu

    le_poilu Well-Known Member

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    Not at all !

    It use game data (shared memory system, etc) to use directly the game physics.
    It's the true beauty of it :)
    Immersion is way more important with Simvibe than with audio, the effects are more linked to what you see on screen and through your wheel.
     
  8. fl0wf1r3

    fl0wf1r3 Well-Known Member

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    ok ok :) I see, damn, I need this. I hope it still works with the amplifier I already have.

     
  9. fl0wf1r3

    fl0wf1r3 Well-Known Member

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    right, it uses its own sounds triggered by gama data.

    again
    [​IMG]

    so stupid that I sold my old Alesis amplifier last year :/
     
  10. le_poilu

    le_poilu Well-Known Member

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    It will ;)
    It only requiers a dedicated soundcard. Everything else could be the same, you may just need to tweak a little your amps (cross-over etc)
     
  11. fl0wf1r3

    fl0wf1r3 Well-Known Member

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    I got to try this :) thx dude
     
  12. le_poilu

    le_poilu Well-Known Member

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  13. fl0wf1r3

    fl0wf1r3 Well-Known Member

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    I am just wondering if simvibe can send the signal via the optical output of the sound card. I have two transducers and I would like to run them parallel, same signal (chassis mode)
     
  14. Kollo

    Kollo Active Member

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  15. Gazza

    Gazza Member

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    Earthquake shellshox, same as the buttkicker gamer but more powerful.
     
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  16. F1Aussie

    F1Aussie Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for the replies guys. I think I have decided on some 50w dayton shakers.
    Anyone know if these are okay?
    I was thinking of getting 2, one to put under the pedal plate and the other on the frame behind the seat.
    We seem to be pretty limited to what is available here.
    What considerations would I need to take into account with an amp to power these?
    Cheers
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2017
  17. fl0wf1r3

    fl0wf1r3 Well-Known Member

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    ok, now I got Simvibe, big fun indeed. The GUI is a bit ... confusing. I found a very good description in a forum that helped me a lot (only in German). With simvibe it is a totally different chapter now :) My only fear is my neighbour at the moment, I hope my new platform helps. There is so much to play with in Simvibe :) great stuff
     
  18. le_poilu

    le_poilu Well-Known Member

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    Not sure Simvibe can do it.
    Maybe you can use some software/driver solution to "copy" the analogue audio signal to the SPDIF one.
    But the only benefice of using optical would be if you have long wires between the computer and your RIG.
    For my first RIG I had to run +15m of wire, I had pretty bad noise interference because of that.

    If you want to drive multiple transducer with the same signal you only have to set your sound card output mode in the right configuration: Stereo or even Mono instead of the full 4channel needed for a full 4 transducer chassis setup.
     
  19. fl0wf1r3

    fl0wf1r3 Well-Known Member

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    it works, but with the optical output I currently have delay. The signal goes via HDMI to the TV and from here to a DA converter from Oehlbach. Perhaps a bit too much loop through :) But I need this configuration for my PS4 as well. It might help to change the sound depth of the Nvidia HDMI output. Got to test this later. Depending on your sound it is called "what you hear" (Soundblaster) or "Stereo Mix" (Realtek). Here you can choose the sound to listen hat and loop it through another output.
    The quality of the DA Oehlbach is much better than the normal stereo output of my onboard sound card. Therefore I prefer to use the digital signal. Only when I can not get rid of the delay I got to switch to the analog signal.
     
  20. le_poilu

    le_poilu Well-Known Member

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    Wait.. what ??

    Are you aware that sound quality is not that important for transducer drived by simvibe ?
    Honestly you really better have to go with the analog signal straight from a dedicated sound card for simvibe (onboard or 15€ PCI-E soundcard is way enough for this)
    (Some uses USB soundcard but it's not supported by simXperience and not recommended)

    And I hope you don't mix the game sound and the simvibe signal in the same output :confused: