Seat shakers - experience?

[superconnie]

I would like to install seat shakers in my cockpit... does someone have experience with those things?

What sound do you use to get a good effect? Is it good enough to just hook the shakers to an amplifier and let them "play" the normal sounds or do you need some customized low frequency sounds to create a good sensation?

[wollo]

If you fly MSFS then you might want to check - www.ivibe.com, works with widefs as well. really adds to the immersion imho.
You might want to check out the forums though. There isn't a lot of other software it works with at the moment.

[Westozy]

I don't have seat shakers but do have what I believe to be a valid alternative. I have a Y splitter on the sound output of the PC, one side goes to some normal cheap powered PC speakers and the other side goes to two channels of a powered mixing desk. The normal PC speakers are tuned to the higher frequencies, (more treble) and the mixing desk powers 2 x 400w sub woofers bolted to my seats. The EQ on the mixing desk is tuned with the bass settings up high. On take off roll, it thunders and the gear doors closing is like a kick in the bum! It is VERY effective, the powered mixing desk is a bit of overkill but I'm a muso and have a few of these things, a simple second hand hifi component amplifier from a pawnbroker will do the same trick and that is what I intend to buy sooner or later to replace the mixing desk.

http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1104

Gwyn

[AndyT]

Check this out:

http://www.thebuttkicker.com/gaming/index.htm

[superconnie]

Thanks for the tipps...

Westozy: What you have is more or less a seat shaker. The difference is that the seat shaker is designed to be mounted under a seat and has no membrane. But I think your version works better if you have a original seat with thick upholstery. Did you drill holes into the bottom of the seat?

AndyT: I have already seen that. If your seat is on a single post it's perfect. It's a seat shaker with an attachment.

I think I first have to look in what condition my seats are. I will get some original DC-7 pilot seats from an airplane used for evacuation drills in Geneva. The Connie seats "disappeared" somehow from our scrap airplane in Arizona.

[mpl330]

"AndyT: I have already seen that. If your seat is on a single post it's perfect. It's a seat shaker with an attachment."

There is also this kit....

http://www.shakercentre.co.uk/aspbite/products/products.asp?intProductsID=61&GoBack=../../aspbite/categories/index.asp*Q*intCatID=16

Cheers
Mike

[AndyT]

That's not the only one they have....

http://www.thebuttkicker.com/products.htm

[Westozy]

[quote=superconnie;42697]Thanks for the tipps...

Westozy: What you have is more or less a seat shaker. The difference is that the seat shaker is designed to be mounted under a seat and has no membrane. But I think your version works better if you have a original seat with thick upholstery. Did you drill holes into the bottom of the seat?


There is just 3 tec screws drilled in to the steel floor pan of the seat and a small bracket on the fourth speaker mounting hole, they shake the whole framework, it's great fun!

Gwyn

[Kennair]

I can vouch for Gwyn's Bum shakers as I copied the same idea. I have mine powered from a 25W PC Sub woofer amp under my seats and I have to keep turning down the power as it rattles my seat springs. Yes you should put them through some sort of EQ in order to filter out the Bass frequencies so they aren't rattling to all other sounds.

I think JBaymore has experience with the genuine Aural Bass Shakers though?

Ken.

[JBaymore]

I think JBaymore has experience with the genuine Aural Bass Shakers though?

Yeah, I do. There is another thread here in the "Sound" section that talks about that stuff.... don't want to repeat it now. I'll see if I can find it and put in a link.

I have used both subwoofer speakers AND the Aura Bass Shakers (not Buttkickers). I would take the Aura components for this function any day over speakers. Speakers are designed to make SOUND. Bass shakers are designed to produce vibrations without significant sound. This allows you to tune the sound quality in the pit for good realism and yet STILL get high levels of vibrations. It removes any linkage between audible bass sound and the vibrations you feel.

And I have a nice cushy padded seat and the two Aura Bass Shakers are mounted into the seat base...... not on the seat itself....and I have to keep the rather tiny sub-woofer amp running pretty low to keep from rattling myself right off the seat.

I always found with the sub woofer mounted ion the seat that I had to have the sound pressure level in the cockpit way too high for realism, and the high end / low end balance was WAY out of whack to get good vibrations.

best,

.................john