Tactile Immersion - General Discussion - Hardware & Software

[EsxPaul]

Just finished some initial checking on my installation. There were some worrying oh s*it, it's not working at all moments here and there but I got there in the end.

I had some scares with the t.racks DSP software, where it would lose its connection to the unit every minute or so. It turned out that the Asmedia USB ports on my MB didn't want to play along so I switched over to the Intel USB ports and that's proved to be far more stable.

My head is filled with so many thoughts at the moment that I'm just going to blurt out some random thoughts that are swimming around.

These BK concerts have some serious power, so much so that they made me jump when the first signal came through. I wasn't quite expecting my stomach to be churned with some blurred vision thrown into the mix!

I've only gone through the very basic sound card levels setup, some initial NX Edit configuration (no crossover or PEQ settings) and an online tone generator test. My biggest takeaway after doing this is I can now see how absolutely essential DSP control is going to be. I've been really taken back by just how much variation there is in what you feel between every single Hz. I'm going to have to dedicate a lot of time into gaining the understanding of how to boost and cut frequencies so that I can get maximum felt sensations whilst also tuning out some small rattles that happen within very narrow but specific Hz ranges. As an example, I decided to remove my poorly fitting seat slider adjustment bar as it's just too loose to never get rattled. There are also some other small rattles that happen within a 2-3 Hz band and then disappear so I'll have to get on top of those.

Another takeaway is I now better understand why @Mr Latte places so much importance on materials and isolation. Although I'm using two BK Concerts, one under a 8020 pedal deck and the other bolted directly to the underside of a fibreglass seat, the difference in perceived power between the two feels quite large and I'm going to need to somehow boost up the one under my feet to get the feeling I'd like which I'm sure can be achieved. I even got to wondering if a fibreglass pedal deck had been tried before and I may even explore that avenue myself later on down the line. For now though, I need to progress from a know nothing noob and learn how to tune what I have before getting carried away with supposedly bright ideas.

The little Dayton exiters are surprisingly powerful too. I wasn't expecting to feel very much in the lower range but they really pack some power for their size, giving me lots of feedback, especially around 45Hz. Very impressive.

I'll note down some of my initial perceptions below, after using just the tone generator. I don't think it'll add very much to the conversation as I know they are only really specific to each persons individual setup but here was my takeaway:

Sound card volume levels set to 50%
Sound card EQ @ 250 HZ and below set to zero gain - all others set to minimum

NX3000D front dials set at the 12 o'clock position
No crossover or EQ used in NX Edit software

Douk M4 front dials set at the 12 o'clock position
No crossover or EQ used in t.racks DSP software

BK Concert x1 (Pedal Deck)
No sensation below 9Hz
Sensation strongest at 26Hz
Sensation subside at 33Hz
Sensation not perceived above 55Hz

BK Concert x1 (Fibreglass Seat)
No sensation below 5Hz
Sensation strongest at 20Hz
Sensation subside at 40Hz
Sensation not perceived above 60Hz

DAEX32EP-4 x2 (Fibreglass Seat, below knees)
No sensation below 25Hz
Sensation strongest at 45Hz
Sensation subside at 140Hz
Sensation not perceived above 150Hz (audible only)


DAEX32EP-4 x2 (Fibreglass Seat, behind shoulder blades)
No sensation below 20Hz
Sensation strongest at 48Hz
Sensation subside at 150Hz
Sensation not perceived above 185Hz (audible only)


Now I'll move onto installing SimHub for the first time and getting the souncards mapped correctly

 

[DM77]

These BK concerts have some serious power, so much so that they made me jump when the first signal came through. I wasn't quite expecting my stomach to be churned with some blurred vision thrown into the mix!

LOL when I first put a test tone through by BK LFE I almost died! My rig almost shook to bits and I was so shocked for a few seconds I couldnt grab the mouse to try and switch off the tone! It didn't help that the mouse was jittering all over the wheel mounting plate either...

 

[vanka472]

I've just ordered a pair of those Dayton exciters and the NS 01-G and waiting for the exciters to arrive. The amp landed yesterday from Amazon. Adding them to my Inuke and Buttkicker/ADX Maximus setup.

Just gotta do some testing and work out where/how to mount them, and which effects to add once its all here.

At the moment I have all 3 units mounted in the centre of the rig, ADX under pedals, ADX on the back of the seat and the Buttkicker LFE central under the seat, so I'm hoping these will add some L/R effects, and possibly aim to get another pair so I can hook up all 4 corners of the rig, but I get the feeling these might need to go on the seat instead.

I really suggest the sides (bolsters) of the seats. Going over rumble strips really brings in that left and right effect. I think that might translate the best considering you have a few others throughout already.

 

[vanka472]

Just finished some initial checking on my installation. There were some worrying oh s*it, it's not working at all moments here and there but I got there in the end.

I had some scares with the t.racks DSP software, where it would lose its connection to the unit every minute or so. It turned out that the Asmedia USB ports on my MB didn't want to play along so I switched over to the Intel USB ports and that's proved to be far more stable.

My head is filled with so many thoughts at the moment that I'm just going to blurt out some random thoughts that are swimming around.

These BK concerts have some serious power, so much so that they made me jump when the first signal came through. I wasn't quite expecting my stomach to be churned with some blurred vision thrown into the mix!

I've only gone through the very basic sound card levels setup, some initial NX Edit configuration (no crossover or PEQ settings) and an online tone generator test. My biggest takeaway after doing this is I can now see how absolutely essential DSP control is going to be. I've been really taken back by just how much variation there is in what you feel between every single Hz. I'm going to have to dedicate a lot of time into gaining the understanding of how to boost and cut frequencies so that I can get maximum felt sensations whilst also tuning out some small rattles that happen within very narrow but specific Hz ranges. As an example, I decided to remove my poorly fitting seat slider adjustment bar as it's just too loose to never get rattled. There are also some other small rattles that happen within a 2-3 Hz band and then disappear so I'll have to get on top of those.

Another takeaway is I now better understand why @Mr Latte places so much importance on materials and isolation. Although I'm using two BK Concerts, one under a 8020 pedal deck and the other bolted directly to the underside of a fibreglass seat, the difference in perceived power between the two feels quite large and I'm going to need to somehow boost up the one under my feet to get the feeling I'd like which I'm sure can be achieved. I even got to wondering if a fibreglass pedal deck had been tried before and I may even explore that avenue myself later on down the line. For now though, I need to progress from a know nothing noob and learn how to tune what I have before getting carried away with supposedly bright ideas.

The little Dayton exiters are surprisingly powerful too. I wasn't expecting to feel very much in the lower range but they really pack some power for their size, giving me lots of feedback, especially around 45Hz. Very impressive.

I'll note down some of my initial perceptions below, after using just the tone generator. I don't think it'll add very much to the conversation as I know they are only really specific to each persons individual setup but here was my takeaway:

Sound card volume levels set to 50%
Sound card EQ @ 250 HZ and below set to zero gain - all others set to minimum

NX3000D front dials set at the 12 o'clock position
No crossover or EQ used in NX Edit software

Douk M4 front dials set at the 12 o'clock position
No crossover or EQ used in t.racks DSP software

View attachment 386341

BK Concert x1 (Pedal Deck)
No sensation below 9Hz
Sensation strongest at 26Hz
Sensation subside at 33Hz
Sensation not perceived above 55Hz

BK Concert x1 (Fibreglass Seat)
No sensation below 5Hz
Sensation strongest at 20Hz
Sensation subside at 40Hz
Sensation not perceived above 60Hz

DAEX32EP-4 x2 (Fibreglass Seat, below knees)
No sensation below 25Hz
Sensation strongest at 45Hz
Sensation subside at 140Hz
Sensation not perceived above 150Hz (audible only)


DAEX32EP-4 x2 (Fibreglass Seat, behind shoulder blades)
No sensation below 20Hz
Sensation strongest at 48Hz
Sensation subside at 150Hz
Sensation not perceived above 185Hz (audible only)


Now I'll move onto installing SimHub for the first time and getting the souncards mapped correctly

Wow, I'm glad to hear your experience is still going quite well. I am still trying to figure out my exciters and what freq to put them in for the best experience. Been contemplating getting a dsp for them to help tune out the rattles as you mentioned.

 

[DM77]

I really suggest the sides (bolsters) of the seats. Going over rumble strips really brings in that left and right effect. I think that might translate the best considering you have a few others throughout already.

I think thats the best plan initially. Your brain does a good job of trying to convince you that the rumble strip you just saw is the one causing the sensation even though the transducers are located centrally, but with the directionality being actually there it should make a nice difference, and it should take some of the effort away from the existing units.

Kerbs and rumble strips really hit home through the BK LFE though so I'll have a play with the channels in Simhub to see which combinations work and which should remain separated.

 

[DM77]

Wow, I'm glad to hear your experience is still going quite well. I am still trying to figure out my exciters and what freq to put them in for the best experience. Been contemplating getting a dsp for them to help tune out the rattles as you mentioned.

DSP makes a world of difference, and is the only real way we can keep reasonable output, clear sensations and kill off rattling without resorting to the universal volume level.

I'm so glad my first amp arrived faulty and I ended up spending more on the Inuke DSP amp. Being able to set the DSP and the volume on each channel individualy has been amazing.

 

[EsxPaul]

Wow, I'm glad to hear your experience is still going quite well. I am still trying to figure out my exciters and what freq to put them in for the best experience. Been contemplating getting a dsp for them to help tune out the rattles as you mentioned.

When I was ordering the parts I did consider not bothering with a DSP unit for the exiters as I wasn't sure these little things would really have a need to be finely controlled. I was wrong to assume that and after doing just these initial tests, I would personally want DSP control for every single channel. Most of the frequencies feels great and I now realise how much of that would get lost if I only had an overall gain control knob to dial out the unwanted parts.

The little t.racks mini seems really good value when you consider how much it costs to have individual control over 4 channels and well worth the outlay when you add up the amount of hours we intend to be using it for

 

[ScreaminBejesus]

I've just ordered a pair of those Dayton exciters and the NS 01-G and waiting for the exciters to arrive. The amp landed yesterday from Amazon. Adding them to my Inuke and Buttkicker/ADX Maximus setup.

Just gotta do some testing and work out where/how to mount them, and which effects to add once its all here.

At the moment I have all 3 units mounted in the centre of the rig, ADX under pedals, ADX on the back of the seat and the Buttkicker LFE central under the seat, so I'm hoping these will add some L/R effects, and possibly aim to get another pair so I can hook up all 4 corners of the rig, but I get the feeling these might need to go on the seat instead.

LOL when I first put a test tone through by BK LFE I almost died! My rig almost shook to bits and I was so shocked for a few seconds I couldnt grab the mouse to try and switch off the tone! It didn't help that the mouse was jittering all over the wheel mounting plate either...

Ain’t that the truth. When I first turned on the two LFEs behind my seat, my whole life shook so much I could no longer hold onto the mouse to turn them down.

 

[vanka472]

DSP makes a world of difference, and is the only real way we can keep reasonable output, clear sensations and kill off rattling without resorting to the universal volume level.

I'm so glad my first amp arrived faulty and I ended up spending more on the Inuke DSP amp. Being able to set the DSP and the volume on each channel individualy has been amazing.

When I was ordering the parts I did consider not bothering with a DSP unit for the exiters as I wasn't sure these little things would really have a need to be finely controlled. I was wrong to assume that and after doing just these initial tests, I would personally want DSP control for every single channel. Most of the frequencies feels great and I now realise how much of that would get lost if I only had an overall gain control knob to dial out the unwanted parts.

The little t.racks mini seems really good value when you consider how much it costs to have individual control over 4 channels and well worth the outlay when you add up the amount of hours we intend to be using it for

I think my biggest issue right now with my exciters is the rattling, I wasn't sure if they were hitting the back of the seat from the bounce, or if it is a frequency thing. I think like you guys are saying it is a fq thing and should be tuned out to get the best possible response.

I actually have my soundcard at 50%, the amps at 50% and in simhub all the exciters mains set to 50% with the effects then being dialed in at 50%. The rattle sounded like those speakers were going to die at times. Some games pushed them harder than others, but I definitely feel like im getting a lesser experience than I can right now. The exciters are plenty powerful IMO. (though an LFE or Concert is in the plans....)

 

[DM77]

I think my biggest issue right now with my exciters is the rattling, I wasn't sure if they were hitting the back of the seat from the bounce, or if it is a frequency thing. I think like you guys are saying it is a fq thing and should be tuned out to get the best possible response.

I actually have my soundcard at 50%, the amps at 50% and in simhub all the exciters mains set to 50% with the effects then being dialed in at 50%. The rattle sounded like those speakers were going to die at times. Some games pushed them harder than others, but I definitely feel like im getting a lesser experience than I can right now. The exciters are plenty powerful IMO. (though an LFE or Concert is in the plans....)

It's been a few years now since I set up all my kit, so I've forgotten a lot, but I do remember running a test tone sweep to pick out the problem frequencies and tuning the EQ. Certain frequencies used to play hell with my rig regardless of volume.

I plugged in my Nobsound amp today just to test it was working with some music being bluetoothed from my phone, and my transducers were rattling and vocalising the music, the difference between an untamed amp and one with DSP is just huge.

If you don't have the option of DSP, you can still experiment with isolation. I ended up using a fair bit of neoprene and some acrylic washers in problem areas like the seat support and the wheel support tray to reduce rattling and vibration - it must have helped as none of the screws or bolts in my rig have needed tightening yet, and the only time I need to keep the volume lower is if I just accidentally have it set too high from one game to the next, rather than the units bottoming out or shaking the rig to bits.

 

[ScreaminBejesus]

I think my biggest issue right now with my exciters is the rattling...

I actually have my soundcard at 50%, the amps at 50% and in simhub all the exciters mains set to 50% with the effects then being dialed in at 50%. The rattle sounded like those speakers were going to die at times. Some games pushed them harder than others, but I definitely feel like im getting a lesser experience than I can right now.
...

I would highly recommend sweeping across the frequency range of the exciters with a tone generator to determine whether there are specific frequencies that are rattling and could be tamed. There is a lot you can do with the simple (and freely available) EQ APO software to suppress these peaks and enhance weaker areas to get a wide usable range. I found that my LFE and Advance rattled all sorts of stuff all around my rig at 25 Hz and the DAEX32EP-4 were so much stronger between about 40 and 50 Hz that this area needed to be suppressed to get a more consistent response. It doesn’t take a lot of work and is definitely worth the effort.

 

[vanka472]

I would highly recommend sweeping across the frequency range of the exciters with a tone generator to determine whether there are specific frequencies that are rattling and could be tamed. There is a lot you can do with the simple (and freely available) EQ APO software to suppress these peaks and enhance weaker areas to get a wide usable range. I found that my LFE and Advance rattled all sorts of stuff all around my rig at 25 Hz and the DAEX32EP-4 were so much stronger between about 40 and 50 Hz that this area needed to be suppressed to get a more consistent response. It doesn’t take a lot of work and is definitely worth the effort.

Thanks for this! I will sit down and spend some time dialing this in tomorrow because I really want to be able to get more with what I have. It's hard to understand the limitations when you have nothing to compare it to, but the least I can do is my due diligence. I will report back post fq tunning and let you guys know how it goes.

Btw, I am using RomainRobs profile, which is already tuned in, but not sure how and what for which location, since there is no information on where he put his exciters, and I know for a fact he was/is running different exciters since I did talk to him about it (the older smaller Dayton pucks, not directly comparable to the DAEX32EP-4)

 

[DM77]

Thanks for this! I will sit down and spend some time dialing this in tomorrow because I really want to be able to get more with what I have. It's hard to understand the limitations when you have nothing to compare it to, but the least I can do is my due diligence. I will report back post fq tunning and let you guys know how it goes.

Btw, I am using RomainRobs profile, which is already tuned in, but not sure how and what for which location, since there is no information on where he put his exciters, and I know for a fact he was/is running different exciters since I did talk to him about it (the older smaller Dayton pucks, not directly comparable to the DAEX32EP-4)

Part of the complication with tactile, once you scratch the surface rather than just bolting a BK Gamer to a chair and calling it done, is that it's almost impossible to compare rigs.

The weight distribution, placement and distances of mounting plates and pedal plates, materials of the rig and attached kit, your own weight, isolation from the floor (or not) and how well fitted all the bolts, screws and fasteners are, software producing the signals to the tactiles, relative volumes - there are too many variables and this means other profiles can give you an idea of things to try, but what works in my rig may be really bad for yours unless we are using almost identical kit throughout.

I also don't drive, never been in a high performance vehicle, so my idea of what's "right or wrong" is purely down to my own preference and what I find the most fun. This means for a long while I had no confidence in what I was trying to achieve, in the end I just tinkered with SimHub with individual effects until they felt good and fun, and now I don't care too much about "is it actually realistic?" because I have no way of knowing. I guess this way its better because I don't sit there thinking "how can I make this feel like the real vehicle on the track? What did I get wrong?".

I can tell what's broken or over the top, so my focus is keeping out the bad and not overloading the tactiles with too many effects, what's left after that should be pretty OK.

 

[EsxPaul]

Is there a method or flow chart type deal that you guys use when firing up SimHub for the first time?

The amount of effects that I see are a bit overwhelming. I'm really not sure how to go about things without getting myself lost so I was wondering if there's a sensible path that I could follow.

Would it be wise to use only a single effect on a single transducer and work my way up from there and if that's the correct way, what would be the most commonly used effect that should be chosen?

 

[vanka472]

Is there a method or flow chart type deal that you guys use when firing up SimHub for the first time?

The amount of effects that I see are a bit overwhelming. I'm really not sure how to go about things without getting myself lost so I was wondering if there's a sensible path that I could follow.

Would it be wise to use only a single effect on a single transducer and work my way up from there and if that's the correct way, what would be the most commonly used effect that should be chosen?

I found that using an already available profile really did help me. I then went into the soundcard settings (in sim hub) and made sure everything was organized (R, L) and named. I then turned on one setting for both left and right, went into the settings setup, and pushed the test button, which then sends a pulse, replicating the effect but now only on the exciters you have activated. I know this seems slow, but since the actual setup is already done, once I did a few, and what they felt like, I started turning them on and off and had a better understanding of what I was gonna feel when I jumped into the sim. I hope that helps!

 

[ScreaminBejesus]

Is there a method or flow chart type deal that you guys use when firing up SimHub for the first time?

The amount of effects that I see are a bit overwhelming. I'm really not sure how to go about things without getting myself lost so I was wondering if there's a sensible path that I could follow.

Would it be wise to use only a single effect on a single transducer and work my way up from there and if that's the correct way, what would be the most commonly used effect that should be chosen?

I'm at the very beginning of this process myself, but I will tell you what I have found helpful so far.

First, I am using a profile with layered effects previously published by @Mr Latte. I have decided to investigate one type of effect at a time, beginning with RPM. In the profile I am using, the RPM effect includes maybe half a dozen layers defined. It's apparent form their titles, from the curve, and from the frequency range that some of these layers will be more appropriate for larger low frequency BK transducers, others are more appropriate for exciters, and some are in between. I make this determination in part based on the crossover curves I've previously defined.

Now, for each layer, I activate them one at a time and assigned them to a single transducer or exciter. I drive around the track with this single layer activated, note the conditions under which it become active and find a volume level that seems effective for the effect in isolation (realizing that this will likely be revised when multiple layers are later activated). Repeat this for each layer of the effect (in this case covering each frequency and rpm range). If you have similar transducers/exciters in multiple locations, you might want to try different locations. At this point, I've identified the transducers/exciters I want to carry each layer and the levels I at which they are satisfying in isolation.

The next step I've taken is to turn on all the layers of this effect I've decided to associate with the low BK transducer and run them together to see whether the levels chosen result in convincing results across the range of operation. I then do the same thing for the higher frequency exciter effects. Since I have exciters in several positions, I decided that it was nice to have the low RPMs start low in the seat and gradually then rise to the shoulders.

Now turn on all of the layers of the given effect, see whether the output still seems convincing, whether there are any gaps, whether any levels jump out, whether any of the layers running on the same transducers overload it or become muddled. I'm currently going back and forth between running some or all of the DAEX32EP-4 exciters or the TST for the middle range effects and am approaching a configuration of the RPM effects that I find very satisfying by themselves.

Now add a second effect. In my case, I decided to add gear shift, using a profile that is similarly composed of multiple layers. I want to feel the gear shift low and in the middle of the seat, where my LFE is located, but I also want to capture some of the crisp upper frequency layers with the exciters. I followed the same process as described above for RPM. But this time I add a step of combing the tentatively finished configuration with both the gear **** and RPM layers. I found that running the low frequency gear shift layers together with the low frequency RPM layers on a single LFE did not cause any conflict. But running the relevant gear shift and RPM layers on together on the exciters, caused the RPM to cut out. So I had to play around with dividing these higher frequency effects among several different exciters.

Now I am moving on to add speed and anticipate further conflicts that will require resolution and optimization and may require distribution of some of these effects over other devices, or perhaps even modifying either their frequency ranges or the response curves so they don't overlap. Another consideration (with which I have not yet experimented) is that, at a given moment, some effects may be driving frequencies upwards while others are driving frequencies downward. I'm not sure yet how well a single transducer will handle these opposing slopes or whether I may need to put rising and falling effects on different devices.

Anyway, that's the process I'm working through. Hope it has been helpful. It really just boils down to breaking up the problem into its component parts, dealing with the smallest available units one at a time, gradually recombining them, and then adjusting to balance the combined layers.

 

[Tom_Hampton]

Yep. I'm following exactly the same process. Which has already led me to the conclusion that I need a lot more tranducers!

I'm at the very beginning of this process myself, but I will tell you what I have found helpful so far.

First, I am using a profile with layered effects previously published by @Mr Latte. I have decided to investigate one type of effect at a time, beginning with RPM. In the profile I am using, the RPM effect includes maybe half a dozen layers defined. It's apparent form their titles, from the curve, and from the frequency range that some of these layers will be more appropriate for larger low frequency BK transducers, others are more appropriate for exciters, and some are in between. I make this determination in part based on the crossover curves I've previously defined.

Now, for each layer, I activate them one at a time and assigned them to a single transducer or exciter. I drive around the track with this single layer activated, note the conditions under which it become active and find a volume level that seems effective for the effect in isolation (realizing that this will likely be revised when multiple layers are later activated). Repeat this for each layer of the effect (in this case covering each frequency and rpm range). If you have similar transducers/exciters in multiple locations, you might want to try different locations. At this point, I've identified the transducers/exciters I want to carry each layer and the levels I at which they are satisfying in isolation.

The next step I've taken is to turn on all the layers of this effect I've decided to associate with the low BK transducer and run them together to see whether the levels chosen result in convincing results across the range of operation. I then do the same thing for the higher frequency exciter effects. Since I have exciters in several positions, I decided that it was nice to have the low RPMs start low in the seat and gradually then rise to the shoulders.

Now turn on all of the layers of the given effect, see whether the output still seems convincing, whether there are any gaps, whether any levels jump out, whether any of the layers running on the same transducers overload it or become muddled. I'm currently going back and forth between running some or all of the DAEX32EP-4 exciters or the TST for the middle range effects and am approaching a configuration of the RPM effects that I find very satisfying by themselves.

Now add a second effect. In my case, I decided to add gear shift, using a profile that is similarly composed of multiple layers. I want to feel the gear shift low and in the middle of the seat, where my LFE is located, but I also want to capture some of the crisp upper frequency layers with the exciters. I followed the same process as described above for RPM. But this time I add a step of combing the tentatively finished configuration with both the gear **** and RPM layers. I found that running the low frequency gear shift layers together with the low frequency RPM layers on a single LFE did not cause any conflict. But running the relevant gear shift and RPM layers on together on the exciters, caused the RPM to cut out. So I had to play around with dividing these higher frequency effects among several different exciters.

Now I am moving on to add speed and anticipate further conflicts that will require resolution and optimization and may require distribution of some of these effects over other devices, or perhaps even modifying either their frequency ranges or the response curves so they don't overlap. Another consideration (with which I have not yet experimented) is that, at a given moment, some effects may be driving frequencies upwards while others are driving frequencies downward. I'm not sure yet how well a single transducer will handle these opposing slopes or whether I may need to put rising and falling effects on different devices.

Anyway, that's the process I'm working through. Hope it has been helpful. It really just boils down to breaking up the problem into its component parts, dealing with the smallest available units one at a time, gradually recombining them, and then adjusting to balance the combined layers.

 

[DM77]

Is there a method or flow chart type deal that you guys use when firing up SimHub for the first time?

The amount of effects that I see are a bit overwhelming. I'm really not sure how to go about things without getting myself lost so I was wondering if there's a sensible path that I could follow.

Would it be wise to use only a single effect on a single transducer and work my way up from there and if that's the correct way, what would be the most commonly used effect that should be chosen?

I would intially go into the settings and assign the different effects to the channels you think will be most relevant, turn off all the effects, and select one to start testing. Use the test tone to ensure the level feels about right, and then start driving. Driving with a single effect enabled allows you to get used to it, and get a good feel for what is being communicated. Having a multi-monitor setup for this is great, so you can watch the effect levels whilst driving and tweak things a little easier on the fly.

Once you are happy, turn off that effect, move onto and test the next. This takes a while, probably hours, but it's the only way you will get used to your setup without feeling overwhelmed. I can guarantee if you just enable everything and start racing, it's going to feel overwhelming, and possibly bad - kinda like a shaky-cam Transformers fight scene with too much happening at once and your brain does this >.<

When you re-introduce groups of related effects, you will hopefully be able to tell if they feel right or not, and with enough familiarity you can narrow down problem effects and decide how to tackle them. I would also probably recommend driving a car and track you know well whilst you do this. Driving an unknown car and track will probably end up with you really testing the hell out of impact effects more than anything else if you are like me

You might have to make a priority list of which effects are most imprortant, and which ones you can leave turned off.

Personally I prioritised focus on rumble strips/kerbs, gear shifting, RPM's and road surface. I left speed and tire locking off for now, and I tuned the RPM down quite low. I think my setup probably feels more arcade like, but thats what I find fun right now. Now I'm going from 2 to 4 channels when my exciters arrive I can diversify things a bit.

 

[Brutal Deluxe]

I know I'm going against the grain here... I still don't think that DSP is essential for exciters.

However, I guess it depends on what effects you're running through them. I've currently got Road Vibration, Road Rumble and Road Impacts set to different sets of exciters. Each of these 3 effects uses a fairly short Hz range. So, in my view, it doesn't seem essential to use DSP and smooth out any highs and lows that the exciters are outputting. Simhub gives me enough control over their levels.

I run RPM and Speed effects through an LFE and TST, both of these effects sweep through a wide range of Hz and yes DSP is a huge benefit to improve their performance. Especially for Speed, as I find this has very basic controls in Simhub, I'm finding it hard to be creative with this effect and plan to revisit it.

So I guess I'm trying to say that it depends on the effects you'll use on them. Just my thoughts, but I would consider what effects you plan to use on exciters before spending extra money and adding DSP to them, for some options that you might not need.

Would be glad to hear the thoughts of others here? (not you @Mr Latte, you'd put DSP on your kettle if you had the option! )

 

[Mr Latte]

Damn, I almost managed a month before posting in here...

2019 Concept Shared
I don't know anyone that was building effects with the approach I was taking or with the mindset of going beyond the operational limitations of a single unit or being able to deploy specific layers to desired body regions. I seen that using the performance benefits or specific transducers for a combined performance could easily outperform traditional installation approaches.

Exciters:
I recommend for the exciters as shown here a while back to use either a 3rd party or Simhubs crossover feature to protect them from the lowest Hz. Now, is DSP beneficial for exciters, mmmmmm, well isn't it beneficial to have any unit operate more to how you want or with what we are doing here to match its operation to gel with a large BK? So Id say yes you can do well enough without it but the question is how do they feel without DSP tuning compared with? You will be able to determine the Hz they come in at (with typical used volume), you will be able to dip any Hz peak that may cause reverb in a seat, you will be able to increase some Hz felt sensation (without boosting all Hz via a typical gain slider) and you certainly will be able to reduce their audible sound generated using a crossover slope. The question is do you want that level of control for the price the DSP will cost? It will be interesting to see what settings people with the t/racks unit use or others using software-based controls and then people trying their own effects with and without the additional DSP. Time will tell what people think.

BK
If a user only has a single large BK then the crossover they may want to use will be to get yes the low bass but then achieve as much higher Hz as possible. This would likely be utilizing around 80-100Hz which will improve RPM or SPEED based effects, primarily as these are using multiple layers and will generate more harmonics as well.

A user wanting the BK to work in a more confined role for low bass operation will want a reduced crossover. Perhaps using only upto 40Hz. With this they will also be able to push the unit harder with lower Hz as the harmonics are greatly reduced and will not be passing through the set crossover nor will any effect layers frequencies that are beyond the crossover. Just the lowest bass and with loads but still controlled output energy.


"Delay" The Tip For Today
A feature I requested a long time ago for Simhub that was kindly added was that we can also apply some delay.
So lets say applying 10-30ms to layers for the exciters that are working with BK units. This can then extend their felt activity and might help with some effects enjoyment. It can be used with how sensitive we determine an effects operation to work on specific channels.

It will give a sense like fading out rather than just having the same operational timing as the BK unit making it harder to feel the exciter as the BK energy will likely fill the whole seat. You can even stagger the delay so that the bottom set may have 10ms the mid 20ms and the shoulders 30ms.

This can also be useful doing it in the reverse, in that it goes from top to bottom to sides of a seat.
Try with an effect like wheelslip, as you can have effect layers start lightly from shoulders on exciters then, the sensation, travel down the seat, via additional exciter pairs, using their own layers with thicker and heavier bass/gain levels and then the lowest bass for the BK. People with front/side mounted exciters can extend this that these are only active at the highest data values, coming last in this chain from shoulder to spine to lower back to sides and BK. So basically as the rear wheel slip telemetry data increases (cars back end out more) the felt sensation increases giving a progressive effect like rear traction loss. Needs some work but good results are possible with this approach and its much more immersive than a static effect going to one or several units all operating in the same way.

More Complications
This approach to effects creation does need the user to find a good volume balance for the different units and effect layers. In Early tests from limited people using similar units and if installed in a similar configuration or placement should be able to easily swap working profiles and achieve good results with only minor volume adjustments. I already had pretty good confirmation of this with some users that did private tests but had rather different rigs. This is one of the benefits with installing units directly to the seat compared with the traditional 4 corners approach.

In some cases personal EQ will let the user fix issues with reverb in different rig/seat materials and this will vary on different cockpits.


Effects & Profiles
Much credit to "Romain Rob" as he does excellent work with Simhub, offers great help too but to my knowledge he has no user experience with BK or TST units and what they can bring to tactile immersion over basic units. Therefore you cant build effects that will use the lowest or specific Hz for certain felt sensations, unless you test and create the effects on that hardware that can fully deliver the energy or detail intended.

The other problem however is, effects I may create with the intention of being used on a large BK will not necessarily work well on a budget tactile unit as the felt output of each is very, very different. So the user then is not getting the intended sensation that maybe many hours went into testing or creating. This kinda gets on my tits.

In general, effects being created for the exciters will work well on most budget units even if they struggle to offer much beyond the 80-100Hz that the exciters can bring. Dayton Pucs are an example that wont offer the same zing and life to effects like RPM that the exciters and TST models can bring. Yet Romain's effects should work well on most budget tactile but may have issues on the larger BK units. Simply because how and what way he uses the low Hz with the feel they generate on the Dayton Pucs he builds his effects on will be greatly less than how they feel on a larger more capable BK.