Tactile Immersion - General Discussion - Hardware & Software

[Mr Latte]

In reference to this that was linked/mentioned.


Mini DSP is a brand and they have several models, they are not new though, nor cheap but are quite good from what I know of them.

The problem is who is going to pay $300 for DSP on 6x$25 exciters?
That's 2x the price of the actual exciter for each channel.

 

[walterc]

hi, i have a simple left/right setup consisting of 2 body shakers + 2x50w amplifier. I have a racing seat (omp trs-e) and the idea of piercing it does not appeal to me a lot... and therefore i decided (perhaps wrongly) to make a metal support in order to attach them to the side brackets. the problem is that the difference between L\R is really minimal as it tends to vibrate the whole seat. Is this normal for the type of installation or is there something I can do?

 

[Wmacky]

What a deal!
Sorry I missed it but for US members, Sweetwater has the 4 channel behringer amp discounted greatly. Excellent for exciters

Behringer Europower EPQ304 Power Amplifier

4-channel Power Amplifier, 75W Peak/ch at 4 Ohms, with Built-in Limiters, Accelerated Transient Response technology, 1U rackmount chassis

www.sweetwater.com

 

[Britishteeth]

I'm here for some mounting advice!

I've just bought a new 8020 set up, finally retiring my rSeat RS1 (good riddance!).

I have a BKG2 for my rear/seat for which I've bought an 8020 mount, so that's all fine.

I also have 2x Dayton pucks which I previously had drilled holes under my old pedal plate to give front left and right lock and slip.

Ideally I don't want to be drilling new holes in my new pedal plate, does anyone have any suggestions for mounting these to an 8020? I have the mounting rings that are available for these.

Thanks

 

[Ruttman98]

I'm here for some mounting advice!

I've just bought a new 8020 set up, finally retiring my rSeat RS1 (good riddance!).

I have a BKG2 for my rear/seat for which I've bought an 8020 mount, so that's all fine.

I also have 2x Dayton pucks which I previously had drilled holes under my old pedal plate to give front left and right lock and slip.

Ideally I don't want to be drilling new holes in my new pedal plate, does anyone have any suggestions for mounting these to an 8020? I have the mounting rings that are available for these.

Thanks

I am also interested in possible options for transferring tactile to a pedal plate and proper isolation, in my case Fanatec V2 ClubSport pedals.

Funny username, by the way--unless it's a reference to something like the RAF P-40 below, which is just awesome!

 

[Britishteeth]

It was just the name of a band I was in long ago!

 

[Ruttman98]

Was it these guys?

Or did someone else snag the name?

Not bad and a sexy Rickenbacker?

 

[Britishteeth]

Was it these guys?

Or did someone else snag the name?

Not bad and a sexy Rickenbacker?

Without wanting to get the tread, yes, that's us - and that's me with my Ric.

 

[Mr Latte]

Simhub / Looking Deeper

Decided to have a bit of a play with my frequency RTA monitoring on the X32
After a couple of hours looking more into options for:

RPM Response Curves
We previously had some different views on how this worked.

Think I have a better idea now from this recent study:
Knowing how it can be used in regards to what way we want it to be applied for specific layers activity.

So far, here are 6 different ways
In how an effect layer can be applied with response curves and other available options.

Three Combining Factors

Hz
Static / Decreasing / Increasing

dB
Static / Decreasing / Increasing

RPM
Idle / Decreasing / Increasing

 

[Ruttman98]

Hello RD tactile enthusiasts!

Longtime reader of this thread who is slowly inching towards tactile and needs some input on basic connections, cables / speaker wire, and mounting / isolation options for a particular spin on some commonly chosen components.

BASIC CONNECTIONS

My PC has an MSI X570-A PRO motherboard with the following outputs:

a) Center / subwoofer out
b) Rear Speaker out
c) Line-in / Side Speaker out
d) Line-out / Front Speaker out

(image attached)

CABLES / SPEAKER WIRE

I believe I need the following cables to connect the PC to my amplifiers:

1) QTY: 1 TRS 3.5mm plug to dual RCA male Y-connector to Douk M4 4-channel amp (need to purchase). I believe this cable splits PC L-R output into to two to plug into the amp inputs, but I may need QTY:2. Can someone please confirm?

2) QTY: 1 TRS 3.5mm plug to dual XLR male Y-connector to Monoprice 605030 300W 2 Channel Studio Amplifier (need to purchase)

I then need the following cables to connect the amps to the transducers:

1) Douk M4 amp to QTY: 4 Dayton Audio DAEX32EP-4 Thruster exciters - 8-circuit speaker wire or doubled 4-circuit speaker wire (need to purchase) in Douk 8-pin connector to spade connectors (need to purchase) to Exciter terminals via Neutrik N8LFC/N8LM bulkhead connectors.

2) Monoprice amp to QTY: 2 Buttkicker Mini LFE - QTY: 2 Neutrik Speakon male 2- or 4-pole connector (need to purchase) to QTY: 2 Neutrik Speakon female 2- or 4-pole connector to QTY: 2 Speakon male 2- or 4-pole connector via dual circuit AWG 16 16-26 stranded copper wire (I have approx 20-ft available and would like to use it unless there is a compelling reason not to do so). The extra Speakon connectors are to provide a solid connection to the Buttkicker pigtails which have no connectors.

It might be noted from the inexpensive amp options, paired with second hand BK Mini LFE units, and sale Dayton exciters that this is a budget install. I am looking for quality cable/wire recommendations in the low- to moderate price range.

MOUNTING & ISOLATION

Here's where it gets interesting: My rig is an 8020 rig based on 1.5-in x 1.5-in profiles. Since a fiberglass shell seat is not in my immediate future unless I sell some surplus sim racing gear, I need to experiment with transducer placement on my existing tubular steel frame Corbeau Forza seat as follows:

• QTY: 1 Mini LFE to be mounted to a 3/16-in steel plate wedged in the steel springs in the the seat bottom. I am tapping an existing plate to mount the Mini LFE. Need to purchase: isolator sheet to isolate BK and plate from springs--looking for recommendations.
• QTY: 1 Mini LFE to be mounted to aluminum Fanatec V.2 ClubSport pedal plate. Looking for mounting and isolation tips from those who have done the same!
• Exciters to be mounted in pairs at approx. shoulder height and around kidney/ lumbar region on a 1/4-in thick ABS panel in direct contact with the fabric seat back but not the frame. I am concerned about the relative durability of the ABS panel, and also could use a piece of 1/4-in Alucobest aluminum/ABS composite plate. Thoughts?

QUESTIONS:

Q1: Do I need a sound card to make the above combination work effectively with Simhub? If so, I will buy an external card.

Q2: What gets plugged in where at the MB or the external sound card?

Q3: Should I bag the effort to use the steel frame seat and bite the bullet and buy a shell type seat?

Thanks to all who contribute here!

 

[FredFred34]

Hello, looking for some help. I decided to finally get a buttkicker since one of the guys I race with keeps talking about how awesome his is (he races in an office chair) so I was goin to get a Gamer 2 like he has... and then I started asking some questions on discord and was directed here... holy crap this is information overload.

I have a P1-X cockpit and mostly sim race. I switch between some powered monitor speakers and a Schiit Hel amp/dac for my headphones and mic. I already use Simhub for some dash overlays.

From what I can decode I think I want to get a Buttkicker LFE for under the seat. I would also need a Behringer NX3000D, a long Speakon to Speakon cable (12 gauge) to cut in half, and 4 banana plugs to get it up and working?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Mr Latte]

Hello RD tactile enthusiasts!

Longtime reader of this thread who is slowly inching towards tactile and needs some input on basic connections, cables / speaker wire, and mounting / isolation options for a particular spin on some commonly chosen components.

BASIC CONNECTIONS

My PC has an MSI X570-A PRO motherboard with the following outputs:

a) Center / subwoofer out
b) Rear Speaker out
c) Line-in / Side Speaker out
d) Line-out / Front Speaker out

(image attached)

CABLES / SPEAKER WIRE

I believe I need the following cables to connect the PC to my amplifiers:

1) QTY: 1 TRS 3.5mm plug to dual RCA male Y-connector to Douk M4 4-channel amp (need to purchase). I believe this cable splits PC L-R output into to two to plug into the amp inputs, but I may need QTY:2. Can someone please confirm?

2) QTY: 1 TRS 3.5mm plug to dual XLR male Y-connector to Monoprice 605030 300W 2 Channel Studio Amplifier (need to purchase)

I then need the following cables to connect the amps to the transducers:

1) Douk M4 amp to QTY: 4 Dayton Audio DAEX32EP-4 Thruster exciters - 8-circuit speaker wire or doubled 4-circuit speaker wire (need to purchase) in Douk 8-pin connector to spade connectors (need to purchase) to Exciter terminals via Neutrik N8LFC/N8LM bulkhead connectors.

2) Monoprice amp to QTY: 2 Buttkicker Mini LFE - QTY: 2 Neutrik Speakon male 2- or 4-pole connector (need to purchase) to QTY: 2 Neutrik Speakon female 2- or 4-pole connector to QTY: 2 Speakon male 2- or 4-pole connector via dual circuit AWG 16 16-26 stranded copper wire (I have approx 20-ft available and would like to use it unless there is a compelling reason not to do so). The extra Speakon connectors are to provide a solid connection to the Buttkicker pigtails which have no connectors.

It might be noted from the inexpensive amp options, paired with second hand BK Mini LFE units, and sale Dayton exciters that this is a budget install. I am looking for quality cable/wire recommendations in the low- to moderate price range.

MOUNTING & ISOLATION

Here's where it gets interesting: My rig is an 8020 rig based on 1.5-in x 1.5-in profiles. Since a fiberglass shell seat is not in my immediate future unless I sell some surplus sim racing gear, I need to experiment with transducer placement on my existing tubular steel frame Corbeau Forza seat as follows:

• QTY: 1 Mini LFE to be mounted to a 3/16-in steel plate wedged in the steel springs in the the seat bottom. I am tapping an existing plate to mount the Mini LFE. Need to purchase: isolator sheet to isolate BK and plate from springs--looking for recommendations.
• QTY: 1 Mini LFE to be mounted to aluminum Fanatec V.2 ClubSport pedal plate. Looking for mounting and isolation tips from those who have done the same!
• Exciters to be mounted in pairs at approx. shoulder height and around kidney/ lumbar region on a 1/4-in thick ABS panel in direct contact with the fabric seat back but not the frame. I am concerned about the relative durability of the ABS panel, and also could use a piece of 1/4-in Alucobest aluminum/ABS composite plate. Thoughts?

QUESTIONS:

Q1: Do I need a sound card to make the above combination work effectively with Simhub? If so, I will buy an external card.

Q2: What gets plugged in where at the MB or the external sound card?

Q3: Should I bag the effort to use the steel frame seat and bite the bullet and buy a shell type seat?

Thanks to all who contribute here!

Bite the bullet get a more suitable seat even if it means with starting with less tactile, then gradually add to it.

Soundcards are simple, you want an additional card for Simhub usage.
You can get affordable USB 7.1 cards

If you are not using the motherboards soundcard for your Windows Primary Audio then its possible to use that. Simhub will detect all soundcard hardware connected. You activate what card or cards you need.

 

[Mr Latte]

Hello, looking for some help. I decided to finally get a buttkicker since one of the guys I race with keeps talking about how awesome his is (he races in an office chair) so I was goin to get a Gamer 2 like he has... and then I started asking some questions on discord and was directed here... holy crap this is information overload.

I have a P1-X cockpit and mostly sim race. I switch between some powered monitor speakers and a Schiit Hel amp/dac for my headphones and mic. I already use Simhub for some dash overlays.

From what I can decode I think I want to get a Buttkicker LFE for under the seat. I would also need a Behringer NX3000D, a long Speakon to Speakon cable (12 gauge) to cut in half, and 4 banana plugs to get it up and working?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Hi, see the links on the first post for the cable guide, its old but still some use.
SpeakON is an output type connection from the amplifer used on pro-audio gear instead of banana plugs.

Most soundcards use 3.5mm on all outputs so you need cables from the soundcard into the amp. Each 3.5mm output is for 2 channels with either 5.1 or 7.1 based soundcards.

The NXD amps use combi jacks so will accept XLR (Male) or 6/14 inch Jack (Male). XLR is deemed the better most robust connection.

Cable Connections Needed
3.5mm Male - Dual XLR Male
(1x 3.5mm end and 2x XLR ends)

Hope its some help.

 

[FredFred34]

Hi, see the links on the first post for the cable guide, its old but still some use.
SpeakON is an output type connection from the amplifer used on pro-audio gear instead of banana plugs.

Most soundcards use 3.5mm on all outputs so you need cables from the soundcard into the amp. Each 3.5mm output is for 2 channels with either 5.1 or 7.1 based soundcards.

The NXD amps use combi jacks so will accept XLR (Male) or 6/14 inch Jack (Male). XLR is deemed the better most robust connection.

Cable Connections Needed
3.5mm Male - Dual XLR Male
(1x 3.5mm end and 2x XLR ends)

Hope its some help.

Thanks for the help!

I added the 3.5mm to dual male xlr to my list

Would I need a separate sound card also or would just plugging in to the PC motherboard work since I have an open 3.5mm jack available?

And would I be able to add another butt kicker to this amp in the future?

 

[FireWithin]

Hello, looking for some help. I decided to finally get a buttkicker since one of the guys I race with keeps talking about how awesome his is (he races in an office chair) so I was goin to get a Gamer 2 like he has... and then I started asking some questions on discord and was directed here... holy crap this is information overload.

I have a P1-X cockpit and mostly sim race. I switch between some powered monitor speakers and a Schiit Hel amp/dac for my headphones and mic. I already use Simhub for some dash overlays.

From what I can decode I think I want to get a Buttkicker LFE for under the seat. I would also need a Behringer NX3000D, a long Speakon to Speakon cable (12 gauge) to cut in half, and 4 banana plugs to get it up and working?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Me it is an LFE at seat (not necessarily "bolted under seat" where it is only a hotspot of energy, but arrange it to let it travel a lil bit around) + smaller shaker at pedal & shifter (2 x BKG2) = dream
Yes NX3000D.

Cheers!

 

[Mr Latte]

Thanks for the help!

I added the 3.5mm to dual male xlr to my list

Would I need a separate sound card also or would just plugging in to the PC motherboard work since I have an open 3.5mm jack available?

And would I be able to add another butt kicker to this amp in the future?

While it appears primary audio and Simhub can be output over the same card
I do not recommend that.

It's not about having an unused jack/output free but dedicating an actual individual soundcard to the role of Simhub and a different device for general audio usage.

You can configure the soundcard for Simhub, based on how many channels you want it to use (1-8) and with this dedicated card use the advanced controls to set a crossover to limit only low bass output to the transducers. This is handy on amps that do not have DSP or crossover controls.

Scenario Examples:
Some may use GPU for primary audio over HDMI
So in that case the motherboard soundcard is free to use for Simhub

Some may have an external or internal higher quality soundcard for primary audio
This also lets the user then put the motherboard audio to use for Simhub

Some may want to use higher quality soundcards for both primary audio and Simhub usage.


Amp Output
NX3000D yes it will indeed power 2x large BK with their own individual outputs and tuning via DSP. Very handy for tuning each unit to how/where it is installed and meeting the users preferences.

 

[6597james]

Hi Mr Latte,

I wonder if you could help me with a couple of quick questions? I’m starting my first foray into tactile stuff, and I really wish I came across this thread before (I’ve just spent about the past 4 hours reading bits of it ).

So I am currently in possession of 2 aurasound ast-2b-4 and a couple of cheap amps that were recommended to me. If I like it the plan was to build this out with a couple more aura sound pucks for specific effects and maybe a buttkicker lfe or similar to handle the main engine vibes and stuff like that.

How would you recommend connecting what I currently have to the rig? I was thinking either one under centre of the seat and one under the pedal plate, or both under the seat in L/R configuration. Do you have any recommendations?

Also, my seat is fibreglass with round bottom, so it seems that most people attach it by attaching the pucks to a piece of mdf and then screwing the mdf to the bottom of the seat? Is that the best way or would you recommend something else?

really appreciate any help that you can provide!

 

[6597james]

Hi Mr Latte,

I wonder if you could help me with a couple of quick questions? I’m starting my first foray into tactile stuff, and I really wish I came across this thread before (I’ve just spent about the past 4 hours reading bits of it ).

So I am currently in possession of 2 aurasound ast-2b-4 and a couple of cheap amps that were recommended to me. If I like it the plan was to build this out with a couple more aura sound pucks for specific effects and maybe a buttkicker lfe to handle the main engine vibes and stuff like that.

How would you recommend connecting what I currently have to the rig? I was thinking either one under centre of the seat and one under the pedal plate, or both under the seat in L/R configuration. Do you have any recommendations?

Also, my seat is fibreglass with round bottom, so it seems that most people attach it by attaching the pucks to a piece of mdf and then screwing the mdf to the bottom of the seat? Is that the best way or would you recommend something else?

really appreciate any help that you can provide!

 

[FredFred34]

The NX3000D doesn't appear top be available here in the US right now, is there another comparable amp out there that someone would recommend that would power two large BK's?

 

[Mr Latte]

The NX3000D doesn't appear top be available here in the US right now, is there another comparable amp out there that someone would recommend that would power two large BK's?

The NX1000D will power 2x Large BK Concert 2ohm units fine.
Ive tested it myself

This model has approx 500w peak. Large BK are listed with min 400W recommended

We can increase the input gain a bit more to help it having lower wattage than the NX3000D model
You may find it in-stock or on offer somewhere.