Tactile Immersion - General Discussion - Hardware & Software

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!

This has been repeated many times but the thread is very long...

The primary things I recommend working towards is having tactile units that can deliver more dynamic range than common budget units. A problem is that most typical units will only work best with @30-80Hz.

Bass generally operates from 1-200Hz so that's 4x the potential range that can be used for effects with the right hardware used/installed.

This opens up what you can do with effects creation and to get away from several effects using similar frequencies or feeling much the same. Also until you feel low bass from 5Hz-25Hz range and those frequencies also being greatly boosted via DSP then you will not experience what tactile can really deliver.


The problem with many units like the Aura Pro / Reckhorn / K-Woon / ADX is that they do what they do not too badly for the money. Yet they don't offer really good low bass nor high frequency detailing. So they are a middle ground that doesn't excel at anything in particular.

BK Gamer & BK Mini give decent punch with 30Hz upwards but they too are limited with mid-bass detailing.

People are better starting their own threads, show images of the rig they have to seek help for what they have, want to achieve and want to spend. Some want a quick entry into tactile, others want to plan something bigger/better and work towards that.

If focusing on the seat first.
The best combination I have found to achieve this is a tub based seat that will incorporate three types of tactile hardware options.

Large BK Unit
TST Unit
Multiple Thruster Exciters

This combination of units will produce the following:

  • Via large BK excellent low bass under 20Hz
  • Via TST, detailed mid-bass and greater felt scope beyond 150Hz - 200Hz with harmonics
  • Via exciters, apply multiple body-zone/contact points for either better effect distribution over the seat or improved felt stereo using multiple contact points per side. Also very good with high frequencies and harmonic detailing.




 
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?
Or you can buy it oversea (at Thomann shipped super rapidly via UPS) and do the bridge mod (scroll p180 of this tread) to convert it to North American 120 voltage :)
 
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This has been repeated many times but the thread is very long...

The primary things I recommend working towards is having tactile units that can deliver more dynamic range than common budget units. A problem is that most typical units will only work best with @30-80Hz.

Bass generally operates from 1-200Hz so that's 4x the potential range that can be used for effects with the right hardware used/installed.

This opens up what you can do with effects creation and to get away from several effects using similar frequencies or feeling much the same. Also until you feel low bass from 5Hz-25Hz range and those frequencies also being greatly boosted via DSP then you will not experience what tactile can really deliver.


The problem with many units like the Aura Pro / Reckhorn / K-Woon / ADX is that they do what they do not too badly for the money. Yet they don't offer really good low bass nor high frequency detailing. So they are a middle ground that doesn't excel at anything in particular.

BK Gamer & BK Mini give decent punch with 30Hz upwards but they too are limited with mid-bass detailing.

People are better starting their own threads, show images of the rig they have to seek help for what they have, want to achieve and want to spend. Some want a quick entry into tactile, others want to plan something bigger/better and work towards that.

If focusing on the seat first.
The best combination I have found to achieve this is a tub based seat that will incorporate three types of tactile hardware options.

Large BK Unit
TST Unit
Multiple Thruster Exciters

This combination of units will produce the following:

  • Via large BK excellent low bass under 20Hz
  • Via TST, detailed mid-bass and greater felt scope beyond 150Hz - 200Hz with harmonics
  • Via exciters, apply multiple body-zone/contact points for either better effect distribution over the seat or improved felt stereo using multiple contact points per side. Also very good with high frequencies and harmonic detailing.



Thanks very much, I appreciate you taking the time to write that. I actually read through the thread for several hours but didn’t come across exactly what I was looking for, but I’m going to gradually read the whole thing as there is so much helpful advice from you
 
What kind of racks are you guys running for housing the amp(s) around your rigs? I like to keep the space around my rig very tidy and looking nice, so curious what you all have come up with.

Also, what kind of amp are folks running with their DA exciters generally? I see the NX3000D so often for the largr BK's, but I haven't seen a de facto preferred amp on the exciters.
 
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What kind of racks are you guys running for housing the amp(s) around your rigs? I like to keep the space around my rig very tidy and looking nice, so curious what you all have come up with.

Also, what kind of amp are folks running with their DA exciters generally? I see the NX3000D so often for the largr BK's, but I haven't seen a de facto preferred amp on the exciters.



I house mine in a IT server case with a glass door, and castors. I needed a large one for my motion controllers, but smaller ones are available.





sf1.jpg
 
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Does anyone know if there is a way with the NX1000D to connect a remote power switch to the internal board?

I know it can be done with a PC, and I'm thinking to do this to have a power switch for my PC remotely located on my sim-rig. But I'm trying to understand if there's a way to do that also for the NX1000D without impacting the master power switch on the front of the amp.

I'm not really interested in a master power switch like would be on a power-bar or from the mains. Just to understand if there are connections inside the amp (like a PC mother board) that can trigger the power on/off in a similar way.
 
Rig Update

More teasing of progress.
My new frame rebuild is coming along, here bathed and glowing in ambi-light colour.
Well, firstly it's now, so much stronger than before with an also improved design and meeting the target I am happy with.


Dynamic real-time lighting with the chrome is
one of the features of the build.

Creative Approach With Speaker Installation?
This large soundbar is old-school, none of that plastic nonsense like today, no sir.
Instead, a big hefty metal casing (13Kg).

Long ago, the YSP 1100 what was once Yamaha's top of the range soundbar costing a whopping £900 when released in 2005. These days as they are so old, you can pick them up for approx £100

I knew these were good and owned a previous Yamaha (800) model in the past as well as having several high-end AV receivers during the old laserdisc and DVD era.

Now, mmmmmmmm.
I have a feeling, nobody has ever built a sim rig using 2x of these in L/R to give a much wider dispersion of either stereo or quad surround?


The floor section, still w.i.p
Note the wifes dresser stool is not part of the build (lol)

Well, just part of one area I wanted my own build to be different. Taking audio further than the norm. Each of these units has dual woofers but also an incredible 40 mini drivers, which can control how/where its audio reflects within the room. On top of that, you can have just plain stereo or apply many of Yamahas renowned DSP cinema or venue-based soundfields.

It took a lot of effort to come up with a design that contained and supported these, yet keeps the build compact. It's also much better than where they were placed more under the seat area on the first build.

Below I am having a bit of a poke at the common approach of Logitech 5.1 systems being used on many rigs. Not that they are bad but people will spend more these days on a wheel rim or shifter than they will on their systems audio. What I illustrate here, while I got mine for a bargin and yes they are old. Nor up to date with digital audio formats. On sound quality, these would still outperform many modern £500/£600+ soundbars but having dual units is taking the audio immersion they offer much further than a conventional solution.



5.1 or 7.1 in "sim racing" is rather underused.
It's one reason why I have opted for something different.
This will be one of the things I showcase looking into how sims use each channel.


The next phase for my build is the 2nd tier that will support the seat/pedal sections and enable the beginning of installing and testing the tactile with the rigs planned isolation. At least now I have all the tubing and clamps ready to go.
 
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High end sim rigs deserve better than logitech audio.

Here, here. I don't want to be restricted to headphones, my family's tolerance is high. I'm still really struggling with how to incorporate my klipsch center speaker under the wheelbase without all kinds of reflection. May have to go above screens, but that is a future problem. Love the soundbars, I have a really good bose soundtouch I was thinking about using for rear because of how well it can fill a room, I am intrigued to know how you will control them to get proper soundstage.

WOW, that build looks utterly amazing, I'll try not to fawn too badly here. I've seen your posts everywhere and have been eagerly studying some of the tactile work that has been done on these pages, it is astounding. I've been bubbling with questions since the beginning but have managed to restrain myself because every new build thread I study seems to answer so many and create so many more.

I'm still accumulating parts and designing my dream build and I seem to learn the most from the build threads. Can you point me to any with heavy wooden platforms? I'm a carpenter and have access at a local mill to some beautiful clear fir, full thickness. I'll be building a 2x12 platform with marine ply, glued and screwed. 3x8" uprights, with an eventual plan to facade a full mdf contoured/curved dash with gauges. I just hope driving it is going to be as much fun as building it. Tactile is a bigger goal than motion for me right now but I plan to add a GS5 someday. I'm currently trying hard to consume the Buri's rig thread.

Thanks for all the amazing input. Can't wait to see the next tier of pipe, glad I don't have to polish that thing!
 
Thanks for the comments.

Yeah your own build you should do a thread on it.
Had you considered 8020 with wood attached?

Don't forget that exciters can be used to turn wood/metal etc elements into speakers.
A wheel deck or dash could be converted to act as a center speaker. ;)

Not to clog up the thread as it's not specifically tactile related.
I will post a response in this spoiler.

I have been running game audio out as 7.1 and then I am able to monitor each channel.
The plan is when I look into different sim titles it's possible to evaluate how individual sound effects the sim allows volume control over are used over the different channels.

Honestly, I don't see much purpose for a center channel for sim racing as we don't really have dialogue fixed to the screen as we use in movies. At an early glance in ACC (at least) it seems to be the center channel is just L/R combined into a mono channel. I don't (yet) know of any specific audio mix usage it is used for.

Sim Audio Settings:
By selecting individual audio effects options with only those operating then it's easy for me (with my hardware) to see how and what channels that "effects group" is using with 5.1 / 7.1.

For example, in ACC only "Tyres" seems to operate as stereo and I think they missed a trick here as "Chassis" for suspension and "Damage" if all these were stereo, it would of given more positional presence but both of those sound as non-positional. So if you have those at decent volumes then they actually interfere with the stereo positional placement that comes from "Tyres".

I will of course verify all effects properly but this just from a quick analysis. Recommend that you do some playing around yourself with and without a center speaker.

Why placed in the rigs base?
Regards these soundbars and installation into the base firing up. These are nearly a meter long so not just a single driver. I would say it gives the impression of being in the car more than having the sound coming at you like in a traditional front/back placement. Often from speakers further away or also more likely to be closer to ear level or speaker stand height. Here the audio is firing right up into me as if it's emitting from the car's chassis and bodyframe.

I want to be able to feel the airborne noise and audio reverberations for more authenticity too. These units have pretty decent bass but that's not all.

Still to come:
I still have 4 subwoofers being installed in the 4 corners of the rig. I plan to use the subs to help obviously add a bass richness at controlled volumes. Yet that's not all as these can be used to help enable front/back fading. An example would be to place engine sounds more for front or rear depending on the engine placement of the car being driven. This also gets enhanced with engine tactile effects doing the same with more emphasis on front or rear for felt rpm vibrational placement matching the audible bass from the subs.


Car Character:
When you connect audible airborne bass with a large BKs felt tactile, then it really richens and adds to the immersion. This will help be one of the things my own build does to get away from boring or plain engine rpm.

Likely that majority of sim racers just have most cars using the same feeling rpm based tactile. Yet cars are VERY different and I want to address the character of the car with both the audio soundstage and tactile felt presence more than anyone I know has attempted to do before.

I am not so caring for motion but I do believe the "emotion" and thrill of the car can be better captured within sim racing.

How both soundbars are used:
I found last year in trying ideas that the common problem with one is as you find with the center speaker. You don't want it blocked by a wheel and above the screen angled down is possible but can look odd as well as sound out of place compared to the stereo pair typically placed lower. Also then if placed low it's blocked by the user's pedals and legs.

It made much more sense to use two side by side and with stereo but possibly just applying only mono L and mono R to each unit. However, I wanted to try something different. What if the soundbars were effectively split in two. By this, I mean placing front and surround channels into each unit.

This may seem confusing:

Soundbar No 1 Left/Side
Left Input = Front Left
Right Input = Rear Left

Soundbar No 2 Right/Side
Right Input = Front Right
Left Input = Rear Right

I wasn't sure how this would work out and yes it's unconventional but sure enough window speaker-test clearly placed each of the 4 corners.

Now one of the reasons I opted for these specific models is the abilities they have with those 40x mini 2" speakers and their ability to shift the deemed placement of the sound. The system offers pink noise tests and it's possible to close your eyes and shift how close/far or wide/narrow you want the sound to extrude based on how the sound reflects within the room.



I don't have these fully configured but with a few hours of testing and adapting some of the speakers soundfield options it's possible to have different soundstages using the different beam options these speakers have. I believe that sounds placed more on the outer stereo positions are more active on the units surround based processing. The user can control independently the dB output for these modes that represent the front/center/surround designated mini speakers. This gives a lot of scope to tailor the sound output to the users liking.

The unit has 5Beam, 3Beam, 3Beam+Stereo modes as well as traditional stereo.
For example, I have one soundfield that expands the tyre/dirt noise with having the surround speaker elements getting higher dB output. Yet another sound field that does the opposite making the engine noises feel its ontop of you. Yeah, this has worked out well, superb....

I like to have these options but I don't want mere gimmicks it has to be improving the immersion not making it worse or less enjoyable. What I will say is I didn't find myself reverting to standard stereo mode. I had read the 1100 model I have here was much less confusing to use with its sound options/settings than the first model Yamaha made in the DSP1. These models I have also use a calibrating mic that will auto-configure the speaker outputs based on the room's reflections. Not done this yet but it might be handy as I will likely be closer to a wall/window on one side.

More improvements will be made to the installation of these. They are hanging only about 1-2" off the ground as I want to place a sound-deadening board beneath to help prevent airborne noise leakage going through the floor. This might also help bolster the bass a bit more.
 
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Thank you for that excellent response. Mind blown by the second paragraph. I will take this conversation to an appropriate venue when I'm a little further along in my process. I've put a great deal of time (several hundred hours) into reducing road noise and vibrations in my work truck and have a pretty good sound system so I've a little experience with decoupling and resonance. I gave up on a project with delayed timings and bouncing my tweeter frequencies off glass. Vehicle interiors are a mess, this will be way more fun.
 
So a while ago I got thinking....
What if we could use "tactile effects" from Simhub for some form of visual reference purpose.

Today I was playing around with a "vu meter" to show activity for different usage possibilities. It can have benefits with monitoring tactile effects operation or game scenario usages. Here are some tactile based effects I configured for displaying their activity.

EDIT / UPDATED
  • Deceleration G & Wheel Lock
  • ABS
  • Wheelslip (Front & Back or Left &Right)
  • Road Rumble (Stereo)
  • Road Vibrations (Stereo)
  • SPEED
  • RPM

Just about any effect can be tailored for monitoring purposes for effects operation via settings used.
Also for comparing the same effect with different settings how it may alter the output. So useful for effects creation too or having a visual reference to what user settings do in altering the effects activity.

The other usage is to have it as a tool or driving aid and its possible to create an effects layer for the LED to operate as needed to suit specific cars. RPM for instance we can map the volume and response curve to suit the operational lights on the dash a car has or to create your own curve to how the LED responds with the effects output scale/operation.


Below is one example of WHEELSLIP and two examples of RPM with different meter styles applied.

Click image for video, then click speaker icon for audio:

Wheelslip
Left & Right




RPM Mode 1:



RPM Mode 2
 
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So a while ago I got thinking....

Mr. Latte, I appreciate all the info you have provided on TR over the years. I read quite many when I was researching the topic.

Also, I have no interest in racing or SIM or whatnot, but as an outsider, you were absolutely right. No solid info was provided on these topics to counter the arguments and you were attacked by company employees and all. Just keep in mind that many folks are of sound mind and they can judge properly. They just would not be logging in to forums to take sides.

Do you have experience with BK LFE? My usage scenario is a bit different. What is hte best way to create max noise to the other side of a concrete wall with BK LFE?

Better to pair it with a Behr NX3000D or Dayton Audio SA1000?
 
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Mr. Latte, I appreciate all the info you have provided on TR over the years. I read quite many when I was researching the topic.

Also, I have no interest in racing or SIM or whatnot, but as an outsider, you were absolutely right. No solid info was provided on these topics to counter the arguments and you were attacked by company employees and all. Just keep in mind that many folks are of sound mind and they can judge properly. They just would not be logging in to forums to take sides.

Do you have experience with BK LFE? My usage scenario is a bit different. What is hte best way to create max noise to the other side of a concrete wall with BK LFE?

Better to pair it with a Behr NX3000D or Dayton Audio SA1000?

The LFE and Behringer amps are talked about alot on the forums here, in different threads, I see its your first post so perhaps you have come seeking info rather than looking first or searching the forums? For low bass control, you want DSP, this also applies to subs in car audio, or home cinema all those users seeking to tune and better incorporate low bass into their system will recommend DSP controls. So the amp I would recommend is the Behringer NX3000D. You will find many owners of it on AVS / AVF or other home-cinema based forums.

It's doubtful you will need the NX6000D additional wattage or be able to use it as when you drive the BK to its limits then piston pang will become more of a factor. Perhaps for a large platform or scenario in trying to cover vibration over a larger surface or object. Sometimes though getting stock of the NX6000D is easier if you don't mind paying extra or cant find the NX3000D available.

I can't say anything about the other amp, I can only recommend what I have used and see many others use. So no I would not buy the Dayton over the Behringer.

In personal experience its best to use a comfortable but still good level of wattage and then boost the lower frequencies via a crossover curve and also determine what or how you want to use the crossover to limit what range the unit works with.

This depends on the application as to what may suit, musical scenarios will want more range for kick drums or bass guitars, movies will work best with lower cut off and then really pump the lowest Hz to your liking. PEQ can be then used to tweak specific Hz in either lowering or increasing their amplitude/energy (in conjunction with the crossover curve used). Some people try to create a curve with multiple PEQ operating but it really is more for specific frequency adjustments. Using it to reduce or remove the piston pang is an ideal usage case as is reducing specific Hz that may cause reverb with materials like aluminum/steel or different woods.

You don't say what your usage purpose is and why the need to create more noise on the other side of a wall? Concrete will dampen the noise and vibrations.
 
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I see its your first post so perhaps you have come seeking info rather than looking first or searching the forums?

Thank you. I am searching and reading since a week and I am more confused that I started with. I think that should have been clearer when I referenced your previuos threads elsewhere.

Many LFE owners say you absolutely need Class AB amp to drive BK LFE. And most of the info is from a decade ago.

For me, NX3000D is readily availabe, SA1000 is not.

I am not interested in musical aspects. I am trying to create as much noise possible to the other side of the ceiling to wake up the animal that has been torturing us few years. I don't want to discuss the history, needless to say, I know pros and cons. I have no other option left.

So basically I am trying to use hte ceiling as a big speaker. No other subs or speakers will be used. I want to inconvenience down neighbor as little as possible in the process.

Thanks!
 
Thank you. I am searching and reading since a week and I am more confused that I started with. I think that should have been clearer when I referenced your previuos threads elsewhere.

Many LFE owners say you absolutely need Class AB amp to drive BK LFE. And most of the info is from a decade ago.

For me, NX3000D is readily availabe, SA1000 is not.

I am not interested in musical aspects. I am trying to create as much noise possible to the other side of the ceiling to wake up the animal that has been torturing us few years. I don't want to discuss the history, needless to say, I know pros and cons. I have no other option left.

So basically I am trying to use hte ceiling as a big speaker. No other subs or speakers will be used. I want to inconvenience down neighbor as little as possible in the process.

Thanks!

It seems what you need is soundproofing materials applied to your wall. Not something else to further aggravate the problem/person you already may have a troubled relationship with. What your thinking will also likely then annoy other neighbors as how do you control/prevent vibes going elsewhere to adjoining materials/surfaces/structures and not just one direction?

I would consult specialists that offer such installations or products for soundproofing.
You can get different materials that help dampen different frequencies, so often more than one application is used. The car industry also has a lot of materials for sound-deadening.

Lightweight CLASS D Amps
Sure these are without heavy components like traditional amps but they have been used by thousands of owners with large subs or high wattage shakers. These NXD amps are PRO audio amps like many other brands they are built with the capacity for demanding low bass usage of large woofer drivers in huge cabinet speakers.

Certainly, some amps are much better with low bass frequencies and will not have the bass "roll off" as many "consumer amps" have as they are not generally intended to work well below 20Hz.

We get people on here buying any ole cheap crap of amps for tactile which isnt such a problem with budget tactile units as well really they wont generate much below 30Hz anyways. When you get into the more capable transducers then the amp and DSP functons are more important.
 
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It seems what you need is soundproofing materials applied to your wall. Not something else to further aggravate the problem/person you already may have a troubled relationship with. What your thinking will also likely then annoy other neighbors as how do you control/prevent vibes going elsewhere to adjoining materials/surfaces/structures and not just one direction?

Discussing this is long and it does not help me. Believe me, I tried everything you can probably think of. I don't really care about aggravating the neighbor.

Yes your point is valid about disturbing others... except I do not have others on the sides. The only person I can disturb is my down neighbor. That is why I am going the transducer way. I will have this up in the ceiling, and there is a false ceiling below. Noise going to him will be minimal. If I did not care about my neighbors, I'd be setting up a powerful sound system. I will also check what is being transmitted down.

I would consult specialists that offer such installations or products for soundproofing.
You can get different materials that help dampen different frequencies, so often more than one application is used. The car industry also has a lot of materials for sound-deadening.

I had few acoustic guys come here. They all said you will waste a whole lotta money and time and it will not fix your problem. Impact noise is best fixed from the source. None of them could give me guarantees, or I'd be doing it already. I have false ceilings everywhere, it is not easy. The whole flat needs to be torn down. Still I was ready if only they could guarantee disturbance would be eliminated.

We get people on here buying any ole cheap crap of amps for tactile which isnt such a problem with budget tactile units as well really they wont generate much below 30Hz anyways. When you get into the more capable transducers then the amp and DSP functons are more important.

Would the NX3000D do the low frequencies BK LFE can do? I think BK LFE can do down to 5Hz.

BK LFE can do 400W-1500W. How much will this send there? NX6000D perhaps given that I need this to be as loud as possible?

Thank you for the help!
 
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This is from BK company, perhaps it will be useful for some:


Yes, the Behringer NX3000 is very good match for the LFE.

NX6000 is not required.

The NX3000D is more than enough power.

This is for a single BK LFE setup with nothing else, I don't know if things would differ on different setups.

Matter settled. I should have asked directly to the company in the first place.
 
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