Buttkicker worth it?

[BlacqueJacques]

Smoketronics in Ontario, Canada have Buttkicker & Adapter Kit for Playseats for sale.

Has anyone purchased one and are you happy with it?

 

[stega]

I was talking about the transmitter, it has a L/R input.

 

[jswilli1]

Just recived my Bka300 kit and I have a question, If I am hooking it up via the sub output does it matter which input I use the left in or right in?? And Is that the right way to hook It up?? why does it allow for a left and right in?

You can use the left or right input it doesn't matter remember that Bass is non directional. Since you are connecting to your subwoofer Pre-amp out Right/Left doesn't matter in this setup. They put the L/R on the transmitter if you are connecting to a non-subwoofer preamp out and you need to combine the Left/Right channels (stereo) for output to the ButtKicker. What type of AV reciever are you using? HDMI, optical, or RCA connections for audio. See previous posts within this thread with Boss.429 as we had to setup his AV reciever for optimal adjustments when using his BK. If after you setup your BK and it bottoms out or vibrates violently try adjusting the gain up (+) on your subwoofer output, also try the presets (Game) on the remote for the amp. fine tune with the +/- for intensity on the BK amp remote as well. Have fun!👍

 

[stega]

I am using a Yamaha ysp4000 with either hdmi for audio or optical and have the bka300 transmitter hooked up via the LFE output that is split between it and my sub, then I split the output of the bka300 amp to the 2 bk gamer2's... So far I am having good results but I feel it needs some tweaking.

I also am thinking of mounting the bka300 directly to the bottom of my cockpit as I feel it will transfer the vibrations better.

 

[jswilli1]

I am using a Yamaha ysp4000 with either hdmi for audio or optical and have the bka300 transmitter hooked up via the LFE output that is split between it and my sub, then I split the output of the bka300 amp to the 2 bk gamer2's... So far I am having good results but I feel it needs some tweaking.

I also am thinking of mounting the bka300 directly to the bottom of my cockpit as I feel it will transfer the vibrations better.

I would connect Via HDMI if possible, using optical you will lose the capability of the new HD codecs (DTS-MA and True-HD) if watching Blu-Ray movies. HDMI carries both Audio and Video Signals.

 

[stega]

A friend of mine is going to give me his 15 band/channel equalizer from radio-shack, I have got no idea how to use it but should be able to figure it out playing with it a bit.

 

[jswilli1]

A friend of mine is going to give me his 15 band/channel equalizer from radio-shack, I have got no idea how to use it but should be able to figure it out playing with it a bit.

You are making Mr.Latte a happy man!👍

 

[Mr Latte]

You are making Mr.Latte a happy man!👍

If we all share our experiences and can relate to one annother to help each other Im all for that. Its nice to get on with each other in some threads like this rather than petty arguing...
I await a new video from Stega giving us all the usal humour of his and some of his thoughts on his new toys.

 

[jswilli1]

If we all share our experiences and can relate to one annother to help each other Im all for that. Its nice to get on with each other in some threads like this rather than petty arguing...
I await a new video from Stega giving us all the usal humour of his and some of his thoughts on his new toys.

I think he is getting his ButtKicked in more ways than one now.

 

[stega]

So I've got the all 3 bk units working quite well with Forza 3 at the moment. Except for when I brake hard it makes a nasty sound. Gotta try and dial that out with the equalizer I suppose.

 

[jswilli1]

So I've got the all 3 bk units working quite well with Forza 3 at the moment. Except for when I brake hard it makes a nasty sound. Gotta try and dial that out with the equalizer I suppose.

If the BK sounds like it is "bottoming" out or Vibrating violently then increase the Gain on you subwoofer LFE channel (+ _db) or try the EQ. If your transducer intermittently makes a loud bottoming out noise then try resyncing the transmitter/reciever between the amp. There is a small button on the bottom of the transmitter, and one on the plug in USB RF module on the back of the amp. Sometimes using a better RF channel helps on the performance of the BK.

 

[stega]

Everything seems to be working nicely and I do not really want to touch my settings at the moment. But when I race for 30 minuites + straight, my bka300 transducer becomes fairly warm / a bit hot to the touch, I know the unit will shut down automatically if it gets too hot, but is the unit suppose to get warm during normal operation. Or should I change the settings a bit so it does not get so warm.

Perhaps I can cool it down somehow?? hehe (prolly not eh?)

"If the BK sounds like it is "bottoming" out or Vibrating violently then increase the Gain on you subwoofer LFE channel (+ _db)"
Also why does increasing the gain help with the violent shaking / bad sounds / bottoming out, I would think the opposite (It would make it worse...)

 

[Mr Latte]

The above are some reasons I mentioned why I reduce my main speaker volumes yet have my LFE at +10 on my AV amp.


It means the BK amplifer can be ran below its max output from its own amplifer and with my main speakers at around -5 then with a good pelt of volume from my AV amplifer the BK is getting a stronger signal to amplify.

It also means the ratio of actual speaker volume to my BK volume is greater than a user would perhaps use for home cinema or movie watching.

Doing it the way I have allows me to rebalance the Buttkickers to the 7 channel speaker volume manually on the individual amps that power the Buttkickers depending on the game or source. I like to keep my AV amplifer pretty much at a level which sounds comfortable without increasing the volume towards ear ache levels just to get the Buttkickers a strong enough signal.

So I recommend trying your LFE output at max from your AV end and reduce your speaker volume outputs if you can.
Of course different setups will vary.

 

[stega]

I see.. I am going to turn my sub all the way to +10 and turn down the Buttkickers to compensate. Sounds like it should work.

 

[jswilli1]

Everything seems to be working nicely and I do not really want to touch my settings at the moment. But when I race for 30 minuites + straight, my bka300 transducer becomes fairly warm / a bit hot to the touch, I know the unit will shut down automatically if it gets too hot, but is the unit suppose to get warm during normal operation. Or should I change the settings a bit so it does not get so warm.

Perhaps I can cool it down somehow?? hehe (prolly not eh?)

"If the BK sounds like it is "bottoming" out or Vibrating violently then increase the Gain on you subwoofer LFE channel (+ _db)"
Also why does increasing the gain help with the violent shaking / bad sounds / bottoming out, I would think the opposite (It would make it worse...)

Your correct I should have put (-_db), my typo. It is normal for the transducer to get warm or hot, this means you are "really" giving it a workout:tup:

I have been playing with my gain and it looks like -11db to -12db for me on the receiver. When I play BBC2 anything above -10db and my trandsucer likes to bottom on a huge explosion. I have never played Forza but it sounds like you are getting much more out of your BK than when playing GT5P.

MrLatte is correct, it can be a balancing act. My receiver volume (absolute) is ~55 which is an comfortable listening level, at this level there is enough going to the BK to enjoy it while playing. I can adjust my LFE channel to compensate for various games just like adjusting the volume. For GT5P I have to adjust to ~ -4db or -6db to be able to feel things since the audio levels are not strong as they are in some other titles.

 

[stega]

I have never played Forza but it sounds like you are getting much more out of your BK than when playing GT5P.

From my experience Forza3 gives excellent LFE feedback. I can only hope the LFE feedback on GT5 is somewhat similar when it is released.

 

[jswilli1]

From my experience Forza3 gives excellent LFE feedback. I can only hope the LFE feedback on GT5 is somewhat similar when it is released.

That is what I am hoping for also! Funny thing about GT5 is I when I do get it I don't even know where I want to begin first!!!

 

[Mr Latte]

Volume and DB output is one thing but EQ control is annother. 👍

Using an equaliser as no matter what game etc you run with an EQ you could have +/- 10DB (approx depending on the EQ used)
As Ive pointed out earlier but the benifit is guys having this control at different individual frequencies you can boost or indeed reduce.

Typically 60Hz / 150Hz / 400Hz

So with this you can still maintain the low end punch yet avoid the booming with those mid range frequencies some games may give you problems with.
Even though I have limited EQs on the amps Im looking to add a hifi EQ with fancy visual display for a feature of the cockpit. Sony and Technics models are catching my eye on auctions...


Stega try that track in FM3 the one with the bumps and its got a dip in the last corner, forget its name....
Do a race with the BKs on then one with the BK off and gess its a totally different game, well almost but you will get the idea.

 

[Mr Latte]

Got one of these tonight on ebay

 

[stega]

This is the one my friend gave me...

 

[Mr Latte]

This is the one my friend gave me...

Yeah that should be grand and I looked at models like that but for subwoofers/transducers you really only need control over the lowest 3-4 frequencies.

I hope but wont know to testing that having the visual display meters will make it easier to determine how different games or indeed PS3/X360 games may differ in their audio. This way its easy to visually see from the meter if certain frequencies are peaking too much... 👍

Well I presume that this may be the case although I have in mind to then create a log/database of saved presets and load them in for the appropiate games...
Should be a benifit to the BKs or subwoofers.

 

[oqvist]

I use a behringer DEQ 2496. Very recommended even though it´s designed for music production of course

My current project is killing the damn vuvuzelas in the world cup of football

only drawback is that you are limited to stereo if you want to use it.

 

[Mr Latte]

Looks hi tech, nice

 

[jswilli1]

I use a behringer DEQ 2496. Very recommended even though it´s designed for music production of course

My current project is killing the damn vuvuzelas in the world cup of football

only drawback is that you are limited to stereo if you want to use it.

This would be a great EQ since the BK uses only 1 channel anyways. If you put it inline on the Subwoofer Preamp out it would work nicely.

 

[stega]

I am thinking of mounting my MOMO Daytona side mount seat to a wooden base... Then I would mount my bka300 directly to the seat. Would the bk be able to properly transfer the forces with a wooden base??? any suggestions??

Also what about mounting the bk unit to the back near the bottom part of the seat/chair?? has anyone tried that?

Should I put like o-rings in between the bk unit and the fiberglass on the back of the chair?? or wood or something?

 

[Mr Latte]

Stega, it all comes down to trial and error testing of various placement/positions.

If your considering a wooden base platform like Im for running keep in mind to get some acoustic materials or foam. Im going to use those inside my own wooden box base to prevent any boomy echo or audio issues...

Im looking reviews or comments on this Clarke 209 Model.
I can get it via a friend travelling to the USA visiting relatives later this year.

Edit
I found this company also has stock but has several online PDFs for manuals etc.
Worth a look.

 

[tinker]

Im looking reviews or comments on this Clarke 209 Model.

I'm sorry, I'd really like to play around with the Clarke TT (tst-239) which I recieved about three weeks ago and give you guys my take on this TT. The tst-239 itself is a very convincing piece of hardware, seems really well built and comes with quite a range of quality mounting nuts and bolts.

However, -I'm a bit bogged down with work at the moment and have not really had time to play around with my new toy.

At the moment I'm still looking for a place to purchase some kind of decouplers to isolate the seat from the frame, on my Playseat. Another "leeetle" detail is I have disasembled my Playseat and will have it picked up for repainting on friday. Perhaps to celebrate the good news pouring out regarding GT5.

 

[stega]

OMG WOW... so I bolted my bka300 unit to the back of my fiberglass MOMO seat. And I think it feels way better, the vibrations travel amazingly well through the seat shell. I did not think this would work out

Sorry about the glare that is a flashlight

also
Latte I found a local dealer for the Clark transducers, and I have a showing scheduled with the owner at their showroom to look at the Clarke Synthesis units tomorrow, anything you may want to know or me to ask???

 

[Mr Latte]

Appreciate you keeping me in mind..

I ordered the Clarke 209 model its only about $80
I have a friend visiting NY later in the year seeing relatives and he will bring back for me. UK prices for these are mental and very few dealers.

Good to hear about the seat and your BK getting it more in the whole body should help the immersion.
BTW try that FM3 track I mentioned one time before forget its name but the one with all the bumps on the start

EDIT
What I dont quite get is if the Clarkes can use higher frequencies well they will only get those if they are not using the LFE but the stereo FL/FR signals.
So if doing that its still not clear to me what they do different to a BK also using LFE. Do you feel the same in this uncertainty?

Do you feel having a BK on the wheel and Pedals is going too far or is it that you havnt yet just fine tuned it all?

 

[stega]

Well my old bk setup before today was this:
1 bk gamer on the pedals/wheel, 1 bk gamer under the seat, and 1 bka300 under the back of the cockpit.

I have since moved the bk gamer from under the seat to the other side of the pedals/wheel. So I now have the bka300 unit attached to the back/bottom part of the seat and the 2 bk gamers on the pedals/wheel but I am not sure if having 2 in that general area may be overkill. I will have to see.

If you ever need something shipped overseas because the supplier/dealer won't lemme know I can prolly hook you up