Fitting a Buttkicker LFE to my GT Omega office chair

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United Kingdom
United Kingdom
I'm a complete Noob when it comes to Tactile Transducers when being used for either watching movies, listening to music or Pc and consule gaming.

Any information I have gleaned has come from the posts from Mr Latte. When it comes to the net there is very little information out there. In fact I rang my local music hardware retailer in Norwich (Richer Sounds) to ask about what type of Amplifier to use and they didn't even know what a tactile transducer was let alone which type of amp to use.

This thread will be a progressive work in progress, diary type of blog with the intent that if there is anyone out there contemplating having a go but not knowing where to start this might be of some use, plus I suspect as I get closer to the goal of completion there may be some that might make suggestions who actually know what they are talking about.

I will be posting photo's and explanations of what I have done, and explaining what equipment I have used.
 
Look forward to this and it will encourage others.
Feel free to PM me if you want or need to friend.

"A tactile wot?"

Not sure if it was an EU thing but 4ohm amps for homes/consumers seemed to die off and go toward 6/8 ohm ratings.

The commercial and "Power Amp" type amps all are still 4ohm and that is why some people turn to these like the inuke models or others. While most will have cooling fans and may be little louder than consumer models they are also found more often in musical/instrument dj/band types of hardware vendors.

My advice is to be wary of some cheap units on ebay/amazon that list hundreds of watts of power for under £100. Stick to proven makes/models were possible.
 
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Received the two plates back from the fabrication shop yesterday. I had to do a little bit of filing where the holes didn't quite match up but all in all the template that I made wasn't far out. plate is 5mm thick IMG_20161020_175058.jpg IMG_20161020_174332.jpg IMG_20161020_173157.jpg
 
Nice...

So are you going with Neutrik/Speakon plugs on the plate with 3x circles?
Im just guessing but is this 1 main plate to bolt to the seat base and a second to bolt together and attach LFE?
 
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Yes they are for the Neitrik/ Speakon plugs, one is for the Buttkicker LFE and the other two are for the stereo ADX maximus Bass shakers when I do it next year. Hope pictures make it more clearer.

The long plate attaches to the bottom of the seat using 6 x 8mm bolts, the buttkicker is attached to back of this plate. then there are 4 rubber mounts attaching the second plate then bolting the wheel mechanism to that. The 4 x 8mm bolts have been replaced with longer 70mm x 8mm bolts which bolt the wheel mechanism to the second plate and first plate.

The plates are in my Garage at the moment being spray painted. I will then take more photo's which will also include the Buttkicker wired up to the Speakon plugs.

Once it is all completed I will take some video so hopefully will give it a more 3d feel as the photo's don't really do it justice.

I have put everything together and tried the seat with the two plates and Buttkicker fitted to make sure the seat still works properly and also making sure the recliner part of the seat doesn't hit the Buttkicker when fully reclined. So far so good.
 

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This is a quick question for Mr Latte, I have 4 Buttkcker RI-4 but I was just wondering if another 4 would be good.

The more you have the less energy will leak into the seat base.
I cant say how much better another 2 with 1 at each end or even 4 would be but yes it could help, I do have a bit of concern to try and avoid any possible "ringing" sound from the metal plate so yes more wont do any harm with your installation.

Like your work so far, darn that does look good and cables will be able to slot in between the two plates.

Any luck getting a multicore cable (3 pairs) that could run all 3 tactile / neutrik sockets but only be a single cable for added convienence?

Your gonna have good vibes, I can later help with the inuke software via USB on using PEQ or Crossover.
 
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Found this for you...
4 Pair Cable (couldnt see a 3 pair)



See Here & Brand Info Here
I cant say Ive seen any people do a cockpit or a seat and use "Multicore Cable" before as doing the typical several individual cable lengths for each tactile/shaker unit. It is what I planned for my own final build and do think it is a bit more, shall we say professional way to do it. Besides in your case is a much easier/tider option with 1 cable vs 3 hanging from the chair or to trip over.

In keeping it looking the part and ensuring good connections.
The LFE and (*edit / possibly) ADX might accept these connectors (see below).
They are not expensive but certainly check with vendor of ADX if you want prior to buying.

You could use standard (single pair) speaker cable here for the short distance from the Neutrik connectors installed on the metal plate to the Buttkicker/ADX units. If it matters to you, you may decide to paint the metal or consider cheap vinyl to cover it and then perhaps use sticky back cable tidies, although you may not really want or need such additional asthestics. I assume you already have though purchased for now at least 2 of the Neutrik/Speakon "male plugs" for each end of the cable between your amp and seat?



If you go with such even gradually. Then big congrats as you will have the best tactile and installation in an "office seat" I have seen. Take your time enjoy the project and certainly feel encouraged to want to make it a bit special.

Other alternatives
 
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I currently am only using 2 of my 4 LFE on my temporary cockpit build so thought I'd show an example. These are some similar "bananna plugs" I found at home to give you the idea, while a bit different. The ones shown above may be neater.

The connections on the LFE are the same as found on the back of 90s hi-fi or AV amps often known as "bananna binding post" something again the EU messed with due to the plugs being able to fit into their mains sockets aparently. Check that your "new" unit is the same still having the hole/connection in the red/black plugs and is not solid plastic.

 
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Thanks for the posts Mr Latte, I bought some Nagamichi banana plugs which will go into the Buttkicker but I'm not sure which is the best way to attach spade connectors to the speakon connectors. Crimp or solder.

Plates are outside in my Garage being painted and lacquered. I'm painting them cherry red. Should be complete by tomorrow afternoon. My additional Buttkicker isolators came today so I now have 8 to install and I'm thinking of fitting a anti drone pad some where on one of the plates. These are used inside car doors to stop droning.

I spoke to GAK this morning about my Inuke, still no news on date for delivery. Apparently could be two weeks or two months. Nightmare!!! Ah well should be ready for xmas.
 
Sorry to hear of issue with stock. Perhaps cancel and order from here they offer a 3 year warranty and 30 day money back guarantee. As for the connectors I think either way would by fine, suppose really what may be easier for you to get done regards either crimping or soldering.

Plates being painted sounds good as does the arrival of the extra isolators, excellent and yes the "anti drone" pad. Curious if it is like "fattmatt" type material as it is often used in cars for audio enthusiasts to prevent rattling of subs etc? It may yes be good thing to actually have a layer of the antidrone material underneath the Buttkicker itself to help add a bit of cushioning/dampening against the steel plate.

Please do keep sharing things as you make progress.
 
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Thanks for the link. I might cancel my order with GAK and order through the link. I'm thinking I should probably paint all the bolts and washers as it may look a little strange with the plates being painted. I think I'm also going to put Loctite on all the nuts as with all the vibration they may work themselves loose.
 
I've bought from thomann several times in past, good service so can recommend them.

Funny you mention the bolts. I had already looked into coloured bolts/nuts for my own build a while back. You could paint yeah I suppose that would be nice.

Although ebay has some places you can get various colours/sizes with different types of heads and they are not that expensive but will add to the quality of the installation. I really like how you're wanting to do it to such a standard and keen to see this little project when it's done. Of course, my advice or thoughts are only that as its your build and what you choose to do or think is best is really down to you friend.

One example but also another.
GWR company here seem to do a lot and I think nylon lock nuts should ensure bolts are kept tight.

Colours may vary in real life :)
Black is a safe bet






I wouldn't use Loctite firstly until the very final build and after you have been testing the unit.
Not sure if really necessary if going with nylon lock nuts those things usually hold tight.
 
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Just ordered my Inuke from Thomann and will cancel original before I go to work. Plates are all painted up, I will send some photo's when I get back from work. For now I've painted my own bolts. I have painted them black with a rubber aerosole. It's usually used on car wheels and can be peeled off at any time. I thought they may not mark quite so easily when puttint it all together. I also went to my local car shop that sells polishes and and anything automotive and picked up two anti drone sticky pads for deadening the pinging. Again I'll post the photo's tonight. Thanks again for your help Mr Latte.
 
All sounds good, perhaps confirm with thomann regards the Behringer warranty process if you register through Beheringer using their own method or do it via thomann for their 3 year warranty. I say this as Behringers own policy is rather strict to dates and registering process. Just be good to know you err, know your covered if any problems within the warranty period.
 
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That came up well, keep er lit man...

Worked out how you're going to use the additional isolators regards placement?
 
I have just taken these photo's which show what it will look like once it's installed onto my office chair and also photo showing how I have arranged the rubber isolators.

All I have to do now is solder the spade connectors onto the other end of the speaker wire and fit another Speakon plug to the remainder of the speaker wire. ( this will go from the amp to the chair)
then it's just a case of waiting for the amp to arrive, which fingers crossed will be tomorrow.IMG_0345.JPG IMG_0346.JPG IMG_0347.JPG IMG_0348.JPG
 
Well that does indeed look excellent, superb.
Looking forward to your impressions when amp arrives

Here is link to the 1.4 software tool HERE
I will be helping you to try and configure it to "Your" preference if you want or need the help with the inuke DSP stuff.

Thanks for sharing.
 
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The inuke software has 5 main screens I will go over them with basic factors.
See the tabs at the top for each screen.

The MANUAL will give more detailed information and help.

(1) Configuration

Here we set the usage of the amplifer.
In your case with one very big unit to power it may be best to set the amp to BRIDGE mode. By this you are using both channels on the amp together. The L/R audio source input is being combined, so you have two inputs (A) & (B) but only one output (A). The indicator will show their activity.

Note various screens will have Hz at bottom dB at the side. You will mostly be using upto or around 100Hz. I always recommend people to use "test tone generators" to get familiar with different Hz in how they can feel and respond on their own installation/configurations.

Delay is not needed but can be messed around with if you wish later.
Peak Limiter is used to digitally restrict the amplifers output wattage
Load set the amount of ohms the unit uses, your BK is 4ohms
Phase can be set to 180 as your unit will be upside down.
Hold / Release usually does not need to be altered


(2) Filter / Crossover
The display makes this simple to grasp with a little practice you see changes your making.
Yellow is Channel A and Blue Channel B. HZ at bottom and dB to the side.
Gain will increase the signal level pre-amplification.
High Pass sets the Hz to start at
Low Pass sets the Hz to finish at
Type is for different filters (Butterworth is fine)
Slope adjust the angle/drop of the filter from slight to steep

(3) Parametric EQ
The display shows changes made, this is simple to grasp also after a few minutes

Bypass
lets you easily compare these changes with activating them or bypassing altogether
Reset sets all to default
Filters 1-8 allow you to set 8 frequency Hz positions to your choosing.
Gain adjusts the strength of this Hz either +/-
Frequency is the exact Hz you want to alter
Quality adjusts how specific to that Hz selected is altered or also the adjacent Hz
Type is for different filters (PEQ is fine)


(4) Dynamic EQ
You may not need to use this if using the PEQ but it can be useful to use the gain feature to help boost or cut certain frequency areas. Like previous screens, the display shows the changes being made to make it easier to grasp. Its harder to do so with these static images.

Some features here may not bring major benefits over using the PEQ and with using tactile. Also with tactile it may be harder to detect any effects they may have when using tactile and not speakers/subs.

DEQ 1 & 2 click to enable or disable.
Gain alters +/- the signal strength but maintains the frequency curve
Threshold alters the signal strength and also alters the curve over the dB range
Frequency sets the Hz point to alter
Quality determines how exact to that frequency is altered
Type is for selecting different filters (BP is fine)
Attack (leave at default)
Release (leave at default)
Ratio (leave at default 1:5.0)
(5) Setup
Amp Connection
click on the amp to use (only one can be configured at a time)
Connect to activate the amp over USB
PC Presets save settings to PC if you wish for safe backup
Amp Presets load/save settings to amps internal memory with name etc. Useful for comparing different settings with EQ etc.

Amp will power up with last used setting, you do not need USB connected to operate. See MANUAL linked at top as front display and dials on amp can be used to control and load presets etc.

I recommend having a keyboard with audio controls or some form of easy control for "Windows" volume level, you may want to adjust intensity with different games or cars and this way it's easy to do when you have your speakers/volume and tactile/volume levels balanced to your preference.
 
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Thanks for this buddy. Really do appreciate the time you are giving to this.

Had I not found this forum I probably would have given it up as a bad job.

I will keep the pictures coming as we make progress.
 
Yes please more images the better.

Hey no probs on the help, will finish the above soon. I just like being involved with others regards this hobby seeing people like yourself being creative too. So you got a friend in me, just wish more people were active with little projects like this. I'm currently messing around with Assetto Corsa and enjoying the audio updates and Porsche cars. Spent some time today with inuke settings configuring them more for audio-tactile than my Simvibe usage.

Give more of a breakdown on your usages or games you're looking forward to enjoying.
 
Managed to assemble everything together this morning before work. First picture is chair as is.

second pic shows a penny washer and a m8 nut over each bolt to act as spacers when putting first plate onto chair assembly. I drilled the nuts out so there was no thread left.

Third pic showing bottom plate in place with rubber isolators in position.

Fourth pic with all 8 isolators in place.

fifth pic showing second plate put in position, the two extra speakon plugs are for a future install of two smaller base shakers to go under each arm rest.

sixth pic. Had some anti drone pad left over so used this to isolate main chair wheel assembly from the second plate to stop any possible pinging.

seventh pic showing the complete chair fully assembled.

I will take some more pictures tomorrow of chair on its feet.

All things being well should have the Amp being delivered sometime tomorrow.IMG_0349.JPG IMG_0350.JPG IMG_0351.JPG IMG_0352.JPG IMG_0353.JPG IMG_0354.JPG IMG_0355.JPG IMG_0356.JPG IMG_0357.JPG
 
Ah so happy to see this turning out so well. You must be pretty chuffed with it thus far. Thanks for uploading the images excellent indeed. I will add the extra info to above inuke dsp post later tonight but don't see you having much problems. Just ensure the amp is not on at anytime you are connecting cables.

One question when sitting in the seat does the green elastic strap/cushion rest on the plate where the LFE is extended? It isn't a problem if anything might help transmit some vibes.

Hope your first power on is a success, look forward to next updates.
 
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Hi Mr Latte, got my amp today. You said earlier to set the amp up in bridge mode do I have to do anything as the manual doesn't really explain.
 
Load up the connect software and in the "Configuration" screen select Bridge, simple really, set also to 4ohm and limit say the wattage to 600 watt. You could increase later if you need to.

You use both L/R inputs into the amp but I believe only need Channel A for Neutrik/Speakon output.


*Edit
Manual reference:
BRIDGE mode combines the signals from Inputs A and B into a blended mono signal and then routes the resulting mono signal through a single chain of DSP modules, leading to a combined mono output. The mono output signal is identical at Outputs A and B, and the amplifier responds to a single combined speaker load

Go with this...
 
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sorry I'm a bit slow at this sort of stuff as I'm way out of my depth. So is it ok to connect the one Neatrik connector into channel A then turn it on, go the configuration screen and then set it up as bridge. I'm not likely to blow anything am I?
 
sorry I'm a bit slow at this sort of stuff as I'm way out of my depth. So is it ok to connect the one Neatrik connector into channel A then turn it on, go the configuration screen and then set it up as bridge. I'm not likely to blow anything am I?

Yes connect cables first, then load software and set mode and wattage limiter to 600 with 4 ohm for now.
 
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