- 404
- Aubrey, Texas
I first implemented tactile effects into my rig back in 2013. You can read about it here.
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/tactile-for-the-playseat-my-solution.225405/
At that point in time I was strictly on consoles primarily GT5/6 on the PS3. I enjoyed the extra sensations that tactile added to the driving experience.
In December 2014 I made the decision to move to PC sim racing and built a PC and started driving on Asseto Corsa. I added SimVibe to feed the bass shakers which I left installed under the seat.
I was so impressed with the expansion of the tactile experience that I elected to upgrade to a full 4 channel implementation which SimVibe supports. That is front shakers left and right and rear shaker left and right.
I had the rear shakers already in place all I needed was the front shakers and amplifiers. This updates my previous report on my experience with tactile.
I drive in a PlaySeat Evolution which is not the best rig for tactile because it is based on a center rail not ideal for creating left right separation. I may upgrade at some time in the future so I wanted to have the capability to drive a larger, broader frame.
Having said that I need the new shakers to fit the Playseat and the only place available is on the underside of the front pedal platform. It is relatively small about 12” wide and 18” top to bottom.
I have been happy with the Aura Bass Shakers I mounted previously and would have purchased another set but an alternative was available with a slightly smaller footprint but a slight higher price tag. That was the ADX Maximus Bass Shaker. It like the Aura is a 50 watt device operating at 4 ohms. I elected to add two more Dayton SA70 subwoofer amplifiers. They are cheap and work well for this application.
Here is a photo of the ADX Shakers mounted to the pedal base. It was not wide enough to mount side by side but offset up and down left and right.
It is a LOT of shaking power on a relatively small area.
In disassembling the PlaySeat I noticed that the mounting connection between the pedal base and the center rail was already worn and on its way to failure. I therefore reinforced the connection making it a lot more substantial than in the original PlaySeat design.
I reassembled the PlaySeat and wired the new shakers. That part is easy because I already had the feeds from the sound cards now they went to four amplifiers not just two amplifiers.
So that is what I did and now for my report on what I have experienced so far.
If you only have one shaker consider mounting it under the pedals, you will get the biggest bang for your buck. If you have two shakers consider mounting them front and rear not side to side. The total experience will be greater. Four is great and I’m sure that adding more on the wheel probably wouldn’t be bad either.
I hope this is useful.
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/tactile-for-the-playseat-my-solution.225405/
At that point in time I was strictly on consoles primarily GT5/6 on the PS3. I enjoyed the extra sensations that tactile added to the driving experience.
In December 2014 I made the decision to move to PC sim racing and built a PC and started driving on Asseto Corsa. I added SimVibe to feed the bass shakers which I left installed under the seat.
I was so impressed with the expansion of the tactile experience that I elected to upgrade to a full 4 channel implementation which SimVibe supports. That is front shakers left and right and rear shaker left and right.
I had the rear shakers already in place all I needed was the front shakers and amplifiers. This updates my previous report on my experience with tactile.
I drive in a PlaySeat Evolution which is not the best rig for tactile because it is based on a center rail not ideal for creating left right separation. I may upgrade at some time in the future so I wanted to have the capability to drive a larger, broader frame.
Having said that I need the new shakers to fit the Playseat and the only place available is on the underside of the front pedal platform. It is relatively small about 12” wide and 18” top to bottom.
I have been happy with the Aura Bass Shakers I mounted previously and would have purchased another set but an alternative was available with a slightly smaller footprint but a slight higher price tag. That was the ADX Maximus Bass Shaker. It like the Aura is a 50 watt device operating at 4 ohms. I elected to add two more Dayton SA70 subwoofer amplifiers. They are cheap and work well for this application.
Here is a photo of the ADX Shakers mounted to the pedal base. It was not wide enough to mount side by side but offset up and down left and right.
It is a LOT of shaking power on a relatively small area.
In disassembling the PlaySeat I noticed that the mounting connection between the pedal base and the center rail was already worn and on its way to failure. I therefore reinforced the connection making it a lot more substantial than in the original PlaySeat design.
I reassembled the PlaySeat and wired the new shakers. That part is easy because I already had the feeds from the sound cards now they went to four amplifiers not just two amplifiers.
So that is what I did and now for my report on what I have experienced so far.
- The ADX Maximus is a fine replacement for an Aura Bass Shaker. I can’t really see a difference in performance but a sim rig is a poor environment for testing the quality of audio components. They both shake powerfully, they do what they are supposed to do, and they both look to be of good quality.
- It is a big step forward in terms of the tactile experience. The separation of effects front to rear is much greater that the separation of effects side to side. This is not surprising because the physical separation is much greater between the front and rear shakers than it is between the right and left shakers.
- Engine vibration and gear shifting now are much more noticeable in the front. Road effects are much more noticeable in the rear. The engine vibration effects are quite powerful coming through the pedals. I feel like I have an engine right under my feet. Engine feel is an aid to driving as it makes you less dependent on reading the tachometer. It will take a while to get the amplifiers adjusted to balance out the effects to make the blend correct.
- By removing the engine vibration load from the rear shakers I can increase the road feel effects without over loading the amplifiers.
- SimVibe and the control software SimCommander are a fantastic addition and well worth the money if you are driving on a PC. On a console I think you can achieve some of the isolation of effects by utilizing equalizers and cross over networks.
If you only have one shaker consider mounting it under the pedals, you will get the biggest bang for your buck. If you have two shakers consider mounting them front and rear not side to side. The total experience will be greater. Four is great and I’m sure that adding more on the wheel probably wouldn’t be bad either.
I hope this is useful.
