The Official Bass Shaker, Buttkicker, Tactile Transducer Thread

[Big Daddy]

Please post comments and pictures about your experience with the above in this thread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactile_transducer

A tactile transducer or "bass shaker" is a device which is made on the principle that low bass frequencies can be felt as well as heard. A shaker transmits low-frequency vibrations into various surfaces so that they can be felt by people. This is called tactile sound. Tactile transducers may augment or in some cases substitute for a subwoofer.

A bass-shaker is meant to be firmly attached to some surface such as a seat, couch or floor. The shaker houses a small weight which is driven by a voice coil similar to those found in dynamic loudspeakers. The voice-coil is driven by a low-frequency audio signal from an amplifier; common shakers typically handle 25 to 50 watts of amplifier power. The voice coil exerts force on both the weight and the body of the shaker, with the latter forces being transmitted into the mounting surface.

Tactile transducers may be used in a home theater, a commercial movie theater, or for special effects in an arcade game, amusement park ride or other application.

Related to Bass Shakers are a newer type of Tactile Transducer referred to as "Linear Actuators." These piston-like electromagnetic devices are said to transmit motion in a direct and lossless fashion. Linear Actuators directly and physically lift home theater seating in the vertical plane rather than transferring vibrations (by mounting within a seat, platform or floor). This technology is said to transmit a high-fidelity sound-motion augmentation, whereas "Shakers" may require heavy equalization and/or multiple units to approach a realistic effect.

There are other products now on the market which employ hydrualic (long-throw) linear actuators and outboard motion processors for home applications as popularized in "virtual reality" rides. These products differ radically from tactile transducers in that they require the manual composition and synchronized playback of motion signals, in addition to the standard soundtrack that the motion is meant to accompany.

http://www.baudline.com/erik/bass/tactile_faq.html
http://www.practical-home-theater-gu...s-shakers.html
http://hometheater.about.com/cs/loud...bwoofera_3.htm
http://www.baudline.com/erik/bass/clark_update.html


See the effect of these wonderful gadgets on cheese heads.

Buttkicker LFE DEMO - YouTube

List Of Manufacturers:

1. Aurasound Bass Shakers
   
2. Buttkicker
   
3. Boom Chair
   
4. Clark Synthesis Tactile Transducers
   
5. Crowson Technology
   
6. Dayton Audio Sound Exciters
   
7. D-Box
   
8. Earthquake Sound Tactile Transducers
   
9. Messina GSS, http://www.etronics.com/m-3355-messina.aspx
   
10. Rockford Fosgate's I-Beam Tactile Transducer
    
11. Vidsonix Tactile Transducer
    
12. Woon/K-Woon/DOT2SR Bass Shakers

Advantages of Bass Shakers, Buttkickers, or Transducers over Subwoofers

1. These are sometimes referred to as Silent Subwoofers. Although you may not substitude them for subwoofers, they should definitely be considered as complentary products that can increase the enjoyment of the lower frequencies. After all, good bass is meant to be felt and not only heard.
2. They will give you most of the enjoyment of good bass without making you deaf and forcing you to wear hearing aids.
3. They are a very good and cost effective alternative to buying a better or a second subwoofer.
4. Placement is generally easier as you don’t worry about standing waves and/or using the Subwoofer Crawl technique. Their proper placement is under your a$$.
5. They are ideal for people who live in apartments/condominiums or have small children who need to sleep or have nagging WAFs. An easier solution to a nagging WAF is . . Just kidding.

Connecting Multiple Transducers/Buttkickers/Bass Shakers to a Single Mono Amplifier:

If you plan to connect multiple Transducers/Buttkickers/Bass Shakers to a single amplifier, it is very important that you pay close attention to the net impedance of the speakers. Most subwoofer amplifiers can handle 8-ohm or 4-ohm speakers easily. However, the vast majority of amplifiers will have difficulty with 2-ohm speakers.

I believe the impedance of each Transducer/Buttkicker/Bass Shaker is 4 ohms. You cannot connect them in parallel as the impedance will drop to 2 ohms and most amplifiers cannot handle that kind of a load. However, if you connect them in series, the net impedance will rise to 8 ohms and the amplifier can handle it.

Series Loudspeakers:

This connection would give a final impedance of 8 ohms.

Parallel Loudspeakers:

This connection would give a final impedance of 2 ohms.

If you wnt to connect four Transducers/Buttkickers/Bass Shakers to a single amplifier, you can use Series/Parallel connection.

Series/Parallel Connection: In the following diagram, the net impedance of the top two speakers connected in series is 8 ohms. The net impedance of the bottom two speakers connected in series is also 8 ohms. Two series of 8 ohms each that connected in parallel will yield a net impedance of 4 ohms.

This connection would give a final impedance of 4 ohms.

For more information, read Impedance and Sensitivity of Speakers

My Scientific Recommendation: At night when you want to watch a movie, turn the master volume down, turn the powered subwoofer(s) off, and turn the bass shaker/buttkicker/transducer up. You can turn the subtitle on. By doing this, you can still enjoy the movie and feel the bass without disturbing anyone. Most new movies have a lot of action, plenty of low frequency bass, a lot of sex, horrible dialog and language, and very bad acting. Fortunately, you won’t be missing anything. You will still enjoy over 90% of the movie without the cops showing up at your door. The best or the worst part is that your marriage will be saved. That is why I refer to these gadgets as MARRIAGE SAVERS.

Where to Buy:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_5b8oeexf8n_b
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...sl_6k2tzuvyy_b
http://www.parts-express.com/wizards...TOKEN=76228419
http://www.htmarket.com/audio-video-...e-theater.html
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_47kq2dydlg_e
http://www.gamechairstore.com/IVG2/N...=3-gmc50062-10
http://www.av-outlet.com/en-us/dept_463.html
http://shop.ebay.com/items/aura+bass...=229191_229196
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_kw=tact...ducer&_rusck=1
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_kw=clar...ducer&_rusck=1
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=bas....c0.m270.l1313

[Big Daddy]

More information will be added to this post.

My recommendation to all people who plan to use any type of Bass Shaker, Buttkicker, or Transducer is to use an amplifier that has adjustable gain control because if the level is set too high, the vibration in the seat will become very distracting and difficult to concentrate on the movie. If your amplifier does not have an adjustable level control, you can buy an active pro crossover/volume controller from Amazon for around $60 to $100.

PyleCrossover.jpg PyramidCrossover.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/s?url=search-a...Pyle+crossover
http://www.amazon.com/Pyramid-PR3000...4596618&sr=8-1

A cheaper option is the Vidsonix for less than $30. You can buy it directly from the manufacture or from their Ebay store

This is the address of their Ebay store:
http://stores.ebay.com/Vidsonix-Audio-Outlet?_rdc=1

The Vidsonix is a mono passive controller and has only TRS connectors. For subwoofers, you only need mono. You also need RCA to TRS adapters. The Pyle and Pyramid crossover/volume controllers need power and are more expensive, but they are stereo and have RCA connectors.


The following Amplifier Level Controllers are not as elegant, but they are pretty cheap:

Level Controller.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...3JV3W5B3W9FKP3
http://www.amazon.com/Peripheral-PRC.../dp/B001AK3HLI
http://www.lesscoelectronics.com/Per...rol_p/prc1.htm

REVIEWS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Buttkicker:
http://thebuttkicker.com/reviews/index.htm
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/document?doc_id=98460

Buttkicker vs Bass Shaker:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/foru...omparison-long

Clark Sysnthesis Tactile Transducers:
http://hometheatermag.com/customaccessories/72/
http://fieldrecording.wordpress.com/

Crowson Technology:
http://www.crowsontech.com/go/crowso...opDefault.aspx
http://www.hometoys.com/htinews/apr0...rectdrive.htm/

Rockford Fosgates's I-Beam Tactile Transducer:
http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/s...300-transducer

Other Applications Besides Home Theater:
http://www.clarksynthesis.com/just_for_fun.html
http://thebuttkicker.com/theaters_amusements/index.htm
http://www.d-box.com/en/supported-titles/

[Big Daddy]

Some of you may be aware that I bought an 8-inch under-the-sofa subwoofer several weeks ago. The first thing I did was buy some wood and add a few inches to the legs of my sofa to increase its distance from the floor. I also added rubber isolators to the bottom of the legs. Being a crazy tweaker, I replaced the driver with a more powerful driver and turned the subwoofer to a passive one by powering it with an external amplifier. Details are explained in The Official Theater Solutions Subwoofer Owners Thread. The good news is that the performance of the subwoofer has increased significantly.

This is how the subwoofer looks now:

I power it with this PylePro amplifier:

I decided that perhaps it was not a bad idea to add a tactile transducer to the bottom of my sofa. After doing a little research, I decided that a Clark Synthesis tranducer would fit and work pefectly. Clark makes five home theater transducers: TST209, TST239 Silver, TST329 Gold, and TST429 Platinum. They also make AW339 All-Weather Transducer and AQ339 Aquasonic® Underwater Speaker. Initially, I was thinking about buying the Gold or Platinum. However, after checking the bottom of the sofa, I realized that there was not that much padding there and since I already had an 8-inch subwoofer there, the Gold or Platinum would have been a bit excessive. Eventually, I settled on the Silver model. I made an offer on Ebay and it was accepted for $115 plus free shipping. The normal price at Amazon or Parts Express is $135. These are the specifications:

Continuous Power Handling: 100 watts
Impedance: 4 ohms
Overload Protection: Polyswitch
Frequency Response: 15Hz to 17kHz
Connection: 3 ft.- 16 gauge, 2 wire
Dimensions: 8 in. diam. x 2.25 in. high

After waiting a few days, UPS delivered the box. It was brand new and shipped directly from the Clark factory in Colorado. Here is a picture.

Inside the box, there was an installation bracket and different size and shape screws to make installation easy. This is the picture of the tranducer after I attached it to the bottom of the sofa.

I used one channel of the amplifier mentioned above to power it. The other channel is used to power the 8-inch subwoofer. After calibration I was shocked on how powerful this little monster really is. I have to start watching some of the bass-heavy movies again.

I am so glad I did not buy the Gold or Platinum transducers as I find even this one a bit too much. The best part is that the amplfier has level control.

[Fors*]

Nice thread BD!!!! Lets see how many people become interested in these now......

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Fors*

Nice thread BD!!!! Lets see how many people become interested in these now......

If you look at the comments and reviews by buyers at different dealers and other forums, you will notice that they are pretty popular.

[stcurell]

I have a Clark Synthesis 209 and I love it. This is the base model even below the Silver one and I find it has more than enough power. I have it installed (in my opinion) in a very efficient way and that probably helps- I am lucky to have a steel frame couch that provides a rigid installation point, and I also installed rubber isolation feet under the couch.

I've watched many bass heavy movies with it and it never runs out of power. The amplifier I have it connected to is a class A/B with 130w RMS. Like you said Big Daddy, it is important to have adjustable gain on the amp because there is a fine line where it meshes with the movie experience. If it crosses that threshold it is very distracting from the movie, and oddly you no longer hear the low frequency sounds from the sub. When properly adjusted it augments experience in a way that a subwoofer really can't, especially for the price! I would recommend one of these setups before upgrading your subwoofer- its a very cost efficient way to enhance your theater.

Another important feature to have on the amp is a crossover. Since this runs off the same signal as your sub you need a crossover on the amp to control the transducer individually. I set mine as low as it would go - 50 hz. Any higher and voices occasionally come through (my girlfriend and I weren't expecting that and we burst out laughing.)

Another thing to note about its performance- (can anyone else comment on this as well?) There is a slight delayed reaction due to the fact that it is a large moving mass rather than a lightweight speaker cone, which renders it pretty much useless for hi-fi music listening. I would like to try an even better class A/B amp with a higher damping factor to see if this makes a difference.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by stcurell

I have a Clark Synthesis 209 and I love it. This is the base model even below the Silver one and I find it has more than enough power. I have it installed (in my opinion) in a very efficient way and that probably helps- I am lucky to have a steel frame couch that provides a rigid installation point, and I also installed rubber isolation feet under the couch.

I've watched many bass heavy movies with it and it never runs out of power. The amplifier I have it connected to is a class A/B with 130w RMS. Like you said Big Daddy, it is important to have adjustable gain on the amp because there is a fine line where it meshes with the movie experience. If it crosses that threshold it is very distracting from the movie, and oddly you no longer hear the low frequency sounds from the sub. When properly adjusted it augments experience in a way that a subwoofer really can't, especially for the price! I would recommend one of these setups before upgrading your subwoofer- its a very cost efficient way to enhance your theater.

Another important feature to have on the amp is a crossover. Since this runs off the same signal as your sub you need a crossover on the amp to control the transducer individually. I set mine as low as it would go - 50 hz. Any higher and voices occasionally come through.

Another thing to note about its performance- (can anyone else comment on this as well?) There is a slight delayed reaction due to the fact that it is a large moving mass rather than a lightweight speaker cone, which renders it pretty much useless for hi-fi music listening. I would like to try an even better class A/B amp with a higher damping factor to see if this makes a difference.

+1...I couldn't agree more with what you just said stcurell....my Buttkicker amp has a low and high cutoff switch to turn either on or off as well. I found these to be a very nice options if you can have them.

[stcurell]

2 simple pipe clamps from the hardware store allowed me to bolt the mounting plate directly to the couch frame. I did have to trim the threaded portions a bit to clear the transducer:

[Show spoiler]

Link to the Clark Synthesis 209 at Parts-Express http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=300-861
Rubber isolation feet http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=260-772

(slightly off topic) If you have a spare PC power supply you can modify it to have a no-cost 12V power supply for that old car amplifier in the garage! I will have to take another picture to show the finished product - this is pretty rough. I added a "silent" fan for a bit of cooling. The stock fans tend to be a bit loud if it is near you. Something to remember about this- car amps are rated at 13.8v so they will be less efficient and less powerful at 12v. For example this amp is rated at 150w RMS when bridged @ 4ohms, so (150/13.8)*12.0=130.

[Show spoiler]

[crazyBLUE]

Thank You You know why & no one else will

All the information is well being considered . One more thing to enhance the Enjoyment of the movie Thanks Big Daddy !!!!

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by stcurell

I have a Clark Synthesis 209 and I love it. This is the base model even below the Silver one and I find it has more than enough power. I have it installed (in my opinion) in a very efficient way and that probably helps- I am lucky to have a steel frame couch that provides a rigid installation point, and I also installed rubber isolation feet under the couch.

I've watched many bass heavy movies with it and it never runs out of power. The amplifier I have it connected to is a class A/B with 130w RMS. Like you said Big Daddy, it is important to have adjustable gain on the amp because there is a fine line where it meshes with the movie experience. If it crosses that threshold it is very distracting from the movie, and oddly you no longer hear the low frequency sounds from the sub. When properly adjusted it augments experience in a way that a subwoofer really can't, especially for the price! I would recommend one of these setups before upgrading your subwoofer- its a very cost efficient way to enhance your theater.

Another important feature to have on the amp is a crossover. Since this runs off the same signal as your sub you need a crossover on the amp to control the transducer individually. I set mine as low as it would go - 50 hz. Any higher and voices occasionally come through (my girlfriend and I weren't expecting that and we burst out laughing.)

Another thing to note about its performance- (can anyone else comment on this as well?) There is a slight delayed reaction due to the fact that it is a large moving mass rather than a lightweight speaker cone, which renders it pretty much useless for hi-fi music listening. I would like to try an even better class A/B amp with a higher damping factor to see if this makes a difference.

Excellent post. I agree that without a gain/level control, it can be a bit distracting. I had to turn mine down. As far as the delayed reaction, I have not noticed anything.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

Thank You You know why & no one else will

All the information is well being considered . One more thing to enhance the Enjoyment of the movie Thanks Big Daddy !!!!

Thank you for the compliment. As stcurell said, these are a much cheaper and more effective alternative to buying a better or second subwoofer. They are also a lot easier as far as placement is concerned. No sub crawl is needed. You can install them right below your a$$.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Thank you for the compliment. As stcurell said, these are a much cheaper and more effective alternative to buying a better or second subwoofer. They are also a lot easier as far as placement is concerned. No sub crawl is needed. You can install them right below your a$$.

And that is exactly where it would go I like the idea of shaking things up some

Lets see ~

I have 4 channels on 2 amps not being used

the Vidsonix is rather cheap !

You are vary bad for me you know that don't you

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

And that is exactly where it would go I like the idea of shaking things up some

Lets see ~

I have 4 channels on 2 amps not being used

the Vidsonix is rather cheap !

You are vary bad for me you know that don't you

My job is to send you to the poor house before retirement.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

the Vidsonix is rather cheap !

Just remember that the Vidsonix is a mono passive controller and has only TRS connectors. For subwoofers, you only need mono. You also need RCA to TRS adapters. The other two crossover/volume controllers I added to post #1 later need power and are more expensive, but they are stereo and have RCA connectors.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

My job is to send you to the poor house before retirement.

Just keep going ~ It's been worth it all the way

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Just remember that the Vidsonix is a mono passive controller and has only TRS connectors. For subwoofers, you only need mono. You also need RCA to TRS adapters. The other two crossover/volume controllers I added to post #1 later need power and are more expensive, but they are stereo and have RCA connectors.

I see that & all though they are a little bit more expensive it would be easier cable wise to go that route . Thanks for the re~response Big Daddy .

[stcurell]

I just spent some time browsing the D-Box website, I didn't even existed. A lot of blu-rays support it. They don't come out and explain it, but it sounds like there isn't actually a track on the blu-ray, you have to download it onto their proprietary decoder first. (how much does that cost per track? They don't even list a cost for the decoder box.)

Idea: Wouldn't it be great if the track was included on the blu-ray, and our receivers could decode it and output the "intelligent vibration" via another mono output similar to the LFE? I'm sure it would be a much better effect than just using the subwoofer signal. I wonder how much the D-Box decoder box costs, and if it would work with a regular tactile transducer. Once you get into their linear actuators I'm sure the cost really goes up. The uncomfortable-looking gaming/racing-sim chair is $4k on their website. There is a system on ebay right now for about 7k with a PC-based controller and motion platform.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by stcurell

I just spent some time browsing the D-Box website, I didn't even existed. A lot of blu-rays support it. They don't come out and explain it, but it sounds like there isn't actually a track on the blu-ray, you have to download it onto their proprietary decoder first. (how much does that cost per track? They don't even list a cost for the decoder box.)

Idea: Wouldn't it be great if the track was included on the blu-ray, and our receivers could decode it and output the "intelligent vibration" via another mono output similar to the LFE? I'm sure it would be a much better effect than just using the subwoofer signal. I wonder how much the D-Box decoder box costs, and if it would work with a regular tactile transducer. Once you get into their linear actuators I'm sure the cost really goes up. The uncomfortable-looking gaming/racing-sim chair is $4k on their website. There is a system on ebay right now for about 7k with a PC-based controller and motion platform.

The D-Box works under a different principle and requires a controller box/computer and does not work with regular tactile transducers.

[GAWD]

I've had my Aura bass shakers for a few months now and love them. Their level is just perfect. When someone feels them they think it's the two massive subs behind them shaking the chairs :-)

I've got them set through one channel of my BFD where I cut everything from 80-50hz so they don't pick up EVERYTHING.

i've got them powered with an amp I know nothing about. It's a Messina amp that was used for Theater bass shakers and they've been long out of business. A local seller had bought like 50 of them and I snagged one to try. It worked GREAT. Bought a second just incase the first one goes down. I don't know it's power output but it's more than enough for me.

I have one aura bass shaker per chair and the effect it adds is wonderful.

The setup cost me around the 200$ mark and it was worth the investment. It's more gimmick than anything but it adds to the experience.

File this under reason #3 as to why my home theater is better than the real one.

[kingofgrills]

Big Daddy, thank you for starting this thread. This is a lot of good information that will definitely be put to good use.

I've been considering getting tactile transducers for a while now. A friend of mine has Clark transducers in his HT room, and he loves them. Unfortunately, he's out of state, so I haven't been able to try them out yet.

I have a row of 3 Berkline theater seats you can see in my gallery. Do you think I'll need a transducer for each seat, or will a single one be sufficient? Also, do you know of a recommended place to attach the transducers? I'll have to do some research online, and flip over the seats.

Also, my final question has to do with my room setup, which was all pre-wired in wall. My sub currently sits to the side of my seats, with the sub jack behind it. Since the signal is already set at 80 Hz or lower from my receiver, would there be any issue adding a Y adapter and crossing the signal again at a lower level (say 55 Hz) for the transducer? I assume not, but it never hurts to check.

Oh, also, do transducers add any noise due to the physical movement they exert? If so, does it detract from the experience?