tartag,

You can power the Aura shakers with any receiver or amplifier of reasonable power, a "Pro-logic" type is not necessary.

The only reason Pro-logic receivers were mentioned is that there are many older "Pro-logic only" receivers sitting unused because newer Dolby Digital PL2 and DTS Surround sound receivers were purchased to replace them to get better 5.1 surround sound.

Rather than purchase a new amplifier, the intent was to suggest the re-use of something that you may already have. (The currently unused older Pro-logic only receiver)

Joe L.

J.L. understood - as I have a pre-prologic Fisher reciever. I type this as I have just emerged from the theater they work like a charm and are going to take some time to fine tune. Holding them in your hands does not do them justice, seeting them under the cushin is better I can't wait to affix them to the frame. Thanks for the feedback as I am sure my twlight round of golf tonight will suffer with my concentration focused on the new toy. Hmmm maybe I need even another expensive additcion.
cheers!

Tartag, keep us posted.And you are correct..I hate getting new "toys" and then having to go to work or church or something.Just can't get my concentration where it should be.

Can anybody shed any light on the 2 fmods wired together for a sharper cutoff?

brickie

i have 2 couches with 2 bass shakers in each..i have the one couch(a) wired in series going to the left channel of a old amp...I have the other couch(b)wired in series as well and going to the right input of the old amp...is this right?

the one couch(b) with the right input has 2 shakers ok......now the shaker in the left side of the couch has more shake then the right side of the couch
maybe 10% more, and yes they are screwed very tightly.....why is this?

In my setup I have 2 matresess and a box spring for each bed, of which i have two(in total 6 matresses). Will the bass shakers work if i stick them between the matresses? IF not, will they work if i attach them to the box springs?

I am worried the springs in the matresses will absorb the shakers

How many quarters is going to take and for how long.

can anyone comment on the difference in wiring in parrallel or series?

Much appreciated.

tartag

tartag,

How many Aura shakers are you connecting? What are you using to power them?

The answers to those questions will assist us in commenting on series vs. parallel wiring.

With the wiring you have two basic goals

1. present a load to your amplifier it can drive (not too low an impedance that would cause it to overheat, shut-down, or self-destruct)

2. wire the shakers so that they all shake an equal amount.

Tell us more about what you are trying to do and we can give a better answer.

Joe L.

can do. Well from my 'main' reciever I have a Y cable from the LFE out one to the powered sub and the other to my pre-prologic Fisher receiver Video/Aux In. from there I have two slave woofers connected to the right
speaker -/+ off of the slaves they branch out to the two bass shakers. neg. to neg. pos. to pos. hope that helps and so I appreciate the guideance.

Im not getting any shaking.

My main receiver is in the front of the room and the 787 is in the back of the room. I have the sub output of my main receiver coming out of the wall behind the 787 receiver in the back of the room. The sub-out from the main receiver is split here and sent to 2 subs.

I have two couch's and I would be mounting 2 Aura shakers in each couch. Could you help me with a wiring diagram and how to hook up the second receiver if I can use it. I have 4 of the speaker terminals on the 787 are being used to drive 4 outdoor speakers, however, I'm not using the Center or Surround Back speaker connections.

My question is can I split the signal a third time and if so how do I use the 787 and connect it to the shakers (I assume DVD in).

If I put the shakers on the Center and Surround Back what would the incoming signal from the Main amp be puting out to the other 4 outdoor speakers and would this hurt them?

Are the 4 outdoor speakers taking away power from the shakers?

Do I need to set the amp speaker config to Large, the manual says if set to small everything under 80hz goes to subwoofer?

Is the signal coming from the Main amp considered digital and not analog if the only connection to the Main amp from all my other equipment is digital?

They just won't work, please help.

just a quick question about splitting the sub-out on my reciever. If i split it and send one to the sub like normal, then put another splitter on the other end to send to the L and R on my second reciever, will i lose any quality or quantity in the process?

i hope that is clear.

Charles

Charles. I may be talking out of school here but why not get a 1 to 2 RCA cable then you can cut out one of the spliters.

Cheers

Originally posted by sprchas
just a quick question about splitting the sub-out on my reciever. If i split it and send one to the sub like normal, then put another splitter on the other end to send to the L and R on my second reciever, will i lose any quality or quantity in the process?

I don't think you'll lose much. I don't think it's anything to worry about.

Originally posted by tartag
Charles. I may be talking out of school here but why not get a 1 to 2 RCA cable then you can cut out one of the spliters.

Cheers

If his sub needs a L & R input then i think he will need two splitters no matter what..Just a matter of where he chooses to put them.Once again,I could be wrong.

brickie

Makes sense... and to think of it my sub has a left and right... how come? isn't the point of LFE to be non-directional?

tartag

Does anyone have pictures of their bass shakers installed into Barcalounger Premiers with the electric recliners? My Aura's from PE should be coming later this week but I'm still a little stumped on how I should install them since the space is very limited below the seat cushion. Any tips would be great. Thanks.

Game 7 of the S.Cup was amazing with the Shakers installed! You can feel every hit on the glass. Putting the reciever in DSP Stadium mode created a nice sky box effect (I had to warn my friends not to throw things at the glass :) ) I can say that one couch seemed to resinate more than the other... would this be call to try wiring in parrell rather than series

Tartag

Are all your shakers in phase, and what about balance knob on amp? I have mine in series and they are quite awesome in each chair.

brickie

Well both are hooked to the right channel so the balance on the reciever is jacked right... I should verify they are in phase.

It could simply be that one couch is more flexible than the other, or more padded, or it is sitting on an area of the floor easier to vibrate.

Parallel vs Series wiring would not make a difference. If there are multiple shakers per couch, then phase might make a difference. It might even be psychoacoustic in that the couch that seems to shake more is simply in phase better with your subwoofer.

Joe L.

It could simply be that one couch is more flexible than the other, or more padded, or it is sitting on an area of the floor easier to vibrate.

Parallel vs Series wiring would not make a difference. If there are multiple shakers per couch, then phase might make a difference. It might even be psychoacoustic in that the couch that seems to shake more is simply in phase better with your subwoofer.

Joe L.

Well they are the same model couch and mounted in the same place/fashion one of the couches is on the riser so that may be adding some level of affect to it as well.

Has anyone used the aura amplifier AMP75 (60W@4ohm) to power more than one pro-bass-shaker?

Jaume, That would be enough to power a few at least.These things don't take much power at all to get going.

brickie

I installed the bass shakers, and split the sub-out from my primary reciever, then split it again, and it worked perfectly. Thanks for all of the input.

Another question, i have the shakers wired in series to present an 8 ohm load. If i am using a pioneer reciever, rated at 100w per channel, is each shaker on a channel recieving 50w at max output?

thanks
chas

ps. i put up some limited pics of construction in my gallery.

This is something I wanted to ask about...

Is it ok to just split the sub_out from my main receiver, and just hook up one channel to the shaker_receiver's i.e. left_in?

I'm wondering because I only intend to hook up 2 shakers to my couch in parallel, so I would really only need to use one channel to achieve this.

Would I be missing out on any 'stereo' bass effects?


Originally posted by tartag
Well both are hooked to the right channel so the balance on the reciever is jacked right... I should verify they are in phase.

Originally posted by GMGQ
Would I be missing out on any 'stereo' bass effects?

How can you achieve a "stereo" bass when the DVD LFE is mono?

I dunno. Why does my subwoofer cable split off into L/R at the end, to plug into the L/R inputs in the subwoofer, even though it's connected to the subwoofer_out from the receiver?


Originally posted by Vantorax
How can you achieve a "stereo" bass when the DVD LFE is mono?

Yeah same question. I have a powered sub with L and R but as I said earlier I thought the LFE was omni directional... The postive would be to connect each shaker to its own channel and be able to control them independently using the balance I suppose

Originally posted by GMGQ
I dunno. Why does my subwoofer cable split off into L/R at the end, to plug into the L/R inputs in the subwoofer, even though it's connected to the subwoofer_out from the receiver?

Because I believe the powered sub can be used to also drive stereo speakers. Do you see amplified speaker outputs in the back of your sub? There you go. The input of a sub can be more than just DVD LFE. It's made to handle different kinds of setup.

uhmm... nope no outputs on mine

As I said, the sub is designed for various setups. For instance, one not involving any DVD with dedicated LFE channels at all. One where you feed in the output of a radio and the sub will generate the bass according to the cross-over. It can take a stereo input. But DVD LFE is mono!

Can anyone suggest a cheap amplifer to power two 50W shakers (I don't have a spare receiver), I don't want to use plate amps. Thank you

I'm wondering because I only intend to hook up 2 shakers to my couch in parallel, so I would really only need to use one channel to achieve this.


Do you really intend to make your amp drive a 2 ohm load? That's generally not recommended.

Vantorax - that makes perfect sense. thnx for the clarification.

I'm wondering if a radio shack model 32-2042 35w PA amp would run 2 of the Aura shakers. Or does it need to be a receiver? Sorry if this has been mentioned but I didn't see it. Thanks

It probably would.The only thing I couldn't find was wether or not it was speced for 4 or 8 ohms.2Aura's would be 4 ohms which could be a diffulcult load for the amp if not rated for it..Plus no remote, but I don't have one and i'm satisfied for now.

brickie

I don't know the amp but I can say that spent the better half of the day fine tuning the reciever that drives my shakers. At a minimum you'll want volume control.

The amp has volume control and on the back it has 4,8,16 ohm jacks. It also has freq EQ on front. But all of the ohm jacks are single jacks and there is a GND jack .How would you connect the 2 shakers to it? any ideas?
Sorry if these are dumb questions.

I just assumed it had volume control..I'd say a remote volume would be even more idea.It took me an hour of critical listening to get them where i wanted.Which is being able to watch movies without constantly changing them. Iv'e got mine dialed in pretty good, and the only movie that i thought was too much...LOTR. Those movies are just way over the top..

brickie

Need the experts to chime in on this one..I wonder if you could run the positive to the ohm jack you wanted.And then the negative wire to ground. Not sure if this is correct, but I'm sure theres a way to make it work.

brickie

Thanks Brickie----
I can't wait to try these things out. I did find an istall manual on the internet and think it will work. It states to run in parallel and connect the NEG together and use the COM port on the amp and connect the POS together and place them in the correct ohm port. What is the best way to hook the amp to the receiver?
Thanks again for the help

what inputs does the PA amp have? Would be idea if it used rca inputs.Then you could just split the sub out on your receiver and send the signal to the PA amp that way. I've been looking into some "pro amps" myself and they use XLR connectors.Luckily they make some adapters to hook into XLR.

brickie

Sorry I should have put that in last post. The amp has a phono and AUX input with a switch that lets you choose between them. I did see the post by Bob _vdi earlier in thread and I think that pic he had split the Sub from receiver to input on another receiver. Should be the same concept. I'll just have to try it tonight and find out. I should just go buy a cheep receiver but since I already have the PA amp I thought I would try it the poor mans way...My shakers are just sitting there collecting dust : (

I agree with you..I'd give this a try before spending more money.I think you'll have best luck with the AUX input.Keep us posted and let me know how things go.

brickie

I just came across an inexpensive amp that may serve quite well for the basic aura bass shakers.

Look here:
http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=937&item=SWA-6&type=store

It's a plate amp like what is at partsexpress, except prob. around 60watts, and much cheaper.

Thought I'd pass it along.

-Jason W

Oops. Never mind. it's only high level inputs. No RCA. Fine for some, but not for most of us who use the sub output to run them.

-J

Not bad..Could be made to work with minimal effort.Price is right.Would have to use some high to low adapters.No mote of course, and didn't see the frequency response it's rated at..

brickie

Anyone have pics of the small Aura bass shakers installed in a LazyBoy Matinee chair?

Is there a weight limit for the buttkicker LFE's? I have one in my larger riser and during some testing this weekend the effect was faint... not sure if it is my incomplete setup or that the riser weighs too much for one BK LFE?

Thanks.

Elmer

Anyone ever seen/tried this mod?

http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/accessories/aura/aura_guykuo_mod.html

Hooked up the bass shakers to the PA AMP- these things are great.
Brickie the PA amp seems to work good it really helps to have the volume control for the aux output and a master volume control. I can really fine tune the shakers. I think I am going to try the Fmods as well.
Thanks for the help

Glad it worked out for you..If you find you get a little too much rumbling, the fmods can make a big difference by letting only the deepest bass go thru.

brickie

All right, boys, I finally hooked up my shakers today!! (Man, is the bottom of my leather ikea couch ever nasty on the inside :S). The shaking is definitely effective!

But I have a question... I'm using a Yamaha RX-V870 pro-logic receiver to power 2 aurora pro shakers. I had to turn up the volume to 80%+ for the shaking to be noticeable. Is this normal? Of course, at this volume, they shake more than they should (so I think I will definitely get a couple of FMODs). But if the volume on this receiver is too low, then there's barely any shaking at all.

On the back of the receiver, there's a switch for:
A = 6ohms
A+B = 8ohms

So I set it to A+B. The two shakers are wired in series (so it's 8ohms, right??).

On the front of the receiver, I turned the treble all the way down, and the bass all the way up. It's set to Stereo (therefore no DSP effects).

Aside from FMODs (should I get 50Hz?), are there any other tweaks I can do, so that I can get a good low rumble, without having to crank up the volume on the shaker receiver? Thanks in advance, all, this mod was WELL worth it (but I think it's drowning out my real subwoofer :S! haha).

GMGQ, How are you feeding the prologic receiver? Tell us a bit more about your connections - maybe we can help.

Not one to be left out of all this fun, I finally bit the bullet and have 4 pairs of the regular bass shakers coming!!!

I have decided to go the wire tie mounting route as that seems to produce good results and is easy enough to do.

Now the part I have been dreading, how to wire them up to my receiver.

My confusion, as with others here, is how best to wire them. :o

I have two rows of 4 Berklines. I also have an old Pioneer Amp that outputs 125 Watts per channel. I would like to run 4 off of the main LEFT channel and 4 off the main RIGHT channel. Is that a reasonable choice?

I had planned to wire them as shown on the parts express site but I got confused by their diagram. It has the words SERIES on it but also PARALLEL. There are also 3 wire colors: RED, BLACK and ORANGE (?)

SIGH . . . I hate to be a bother but if someone less electrically challenged than me can describe how to hook these to my amp, I would be very grateful!

Thanks!

Doug,

This wiring thing has REALLY been covered a LOT, but I'll comment on the diagram you submitted. This is a pair of pairs. The top two are wired in parallel, the bottom two are wired in parallel, and the two pairs are connected in series and hooked up to the amp. This configuration presents a 4 ohm load to the amp. (2 in parallel = 2 ohms, another 2 in parallel = 2 ohms, those two pairs hooked together in series = 4 ohms total.)

This is NOT the method I'd recommend for hooking up to your receiver, as it is likely that it will not handle a 4 ohm load very well.

Originally posted by buddhawood
Has anyone noticed that Parts Express now has a wiring diagram for hooking up the shakers? http://www.partsexpress.com/pdf/series%20parallel.pdf They also show examples of series and parallel hook up. Series/parallel (http://www.partsexpress.com/pdf/series%20vs.%20parallel.pdf)
I needed to hook up 8 shakers and I e-mailed them and the e-mailed me back a diagram on how to do it in just a few hours. I really like these guys!

Looks like you might be able to get some help from PE as well if you still need it...

Doug,

This wiring thing has REALLY been covered a LOT, but I'll comment on the diagram you submitted. This is a pair of pairs. The top two are wired in parallel, the bottom two are wired in parallel, and the two pairs are connected in series and hooked up to the amp. This configuration presents a 4 ohm load to the amp. (2 in parallel = 2 ohms, another 2 in parallel = 2 ohms, those two pairs hooked together in series = 4 ohms total.)

This is NOT the method I'd recommend for hooking up to your receiver, as it is likely that it will not handle a 4 ohm load very well.

Originally posted by David_Larkins
Doug,

This wiring thing has REALLY been covered a LOT, but I'll comment on the diagram you submitted. This is a pair of pairs. The top two are wired in parallel, the bottom two are wired in parallel, and the two pairs are connected in series and hooked up to the amp. This configuration presents a 4 ohm load to the amp. (2 in parallel = 2 ohms, another 2 in parallel = 2 ohms, those two pairs hooked together in series = 4 ohms total.)

This is NOT the method I'd recommend for hooking up to your receiver, as it is likely that it will not handle a 4 ohm load very well.

David, you are right . . . and I really hate to ask for help with my specific version of this dead horse . . .

I have spent quite a bit of time re-reading the whole series of posts. What I haven't seen is someone wiring 8 together. . . 6 appears to be common and JL submitted excellent an excellent drawing on that BUT there was a BUTTKICKER in the mix.

As I said, I am very unclear on PARALLEL and SERIES and how to do each. From what I have read, I think 4 on each channel is doable but will be a 16 OHM load. OK for the amp but will I get enough shaking for each chair? Also, in this configuration, how is the wiring run from speaker to speaker?

I really hate being ignorant!!!:(

David,

I got a y-splitter from radioshack, and split the sub_out from my main receiver (Yamaha HTR-5560). So one end of the Y goes to my JBL PB10 subwoofer.

On the other end, I put another splitter on, so that I have 2 outputs, for Left and Right, which I plugged into the CD_in of my shaker receiver.

Then I have the +/- speaker wire hooked up to the Right speaker output, which goes to my 2 shakers (wired in series). (No use for the left speaker output yet, but I figure I might as well hook it up, for future connectivity).

So basically it looks like this:

rcvr_right-speaker_out_(+) >>> shaker_1_(+)
shaker_1_(-) >>> shaker_2_(+)
shaker_2(-) >>> rcvr_right-speaker_out_(-)

Thanks,
Gary

Originally posted by David_Larkins
GMGQ, How are you feeding the prologic receiver? Tell us a bit more about your connections - maybe we can help.

OK, I went back to JL's post on the shakers and the ButtKickers.

After lots of head scratching and staring at the monitor, it may have sunk in on me . . .

If I take the BKs out of the picture and wire 4 shakers on each channel like this:

------(+) O (-)-----(+) O (-)----(+) O (-)----(+) O (-)----
|
|
|---------------(+)--|LEFT CHANNEL |--(-)----------|

I know the (-) has to be connected. . . I just couldn't draw it with HTML :confused:

This could be repeated for the RIGHT CHANNEL. Would this work and would each one likely get enough power equally from my 125 Watt receiver?

I REALLY do appreciate all the help everyone gives here!!

GMGQ,

Until you have a use for the left speaker out on the shaker rcvr, take that second Y out of the loop and just use a single patch cord from the first Y on the sub-out to the right ch. CD input on the shaker rcvr, and turn the balance all the way to the right. Also, when you're evaluating how much shake you're getting, be sure you're feeding it some low freq. (obviously)

Pick a scene from your favorite 'explosion' movie or a good test disc with a low freq sweep. and check 'em out.


Doug,

The way you have it drawn will work just fine. 16 ohms should be a really easy load for the rcvr to drive, and yes, all the shakes will get equal power.
Good Luck. Let us know how it goes.

DougSmith911,

Your connection diagram would work with each channel of the receiver having a 16 ohm load (4 shakers in series)

As most have described, it doesn't take excessive power to get things shaking so the odds are good it will be fine.

If your receiver can handle a 4 ohm load, you can get a lot more possible power by wiring a series/parallel combination on each channel.


|-----------------(+) O (-)-----(+) O (-)------------------|
| |
| |
|-----------------(+) O (-)-----(+) O (-)------------------|
| |
| |
|------------------(+)--|LEFT CHANNEL |--(-)---------------|


Two shakers in series = 8 ohms.
Two parallel sets of two in series = 4 ohms.

Joe L.
PS. I connected the other ends for you :D

Originally posted by J. L.
PS. I connected the other ends for you :D

Joe:

Thanks!!! :D Not just for connecting the other end but also for the alternative diagram. I will dig out the manual for the Pioneer receiver and see what it says about 4 ohm loads.

For simplicity's sake, I think I will first put them in series and see what shakes. If all is OK, then I will let it go and enjoy my new toys. If the shaking is lacking, I'll have the 4 ohm alternative provided the receiver can handle it. If it cannot, I'm pretty sure I can set this receiver to output the same signal on all channels. Then I can wire pairs of shakers on 4 channels.

I expect my STUFF to arrive Wednesday. We are expecting guests on Sunday so I'll have a few days to "shake" out the bugs. :rolleyes:

Thanks again, Joe, for your help and patience!!

I can tell you from experience, Pioneer receivers DON'T like 4 ohm loads!!!They don't drive them well at all..At least not the "consumer grade" receivers..The elite line i don't know..

brickie

I came across a product review of yet another type of shaker that provides directional bass. The effect was to allow the bass to travel from one end of the couch to the other as the effect moved from one channel to the other. While this would suggest that the connection is not through the LFE channel, it does sound interesting. Some processors allow routing the LFE to the main channels. My concern is that because these shakers would be responding to ALL lower frequencies, the effect might be overwhelming unless a crossover was available within the amp used to drive the shakers.

Anyone else think about this as an option?

Originally posted by Gibbie
My concern is that because these shakers would be responding to ALL lower frequencies, the effect might be overwhelming unless a crossover was available within the amp used to drive the shakers.

That'd be only if you listen to stereo/pro-logic material. The LFE of DVD is meant to be responded to fully. It's a signal dedicated to bass reproduction.

Gibbie, I have my shakers connected to the main L & R outputs of my receiver and the panning effect of the bass is remarkable. .

I'm looking for some advice to get my 2 aura shaker pros working to their fullest. I'm waiting for my Denon AVR-684 6.1 receiver to be delivered, that does 80 watts per channel into 8 Ohms. I also have an old Denon AVR-900 Pro Logic receiver which I am trying to run the 2 shakers off of. It can drive Left and Right front speakers at 60 watts per channel into 8 Ohms. The problem is that if I wire the 2 shakers in series off just the Left speaker output, the effects aren't strong enough.

The specs of both these receivers only go down to 6 Ohms. I would also like having the shakers in stereo on my couch much like RIT's setup. Should I risk hooking each 4 Ohm shaker up to the Front Left and Right outputs of the Pro Logic Denon or is there a better way?

Thanks!

Try it.

Originally posted by Vantorax
That'd be only if you listen to stereo/pro-logic material. The LFE of DVD is meant to be responded to fully. It's a signal dedicated to bass reproduction.


But in order to get multi-channel bass (directional), the LFE effects would need to be routed to the main channels. If the amp powering the shakers was driven from the main channels, it would respond to all bass information - LFE and normal. Unless someone knows a method of getting multi-channel / directional bass from the LFE channel.

i have 3 chairs to power.. in to the left channel of a old receiver, if i connect 2 in series then the other 1 parallel to the 2 in series would this be a total of 6 ohms?
and would this be ok,because my right channel of the old receiver is already running 2 shakers in series for a 8 ohm total in the right channel..
if i have 8 ohms in the right channel and 6 ohms in the left channel would it damage the old receiver? thanks....

raymondeast,

Although you will have a total resistance equal to 6 ohms, you will NOT get an equal distribution of power (and shaking) if you connect the shakers the way you described.

Two thirds of the shaking power will be delivered to one shaker (the one in series with the other two) and the remaining third split between the other two (the two in parallel with each other) This is because the one shaker will represent two thirds of the resistance and as a result have two thirds of the voltage from the amplifier dropped across it. The two in parallel will represent one third of the total resistance and get one third of the voltage across of them.

If you are powering them with 30 watts of power, they will get:

Shaker 1 --- 20 Watts (in series with the parallel combination of 2 & 3)
Shaker 2 --- 5 Watts (in parallel with 3)
Shaker 3 --- 5 Watts (in parallel with 2)

If you are using higher power, you might over-stress the one in series with the other two.

If using 60 Watts of power:

Shaker 1 --- 40 Watts (in series with the parallel combination of 2 & 3)
Shaker 2 --- 10 Watts (in parallel with 3)
Shaker 3 --- 10 Watts (in parallel with 2)

In this situation Shaker-1 will be over its power limit.

If uneven shaking is your intent and you use low power, then fine. Otherwise, connect all three in series (resulting in a 12 ohm load to the receiver) and they will all shake the same amount and be able to handle 60 watts of driving power.

The uneven load on the two amplifier channels will not hurt anything, you will simply have to adjust the left/right balance control to get the shakers connected to the left channel to shake the same amount as those on the right.

Joe L.

thanks joe... how do i connect 3 in series? and the total watts of my reciver is 80 watts total i believe.....
running 3 in series on the left channel and 2 in series on the right channel will not harm the receiver? and i know it does not take much to drive the shakers,but do you think running this many my reeciver will run them?
right know i only have the volume at about 1/4 on the dial and all runs fine..

raymondeast,

Your best bet with 5 shakers and a stereo receiver is to wire them as shown below. Once in place, adjust the left/right balance control until the shakers on the left channel shake as much as the ones on the right channel. (You will probably end up with the control slightly off center)

If you are currently at 1/4 volume on a single channel powering an 8 ohm load, and everything is shaking enough, then your receiver should have no problem powering a 12 ohm load on the other channel. At least wired this way all the shakers will get equal power and shake the same amount. (usually the desired effect)

Good luck.

Joe L.


|-------(+)O(-)------(+)O(-)-----(+)O(-)------|
| |
| 3 shakers in series = 12 Ohms |
| |
|----------(+)--|LEFT CHANNEL|--(-)-----------|


|-------------(+)O(-)------(+)O(-)------------|
| |
| 2 shakers in series = 8 Ohms |
| |
|----------(+)--|RIGHT CHANNEL|--(-)----------|

J.L. and Raymondeast,

I'm not sure about that 6ohm impedence...

For 2 shakers in series, and 1 in parallel to the two in series, wouldn't that be:

4+4 = 8 ohm for the two in series. Then, wiring one in parallel with that woudl be (8*4)/(8+4) = 32/12 = 2.67 Ohm.

Right? Certainly not a load you want to put on a receiver. J.L. If I'm calculating this wrong, tell me where I've messed up.

David,

Oops...

I mis-read his post and was thrown off by his 6 ohm impedance calc.

Two in parallel with a third in series with the parallel combination would be 6 ohms.

Two in series with a third in parallel with the first two is indeed as you calculated. (2.67 ohms) A very low impedance and unsuitable for almost all receivers.

In both cases, the shaking would be uneven between the shakers. Also undesirable for most folks.

Joe L.

Originally posted by David_Larkins
GMGQ,

Until you have a use for the left speaker out on the shaker rcvr, take that second Y out of the loop and just use a single patch cord from the first Y on the sub-out to the right ch. CD input on the shaker rcvr, and turn the balance all the way to the right. Also, when you're evaluating how much shake you're getting, be sure you're feeding it some low freq. (obviously)

Pick a scene from your favorite 'explosion' movie or a good test disc with a low freq sweep. and check 'em out.


Doug,

The way you have it drawn will work just fine. 16 ohms should be a really easy load for the rcvr to drive, and yes, all the shakes will get equal power.
Good Luck. Let us know how it goes.

David, Please explain the OHM thing. The lower the number the worse it is for the receiver to drive?
but, if the receiver is rated to drive at 8 ohm, higher is not a problem as long as the receiver has the output power? Is there an upper ohm limit for this wiring? What is the formula to calculate final ohm rating in wiring a set of shakers, or speakers, in a combination of series and parallel?

I have two couches and one single lounge chair to wire. I will either use two 50W per couch or 3 25W. The lounge chair will take one 50W. How do I wire this setup to the receiver?

Is there a preference in using the 25W vs the 50W shakers? I understand the power rating but I am wondering if the 25W's are perfectly fine or if you really do need to use the 50W's to get good action? I see references and pictures of 25W and 50W shakers being used on a single chair. Where is the bang for the buck the best?

Originally posted by raymondeast
i have 3 chairs to power.. in to the left channel of a old receiver, if i connect 2 in series then the other 1 parallel to the 2 in series would this be a total of 6 ohms?
and would this be ok,because my right channel of the old receiver is already running 2 shakers in series for a 8 ohm total in the right channel..
if i have 8 ohms in the right channel and 6 ohms in the left channel would it damage the old receiver? thanks....

How is the third chair hooked up?

it is not connected yet,but i will connect the 3 in series on the left chanell and the other 2 in series for the right chanell.......thanks J.L

Hi guys. I've been reading this thread (and whole site) with interest for awhile. This thread actually got me interested in the shakers. I bought a few and hooked them up in the current tv room to test them out... Even the wife was impressed! I am almost to the point of hanging sheetrock in the theater and had a quick question...

Should I run more than one speaker cable to hook up the shakers? I am running 14/4 in-wall cable, two rows of seating, back row on a riser... I was thinking maybe use 2 strands from the 14/4 for the front and two for the back?? Since you guys seem to be so well-versed on this I was looking for an assist...

Not an expert, but sounds like a nice,neat solution to me.

brickie

Here is a repost of my question above.


I have two couches and one single lounge chair to wire. I will either use two 50W per couch or 3 25W. The lounge chair will take one 50W. How do I wire this setup to the receiver?

Is there a preference in using the 25W vs the 50W shakers? I understand the power rating but I am wondering if the 25W's are perfectly fine or if you really do need to use the 50W's to get good action? I see references and pictures of 25W and 50W shakers being used on a single chair. Where is the bang for the buck the best?

Between having to repaint my concession room and pick green beans in the garden, it was a real challenge to get time to work on installing the shakers in my Berklines.

But persistence paid off and I now have 8 Berklines with the shakers installed, tuned and operational!!

In my model (090, I think) there was not a wood place on the back to put the shakers so I had to wire tie to the seat springs. It works better than I thought it would. I just have to be careful and not turn up the receiver to much or you get a distinct "vibration" beneath your butt instead of a subtle shaking of the chair.

I wired each row of 4 in series and connected to one of the front channels as we discussed earlier in this thread. The 16 OHM load on each channel is a breeze for the receiver and I have the volume knob set around 1/2.

Thanks to JL, David and everyone for the help and patience!

One last request . . . Please don't discover any more GREAT IMPROVEMENTS for the theater. . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . at least until next month! ;)

Originally posted by Mike191
Is there a preference in using the 25W vs the 50W shakers? I understand the power rating but I am wondering if the 25W's are perfectly fine or if you really do need to use the 50W's to get good action? I see references and pictures of 25W and 50W shakers being used on a single chair. Where is the bang for the buck the best?

Mike:

I just finished my shaker project this weekend. After others' experience here, I decided on the 25 watt shakers: They get the job done and cost nearly half of the 50 watt version. My reasoning was that if 25 watts would shake enough, there would be no need for an additional 25 watts.

I think three 25 watt shakers per couch would be plenty and a single 25 watt would be plenty for the lounge chair. Unfortunately, they come in pairs so you would have one left over. If that is a concern, get 6 25 watts and a single 50 for the chair. A bit overkill, IMHO, but with enough volume, it could double as a massage chair! :D

I think Brickie got the 50 watt units, maybe he can chime in with an opinion.

Mike,

I find that the 25w shakers are sufficient and I don't notice too much difference between 3 of them and 2 of the 50w... But I keep them fairly low because I like a subtle shaking effect.

As for the wiring question, I'm going to refer you to the many posts earlier in this thread or one of several other shaker threads that you can find using a search as the wiring of these things has really been discussed ad nauseum, and I don't think I can add much to it here that hasn't already been said.


Doug, I know what you mean, my list of HT 'needs' grows faster than the HT fund!! :)

Originally posted by DougSmith911
Mike:

I just finished my shaker project this weekend. After others' experience here, I decided on the 25 watt shakers: They get the job done and cost nearly half of the 50 watt version. My reasoning was that if 25 watts would shake enough, there would be no need for an additional 25 watts.

I think three 25 watt shakers per couch would be plenty and a single 25 watt would be plenty for the lounge chair. Unfortunately, they come in pairs so you would have one left over. If that is a concern, get 6 25 watts and a single 50 for the chair. A bit overkill, IMHO, but with enough volume, it could double as a massage chair! :D

I think Brickie got the 50 watt units, maybe he can chime in with an opinion.

Thanks, I'll wait and see if Brickie will chime in.

Well I went with 8 25W shakers. I will see how they work next week when they arrive. The chair will have two shakers and I guess it will be designated as the special sound chair!

Chiming in late..I tend to do things in overkill, so i would have suggested the 50 watt versions..I don't have any experience with the 25 watt but have heard many good results using them..One thing i'll say is that it doesn't take much power to get these shaking!!! I do believe I could have got great results with the 25 watt , but really wanted the "headroom" of the 50 watt version.They also look alot cooler..Yeah, I know nobody will see em.LOL. Keep us posted on how they go.

brickie

Wow--I guess I also did things in Overkill!!!

I bought 8 of the Buttkicker LFE's for my 8 theater seats...man do those rock the house. 400 watts minimum each!

Originally posted by SBelnick
I bought 8 of the Buttkicker LFE's for my 8 theater seats...man do those rock the house. 400 watts minimum each!

WOW!

Do those theater chairs come with seat belts????? :D

Doug

Originally posted by DougSmith911
WOW!

Do those theater chairs come with seat belts????? :D

Doug

Nope--a safety harness!

way over the top!!LOL

brickie

My 090's will be here next month. I ordered them with the power recline. Can the shakers still be added? Also, has anyone put a shaker in the seat and the back of a 090?

I saw a link somewhere that showed how to add a piece of plywood to the bottom of the chair (without the recline motor) and mount the shaker. I have not seen how anyone adds a shaker to the back. Would it go in the middle of the back or lower back?

Thanks

Rick,

I added the shakers to the bottom of my Jaymars myself and they have the power recline. I basically just measured out the size of wood that I would need and then went to home depot and had them cut me some pieces. I screwed it in with wood screws and then mounted the bass shakers to them under the seat.

Works like a charm!

IMHO - Rick, I'd be carefull adding even the 25W in the back of the chair as well as underneath. The effect can so quickly go from omini-directional and way cool to just plain novelty and downright annoying. Again just my $.02

-tartag

Tartag, that's why we have stressed thru ou tthis thread about using a receiver so you can more easily set them up so that doesn't happen..If your rumbling is distracting,then you have yours set too high.It should really blend in perfectly.

brickie

Oh no I hear ya! and I have heeded the advice I have a single 25W in each loveseat and the volume on the shaker reciever set to like an 1/8. I just can't imagine having additional shakers adding to the effect.

Originally posted by Rick Wilson
My 090's will be here next month. I ordered them with the power recline. Can the shakers still be added? Also, has anyone put a shaker in the seat and the back of a 090?

I saw a link somewhere that showed how to add a piece of plywood to the bottom of the chair (without the recline motor) and mount the shaker. I have not seen how anyone adds a shaker to the back. Would it go in the middle of the back or lower back?

Thanks

Rick,

Check out post 169 in this thread. It contains a picture of a Bass Shaker mounted in the back of a 090. It works fine and was very easy to do.

Thanks everyone. Now, is it better to mount one on the back or bottom of the 090's?

Maddogmc,
Why did you choose the back?

I found the back to be easier to work with than the base.The back frame is firmly connected to the seat frame so you feel the vibrations throughout the chair.

Good luck with whatever installation method you choose. They really do add "depth" to the HT experience!

I think three 25 watt shakers per couch would be plenty and a single 25 watt would be plenty for the lounge chair. Unfortunately, they come in pairs so you would have one left over.
If you have a bathroom near the theater you could mount the extra shaker on the toilette. I saw a theater on the web a few years ago that did that and they claimed it was the best seat in the house. :D

I was going to give another use for a shaker, but I won't go there..LOL

brickie

Thanks for all the great tips out there guys, I just got my 2 standard bass shakers from Parts Express. I mounted them to a fairly large 3 seater couch - screwed them in to the cross bar underneath. I didn't have an old amp/receiver anywhere so I went over to my local Wal-Mart and found a Durabrand HT-395 100 watt 5.1 surround sound receiver and speakers for $55. They had about 6 of them left. Yeah I know Durabrand is considered low end but for what I wanted it for, why not! Of course I didn't need the speakers but for a simple amp for the shakers I could not resist. I love this thing, it sounds err I mean feels great!. My main amp is a Pioneer VSX-D608. At first I hooked it up via the method described in this thread - splitting the sub out. It worked ok but I wasn't happy with it so I checked and my D608 has an optical out port. The HT-395 has Optical in and Coax in so I thought I would try it out. I ran an optical cable between the 2 and set the HT-395 to Dolby Digital mode and hooked the two shakers up in series to the sub out speaker jack on the 395 and BANG! Shaking eveywhere and just the right amounts. I could not believe it! This is a fantastic way to hook these up (with any amps that have opti in and out). If anyone has any questions about the setup let me know. I can not believe you get so much effect for so little cost! My wife loves it - she renamed them 'ass shakers'.

Yes sir!!! Make sure you think about an F-mod as well.

brickie

Hey Oconus, what kind of cables did you use to convert sub out (rca type connection) to the speakers (via speaker wire I assume). I am not a newbie but not a professional either and I cannot seem to make the connection (in my head). Also, the Duraband is 100 watts per channel? I'm just wondering if the sub out could support 4 of these 25watt babies in series. Thanks for the info

SergeantD,

The 395 says 100 watts, I think it is total, not per channel, but it doesnt really say anywhere. Given the price I doubt it is 100 per channel. As for the speaker connection, good question. Luckly on this one it was very easy as the sub out is a standard 2 wire (+,-) spring loaded terminals. I do not know if it will drive 4, 2 seem just fine. I tried out Return of the King - big battle scene with the elephants (or whatever they are called). Really amazing what these little things can do.

Oconus,

As many have said previously, it does not take much power to drive the Aura shakers.

I looked at the manual for your bargain Durabrand receiver and it said 100 watts maximum power output. It also had a power input rating of 55 watts.
I'm guessing that the power output claim is highly inflated by their marketing folks. (Unless they invented a new way to amplify that is more than 100% efficient, or the 100 watt value is Peak power output, it has to be an inflated rating)

Guessing that it would have to be about 65 percent efficient (running class AB amplifiers) that would indicate the actual power output of all six channels to be somewhere near 35 watts (55 watts input from the wall cord * .65 )

Again guessing that one half to one third of that would be for the subwoofer and the remainder for the other 5 channels results in about 11.5 to 17.5 watts to your shakers, each shaker getting between half of that. Since all the amplifiers in that unit probably share a common power supply, and since the other channels are not supplying power to any speakers, you might even be getting as much as 20 to 25 watts split between your two shakers. As we have said before, it does not take much power to get these things shaking.

In any case, if they are shaking enough to add to your movie experience, then the receiver is plenty powerful enough for your needs. Yes, the scene in lord-of-the-rings is something else with the shakers. You can feel every footstep.

Now, when the dinosaur in the movie treads nearby, and the glass of water on the screen has ripples across its surface from the tremor, it might just also occur for real when seated on your couch.

Joe L.

Originally posted by brickie
Yes sir!!! Make sure you think about an F-mod as well.

brickie
brickie,

what's an F-mod?

J.L.,

Wow thanks for the analysis! Who knows, maybe Durabrand is using that 'new' math, lol! This is what I love about home theater in general - no two people have the same setup and everyone is so helpful in checking specs out and offering advice. There amount of information I have gotten just from these AVS forums is truly amazing. You know I doubt this little Durabrand bargain amp will last long but until it dies I am going to enjoy it. Time to put Jurassic Park in!

Oconus,

About 10 years ago I set up my first Dolby Prologic surround sound processor and used a set of 5 surplus amplifier circuit boards I found at a flea-market to feed a very mismatched set of inexpensive speakers. I powered the amplifier boards with a 15 volt, 1 amp power, current limited, bench supply. That dictated the maximum possible power output from the 5 channels to 15 watts assuming 100% efficiency (and you know they could not be. )

My actual power output for all five channels was probably about 10 watts.

Now, that may not sound like much, but it was loud, in fact, often too loud for my wife. If you use efficient speakers, it does not take much power to drive them.

Don't be surprised if your Durabrand amplifier outlives much of your other equipment. Apparently, the shakers are pretty efficient.

Bring on the T-Rex...

Joe L.

Well, I finally got my Aura's set up after lurking in this thread for months. I have 3 shakers wired in series into one channel and 3 in series in the other channel. I have a Teac receiver from parts express powering them, which receives a cable that was split from the subwoofer. I turned the bass all the way up and the treble all the way down.

I mounted them to the frame of a sectional sofa (one shaker per seat). I'm still tweaking the volume on the Teac receiver. Depending on the movie, you can either get shaken out of your seat or feel nothing at all. The scene at the beginning of Star Wars Ep II when the ship explodes makes you feel like you are in the explosion.

I don't think I need the F Mods yet, but we'll see after I finish the tweaking. I didn't notice any shaking during dialog. I also noticed that the shaking is a lot less noticeable during music playback than during movies.

Thanks to everyone here for their great help in wiring , etc.

Well, thanks to this thread I got my bass shakers up and running. I had my brother in law watch part of a movie yesterday. He cracked up laughing and thought it was great.

I would like to experiment with either a 50 or 70 FMOD, but don't need 2 of them. Did anyone order a pair and want to get rid of one of the extra ones? pm me if so. (Am I allowed to ask this on the forum? If not delete me.)

Bah.. I've read through this and the "other" thread...

How do I go about wiring 3 shakers over two channels?

Basically wire the left and right up like a regular speaker, but then take the Positive of the L channel shaker and connect it to the positive of the 3rd shaker and then the negative of the R channel shaker to the - of the 3rd?

My receiver does 120W RMS @ 6ohms per channel. I think I can 2 just fine off one channel since I bet that would work out to about 100W RMS @ 8ohms and they're 50W RMS Shakers...

But then I don't get to mount the 3rd... (going on a couch.. reclining couch at that)

That reall yis an odd number to get to work..Why not get 1 more for the couch for a total of 2.It would really make life easier for you.

brickie

Yeah I bought 4... decided to mount only 2 when I saw there were so few places I could mount them (remember, it's got two recliners in it so there's almost no where I can mount them other than the bottom but if I do that I have to add some padding to the feet or else the shakers will touch the floor, I expect it would make a pretty bad rattingling noise (hardwood). So I mounted them to the rear of the couch... it's a little padded there, but they're mounted down very tight.

Ran through the Matrix Reloaded Highway scene, pretty neat. It's subtle until you mute it then you're amazed at the difference. Which is good, you're supposed to add to the experience, not create a whole new one.

I suppose I could add the other two or raise the feet... think I'll run it like this for a bit.. the centre seat is a little weaker but during the big booms you can still feel it.

Anyhow I guess going with a 4ohm 50W resistor is the only other way to do 3 "easily" with the most power.

Taylor,

Try bridging the Left and Right speaker outputs of your receiver. Have the Left positive wired to your 3 shakers in series, then going to the Right negative output. The amp should then do about 200W RMS into 8 ohms. So probably 150W into 12 ohms I'm guessing. Also, the more resistance the amp powers, the cleaner it'll sound.

itdbclos,

Unless the receiver was designed to be bridged, I think that there are some odds that could be a costly experiment.

On the other hand, since on many receivers the negative binding posts are ALL connected to a common point, your suggestion will probably result in one channel driving the shakers, not two as you might think.

To "bridge" an amplifier it must be stable into 1/2 of the resistance of the load. Since he is looking to use three shakers, if all are in series it would be a 12 ohm load. He stated his rx could output 120 watts into 6 ohms so you are probably ok there IF he wires all three of the shakers in series.

To "bridge" an amplifier, the two output channels must be driven "out-of-phase" with each other and you would connect the speaker/shaker the two "positive" binding posts. In other words, as one channel is at its peak positive output, the other must be at its peak negative output. There is no provision in any receiver I've ever seen to invert the phase of one channel, unless it was specifically designed to be bridged. You can purchase an external audio phase inverter, but it is not something you will find in Radio Shack or Circuit City. You definitely cannot use a "Y" adapter to feed the stereo inputs from the LFE out of the main receiver.

Rather than bridging his amplifier, the simplest solution is to wire all three shakers in series and put them on one channel of the Teac receiver. Odds are very high that there will be plenty of power to shake the change loose from your pockets.

Joe L.
U571 Anyone???

Opening scene in the "Italian Job" scared the sh.t out of both my wife and myself when the first explosion occurred. The shakers make a HUGE difference.

Thanks for the replies guys.

I decided just to go with 2 as indicated and now that they've been worked in a bit (i.e. either electronically or by pounding down the padding between the mounting point and the frame) they seem to be performing better than the other day.

Watched Master & Commander last night, and then Jurassic Park... 2 Pros are more than enough.

Now I just have spares for future seating. Neat upgrade, worth the cash.

So I've got 2 shakers installed in my couch, and it works GREAT. The only thing is, my main receiver is a Yamaha, and my shaker receiver is a Yamaha.

The main receiver sits on the top shelf of the AV cabinet, and the shaker receiver is on the bottom shelf. I've programmed both into my trusty MX-700 remote control.

Now I can turn the shaker receiver on/off without affecting the main receiver. But when I control the volume of the main receiver, the volume on the shaker receiver goes up/down as well. So the volume control obviously uses the same frequency :S

Obviously this is really annoying when I just want to control the volume on one or the other (i.e. adjusting the shaker level, but not wanting to turn down the main home theater volume).

Any ideas how I can control the volumes independently?? TIA.

You could open one and move the IR sensor to a different position in the room, to make direct line shooting a necessity.

brickie

I will just add my experience with the Aura Shakers.

This thread convinced me to pick them up and give them a try. To say the least, I am VERY happy with the results. My wife said it best:

"It's like the theater is louder without it being louder."

I hooked up 4 of these shakers (2 in a series per channel) and hooked it up to my old Pioneer VSX-604S Pro Logic Amp. I split it off of my LFE signal into another Y into my receiver. I input the source into my Laser Disc in, set it to plain stereo and that was it! I was just glad that I was able to find a place on my recliners to hook them up. Not only that, I was just *barely* able to get a drill in there to predrill holes. Trust me, I could NOT have gotten these things hooked up without pre-drilling. Once they were hooked up, you'd swear there was sound coming from the seats, but put your ear to it and nothing.

I took Brickie's advice and used the menu selection screen of Godzilla and that worked perfectly. Nice and short with a gradual increase of LFE. It allowed me to set the levels just perfectly. My wife and I can't wait until we get some friends over to not tell them about it and see their reaction.

So I will just re-iterate what has been said countless times here already. If you have a spare amp or can afford a cheap PE one, get these. It doesn't matter if you have a couch, papasan, or recliners. It will enhance your movie watching experience for a minimal expense.

So with that, go and order yourself some shakers!

Well said!

brickie

Was that the mattew brodrick (SPelling) Godzilla with all the baby zillas?

Originally posted by bob_vdi
Was that the mattew brodrick (SPelling) Godzilla with all the baby zillas?

That's the one. And I only own that movie by accident. I found it in my firends DVD drive when I took it in for service at CompUSA. Otherwise, I don' think I would own that film :p

Would an amp without volume control work for the shakers? I've got one lying around and would use it for power. My 090's should be arriving in about a month. Can't wait to get them shaking.

jatleson,

volume control to me is a must (read the thread).

I had a really had time finding a place to mount my shakers on my new 090's... ended up using the zip-tie method - seems to be ok so far, but you might want to check into other threads that discuss this as well.

Good Luck.

David, I've just ordered four Aura Pros for my four 090s (a couple years old, so perhaps different in construction). From what I've seen in other posts, mounting to the 090 frame involved crafting plywood inserts, mounting the shaker to the plywood, and the plywood to a couple of points on the frame. I've seen reference to mounting two shakers, too, one in the way described, and one to the back of the seat, shoved underneath the material covering it (leaving a hump, I imagine).

I'm anticipating a plywood install, myself. I'll report back in a week or two with how that goes.

--Mike

where did you find the Aura Pros?

Is the vibration of the bass shaker accomplished by sound waves or does the bass shaker have some kind of mechanical vibrator in it, that is triggered to turn on by the sound frequency hitting a certian level? Second question. Does the bass shaker emit any sound at all?

We live in a condo and don't want to annoy our downstairs neighbors. We plan to mount the bass shakers in Berkline 090 theater seats, it will not be mounted to the floor.

Please help.

On verge - of buying Berkline 088's - Please let me know someone if this will be a major hassle to mount the shakers in (standards not pros) Can it be done?? I thought there was a thread or post about the 088's but now I am at a loss to find it.....

jc111 - the shakers do not make any noise - just vibration. However the vibration they make could cause other things to make noise I suppose - our picture frams on the sofa table behind rattle around sometimes....and this is through the floor as the table is a good 1-2" away from the sofa.

A Bass Shaker is basically a loudspeaker with a weight mounted on the voice coil instead of a cone.

See this link for how to build a DIY shaker out of an old loudspeaker (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_4_2/tactile.html)

Inside of the Aura shaker looks like this:
http://www.ntpog.org/mods/fifth-shakers/fifth-shakers3.jpg

As you can see, the weight is in the center with a spiral metal spring supporting it.

Now, if you bolt the frame of the shaker to the seat, it will move the mass of the seat in opposition of the mass mounted on its voice coil.

Now, they do not make much audible sound, but since they are shaking the furniture, they will probably be audible downstairs. I would put a block of rubber under each leg to allow the chair to shake and isolate it from the floor. That should help the chair to shake AND lessen the vibration transmitted to the floor. Perhaps pieces cut from a rubber floor mat (one of those designed to lessen fatigue when standing on a hard floor) would be squishy enough to absorb most of the motion and allow the chair to shake without transmitting too much energy to the floor.

Joe L.

pcrx,

I think if you look back in this thread, there is stuff about 088s. I've got them mounted in mine. Just cut some plywood piece to mount them too. it was very easy.

Here are auctions for a pair of the Aura Bass Pro's and a sub amp on ebay.

item#5727151248
item #5727160263

Here is an auction for the bass shakers (non-pro) and sub amp:

item# 5726762626



Enjoy!


Dennis

eBay, just like my Crown amps (Damn you, Brickie!).

I'll take that as you're happy. You're so very welcome..LOL

brickie

Everyone -

I currently have two shakers running in series on one speaker channe. Is it OK to add a third to that same line to have three running in series?

I am using this receiver to run the shakers:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=248-515

Will the load be the same on both channels? If not I don't think I would do it, unless you're making it easier for the amp in terms of ohms, and not more diffulcult.

brickie

Brickie -

Right now I am only using one channel - with two shakers in series... I wanted to keep that setup ( only running one speaker wire) to my seating. I just wanted to add another shaker to the series to make it a total of three. (Would that be 12 ohms then?)

The receiver should do OK with that (?) The specs have it rated at 8 ohms....

Yeah, you should be more than okay..Any particular reason you're not taking advantage of that other channel?

brickie

Mainly because I will only have a total of 3 shakers in my new room - and the receiver is rated at 8 ohms... I figure that running all three off of one channel would be the easy way to go. Plus the shaking is so awesome already that I don't think I need any more!

Gotcha..nice to have the ability to add on to other channel if you ever desire..

brickie

I figure I will run wire for the other channel anyway - but just run the three shakers off of one channel for the time being. Then I will have the other channel free if I ever feel the need to really shake! :)

A HUGE THANK YOU to all who contributed to this fantastic thread - Bass shakers delivered and ready to be installed with an inexpensive receiver .... would not have thought to include this in our theater if it wasn't for this forum...

next stop mylars and ticket booth projects....

navydoc

any mortgage lenders out there to help finance this stuff:D

navydoc,

Let us know what you think when you get them up and shaking! :)

Hey doc...I must be following you around. Mine are due in on Thurs. Picking up the receiver today. Let me know what you think...steve

If you don't go to crazywith volume levels to shakers , the effect it adds is unbelievable!!!You'll think you have a couple of SVS's,well minus the prtessure level in the room.LOL

brickie

Do any of you bass shaker users have an xbox? Do they work with it? If so what games are good? I personally do not have an xbox yet, but my 3 year old son is getting one for Christmas. ;) Of course I will need to break it in for him for the next couple of years until he is old enough.:p I will check my bass shakers then.

Originally posted by pelly
Do any of you bass shaker users have an xbox? Do they work with it? If so what games are good? I personally do not have an xbox yet, but my 3 year old son is getting one for Christmas. ;) Of course I will need to break it in for him for the next couple of years until he is old enough.:p I will check my bass shakers then.

Pelly,

I run my Xbox and the shakers add a killer effct!! A few games that really rumble a lot are Halo (and hopefully Halo 2) and Star Wars Battlefront.

Guys,

Kindly forgive me, but I fear I am an idiot. After reading this entire thread, I'm afraid I still haven't a clue how to hook up two pair of Aura Shakers (non-pro) to one couch. I'll be using an old (circa 1977) Pioneer SX-650 receiver, rated at 35wpc. I'd like to present the receiver with an 8ohm load (the shakers are nominally 4ohms, right?). I don't understand wiring in series or parallel, duh, so I'd be really grateful if someone might kindly provide a dummy-proof diagram. Alternatively, if the old Pioneer is considered not quite up to the task, I might also use my Parasound HCA-1000A (125wpcx2), which has gain controls for each channel on the rear, but perhaps this might be a slight case of overkill and a mis-use of my resources. Associated gear, if it matters: Parasound 1205A powering center and bi-amping mains (fool's configuration), 1000A powering surround channels, Yamaha 795a as pre-pro, Hsu VTF3MK2 sub, Axiom models all around. I really appreciate the help. Cheers, fellas.

DS.

You would want to wire them in series. You would connect positive to from chan 1 of reciever to positive of shaker 1. then run negavtive of shaker1 to positive of shaker 2. then run negative of shaker 2 to negative of chan 1 on receiver.

I don't recall if shakers are 4 or 8 ohm loads though. If they are 8 ohm and not 4 ohm, you won't hurt your amp at all if you wire them in series. You'll just have half the wattage going to the shakers.

Amps don't mind a higher than rated ohm load but if the ohm load is too low then you'll have problems.


http://www.max-headroom.com/home-theater-images/home-theater-speaker-ohm.gif

I've got a sectional that I plan on mounting 6 25w shakers to. Does it matter where on the frame I mount them? The front part of each section has a 6 inch wide frame going across the front. Is it OK to mount these on the front? Otherwise I need to do some figuring.

Also, can you buy the FMODS at local B&M's? My shakers should be here today or tomorrow and I'd like to pick a pair up without having to wait for shipping.

This has been a great board to read. Everyone is so pumped about these things. Everytime I add something new my wife thinks I'm nuts until she sees the finished results. I can hardly wait for this one.

Thanks for all the help.
Steve

Dave,

Wire them in series, exactly as mheadroom shows (on the right side) in the diagram. Your old 35w/channel Pioneer will be perfect.


seatlsteve,

I think putting them closer to the "butt" end would be preferable... but if you can't do that easily, try 'em on the front and see what happens. Worst case scenario: you don't like them there... unscrew and apply elsewhere. No harm done.

mheadroom and Dave,

Thanks a ton for your help, fellas; you've been a big help. I've just ordered two pair of shakers that ought to show up at my door here in Canada in about two weeks, at which time I'll report back. Thanks again, and cheers.

DS.

I have real theater seats that make it a bit unsightly to attach the shakers.

I am wondering if anybody has any experience with hooking them up to their riser instead and if the effect is the same?

I know that the Buttkickers show a riser install configuration. I think they can conduct more energy than the Aura's, though (400W consumption vs. 50W). However, mounting multiple units could make up the difference.

This is supposition, though. I have no experience trying this.

--Mike

I have 8 shakers installed in my riser, with 3 Berkline 090's on it. I get a pretty good shaking effect - more suble than shocking. I should think that "real" movie theater seats would transmit the shake better due to their lower weight and less padding.

Good luck,

Dwight

I have 8 shakers installed in my riser
Dwight, when you built the riser did you float the center beams so that they would not touch the floor ? This supposedly allows more vibration to reach the chairs.

Thanks,
Jim

Finally got some time to install some 25W Aura Bass shakers to my couch -

Was able to place a piece of plywood to the bottom of the couch, attach 4, 25W Aura bass shakers wired in series, and hooked up to a Sherwood receiver that supports frequency down to 20Hz (bought at CC for $109) -

Popped in Pearl Harbor DVD and marveled at how much a difference the shakers make - it really gave the "bombing" scenes even more punch...

Overall, a great addition - I look forward to tweaking it tomorrow to get it just right....looking forward to adding some to the Berkline 090s that are due for delivery in the next 2 weeks.

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread - your posts made the process much simpler (and probably saved me a great deal of time and effort)..

Navydoc

navydoc, good luck on adding those to the 090's. I've gone with the zip-tie method for now, but I'm thinking about cutting some boards for mounting them at a later date.

Glad to hear they are working well for you.

Congrats..

brickie

I think I got a bargin of the life time. I just purchase 25 of the 25watts shakers for $1.00 each AUD in an auction!!!!!

No one knew what it was except ME!!!!!Yeah. People thought they were broken speaker magnets!!

I am thinking of putting 12 shakers on a floating plateform and place my lounge on top of this.

I've got an old car amp (pwered by a PC power supply) that I might hook this up with.

The car amp has a a 230watts RMS at 4ohms when bridged mode.

Do you think that this will work?

Can anyone tell me how to wire up the 12 shakers to give me the 4ohms load?

Cheers

OK, I've thoroughly (I think) read this very informative thread, and I have a couple of Q's:

I decided to go with the AURA PRO's, and I also decided to use the ONKYO M-282 (http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=M-282&class=Amplifier&p=i) as the powering AMP.

My main receiver is the ONKYO 601.

I do not (repeat: DO NOT) use the SUB-OUT for any reason, so I figured it'd be pretty easy to set everything up.

However, I'm stumped with 2 things:

#1) How do I make sure I'm getting enough bass crossed over to the sub out, without losing the bass that I have going to my mains?

#2) How precisely do I set everything up, using the equipment that I have (or will be getting)?

For x-ample:

Sub-out to..........?? How is this connection made?

SHAKERS on one channel each, or wired in series to one channel (AMP is 2-channel)? If wired in series, which channel should it go to/from, Left or Right?

I apologize in advance if these are silly or redundant Q's.

Thanx.

JimMac,

Yup - I used 2x8's for the perimeter of the riser, and 2x6's for the interior joists with joist hangers, flush with the top edge of the 2x8's. Then, for even more isolation, I used some rubber feet around the perimeter of the riser to minimize contact with the floor. The shakers themselves are attached to the sides of the 2x6's.

I had intended to use a single sheet of 1/2" plywood for the surface of the riser (to let more "shake" through), but it turned out to be too flexible - flimsy is really a better word for it. So, I glued and screwed a second layer of 1/2" plywood to the first, and it stiffened up the riser nicely.

Works great, and was inexpensive to put together...

Good luck,

Dwight

Originally posted by SAMURAI36
OK, I've thoroughly (I think) read this very informative thread, and I have a couple of Q's:

I decided to go with the AURA PRO's, and I also decided to use the ONKYO M-282 (http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=M-282&class=Amplifier&p=i) as the powering AMP.

My main receiver is the ONKYO 601.

The amp is certainly powerful enough but it does not have a volume control, therefore, that might be a big problem as you attempt to adjust the level of shaking desired. If you have not yet purchased the amplifier, you might want to re-consider... you will need a way to adjust the volume/level of shaking.

I do not (repeat: DO NOT) use the SUB-OUT for any reason, so I figured it'd be pretty easy to set everything up.

Actually, this complicates things a lot, especially since your main receiver does not have preamp outputs.
If you did use a subwoofer (apparently you do not) and did use the bass management built into your receiver, then it would be pretty easy to set up. All you would need is a "Y" splitter in the sub-out from your receiver and feed one side of the "Y" to the sub amplifier and the other to the "shaker" amplifier.
Unless the amplifier has a way to set all the speakers to "large", send all the bass to them, and still enable bass management to enable the sub-out, then you will have a very difficult time.

However, I'm stumped with 2 things:

#1) How do I make sure I'm getting enough bass crossed over to the sub out, without losing the bass that I have going to my mains?

#2) How precisely do I set everything up, using the equipment that I have (or will be getting)?

For x-ample:

Sub-out to..........?? How is this connection made?

SHAKERS on one channel each, or wired in series to one channel (AMP is 2-channel)? If wired in series, which channel should it go to/from, Left or Right?

If you only have two shakers, and have a two channel receiver, you can put one on each channel and feed the amplifier with a "Y" cable (so both channels get the signal) or you can put both in series on only one channel and use only that channel. The amplifier you specified seemed to give a 6 ohm power rating and an 8 ohm rating, so I'd be a bit cautious about putting a 4 ohm shaker on each channel. It might work fine since you are not ever likely to use 125 watts per channel since the shakers themselves are only rated for 50 and that is probably the thermal limit, not the actual power needed for shaking.


I apologize in advance if these are silly or redundant Q's.

Thanx.
I'm afraid you have some issues to deal with.

I'm sure there are low-pass filters/line level adapters that can connect to your receiver speaker outputs and convert that signal to a line level and then filter out everything but the low frequency bass, but you are not likely to find one easily. You will probably have to search the web... good luck... Oh yes, if you do find one, it better have an output volume adjustment if you plan to use the amplifier you described, otherwise, you will never get the levels matched.

Edit: I see the amplifier has an input level adjust on the back panel. That might work (if it has enough range) to set the shaking level.

Joe L.

Still though - the nice thing about the receiver route over an amp is the ability to control the shaking per movie and even possibly during the movie via the remote.

Trust me this will come in handy. Plus the shakers do not need much power to really get things moving so anyhting over a simple 2 channel amp with even moderate power is way overkill.

they are called low pass filters and can be bought here hlabs.com

Thanx guys (especially JL) for your responses.

A couple more Q's, based on your answers:

The amp is certainly powerful enough but it does not have a volume control, therefore, that might be a big problem as you attempt to adjust the level of shaking desired. If you have not yet purchased the amplifier, you might want to re-consider... you will need a way to adjust the volume/level of shaking.

The amp does indeed have volume control, but it's on the back as you pointed out in your edited response:

Edit: I see the amplifier has an input level adjust on the back panel. That might work (if it has enough range) to set the shaking level.

So my Q for that is, how often does the level need to get adjusted? How often do you guys find yourselves adjusting the "volume" for the shakers, based on what source material is used?

I would think that the level would stay stationary, pretty much most of the time; set it and leave it. Is this not the case?

Actually, this complicates things a lot, especially since your main receiver does not have preamp outputs.If you did use a subwoofer (apparently you do not) and did use the bass management built into your receiver, then it would be pretty easy to set up. All you would need is a "Y" splitter in the sub-out from your receiver and feed one side of the "Y" to the sub amplifier and the other to the "shaker" amplifier.
Unless the amplifier has a way to set all the speakers to "large", send all the bass to them, and still enable bass management to enable the sub-out, then you will have a very difficult time.


Let me clarify: The ONKYO 601 does have the SUB-OUT. Isn't that how the shakers are connected; SUB-OUT to AMP?

I'm just eliminating the "middle man", by not using a SUB. So the SUB-OUT is currently vacant.

I would think that this makes everything (from connection to signal transfer) much easier......Are you saying otherwise?

If you only have two shakers, and have a two channel receiver, you can put one on each channel and feed the amplifier with a "Y" cable (so both channels get the signal) or you can put both in series on only one channel and use only that channel. The amplifier you specified seemed to give a 6 ohm power rating and an 8 ohm rating, so I'd be a bit cautious about putting a 4 ohm shaker on each channel. It might work fine since you are not ever likely to use 125 watts per channel since the shakers themselves are only rated for 50 and that is probably the thermal limit, not the actual power needed for shaking.

Do I really run the risk of blowing something up, if I put one 4-OHM shaker on one channel? Has this happened to anyone else before?

Also, would it be better if I purchased 2 more shakers, and ran them in series, a pair to each channel?

Thanx again for your responses.

Unless the amplifier has a way to set all the speakers to "large", send all the bass to them, and still enable bass management to enable the sub-out, then you will have a very difficult time.

If you can enable the bass management on your receiver and configure it so your speakers still receive a full range signal since you are not using a subwoofer. (some bass management systems do this when the speaker size is set to "large") then you can indeed use the SUB-OUT on your receiver to drive the shaker amp.... exactly as I had originally said in my prior post.

As a side note, I have my bass management set to 60Hz on my center, left, and right channels and to 80Hz for my rear channels even though the L/R/C might be considered "large" by some based on their frequency response.

The addition of a subwoofer that can reproduce down to 20Hz (and below) made a huge difference in my theater. I can't imagine doing without one. If you are not using one, and if your speakers are not reproducing the deep bass, then you are missing out on some real fun. Of course, if you are in an apartment and cannot turn up the volume and use a sub for fear of disturbing the neighbors, then the shakers will certainly improve your movie experience.

If you can enable the bass management on your receiver and configure it so your speakers still receive a full range signal since you are not using a subwoofer. (some bass management systems do this when the speaker size is set to "large") then you can indeed use the SUB-OUT on your receiver to drive the shaker amp.... exactly as I had originally said in my prior post.

This is precisely what I've done so far, even without the shakers and amp connected.

The addition of a subwoofer that can reproduce down to 20Hz (and below) made a huge difference in my theater. I can't imagine doing without one. If you are not using one, and if your speakers are not reproducing the deep bass, then you are missing out on some real fun. Of course, if you are in an apartment and cannot turn up the volume and use a sub for fear of disturbing the neighbors, then the shakers will certainly improve your movie experience.

LOL, I always seem to get that response, from HT enthusiasts, when I tell them that I don't have/use a sub....

Their perspective quickly changes, when I show them, and let them listen to my system.

I have a pair of concert speakers, each having 2 15" woofers, a 6" mid-driver, a bullhorn tweeter, and a huge reflex port in the back.

And these are just my mains. :cool:

Trust me when I say, a sub for me, is redundant, and I mean that literally.......I tried hooking a sub up, and it just made all the sound "muddy". There is MORE than enough bass coming from those speaks as-is, and that's with moderate x-over.

This is especially the case, considering the music I listen to, which is mostly HIP-HOP and REGGAE, both of which are very bass-heavy (the source material makes all the difference).

To be honest, it's almost as if I have shakers in place, with the way all the furniture shakes. And that's at low to moderate volume levels. :eek:

But you guys have sold me on the shakers, so I've decided to add them to my HT.

I have my shakers set and pretty much have left them alone...The only movie that had me temtped to mess with them during playback was the LOTR movies.Shaking for these movies was insane,and I mean that in a good way.

brickie

Just purchased 6 aura bass shakers from parts-express.com, can't wait to get this installed and hooked up.

Now I just gotta find another receiver, ebay here I come.

I went to Costco and picked up a KLH sub for roughly $90, I pulled the Amp out and presto 125w amp with cross over and gain adjustments that mounts nicely next to your seating for easy adjustment.

Right now I'm running four shakers off it with no problem, the thing dosn't even get warm.

Awesome idea..Sounds like a winner.Good to see that amp put to better use than KLH..LOL

brickie

Well, after reading this thread for a while, I looked at my old 1980 vintage HK 665 integrated amp and turn it into a shaking machine tonight. Yes, I too purchased the Aura bass shakers from PartsExpress and just got done this evening wiring them to my 088's, and I must admit the shaking is more fun than I ever imagined. I can only surmise that there must be someone at parts express behind this thread :D

I'm getting some 088s in a few days. Could you tell me how you attached the Auras to them? Thanks

ricwhite

The metal frame under the seat just happens to have two holes on the left and right frame members close to the center. You will need a stubby short screwdriver to mount a 3/4 thick piece of plywood about 6 inches wide and 15 1/4 inch long or there about, make it long enough to be a snug fit. Mount the shakers to the middle of the plywood. After mounting the shakers place the plywood between the frame members and use two wood screws on each end to hold in place. Make sure the plywood is mounted high enough on the metal framing members to keep it off of the floor. Also be sure that when you wire them, use some tie wraps to keep the wires out of the recline mechanism.
It is a little difficult to use the small stubby screw driver, but it can be done with a little patience and maybe a helping hand.

One more thing, this only works for the non-electric recline, as when electric recline is employed the holes on the frame are occupied. In this case the shakers can fit snug into one of the arm recesses if the cork bottom is removed from the shaker.

Good luck,
Jim

Count me in as one of the bass shaker converts from this thread. I like the added effect for sure.

The one problem? that I have is that I need to have my bass shaker receiver up to about 85% power in order to feel the proper effect (and before you accuse me of wanting an earthquake, I am just after a subtle effect). This is contradictory to what I have read from others who say they just need the receiver turned up a little bit. I am not sure what the problem could be (if there is one). I don't think it has to do with how it is physically connected to the chair because the shaker is very accessible and I can test the shaker easily.

Here is my setup.

I have them hooked up through the video1 input of my semi old Kenwood receiver which is 100watts per channel.
I have a 50 fmod attached to the subwoofer output
I have one hooked up to the left and one to the right speaker output. I did have them hooked up in series before, but due to my setup I need to have one unhooked when not in use so it was easier to keep them seperated.
My main receiver is an Onkyo TX-SR500 (which is only 65watts per channel, but that has not been a problem for anything else).

Does it sound like my shaker/receiver is not working properly? I think I can live with it, but for the fun of it, I would like to occasionally demo it and have it really shake, but I can't seem to get the "power" that I would like.

Nothing may be wrong,but does sound a little strange..Can you turn on the loudness switch.This will boost the sound.

brickie

pelly

I would not use an Fmod, just take the low level subwoofer output from the SR500 and split it with a RCA splitter (http://www.casecooler.com/rcasplitcab1.html) cable and take one output to your Sub and the other to the Kenwood input. Put the Kenwood in mono mode. On the SR500 set the variable crossover circuit for your sub output around 80Hz or so. Good luck.

Jim, why don't you like the use of an fmod..

brickie

I was hoping I would not have to reveal my ignorance, but I guess I have to. I am not sure how to set my Kenwood to mono mode.

I have it set to Dolby 3 stereo now. It looks like my options are Dolby pro logic, Dolby 3 stereo, DSP logic, DSP, Bypass, or Line Straight. There is also a N.B. circuit button that says it has something to do with natural bass, but I don't know what this is for. Which of these settings should I choose?

It's been a long time since I posted on this thread, but I have enjoyed watching it build since the first question. The thread started in April and now I am starting to get back to where this all started. I had some starts and stops on my HT but now the room is framed, wired, drywalled - maybe I am within a month or so of start-up. Like a lot of us I thought it would be done by May but here I am 7 months later. I have all the equipment, chairs and fixtures ready for a room I just don't have a room yet!

I can't wait to fire up the bass shakers for the first time (of course, I have been playing with them in a temp set-up - but it just not the same!)

Originally posted by JimMac
ricwhite

The metal frame under the seat just happens to have two holes on the left and right frame members close to the center. You will need a stubby short screwdriver to mount a 3/4 thick piece of plywood about 6 inches wide and 15 1/4 inch long or there about, make it long enough to be a snug fit. Mount the shakers to the middle of the plywood. After mounting the shakers place the plywood between the frame members and use two wood screws on each end to hold in place. Make sure the plywood is mounted high enough on the metal framing members to keep it off of the floor. Also be sure that when you wire them, use some tie wraps to keep the wires out of the recline mechanism.
It is a little difficult to use the small stubby screw driver, but it can be done with a little patience and maybe a helping hand.

One more thing, this only works for the non-electric recline, as when electric recline is employed the holes on the frame are occupied. In this case the shakers can fit snug into one of the arm recesses if the cork bottom is removed from the shaker.

Good luck,
Jim

Thanks for the information. I appreciate it. I am getting the 088s WITH power recline, so it appears I might need to mount in the arm recesses. Sounds like an interesting project. Hope I can get it to work.

Well been playing around without the fmod for a little while now...I must admit I kinda like it.Shakers are much more active for sure without the fmod...Not sure if this is god or bad.May have to rethink my use of one..Stay tuned..I would encourage others to try theirs without their fmod and see what they think.Other opinions greatly appreciated.

brickie

Brickie
If you have an amp with cross over frequency control on the LFE channel there is no need for an Fmod as you already have what you need for the shakers to receive the proper input. I suspect that the Fmod also attenuates the signal a bit. But, in the case of an older amp without control of sub out frequencies, then the fmod is warrented as the shakers would be a little "live".

Pelly, what model Kenwood receiver is this ?

Thanks,
Jim

I use two fmods together- it seems to radically cut the slope at which the shakers activate - even more than just a single fmod.

Thanks for the post above on the 088 mount - I am expecting my 3 088's soon and have shakers just waitng to go in.! :)

I run buttkickers with the buttkicker amp and find that the lowest setting (40 I think) is not low enough. I still get undesirable shaking at times. I'm thinking about trying to put a f-mod inline. I have a couple lying around but their are about 40hz so I might try and buy some more with lower crossover points.

I used to run the aura shakers that I took out of the vests and they were a lot of fun. I now have 10 of them sitting around with the amps if anyone is interested.

"Pelly, what model Kenwood receiver is this ?

Thanks,
Jim"


Jim, It is a KR-V7070 receiver.

Pelly,

Pretty fancy for a bass shaker amp, I see what you mean by no mono switch. From the manual, I am guessing that you need to use BYPASS mode so that all DSP circuits are disabled. I would take the low level bass input to both the left and right video 1 audio inputs (or cd, tape, etc). to obtain mono mode. NB also sounds like a bass boost switch to me, I would leave it off for now.

The shakers are rated at 25w each, and your rear speaker outputs on that amp are 28 watts, so if you tied your shakers to that output, then you would most likely need to turn the volume up as you stated to get them pumping, but if you have them tied to the front left and right stereo outputs then be careful as you can punish your shakers with the 100w output.

If tied to the front speaker outputs and you are still not getting the results, I would make sure that
a. speaker impedance switch is set to 4 ohms (since one shaker/CH)
b. Video 1 input is selected
c. mute light is not blinking
d. Tape 2 key is set to off

Good luck,
Jim

Thanks Jim.

I will double check all my connections and give your suggestions a try.

I agree about not possibly needingthem with a proper receiver,but as stated some don't find the 80hz x-over point enough..In my limited testing so far so good.I may just leave them running without the fmod..At least wil do so thru heavy holiday weekend movie viewing to see how it goes.

brickie

Originally posted by pelly
Count me in as one of the bass shaker converts from this thread. I like the added effect for sure.

The one problem? that I have is that I need to have my bass shaker receiver up to about 85% power in order to feel the proper effect (and before you accuse me of wanting an earthquake, I am just after a subtle effect). This is contradictory to what I have read from others who say they just need the receiver turned up a little bit. I am not sure what the problem could be (if there is one). I don't think it has to do with how it is physically connected to the chair because the shaker is very accessible and I can test the shaker easily.

Here is my setup.

I have them hooked up through the video1 input of my semi old Kenwood receiver which is 100watts per channel.
I have a 50 fmod attached to the subwoofer output
I have one hooked up to the left and one to the right speaker output. I did have them hooked up in series before, but due to my setup I need to have one unhooked when not in use so it was easier to keep them seperated.
My main receiver is an Onkyo TX-SR500 (which is only 65watts per channel, but that has not been a problem for anything else).

Does it sound like my shaker/receiver is not working properly? I think I can live with it, but for the fun of it, I would like to occasionally demo it and have it really shake, but I can't seem to get the "power" that I would like.

I have a similar problem. My main receiver is a Yamaha 2400. I have an RCA splitter coming off the subwoofer output, one side goes to a Klipsch sub, the other into another splitter, into a double RCA cable and then into an older 100x2 Sony receiver through the red and white DVD inputs. I ran 2 shakers off the right channel only, wired in series and put them under the seats in my couch to just test things out.

The receiver was set at 60hz on the LFE channel at 60hz and I turned the sub up approx 20% in volume level. I have the secondary Sony receiver set in 2 channel mode, bass +6, treble -6, with bass boost on. I also set the balance all the way to the right (the active channel), just for this test only.

I threw in a few dvd's (SW EP2, Bad Boys 2, Nemo) to check this out and watched parts of Master and Commander and X2 in HD that I have tivo'd. Needless to say, I wasn't very impressed with the output levels of the Aura's. Everyone said they couldn't turn their amp up much more than half way before "it started to rattle out their fillings!" Unfortunately I didn't experience this same thing.

I set the Sony amp at the half way point, which was 15 on the display, and set the level of my 2400 at a low level. I couldn't feel anything. So I cranked the level of the Sony up to full boat and I could hear a very little, but it was there at times. So I turned up the level of the 2400 and the shaker level turned up with it, and when I had it cranked up into the -20's and low teens I could feel it much better, but the Sony still had to be at the highest volume level to even feel the shaking. If I turned the level of the Sony down to less than 26 on the volume display I couldn't feel a thing.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar? I don't know if I have a setting wrong on the Yamaha, or the Sony or if I have them wired wrong or what? Will it make that much of a difference having them mounted on the couch?

Any idea how to make this project work a little better? Looking for a little direction here.

Oh and my wife hated them...but I guess you can't win them all.

the crane.......yea, my wife don't like them either. But, lucky for me, she usually sits in one particular chair...so I just wired in a toggle switch to disconnect that one when she watches.:rolleyes:

I have a separate Sony 100 watt reciever driving my bass shakers too. I wired in 7 of them...4 on one channel and 3 on the other. I split the LFE from my Onkia sub input, then split it again to get into both channels of the receiver. To drive these things nicely, I have the volume turned up to about 70% on my Sony receiver (driving the shakers). I have no mono switch and like you I have it inputed into the DVD input since it's freq response was 20hz to 20khz....where all the others were 40hz.

On my main receiver....I have the sub level turned all the way up and then I can turn it down on the actual sub itself while still driving the Sony shaker receiver.

Shakes great and to be honest, I really don't care if it's at 20% or 90% as long as it shakes like I want it.:D

I am not disapointed, I was just under the assumption you could "rattle your fillings out" and with this setup I can't get anything that level. I mean it is a crappy receiver, but I figured it would work a little better than this. Again, I am happy with the product, just wanted something a little more bone shaking.

Still for the $100 I spend on the shakers, cables and splitters it is well worth the investment. I am going to mount them to the couch over Thanksgiving break and see how that does. I would guess being mounted and not just shoved under my cushions will help some also.

the crane....Oh yea, it will make a huge difference. I screwed mine into several different areas. On my reclining love seats, they are screwed into the wood areas of the reclining legs....on the sofa they are screwed into the wood on the lower bottom of the couch areas. On the recliner chair, I actually screwed them into the bottom side underneath.

My thought was I need to make sure I have solid wood in contact with the cork and shake the whole piece of furniture. This made a huge difference than when I just stuck them under the seat springs and cushions to try them out. Find some wood in there and screw them on tight. Since I knew where they were, I asked my kids to try and tell me exactly where the shaking was and they couldn't identify the mount location from the shaking.

Find wood and you will get teeth rattling action

:D

I can't wait...thanks for the pep talk.

Yes! A solid mounting point will make a HUGE difference. Stuffed between the cushions... no wonder you weren't getting much of the effect.

I was wondering why. I'm just driving 2 shakers in my 3 seat group of Coaster seats, with a POS $99 Sherwood receiver, and it gets "too noticeable" if I go much past 1/2 power.

My wife doesn't mind the shakers, probably because she knows I love them. I also tend to keep the effect subtle (usually).

I guess that makes sense. I didn't even factor the stuffing them into the couch scenario as making a difference. But it certainly would. I am going to play with them tonight I think. I hope it improves.

The only thing my wife said was, they can be turned off right? Who would have guessed I was married to the only woman on the planet that didn't like vibration?

I love this forum. Picked up 3 90's for $699 at the Berkline factory sale yesterday and ordered 2 pairs of the 25W Aura Bass Shakers from Parts Express this morning. I'm at most 40 miles from Partsexpress so I should receive the shakers on Friday. If I wire three in series, is there a way to turn one shaker off if someone doesn't like the vibration? In the meantime I'm off to read the other big thread to see if I can find an answer.

APorter, I did wire one up to be shut off....I put a little toggle switch in series with the last shaker where my wife usually sits. If she wants it off, she can lean down and flip the switch :D

The Crane.....ROFLMAO... Don't feel bad, I have one too:D

would this be sufficient for 2 25W shakers
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=300-782

It's only 25W, but people are reporting that they barly turn up thier shakers.

You would be fine considering the regular Auras are rated at only 25 watts.

brickie

If I wire three in series, is there a way to turn one shaker off if someone doesn't like the vibration?

not if they're in series.

You could use a SPDT switch to select the resistor or the shaker.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=060-088
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&PartNumber=004-4&DID=7
http://mysite.verizon.net/res02dad/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bswitch.gif

mntmst,

Your idea would work perfectly. The only caution might be to mount the resistor where it is away from flammable objects since it will get pretty hot. (it has to dissipate the same amount of energy as the shaker, but as heat. Those heat-sink fins on the pro-shakers are there to cool it.

Think about how little surface area the resistor has compared to the shaker and you will understand.) If you think your wife is unhappy with the shaking, then imagine how unhappy she might be if you gave her a hot-seat in its place.

If you want to try something even a bit simpler, then you do not need to use the resistor in place of the switched-off shaker if it is in series with other shakers.

The following drawing shows how you could connect a switch across a single shaker in a series string to bypass it (and stop it from shaking)

It has the disadvantage in that you will probably need to readjust the amplifier to reduce the shaking in the remaining un-bypassed shakers.

It also has the disadvantage in that you cannot bypass all three shakers. (doing so would present a short-circuit to the amplifier resulting in its shutdown, overheating, or thermal self destruction)

The advantage is simplicity. If you only want to switch one shaker, then all you need is a single switch connected across it. Also, no power is wasted heating a resistor. You can turn the amplifier down, not drive it as hard, and still have two seats shaking.

Joe L.
http://tinypic.com/nz32b

J.L

You hit it right on the head. Keep it simple. :D Just throw a toggle switch to the last speaker and let it fly.

J.L. is the man!! Showed me correct way to wire my shakers up, for equal shaking effect to all of em.

brickie

Great ideas. but I would not use a circuit that would show a 4 ohm load to most of the low cost amps that people use for shakers. Most if the energy is low frequency and would really stress the power-supply and output stage on most low cost amps. Plate amps designed for 4 ohm sub-woofers would be fine.

mntmst,

You are correct in that many inexpensive amplifiers cannot handle a 4 ohm load. If the one driving your shakers cannot handle 4 ohm loads, then do not bypass two out of three series shakers with simple switches as I suggested as a simpler alternative. (that results in a single four ohm shaker connected to your amp)

Instead, use either an amplifier that can handle the load, or the wiring as suggested by mntmst. His is a better solution in that the amplifier level does not need to be readjusted when throwing the switch, just bit more complicated.

Joe L.

I finally ordered 4 pairs of Aura bass shakers last Wednesday -- they should be here on Monday! I thought I wanted the Bass Shaker Pros, but they are no longer being sold at Parts Express. But I read earlier in this thread that the Pro and regular have the same output and the only difference is the cooling fins, so I'm very happy with the purchase. I plan on using an old 4-channel Kenwood amp to drive 4 pairs, with each pair in series. I'm going to mount 4 below my rear platform and 1 to each of the front 4 seats.

I just realized, after reading the past few posts, that I forgot to order a 50 Hz low-pass FMOD! I was also disappointed to see that they only come in pairs. Does anyone have an extra they'ed be willing to part with for $?

Carlton, try it at first without it and see what you think..For about the pst week iv'e been running without mine...I must say the effect is awesome still,even a little more lively which I like! Not sure if i'll leave them like this, but for now i'd say try them without it at first.

brickie

brickie,

Thanks for the feedback. Based on the chairs I've sat in before, I'm guessing I'll want less effect as opposed to more. I found them a little too buzzy and was glad the chair had a knob so that I could turn down the effect. I want it to feel like the sub is causing shaking, so I think hitting only the low frequencies, as well as careful calibration of the volume knob, will accomplish that the best. Does this sound reasonable?

Not unreasonable at all..Iv'e always said this is really a preference thing as too the amount of shake a person may want..

brickie

OK everyone - my Berkline 088's arrive tomorrow, and I want to install my shakers in them. I tried to comb the thread for the 088 installation pics but cannot seem to find them. I did find the pic of the shaker installed to the back of the 090.

Question - has anyone done a back install and then a bottom install to see the difference in feel? It seems like a mount to the bottom would be the best way to go but then again they were in the bottom of my sofa before so thats the only way I have experienced them.

For those who have installed them in some Berkline 088's could you post the length of the board you had to cut? I have some spare dense particle board (old shelves) and wonder if that would be better to use than plain plywood for transferring the vibrations - what do you all think?

Getting screws to hold in particle board can be a problem. There are special screws the furniture manufacturers use. With the action of the shakers, that could be a problem.

Some people confuse particle board (which you can see actual tiny pieces of wood in) with MDF (medium density fiberboard). MDF is a smooth textured material with no visible particles. I think MDF holds screws well.

Originally posted by PAW
Getting screws to hold in particle board can be a problem. There are special screws the furniture manufacturers use. With the action of the shakers, that could be a problem.

Some people confuse particle board (which you can see actual tiny pieces of wood in) with MDF (medium density fiberboard). MDF is a smooth textured material with no visible particles. I think MDF holds screws well.

Good info. I will scrap the particle board idea for sure.

Guess I will simply wait to assess the situation once the chairs are actually here. I did see the pics earlier in the thread of the back mount. I may look into that (the pics were of a 090)

Originally posted by pcrx
OK everyone - my Berkline 088's arrive tomorrow, and I want to install my shakers in them. I tried to comb the thread for the 088 installation pics but cannot seem to find them. I did find the pic of the shaker installed to the back of the 090.

I have 088s on order. I already have the bass shakers. Please let me know how you install them. I think the 088s have very tight space, so I'm interested in the best way to install. My 088s are equiped with power recline, so the mounting holes on the bottom on unavailable for me. Someone else mentioned mounting them in the arm spaces.

Let me know what you find out. Thanks.

Here is a mounting pic, this configuration seems to provide a nice even shake that is difficult to determine where it is.

The arm opening does not have very much wood to attach the shaker too, but I believe it can be "snug" fit into it. I had one mounted in there and almost could not get it back out, so I would remove the cork bottom on the shaker before trying this as a solution.

You could probably do the same install as attached if you remove the arms and drill a few additional new holes in the metal frame closer to the front and mount the wood toward the front of the chair to avoid the electric recline mechanism.

Wish everyone luck, they are fun.

Just moved my chairs (088's) into the room - will be installing the shakers tonight. Looks to be a very easy install - Pleanty of space for sure (manual recline - not sure of the others)

I would not worry about getting them in for those wondering how difficult it will be.....

OK - sorry for the multiple posts - but I just wanted to share a few things -

First - thanks to everyone here for helping with everything.
Second - installing the shakers was a breeze - easier than installing them in my sofa for sure IMO

I was able at lunch to:

1. Cut 3 boards approx 15 3/8 inches long (used 1x6)
2. Test fit boards (tight fit but not "forced" tight)
3. Screw shakers to boards
4. Install boards in Berklines
5. Do a quickie hook up and TEST!
:)

One side of each chair was a simple breeze for me on the boards, as I only have arms on one side of each chair. I used a stubby screwdriver to do the other sides as posted before - I just drilled some pilot holes first to make it easier.

Very very nice. I am sure the shaking will be more solid now since I have 1 per seat (versuis just 2 in my 8' sofa before) Just the test (with seats laying on their sides) seems to have a more solid shaking feel when I put my hand on the seat.

One note: It was WAY easier to do this with the backs off. I guess thats obvious but I almost put the backs in my rush to see what they looked like in the room.

All this took me about 25 minutes.

I will post pics also tomorrow.

OK, why wait, eh?

Pics. I took this one to show the amount of clearance there is between the shaker and the recline mechanism. I took this pic into the rear - beyond my hand is the back of the footrest.

Another from a distance to get general idea of install. I used zip ties to secure the wire to the back bar, and then used a wire loom to neaten it up at the far end where the wires are exposed from under the chairs to the wall.

Originally posted by pcrx
OK, why wait, eh?

Pics. I took this one to show the amount of clearance there is between the shaker and the recline mechanism. I took this pic into the rear - beyond my hand is the back of the footrest.

pcrx,

Thanks for the information and pictures. I'll have to see what the power recline motor does to the space underneath of my 088s when I get them in a month. Your 088s look good. I see from a photo that you injured your finger. Hopefully the install was not too dangerous. :D

Actually the injury was a nasty papercut from work!!! LOL

Hopefully you got the rest of the day off after since a nasty injury. :D A little R&R in the HT will make it all better. :cool:

you guys are bad. :D I am in the stage of finishing my basement but I can't believe I ordered 2 pairs of bass shakers yesterday because of this thread. O well, I was going to get them sooner or later so mind as well buy them when it's on sale, sighhhhhh.
Be honest though, it feels so good that buying stuff on sale price. A little while back I pick up 4 sconces for $25 each and the regular price was $99.99.

:D
Thanks
Ken

Nothing better than a sale or a bargain..LOL

brickie

Hello,

I'm thinking about ordering the bass shakers. I have 2 plain old recliners and a couch. Do you guys think 1 bass shaker per chair and 2 for the couch will be enough or should I use more.

Thanks for the help.

Craig

Checking my wiring to make sure I've got it right before I go ahead and hook them up to the new amp. I'm wiring 6 Aura Nonpro 25W shakers in Parallel, which I believe if I have the wiring correct should result in a 4ohm load to the amp. I've attached an image showing the proposed wiring. Also, I'm using the 250W plate amp w/remote from Parts Express. I have some questions about that also. It's got High Level and Low Level Outputs. I'm using an RCA in on the right channel of the amp, should I hook the shakers up to the High Level or Low Level output?? Any other advice?

Thanks guys!

I would use 1 in each chair,but if the couch is large,I would go for the theory of 1 per cushion.

brickie

brickie

Thank you.... I think I'm going to order them for myself as a Christmas present.

Thanks again,

Craig

No problem, you will ENJOY them big time!!

brickie

Originally posted by davey_fl
Checking my wiring to make sure I've got it right before I go ahead and hook them up to the new amp. I'm wiring 6 Aura Nonpro 25W shakers in Parallel, which I believe if I have the wiring correct should result in a 4ohm load to the amp. I've attached an image showing the proposed wiring. Also, I'm using the 250W plate amp w/remote from Parts Express.

You are incorrect. Your parallel wiring of 6 shakers will result in a load of 0.66 ohms. (4 ohms/6 shakers = .66)

The odds of your plate amplifier surviving very long is pretty small. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby, not sure if the plate amp will die gracefully, or in flames.

Wire three in series, that will provide a 12 ohm load. Do the same with another set of three in series. Then, put the two series strings in parallel, you will then have a 6 ohm load. Your amp will work fine with it.

Look in either of the "shaker" threads for an illustration I've made of how to wire 6 shakers. One thing for sure, your illustration is NOT how to do it.

Joe L.

one good movie to give the shakers a workout is the recently released "Chronicles of Riddick" I had to turn my shakers down twice because they were being worked so hard. I like a little "texture" added to my flix, but this one had so much low frequency sounds, that adjustments had to be made to keep from having too much attention paid to the sofa versus the screen.

Will have to get that one and check it out..Reminds me of when I watched the last LOTR moive.

brickie

I hope davey_fl followed Joe's advice and rewired those shakers before he fried that plate amp...

I got my shakers all hooked up and all I have to say is WOW!!!!

Craig

I know ther is a threasd out there but tooo many glasses of wine to use the search engun. So help me out here. Which non-plate amp/receiver are you uding/

Thanks,
Skip

Originally posted by J. L.
You are incorrect. Your parallel wiring of 6 shakers will result in a load of 0.66 ohms. (4 ohms/6 shakers = .66)

The odds of your plate amplifier surviving very long is pretty small. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby, not sure if the plate amp will die gracefully, or in flames.

Wire three in series, that will provide a 12 ohm load. Do the same with another set of three in series...

J.L Thanks for the response. I've re-done the wiring diagram, does this look better?

davey

davey_fl,

Perfect.

Nice drawing illustrating how to wire six shakers.

I'm sure it will help others as well. Good luck with your shakers...

Joe L.

thanks for the excellent feedback. NOW I can wire the shakers :)

davey

Originally posted by willemBER
would this be sufficient for 2 25W shakers
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=300-782

It's only 25W, but people are reporting that they barly turn up thier shakers.

I can report that this is a good combination. If you want more than 2 shakers, the amp is cheap enough to get one for every 2 shakers. The benefit is that you can turn each pair OFF separately. I noticed this was an issue for some and instead of elabrate wiring schemes, this seems like a good solution.

I like the effect to be subtle, and have the amp turned up to just below half way. There is plenty of room there to make them obnoxious, though, if thats your thing.

Thanks for the link to the Aura's...I just ordered some. They will also be going in 088's so the previous pics are quite helpful. I have a old Crown amp I will use with these which will be WAY more than enough power.....looking forward to getting my system all put together. Thanks again!

-Jason

Hey guys Merry Christmas ( or for those PC people "Holidays"),

I've got my shakers installed in my coasters and I'm trying to get them working with this amp from PE:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=300-793

I've got a single RCA coming in to the right side of the amp, and I have the shakers hooked up to the right side of the High Level Out (whatever that means). Anyway it doesn't work. I've tried numerous configurations, tried changing the phase from 0 to 180, tried setting the crossover very high, still nothing. I must be doing something wrong. Does anyone have any pointers?

thanks!


Btw, the shakers are wired fine as it works fine with another old amp I have - 2 row of 3 in series, and these 2 rows parallel into the amp.

I think it figured it out (although I haven't tested yet). I think you have to use the two internal speaker leads to connect the shakers...

davey_fl,

You figured it out.

The wires on the backside of the plate amp connect to the shakers.

The other "High-Level" connectors that look like they are for speaker leads are so you could put the plate-amplifier in-line with your left and right channel speakers and have it amplify the low bass available on those wires in place of using the RCA jack input

Since you are feeding the amplifier with a signal from the LFE (subwoofer) output of your receiver, the "In and Out" high-level connectors go unused.

Happy shaking....and ... oh yes... Merry Christmas...

Joe L.

I have hooked up 3 Crowson transducers using a Niles 4 way speaker selector box. Works great! Protects the amplifier and makes hook-up easy. Should be able to do the same with all shakers.

Merry Christmas

Can you say that???? :D

Skip