I have not seen too much in this forum on bass shakers. My quaestion is has anyone purchased and used the Aura Bass Shaker Pro's (50w); AST-28-04? I have seen them for a good price but don't know how well they work. I was thinking of mounting one per seat under my Lane Majestics with a plywood connection across the frame. The other way I have heard to do this is to make a plywood base the same size as the chair demensions, raise it slightly up using rubber pads, and then mount the shakers to the plywood and then the chairs to the plywood.

I was hoping to find a cheap used receiver to drive these shakers using the pre-amp output on my Yamaha 2400.

Anybody have these and use them ? How did you mount them? How many do I need to buy to get a good effect? Is one per chair okay or should I get more?

Thanks
Tom

Hey Tom,

I bought 2 of those cheap Aura's and the effect is impressive! I put one in per sofa and your and your guests will love them. Just a tip - dont' tell them about the shakers - most people will continue to assume its the bass!

I just screwed them right to the frame of the couch underneath. A plywood connector will work great if there isn't a big enough piece of wood to screw them to underneath.

I bought two of those last month and put them in my sofa. I have a second receiver (I had an extra one) driving them. The bass is simply amazing!! I went the cheap and quick way and used plastic ties to attach them to the bottom of the seats. I'll redo all that soon by using a piece of plywood. But it sure was worth the price!! I just ordered two more for my chairs.

i too have them on my love seat and wow they are grewat... i just bought 2 home theater seats from palliser and they come already attached to the chairs.......

I think you guys may have just convinced me to try some of these..I too saw them at the amazing price tom saw them at..


Quick question..I'm using 6.1 receiver(has preouts), what would be the best way to connect..NOT using another reciever if possible?Could i just "split" my sub out and run them that way ?Damn, just thought about,not sure if my sub output is powered or not.. Also does anyone remember the resisitor to put in line with them ?

brickie

No, your sub output isn't powered so that's why I'm using a secondary receiver to power it. Works perfectly fine for DD/DTS movies, but way too active for pro-logic stuff since I don't have any control over the cross-over. Most use a sub-amp to power their shakers just for that.

And if you're using two shakers only and not the Pro version, just wire them in series. It'll make 8 Ohms.

I purchases several pairs during the recent Parts Express blowout and installed one per theater seat. They are powered by an older Pro Logic receiver I had laying around. I connected 3 in series (12 ohms) on the L speaker out and 3 others to the R speaker out. The subwoofer out signal from my primary Pioneer receiver is "split" to the HT Sub and Pro Logic receiver.

The reaction of my guests never fails to amaze me the first time the bass shaker kicks in.

Daniel

I had time to kill at work so I made a rough diagram of how I wired mine with the two receivers. I hope its clear. :)

Start from receiver 1.

if you do not have a crossover for your bass shakers ..the guy who sais he only uses it for dolby digital not pro logic.... well here is a link to get a pair of f mod cross overs ....they will prevent anything under 80 hrz to go to the bass shakers...and all you do is just lug them in....... it is www.hlabs.com

I have 4 of the cheaper shakers powered by a seperate stereo amp (that powers up when my Receiver powers on).

I would never want to watch a movie without them!! Just watched the Matrix Revoltions and every explosion and punch had way more impact when you feel it!

I have 4 of the cheapie auroras in my HT. Put two on each chair. I took a different approach from screwing them into the frame. In my case also, due to the construction of my chairs, if I were to screw them into the frame, you would feel the effect much more strongly through the arm rests, which would kill the effect.

I took some "zip ties" (you know, those plastic strap thingies that you use to secure wires together) and attached a zip tie to each of the 4 mounting holes, and secured them to the spring/supports for the seat cushion and seat back. This transmits the effect directly into your butt and back, and really enhances the effect. As long as you don't crank 'em up to high, your mind perceives the effect as serious bass. I had several people ask me "wow what kind of subwoofer do you have" not realizing that it was turned down at the time.

This is also a good thing if you have other people sleeping in the house. You can still get a good bass effect, without waking anyone. (or neighbors if you're in an apartment).

I found an old 100watt Radio Shack speaker/PA amp that works great for my shakers. I put the amp under an end table (hidden) where I can adjust it from one of the chairs. Runs off the sub output from the primary AMP.

TIP: Try running the input into the PHONO input. Yeah, I know it's not made for that and if you were using normal speakers it would sound distorted and awful... But we're going for tactile sensation, not sound... and the added "punch" the more sensitive input gives, gets more effect out of your amp.

-Jason W

Can someone PM me, or post the details of the "great deal" found on the aurora shakers? I'd like to look getting a set for my couch too.

-Jason W

I'm going to order 10 about mid-week..don't need them all now but should be covered for later..Can't wait to give this a try!!

brickie

Originally posted by jw15851
Can someone PM me, or post the details of the "great deal" found on the aurora shakers? I'd like to look getting a set for my couch too.

-Jason W

Me too please.

-A Jason W also :)

Am I breaking any rules by saying where I bought them?

You can Pm us if your worried but to say that "You got the really cool things for XYZ Company" shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks for all the feedback and the ideas - it sounds like I can't live without them. I am going to try the 50W Aura Pro Shakers first - I ordered 6 on them - one/chair. I will try something simple first and play with the effect. I PM'ed the guys that asked where I found them

BTW - PartsExpress still has a good price on these as well. Based on what everyone said above - it does not seem like a big investment to get the effect.

I also looked at the dedicated AMP for them but came to the conclusion that a low end receiver or used receiver with a remote would be better to drive these things. I think you might want to control the effect with the remote and turn them on and off if necessary with a remote. The AMP that Michael had a link for could not be remote controlled.

Vantorax - thanks for the diagram.

I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again. Aura bass shakers are one of the biggest 'bang for the buck' investments that you can make in your HT. Period.

That said, I like my shaking to be subtle. If it's subtle, then it's difficult to isolate the location of the vibration, and it just feels like a lot of bass response. If the shaker is too active, it makes it easy to isolate the source of the vibration and then it just feel like sonic the hedgehog is trying to break out of your couch. This is why I feel that it's best to use an old receiver for powering them. This way you can control the amount of shaking (probably via remote) with the volume and also turn them on and off if needed.

Guys: for wiring diagrams there are SEVERAL old threads you can reference - they cover just about every different type of install.

Good Luck to you all.

Are you guys all using one 50w/chair or getting the 25w paired set and putting 2/chair or splitting up the pairs to 1 per seat?

I'm using 2 of the 50 watt shakers in a sofa and 3 of the 25 watt shakers in a love seat that's a bit smaller than the sofa.

This seems to be about right for me.

Tom_Kini:

FYI-This sub amp has remote control and is affordably priced:

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

I did not want to spend the extra money for that feature myself.

I may try a speaker selector switch hooked up to the amp to provide me with independent control of the shakers.

Thanks.

Can someone please PM me with the deal info on the shakers?

Thanks.

Please see the link in my signature for a nice LONG discussion about how to cheaply install Aura 4ohm bass shakers with an extra receiver.

I THINK my post is still sticky'ed in the speakers forum.

:)

I've had the Pro's installed under my Berkline 90's for a couple of months now. I followed Bob's wiring advice, I advise all other to do the same (thanks Bob!).

I have a pro logic receiver set in stereo mode driving them, with the sub out signal of my main amp split. It's a totally cool experience. I don't go overboard with them, but it gives low bass that extra kick without having to set your sub so high that you worry about knick-knacks falling off shelves upstairs. If you set them just right, you feel the bass but guests may not realize the shake is from the chair or the sub. Which is what I was after: more movie immersion.

Get 'em, they rock!

Can someone please PM me with the deal info on the shakers?

Thanks.

Originally posted by David_Larkins
I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again. Aura bass shakers are one of the biggest 'bang for the buck' investments that you can make in your HT. Period.

And I absolutely agree! I got my shakers from PartsExpress too and they're real cheap for a pair. For approx the price of a 24-pack case of beer, I got the best bass experience there is. I didn't mention any price so I didn't break any rules... :D ;)

I have been thinking of getting these but not sure how I can hook them up. I do not know much about audio, I had someone do the wiring for my HT. I have Onyko TX-SR601 receiver and a SpeakerCraft BassX powered subwoofer. Would I need an additional subwoofer for the shakers ?

dozens. Scroll up to see the diagram I posted. It shows how I had my pair installed. Basically, there are two key formulas to keep in mind...

R = R1 + R2 when wiring in series

R = (R1*R2)/(R1+R2) when wiring in parallel

The final R should match what your receiver supports or be as close as possible. Since I'm only using 2 in series, it totals 8 ohms which is fine.

OK Ill try......

I just ordered up a pair to put on the bottom of my sofa.... I suppose I will need to keep my eyes peeled for a cheapie receiver to wire up as has been posted.

Is that the best way to wire these up, or can they run straight from my main receiver? Is it absolutely necessary to have a second receiver?

Originally posted by pcrx
Is it absolutely necessary to have a second receiver?

Yes. First, you want to control the power to the shakers seperately from your speakers. Believe me, that's what you want.

Second, I doubt your main receiver is able to drive all your speakers plus the shakers. Wasn't designed with shakers in mind or anything outside the speakers it was meant to drive. It would also create a potentially messy wiring setup if you want to put the shakers in the same line as your main speakers.

Third, it's the only way to take advantage of DVD's dedicated LFE channel with the shakers. That LFE channel is only on the subwoofer line and is not amplified.

Vantorx,

Excellent. I will be on the lookout for a cheapie second receiver to stash behind the sofa as was posted earlier and will by a splitter cable to split my LFE output on my main receiver....... I agree it would not make sense to have them hooked up any other way than through the LFE out....if I use the LFE out then that should keep the shakers from activating while listening to music or TV, right? Even if I watch TV in PLII mode?

Darned now I wish I hadn't handed away my old H&K receiver that was just sitting around last year!!:D

Oh well - garage sale season here may reveal a simple treasure that I could use....I assume that I only need a lowly old pro-logic or regular stereo receiver with minimal power for these things?

Originally posted by pcrx
if I use the LFE out then that should keep the shakers from activating while listening to music or TV, right? Even if I watch TV in PLII mode?

My main receiver still send a signal on the LFE when in DPL mode so I still get the shaking effect while listening to music or TV. But because of the lack of crossover control, you may get too much shaking. That's why, as I said earlier, many use a subwoofer amp instead of a spare receiver to handle the shakers. It's a matter of taste, but since you can control the power to the shakers, you can adjust it to you taste.

Wouldn't using a second receiver give you total control anyway, in the sense of just not turning it on when watching pro-logic and regular tv..

I can't wait to give this a go..

brickie

Well for my setup I put 4 in each couch. Works very well. I bought the shakers on-Sale from Parts Express and picked up a 400 watt DJ amp on Ebay for about 150 bucks. Best upgrade I ever made. Make sure you are careful about how you wire then. I run the 2 sets of 2 in series into one channel of the amp. So I have these 2 series sets run in paralel to one channel. (God I hope that makes sense) Befor I did this I was popping fuses in the amp. Each channel is hooked to a different couch so I can control them seperately.

Ben

Brick,

you're right, and that's just what I do. When I'm listening to music or watching tV, I just don't turn 'em on.

Vantorax is right on with his posts. I really think that a receiver is the way to go when doing this hook up in order to have total control. A fine used receiver (usually remote controllable) can be had on ebay for around 50 bucks.

I did some digging in my basement and uncovered my old...old...old JVC receiver... I think it only puts out like 15 - 20 watts per channel.... but at least I can give it a shot while I look for something else.

I also went ahead and ran a cable for the shaker dedicated receiver. I plan on putting it on a small table under a sofa table that sits behind my sofa where the shakers will be installed.

I also programmed my MX-500 remote with a button that says "shake" and this will turn on the extra receiver. I can then use two other buttons I labelled and programmed for volume up and down to control shake level. All this is also under my "DVD" menu on the remote - so unless I am watching a DVD, I won't have a need to activate them. Best thing is the remote works from my seating position - I just need to aim it to the side a bit.

I suppose as posted before I will ron the split subwoofer signal into the left phono input on the receiver and then run both shakers out of the left speaker output. I checked out the underside of my sofa and there is a nice solid board to mount the shakers to. Question though - should I be on the lookout to isolate my sofa from the floor (hardwood) with some rubber feet or something?

I am wondering if you all have your "shaker receiver" setup in another location like that, or do most just have the second receiver in with their main gear and then just run more speaker wires? Just curious.... Until my new AV cabinet is done being built I don't have room to put in in with my main gear anyway.... but wonder if I will put it up front eventually...

Originally posted by brickie
Wouldn't using a second receiver give you total control anyway, in the sense of just not turning it on when watching pro-logic and regular tv..


That's what I do and it works fine for me. When it comes to TV, DPL stuff, I just tone down the power to them or completely shut them off. It's up to your taste, but having that level of control is important.

Originally posted by pcrx
Question though - should I be on the lookout to isolate my sofa from the floor (hardwood) with some rubber feet or something?

At this point, it's all about taste. If your sofa is stiff and transfers too much to the floor for your taste, then you might want to put small pieces of cheap carpetry under each leg. It's up to you. Experimenting is part of the fun. :)

I am wondering if you all have your "shaker receiver" setup in another location like that, or do most just have the second receiver in with their main gear and then just run more speaker wires? Just curious.... Until my new AV cabinet is done being built I don't have room to put in in with my main gear anyway.... but wonder if I will put it up front eventually...

My second receiver is on "the rack" sitting on the shelf right under my main receiver. I run the line into the "DVD in" port of the second receiver just so both receivers show "DVD" on the front when they're both on. Looks cooler. :) My second receiver is rather nice looking with all the lights so why hide it? Makes the whole thing look more "powerful" and "industrial" too (insert Tim Taylor grunt). :)

Once you're passed the connection part and it's working, the rest is all about taste and fun. :D

Does LFE go by any other name ? I am trying to determine if my receiver supports it. I have a Onyko TX-SR601 and it has a pre out for a subwoofer. This output is already connected to my sub, can I Y split this and feed some shakers ?

Originally posted by dozens
Does LFE go by any other name ? I am trying to determine if my receiver supports it. I have a Onyko TX-SR601 and it has a pre out for a subwoofer. This output is already connected to my sub, can I Y split this and feed some shakers ?

From the way you described it, sounds like the same thing. Is your subwoofer powered (has its own power supply)? If so, that's the line you want to split.

Four week ago I was in the same boat as you, dozens. I barely knew anything about shakers and how to wire them. But it's surprising how easy it is to set them up. And the end-result is guaranteed to floor you. I ain't kidding. :) The hard part for me was mouting them up since I had a very small hole in the bottom of the sofa to work with.

http://ht.paulinfamily.com/

Check my setup at this URL and where I mention the shakers, there's a link showing some photos of the installation. Hope it helps.

thanks for the link. Yes, my sub is powered and has a rating of 150 watts. I have my receiver's pre out connected to left line in. Can I connect the shakers to left out ? I can easily disconnect the line out when I do not want to shakers. I just want to know if my receiver & sub can support the shakers.

Vantorax -

Thanks for the comments. For now I will just use the long LFE cable to run behind my sofa until I find a decent looking receiver. Plus when my new cabinet is done I will have much more room for equipment so at that time I will swap and locate the receiver up with my other gear.

I am really looking forward to seeing how this works out!! :D

Originally posted by dozens
Can I connect the shakers to left out ? I can easily disconnect the line out when I do not want to shakers.

Left out of what? Your receiver?

What I showed in my diagram is the setup I'd really recommend. I don't think you can avoid using a second receiver or amplifier. Better do it right the first time.

Vantorax - or others,

Have you found the need to add an in-line crossover - like the fmod low pass ones even though you are only running the LFE out into the shaker dedicated receiver?

I have my main amp lfe crossover set to 100, however I am wondering if I should pick up a 50 hz low pass crossover to put inline between the cable and the shaker dedicated receiver.

Or can the same effect be had through "volume" control or by using an equalizer (if equipped)?

I only use the volume control for my shakers and I'm quite happy with that. I don't think I'll change anything so far.

Cool. I will try the simple options first rather than adding crossovers etc.... I just figured I didn't or wouldn't want them activating during otherwise "normal" scenes that may have some low frequencies but may not necessarily be "shaking appropriate" scenes.:D

I have my x-over set to THX spec (80 Hz) and I don't notice any 'inappropriate' shaking. :D

Originally posted by Vantorax
From the way you described it, sounds like the same thing. Is your subwoofer powered (has its own power supply)? If so, that's the line you want to split.

Four week ago I was in the same boat as you, dozens. I barely knew anything about shakers and how to wire them. But it's surprising how easy it is to set them up. And the end-result is guaranteed to floor you. I ain't kidding. :) The hard part for me was mouting them up since I had a very small hole in the bottom of the sofa to work with.

http://ht.paulinfamily.com/

Check my setup at this URL and where I mention the shakers, there's a link showing some photos of the installation. Hope it helps.

Interesting setup.. I believe they really do work best when hooked up to the FRAME of your sofa, rather than the springs themselves. I have them strapped to the bottom of my Movie seats, on the WOOD itself, and it gives great effect. They are isolated on rubber feet (the cheapo home despot kind) which work real well.

Originally posted by klutzo
I believe they really do work best when hooked up to the FRAME of your sofa, rather than the springs themselves. I have them strapped to the bottom of my Movie seats, on the WOOD itself, and it gives great effect. They are isolated on rubber feet (the cheapo home despot kind) which work real well.

It may very well be better, but my sofa has a very cheap and thin frame. I set those up that way to get them working right away. I was too anxious to try them out and it turned out to be amazing so I'm in no hurry to change anything. As I said earlier, once you got them wired and working, the rest is all about experimenting, taste and fun. I may change the way they're attached to my sofa someday, but I'm enjoying this way too much right now. :D

Thanks for the head's up all. I just ordered 8 of them from spin989. Would have bought more but don't have the $ right now and acuttly only have enough seating to use 4 but If they are as good as you are all say'n, I'm going to want one on each seat when the theater is done. :D Total with ship was less then $200 so that works out nice. Plus I just installed an Onkyo 6.1 system to replace my old Dolby Pro Logic system so I that reciever to power these. Can't wait to try em out :D :D :D

Originally posted by Vantorax
Left out of what? Your receiver?

left out out of my subwoofer.

What I showed in my diagram is the setup I'd really recommend. I don't think you can avoid using a second receiver or amplifier. Better do it right the first time.

Can someone help me understand why I need a second amp. Does something happen to the signal on the way out of my subwoofer that will make it unable to shake the shakers ?

Originally posted by mheadroom
Thanks for the head's up all. I just ordered 8 of them from spin989. Would have bought more but don't have the $ right now and acuttly only have enough seating to use 4 but If they are as good as you are all say'n, I'm going to want one on each seat when the theater is done. :D Total with ship was less then $200 so that works out nice. Plus I just installed an Onkyo 6.1 system to replace my old Dolby Pro Logic system so I that reciever to power these. Can't wait to try em out :D :D :D

I have the same receiver and would love to know how you plan to hook them up.

Originally posted by dozens
left out out of my subwoofer.

Can someone help me understand why I need a second amp. Does something happen to the signal on the way out of my subwoofer that will make it unable to shake the shakers ?

Interesting idea... Couldn't tell you. Your sub probably also has a "left-in" for an already amplified signal where it can sit on the same line as your main speakers (for a pro-logic only setup) and the "left-out" is probably just a by-pass for that amplified input so you can connect your main speaker. Maybe it also outputs the amplified line-in signal, maybe not. I couldn't tell you...

I'm just guessing here...

actually i ment I could use my old pro logic reciver to power the shakers. I was thinking that it might be possible to use an active filter and run them off the B speakers on the receiver but ONKYO said when you turn on these speakers the system drops to 5.1 :(

Originally posted by Vantorax
Interesting idea... Couldn't tell you. Your sub probably also has a "left-in" for an already amplified signal where it can sit on the same line as your main speakers (for a pro-logic only setup) and the "left-out" is probably just a by-pass for that amplified input so you can connect your main speaker. Maybe it also outputs the amplified line-in signal, maybe not. I couldn't tell you...

I'm just guessing here...

From the manual (http://www.speakercraft.com/manuals/bassx_manuals/bassx-10_12manual.pdf) of the bassX-10 (http://www.speakercraft.com/our_products/ps/basx10.htm) they have an example of hooking up speakers.

My equipment is just behind me while sitting.
I reach over my left shoulder to control the Main receiver.
I reach over my right shoulder to control the Shaker receiver ( and insert DVDs and Xbox access).
I could use the remotes, but for me its just easier to reach. I usally don't change the volume much, I just use remotes for my DVD, X1 projector, extra 13" TV, and Reading Lights.

Originally posted by dozens
From the manual (http://www.speakercraft.com/manuals/bassx_manuals/bassx-10_12manual.pdf) of the bassX-10 (http://www.speakercraft.com/our_products/ps/basx10.htm) they have an example of hooking up speakers.

Which confirms what I said, does it not? It just transfers the amplified signal to the main speakers and uses it to drive the sub at the same time. It does not amplify the dedicated LFE channel you get from DVD and out of your receiver to drive the shakers on those outputs.

Could I use the Harman Kardon PA 2000 power amp to drive 4 of the pro bass shakers? One call has them refurb, I really don't want to have to put one of those ****** looking $99 receivers by Teac or sherwood in my audio rack, plus I don't need all those extra features & buttons.

A "bang for the buck" question, which Bass Shaker unit to purchase? The per pair pricing seems to be a great value. Install two of these units per leather cinema seat or one 50W (Pro Bass) per seat? Thoughts?

Shake1

I wondered about the same thing myself..I thought i read though that the pros shook MUCH better than the regular ones..Could someone shed some light..

brickie

I'm at a loss of what to do.

I set up 2 of the shaker pros on the couch.

I hooked up my old prologic reciever to them and nothing.

I then tried using my regular stereo and still nothing. Then I set my stereo to use the tuner and they worked great.

I think my problem lies in the sub out of my Onkyo HT510 reciever.

Anyone have this reciever with the 510 spearkers? How high is your volume on the subwoffer. I'm wonering if the receiver isn't putting out much on the sub out. My sub has to be turned up almost all the way to get a good effect and with my stereo on, the graphic eq showed very little going to the sub.

mheadroom

What are you using for a source for your test? Are you using a ref disk with a lot of low frequencies? If the reciever has a Sub test tone I would use that as a way to calibrate. The shakers do use a lot of power. On my install I have the volume on my Shaker amp set at about 8.5 out of 10 on the volume level. This is a 400 watt 2 channel DJ Amp. I am driving 8 shakers with it though 4 per channel. Make sure your source has a low effect channel. I would recomend Starwars Episode 1 Pod race or Any Lord or the Rings DVD.

Ben

nevermind I'm feeling mighty stupid right now.

the thing with my home stereo still eludes me but the problem with my prologic reciever was that I accidently hit the A/B button.

all working great now, but would still like to know about the sub having to be all the way up.

Would a receiver like this (http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=sherx4100&store=&catid=4118) be good for running two or possibly four shakers? It is inexpensive but still looks decent enough to set in with my existing equipment. The more I think about it, the more I want to locate the shaker dedicated receiver up with the rest of my equipment once I get going.

I have not been happy browsing ebay plus I don't feel like paying $30 for shipping - particularly for plain stereo receivers, and I assume that another HT receiver is overkill.

Expecting the shakers tomorrow!! Yeah!:D

Thanks!

pcrx,

That receiver looks fine. Good luck with it.

Originally posted by pcrx
Would a receiver like this (http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=sherx4100&store=&catid=4118) be good for running two or possibly four shakers?

Looks good to me. Put two shakers in serie for each channels and you're in business.

Vantorax, David,

I was looking closer and it looks like that Sherwood is only rated down to 40 hz. Is that enough? Or should the shaker dedicated receiver have a 20 hz rated bandwidth, like THIS (http://www.circuitcity.com/display_review.jsp?c=1&b=g&u=c&OID=50606&catoid=-8021) one?

Thanks! Just want to make sure I get the best shake I can. If the Sherwood one will work - then I can go with that. I just don't want to cheat myself out of something if I don't need to.... Again I am just looking for that low shake effect when it would work best - no shaking for music, etc......

Pcrx, you just beat me to it..I was wondering about that rating as well..I'm not sure, but i would try to find one rated at 20.That Sony is nice, but a little high for what you want, isn't? Forgive me, i'm cheap..

If that does turn out to be a good one..Then look into CC, they have the 4103 $10 cheaper.

brickie

Well since no one answered my post on the harman kardon PA2000 power amp, I just picked it up on ebay direct from HK, so I guess I will be able to let you all know how it worked out in a few days. I got it for less than the sony receiver above. I think it is overkill, but looks cool, & I can think of other uses for it if I don't like the shakers. It is 100w x 2 at 8ohms so I should just be able to wire each set of 2 pro shakers in series to each output correct?

link (http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.jsp?c=1&b=g&u=c&catoid=-8021&qp=0369836913664&oid=37483&m=0)

I am thinking of buying another pair of the pro shakers, how would I wire it up to them with a total of six pro's?

Personelly I don't think that will be enough power. But it is worth a try. Wiring in Series doubles the ohm load? OR increases it in some way. At least I believe it does. At one point I had 4 in series on each channel of my amp and was wondering wh I was popping fuses. :) At a recomendation of a friend I changed ab put two pairs in series wired in paralel to each channel. So that made it load much less. Again I keep the Bass level of the reciever tuned to the proper levl for the sound of the SUb then use the secondary(Sub) reciever volume controls to regulate the Shakers for effect. This way I am not sacrificing proper sub sound to make shakers work. All I can say is they work great and I don't blow fuses anymore. Link (http://cgi.*********/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=64451&item=3719459903&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW)

Above is an e-b-a-y link I think you will have to modifiy but that is the type of amp I would get to support shakers. Nothing fancy just powerful.

Ben

kfc75,

The HK amp will drive 4 shakers just fine, but the reason that I didn't respond is that I feel that you are losing out on a good bit of control by going that route.

You won't be able to turn the shaking on/off via remote control, and you won't be able to attenuate the shaking level with that approach.


pcrx and brick,

You're right, maybe you should look for a 20hz capable receiver... I think you'd still get the effect with the Sherwood, especially since the shakers will be used in conjuction with a sub.

It is a bit more expensive, but THIS (http://ww2.onecall.com/PID_18163.htm) H&K receiver is still not a bad price and frequency response down to 10hz. Plus not too bad to look at. I have been having a hard time finding decent receivers with a 20hz frequency response for the lower price point. At least new that is....

Originally posted by pcrx
It is a bit more expensive, but THIS (http://ww2.onecall.com/PID_18163.htm) H&K receiver is still not a bad price and frequency response down to 10hz. Plus not too bad to look at. I have been having a hard time finding decent receivers with a 20hz frequency response for the lower price point. At least new that is....

Also check out ebay, HK sell direct on there & the typical selling price is less on ebay, last one ended yesterday at well below onecalls price. In fact check there for any HK equip.

You could also check out Onkyo TX-8511 at ecost, plus free shipping.

OK, the shakers are here! I only had a few minutes to throw together the wiring (already had it cut - just needed to crimp the connectors, am I prepared or what??)

Anyway I just wanted to give them a quickie test before I mount them to the sofa......they both work!! Of course I only had them sitting on the floor and played the first few chapters of AOTC to get a rumble out of em...

I am suprised at the weight of these things...heavy.

Now for a few quick questions: The wood beam under my sofa is hard as a rock. Plus It is not wide enough to get all four screws in - I will have to angle the shaker and use two screws (such as the opposing corners) Is this OK or is it necessary to use all four mounting points? With the hard hard wood will there be any rattle issues I need to worry about?

OR

Should I go the zip tie method and get them up in onto the seat springs? It seems that method has been done. The sofa is wide and will only have two shakers (for now) so I am wanting to get them evenly spaced for the best overall effect.

ALSO

What are some excellent "test" scenes to play to get a "feel" for these things?:D

You could cut a piece of plywood wide enough to screw one shaker on and then nail that board to the sofa's frame. That's one way to do it.

If you want good test scenes..

The highway chase of "Matrix: Reloaded".
The tanks scene in "The Hulk" or the dog fight scene.
The pod race in "StarWars: EP1".
The scene where Bruce The Shark chases the fishes across the sub in "Finding Nemo" (and check the explosions when the sub hits the mines!!).

The Shakers need to be mounted tight. With the hardwood used in a lot of furniture you should predrill the holes and then screw the shaker down. If it is solid then don't worry about it. The key is you just don't want it rattling and you want a solid connection to the frame. I would not recommend nails. If you are adding a crosspiece then use screws and angle brackets to make sure it becomes part of the furniture. I have 10 of the 25 watt units but not all are installed. I use a y connector on my Sub output and that drives the sub and the shaker amp. When I add the rest of the shakers, I will use a small 1:4 unity gain amp to split the signal and drive the separate power amps. I couldn't imagine Band of Brothers without shakers. I found myself hunkered down on the couch last week as the mortar rounds were hitting all around the room.
..Doyle

OK.... here is my "new to shakers" report for eveyone who may still be on the fence about these as I was able to get them hooked up last night and play around....

Simply....AWESOME! I wish I had more thumbs to put up for these!!

I will qualify "awesome" however to only be after proper installation and tweaking per everyones comments here. A few of my observations:

Like has been said here before, and I totally agree now, a seperate receiver to drive the shakers is ESSENTIAL, as otherwise you may wind up with wild amounts of shaking with no way to fine tune via "volume." Even with my weak, 14 year old JVC receiver with a halfway broken volume control I ressurected from the basement (which came off of one of those "mini stereo" setups) the shaking is amazing. I cannot wait to get a better - even halfway decent - receiver so I can have finer adjustment.

Doyle - I did screw mount to the wood frame - Man I dont know what wood it is but it was hard as a brick. I managed to break two drill bits and broke two screw heads off before I could fully seat the screws. Finally I got the right pre-dill hole size and screw size for a rock solid mount - although the skinny width of the board only allowed me to use two opposing mount locations versus all four.

Again I think the seperate control is the seller for these things. I tested many many scenes with these and I found meveral movies that seemed to have varying amounts of LFE levels, requiring me to adjust the "volume" as appropriate for a given movie. I may also add an fmod low pass crossover to keep out some of the "higher" low frequencies.

The weirdest thing is, when the shakers are adjusted "just right" it is next to impossible to localize the shaking - it seemed like the entire house was shaking apart with low bass. Too much and it seems like a gimmick, too little and the scene winds up "missing something." I also tried rewatching most of the scenes with the shakers off and found that I was already spoiled and missing the subtle effect the shakers provide.

Once again this forum comes through with a brilliant suggestion that pays off huge dividends. I cannot wait to test these out on some unexpecting guests.:D

That is the beauty of good bass, it is omnidirectional and it does feel like the house or room is shaking. Trust me, those of us in California know what that feels like. I think I would modify my suggestion for dealing with mounting the shaker to hardwoods. I would increase the drill size to the size of the shaker mounting hole and drill completely through the wood and then use bolts with lock washers to bolt the shaker to the wood. This also makes removal easier. I get really irritated when I start breaking drill bits and screws break off in holes because I know it is my own fault.

..Doyle

Originally posted by pcrx
OK.... here is my "new to shakers" report for eveyone who may still be on the fence about these as I was able to get them hooked up last night and play around....

Simply....AWESOME! I wish I had more thumbs to put up for these!!

I will qualify "awesome" however to only be after proper installation and tweaking per everyones comments here. A few of my observations:


I also got mine yesterday and hooked them up last night. My chairs didn't have a good place to mount them and I didn't have the time to attach some plywood, so I just zipped tied them to the springs to give it a quick test run. I wasn't impressed. Even at low volumes, it was obvious where the shaking was coming from. Based on all the other posts, frame mounting must be the only way to go.

I've got 2 rows of seating. The front row is right on the floor and I have to mount the shakers in this row right to the seats. But my 2nd row will be on risers. Would it be better to mount my shakers in the risers?

I don't think that you'll find this particular type of shakers to be adequate when mounted in a riser...unless you use a lot of them. In the chairs would be better.

pcrx,
These are the very definition of "bang for the buck" :) Glad you like 'em.

Originally posted by David_Larkins
I don't think that you'll find this particular type of shakers to be adequate when mounted in a riser...unless you use a lot of them. In the chairs would be better.

pcrx,
These are the very definition of "bang for the buck" :) Glad you like 'em.


Thats what I was suspecting.

Those little suckers have a lot of shake. Guess I didn't know what to expect. I first hooked it up for playing around and had the shaker on the floor. Cranked the amp up and I thought that thing was going to shake itself away :)

I'm just surprised we are not seeing more companies selling those in different packages (with amp included, etc).

Yes, actually if there was a simple amp that had an LFE input, built in adjustable crossover and had a romote controlled "volume" and power it would be perfect.

Siropa - I can see why it would be dissapointing if they were just sitting on the floor shaking. I tried that to test them before getting out the drill and I thought they were going to bounce out of the room! Once they were firmly mounted the tactile feeling was great - but only after the shake level was adjusted properly to eliminate the "localized feeling"

Actually once adjusted it is difficult if not impossible to tell that it is not the subwoofer doing the shaking - and it sits across the room!

Im almost bummed that I have to know they are there - I am sure the effect is even better on someone who does not expect it or know that the shakers are installed or even what a shaker is……

I will have to revise my mounting to go with the bolt and lock washer setup - that does seem to be a better route. After some testing last night I began to wonder if the screws would eventualy work loose if they are just wood screws…

Originally posted by pcrx


Im almost bummed that I have to know they are there - I am sure the effect is even better on someone who does not expect it or know that the shakers are installed or even what a shaker is……



heh. Some of my geeky friends who have been following my construction have asked about shakers. I keep lying saying I wasn't going to go with them. I want them to get the suprise.

Man. i'm so jealous...I can't wait for mine to get here !!..In the mean time iv'e got some x-10 stuff to play with.

brickie

Unlike a speaker, the shakers have some mass mounted to the voice coil. When the frame is firmly mounted down and the energy applied to the shaker then the voice coil moves the mass and the the frame tries to respond with an equal and opposite force. The key is having the shakers firmly attached to the rigid part of your chair or riser. If you are going to mount to the riser then clearly you will need more or larger shakers to be able to make an equivalent amount of movement. I think it is necessary to do a little experimentation depending on the types of chairs you have. A rocking chair where the chair is mounted on springs is going to damp out most of the shaking coming from a riser mounted shaker. I plan to use a combination of shakers mounted to the seats and also a few mounted to the floor to make sure there is some tactile sensation coming through the wood floor. Keep in mind the direction your shakers are mounted. If you mount facing up on chairs, and down on the floor, you will need to reverse the polarity on one of the sets to ensure they are properly phased(all moving in the same direction at the same time).

..Doyle

I received my 4 Aura bass shakers (25-watt) from Parts Express a few weeks ago and finally got around to installing them. I have 3 underneath a full-size sofa and one underneath a loveseat. The loveseat doesn't get used as much, that's why it only got one. I attached a sturdy 2x6 board to the frame of the sofa using some big wood screws and premium construction adhesive. It's on there good! The loveseat already had a nice solid place on the frame to attach a shaker to so I did not add any wood to it.

I used wood screws instead of nuts & bolts to attach the shakers. I am powering them with a 14-year-old pro logic Kenwood amp/receiver - a very powerful model in its day.

I wondered about the same thing myself..I thought i read though that the pros shook MUCH better than the regular ones..Could someone shed some light..

Brickie, I had actually heard somewhere else on AVS that the 25-watters were just about as good as the Pro's. I don't have both so I can't compare, but the 25-watt Aura's are shaking my sofa like Hell! I think the Pro's would be overkill in my setup. The loveseat (only 1 shaker) is rumbling quite a bit too.

Enjoy the project everyone - This is a fun one! :D

Here is a pic:
http://gallery.avsforum.com/showphoto.php?photo=7473&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=507

The difference in the shakers is the mainly the mass that is being shaken. That determines how much force it is capable of delivering to the chair. Some of the larger shakers like Butt Kickers handle 400 watts and weigh 11 pounds. Typically the frequency response goes down lower also. But, it is one of those 80% rules. With multiple 25 watt shakers you get 80% of the result. With 50 watt shakers you get a bit more and with 400 watt shakers you have a 95% effect. I am winging these numbers so don't hold me to them. There are a number of articles on the Aura Shakers in the AVS archives. Several people have modified the spiders to decrease the resonant frequency of the shakers and achieve lower response frequencies. (lower meaning 30Hz instead of 40 Hz as opposed to lower meaning poorer frequency response)
..Doyle

Like i said, i'm expecting some major things from this project..

brickie

Quick question..does anybody remember someone mentioning being able to put a resistor in line with the + terminal on the shaker to filter out higher frequencies? I know about the f-mods, but obviously a resistor would be MUCH cheaper considering it seems i got to but the f-mod thru the net..vs ratshack.

brickie

Quick question..does anybody remember someone mentioning being able to put a resistor in line with the + terminal on the shaker to filter out higher frequencies? I know about the f-mods, but obviously a resistor would be MUCH cheaper considering it seems i got to but the f-mod thru the net..vs ratshack.

I don't remember someone mentioning a resistor but I think I'm going to buy one of the Low Pass FMOD's. It seems like the shakers are shaking for more than they should. I just got this project finished so I definitely have some tweaking to do.

Also, someone mentioned that they do not, or cannot, produce sound. Not true. When I completed the installation I inadvertently left the old pro logic receiver set to Tuner and I heard static coming from underneath my sofa. It was static because that receiver does not have an antenna connected nor does it have any speakers connected since its sole purpose is to power shakers. My sub wasn't connected to the Y splitter either, not yet anyway.

I thought i read it in another thread..I'll have to see if ratshack sells the fmods.

brickie

Hi Brickie,



I don't see them on radioshack.com, but Partsexpress.com sells them (very good vendor).





Enjoy!


Dennis

Yeah i know..Ijust was hoping to have this done by the weekend..Actually i haven't bought a receiver yet,so i guess i have time.I just got home and there was my bass shakers..These things really are HEAVY!!!!!Can't wait to give them a try..May just wait til i get the fmods though..Come on guys, any other way to filter out the "higher" lows?

Also any opinions on a receiver that goes down only to 40hz instead of 20hz.Does it really matter ?..I'm looking at the same one mentioned earlier..It's new and CC has a sweet deal on them.

brickie

Brickie,

Did you finally decide on your receiver? I am looking for the best for the money - there's a CC close by but I haven't gone in yet.

Nah, not yet...I'm still waiting for someone to say wether or not being able to go down to 20hz (rated) makes a difference. The receiver at CC that i like is the one mentioned in the ad..Very attractive price but rated for only 40hz, does this matter?If i can get a answer i'll pick it up in the morning.

brickie

p.s. I'm going to ask over in the audio forum to see if i get an answer.

Please help!
Getting ready today to install 4 (4ohmn) bass shakers.
Current set up is McIntosh 134 w/1 sub-out to a 5 band Parasound EQ w/volume control. My amp is a Carver 200t. I not exactly sure on the best
way to wire this.
Help!!!
Tom

Originally posted by Tom_Kini
Brickie,

Did you finally decide on your receiver? I am looking for the best for the money - there's a CC close by but I haven't gone in yet.

Over in the audio forum, a few guys said that receiver probably doesn't low enough..I'm headed to CC and BB right now to see what i can find..Maybe a open box deal is there and waiting for me.

brickie

Originally posted by brickie
Over in the audio forum, a few guys said that receiver probably doesn't low enough..I'm headed to CC and BB right now to see what i can find..Maybe a open box deal is there and waiting for me.

brickie

I am thinking that going down to 20 will make a difference so I am doing the same as you in my area. Fortunately I've got some time before my Lane's arrive.

Well nothing in the price range i was hoping to pay..All the cheap receivers seem to go down only to 40hz..I will probably just end up buying a used one..I'm trying to keep this in the real "bang for the buck" realm..

brickie

I found the F-mods at partsexpress.You can buy them in different hz.Which hz. would you guys recomment?

I'm going to go for a 60 to make sure they only vibrate in real bass situations.

brickie

There's a 50hz. and 70hz. No 60hz.And there's highpass and lowpass.Which one?

Sorry, thought there was a 60...I'm going to go with 50 then...That should eliminate them vibrating if say just a male is talking...Don't want the couch shaking for something like that.

brickie

GREAT THREAD!!

I have a 7+ year old Pioneer VSX-D606S 5.1 receiver rated at 100 watts per channel.
How many shakers could I effectively run out of this receiver if using it to run shakers only?
Is anyone else using this receiver?

Craig

There's a 50hz. and 70hz. No 60hz.And there's highpass and lowpass.Which one?
The 50hz low pass seems to be the most popular for bass shakers. High pass won't do you much good with shakers.

I haven't decided yet if I want to buy one or not. I was getting a decent effect yesterday when I was attempting to "tweak" the sub with the shakers by using the volume on the pro logic receiver that is powering them and the volume of the sub. Watched the pod race cranked up. Nice!

Thanks Stan

Originally posted by brickie
Well nothing in the price range i was hoping to pay..All the cheap receivers seem to go down only to 40hz..I will probably just end up buying a used one..I'm trying to keep this in the real "bang for the buck" realm..

brickie

When I was at CC today they had the low end Sherwood. I was talking to the guy there about what I wanted to do with it and he didn't think it would be a problem compared to the more expensive receivers they had there which went down to 10 or 20Hz. Basically he said that the rating was the freq range that the power was rated between and that the Sherwood would still amp the low end below 40Hz, of course, it might take more power than the rating to drive those freqs. In the end I decided to try it since worse case I return it.

I am not very knowledgable on audio spec's, amp's etc. so he could be wrong -- can anyone add to this?

I'm not sure, but most over in the audio forum siad it was not good enough for the application..I decided to look elsewhere.

brickie

Great thread! I am convinced, so I just bought a few pair from Parts Express. I'll have them ready for when I start building out my theater room. I figure one 20W per seat should be a good start. : )


-chris

After more movie watching this weekend - I like these even more - however I will be adding an fmod to cut out just a bit of the shaking near 100hz. Problem is: should I go with a 70hz low pass or a 50 hz low pass?

What are you all out there doing? Will a 70hz cutoff do the trick?

I really don't want to order both sets of fmods.....

Any advive will help!

:D

Maybe someone can correct me if I wrong, but I don't see the need of a cutoff if you're listening to DD/DTS in 5.1. Or is it for DPL material that you need this for? I always thought the LFE track of DD/DTS was meant to be processed fully for bass.

I think the goal I have in mind is simply to eliminate some of the mild shaking that occurs around 100hz and go for more of the real low frequencies only....

I bought the sub plate AMP from Parts express. It has the benefit of having a bandpass adjustment, and on sale was inexpensive. 200W will run everything I need to run (8 bass shakers). So far I have 4 installed and it works great. AMP wasn't too badly priced either.

Actually i was wondering the same thing about f-mods..But i thinbk the key is as PCRX said, that you don't need it shaking when say Darth Vader speaks..Just an ex. of course..You really only want these things going off for the "big" bass.I ordered the 50hz low pass f-mods, and should have them by weeks end..Will then be doing my testing..I went with a inexpensive reciever..an Onkyo Tx-901.It's old and i found it a a flea market and it works flawless..No remote is the only problem..but i'm not going to worry about..Yeah i already tried programming my universal..no go.The one thin g i did like was the price $25, and it has the ability to drive 4 ohms no problems ! Rated for it right on the back of receiver..


Well when i get everything going i'll post my results..I gotta Screw a board to underside of couch and love seat to bolt shakers to.Shouldn't be a problem..Stay tuned.

brickie

Brickie,

I ordered the 70hz low pass ones - so it should be interesting to see the results.... let me know if you would possibly be interested in doing a swap of fmods down the road so you could see how the 70hz one fits in and vice versa.

I would be happy to do a swap - as I didn't really want to order both sets and will only be using one of the fmods anyway....... send me a PM. I should be getting mine in about a week or less.

:D

Sounds cool...i'll let you know when i get mine.

brickie

Originally posted by brickie
I'm not sure, but most over in the audio forum siad it was not good enough for the application..I decided to look elsewhere.

brickie

I set up the Sherwood (105w/2) last night and drove two of my shaker pro's off of it. It worked fine. The only problem I see is the same one you guys are having -- I am driving it with my LFE output but this will still pass less than 100hz (I am set at 80Hz right now on my Yamaha 2400) so I will need a filter. But to Brickie's point earlier I would like to try the sherwood with a low pass filter of around 50 or 60 hz but then am I only going to get 40-50hz with this receiver because the power rating at less than 40hz is not good -- or will it be okay. I am going to change my LFE crossover to 40Hz and see what I get coming through on the shakers. I'll keep you posted

Hi all, I'm glad there's an active thread on this subject, as I just got my first pair of 25w 4 ohms shakers. Upon doing a quick test and setup, the following are my 1001 questions... please help :-

1) Is it better to split the LFE output from primary amp, so I can plug into the L and R of the secondary amp? Any difference compared to just one input eg. L only?

2) Would there be a loss in sound quality to my subwoofer considering there's a split of signal to the secondary amp? Or due to lower quality Y connector?

3) The vibrations from the shakers, do you feel it at the bottom of the seat or does it spread to viewer's back as well? Right now, mine is the former only.

4) If the primary's volume is at 5 and the secondary is at 5 for the best vibration, does increasing/reducing the primary volume need me to adjust the secondary or is it automatically adjusted proportionately?

5) If my secondary output per channel is 85w 8ohms, what actually happens if I connect a 25w bass shaker to each channel only or connect 2 shakers in a series? What's the difference? Would one of them blow up my shaker or amp? My amp has higher watts, does it mean my shaker can blow up if volume is too high?

Thanks in advance.

If your secondary is 85wpc at 8 ohms, then wire the two shakers in series (to acheive an 8 ohm load) and only use 1 channel on your secondary amp. putting a 4 ohm load (1 shaker alone) on that amp could cause it some problems, especially at high volumes.

so...

1) L only (or R only)
2) use a high quality splitter - I haven't had any problems.
3) Screwing shakers into a solid piece of the frame distributes the vibration over the entire seat.
4) changing the primary will change the proportional volume from the secondary... tune to your liking.
5) 2 in series, or you're taking your chances.

good luck.

If i was to use the following amp to power 5 Aura Pro 50 watts shakers http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?DID=7&PartNumber=300-793

Can somebody pls explain to me how i would wire them up so they got even power?

THanks Dale

Is there any reason why more people aren't using the Parts Express Amp which was linked earlier in the thread? It seems to go down to 20 Hz as well as provide more than enough power (250 Watts into 4 Ohms and 150 Watts into 8 Ohms). It also has built-in crossover Frequency Control and a remote control. It seems to be a good deal at $139.80. Just wondering...

Scott

albrigsr,
Are you even reading this thread? Seriously. We've been talking about the additional flexibility of a reciever for pages now...

David,

I have been following the thread and just re-read each post to ensure I wasn't missing anything related to the additional flexibility. I still see few if any any posts related to "Flexibility" that a Receiver has over the Parts Express Amp (i.e. Volume Control, Remote Control, Adjustable Crossover). Did I miss something? (I assume I have considering the tone of your message). I seriously want to know becuase I have purchased some Shakers based on this thread and am now deciding the best way to power them.

Scott

Given the difference in LFE on different movies it seems critical to have the ability to control the "volume" of the shakers....... hence the need for a dedicated receiver (versus a straight amp)

Pcrx, shouldn't matter if said amp has a remote volume control..I believe the one that he linked to does..Let's all play nice..

brickie

Scott-

I think I was looking at a different amp.... for sure though meant no offense or anything..... :D all nice here!

Originally posted by David_Larkins
If your secondary is 85wpc at 8 ohms, then wire the two shakers in series (to acheive an 8 ohm load) and only use 1 channel on your secondary amp. putting a 4 ohm load (1 shaker alone) on that amp could cause it some problems, especially at high volumes.


I just found out that my Yammies have an impedance selection switch and can switch between 8 or 4 ohms. So, with a little time on hand, I experimented with the different ohms and wiring of the 2 bass shakers. IMO, I think having it on 4 ohms and 1 shaker on each channel is most effective.

Also, I found out that by switching off my sub, the shakers don't vibrate... strange... but I'm sure many veterans here probably know why.

Considering I have only a pair of 25w shakers, they seem to be increasing the LFE output due to its vibrations. At first, I thot it was psychological until my wife said she heard/felt more rumbling from downstairs.

The best scene that I demo'ed was the T-rex first appearance in Jurassic Park. During the first few stomping, the boy in the car asked "Did you feel that?" .... my wife and I were nodding our heads "YES".... hehehe.

albrigsr,

My apologies. My tone was a bit harsh. One of the main things that I like about my 'shaker receiver' is that I can be watching cable tv or something, and have it off, then switch to a movie and turn it on. A receiver does offer some additional advantages over the amp you propose. First, the PE amp is auto on/off, so you can't turn it on/off from the remote. Second, it's a plate amp, so it really needs to be housed in some type of enclosure. I guess you could build a small enclosure, but that requires some work. One thing that it does have going for it is that it has some x-over flexability. I personally have not found the need for additional control over that aspect, but many have.

Bottom line is - FOR ME, a good used receiver paired with these shakers represents the best value and flexibility.

I agree with David. The only reason I would need crossover management is with Pro-Logic material, but controlling the volume/power on the shakers does the job very well. In fact, there's a kind of "cool" factor when you see two receivers on the rack (both displaying "DVD" on the front panel). :D My guests are impressed by the amount of power it seems to indicate. ;)

David (and all),

Thanks for the responses. I didn't catch that it was an auto on/off switch which kind of kills it for me since I agree with wanting the ability of remotely turning it on/off as desired based on the source material. Not building an enclosure helps save time too. Thanks again for listing the differences!

Starting reading about bass shakers yesterday and went ahead and ordered 4 sets of the 25watt version. I don't have an extra receiver laying around and don't know specs on older receivers to make sure I find one that definitely hits the low bass...so can anyone point out an inexpensive receiver (less than $250) that can be used to power 2 or 4 bass shakers TODAY (not sure if I'm going to keep my current room with 2 seats or add 2 more) and can still be used when I move to a new place where I'll have 8 theater seats/shakers? (I would rather spend the money now knowing the receiver will still meet my needs in roughly a year in a larger HT environment and several more seats.)

Thanks!

You shoul dhave no problems finding a receiver in that price range at CC or BB that fits the need..The problem some of us had is wanting to use a a "cheaper" Sherwood that was on sell ,but only went down to 40hz..Just not sure if that would cut it.At the price point you're at you should be able to find a Pioneer, or Sony that is full blown DD,DTS...I'm sure that will do the trick..

Also got my f-mods today, but nah i haven't even opened box..Wife forced me to barbecue.Just not enough time in the day..Will probably wait until the weekend.

brickie

Brickie,
Even if I got a 5.1 or 6.1 receiver, (eg 100w x 5 or 6 channels), you don't use it that way, right? You switch the receiver to 2-channel stereo mode and use the Front Left and Front Right only? (I guess all I need is 100w per channel then. 25w x 4 bass shakers would be 100w. Run 4 shakers on each channel?

You would be correct..My only point really in getting a true DD receiver would be that I KNOW it would go down to at least 20hz.It seems alot of the cheaper stereo receivers we might want to use just don't dig deep enough.

brickie

Yeah...I noticed that the sub-$125 receivers pretty much seem to stop at 40hz. I want 20hz though. LOL. I'm not to keen on having another receiver on the rack but want crossover and level/volume control....I thought about going with the sub plate amp from PE, but I don't want to bother making an enclosure for it. :)

If i'm not mistaken you want get x-over control thru a regular receiver..I think that would be a benefit of the plate amp..You could get some f-mods though.Mine came today ,but haven't had a chance to even open box yet.

brickie

I think i'll go do that now.

Tried a suggestion from one of the members in this thread, I plugged the RCA L and R to the 'phono' inputs of the secondary receiver. But it causes the secondary to power off, whenever the bass kicks in. Strange.... perhaps that's the Yamaha's internal controls. So, it's back to the 'DVD' inputs.

I'd recommend the DVD input. It works fine with a line-level signal while phono is really made for the very faint signal coming from a turn-table. If you really want your shakers to boom and bang the snot out of you, just turn up the volume on the receiver driving them.

I have my main Yamaha 5790 receiver xover set to 80hz. Will this bypass whatever setting the second receiver is at or will I need to adjust the second one (that's acting as the amp) as well? Gonna hit BB and CC tonight.

Originally posted by Del Laird
I have my main Yamaha 5790 receiver xover set to 80hz. Will this bypass whatever setting the second receiver is at or will I need to adjust the second one (that's acting as the amp) as well? Gonna hit BB and CC tonight.

The secondary amp's bass management (if any) should be set to mains only and the mains size set to 'large'. Not sure how you can set xover from the amps, but if u can, the secondary's xover should be set the same as primary.

Originally posted by pixel8

Also, I found out that by switching off my sub, the shakers don't vibrate... strange... but I'm sure many veterans here probably know why.


Looks like the sub is doing the driving of the shakers. If that's the case, I'd be able to control the volume and cutoff frequency of the shakers from the sub's controls.

Look for a refurb Onkyo 8511 at ecost, better than the crap you'd get at CC or BB for the same $$$.

You could also check out ebay item # 3094642247, Harman Kardon sells their refurbs direct on ebay, from the history these units generally go between $130 & $150.

Originally posted by pixel8
Also, I found out that by switching off my sub, the shakers don't vibrate... strange... but I'm sure many veterans here probably know why.


That is just odd and shouldn't be happening. How did you split the LFE line? Are you using a splitter or using the line-out of your sub?

Del Laird,

Somebody earlier posted a Sony Amp which is 100W per channel and goes down to 20Hz. It is at CC for $129.99.

http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.jsp?c=1&b=g&u=c&qp=0&bookmark=bookmark_0&oid=50606&catoid=-8021&m=0

albrigsr,
Thanks...saw that at CC last night but my local shop was out of stock. Since I'm only looking for a second amp, all I need is 100 watts per channel and something that can go down to 20Hz. Everything else is non-essential. It looks like it'll work just fine.

If my Onkyo doesn't work out,i may look into that one..I saw it when i was there over the weekend but i was in super cheap mode and didn't get it..

brickie

Okay i just mounted all my bass shakers..I'm going to try and use 6. Iv'e got 2 on the loveseat,3 on the couch, and 1 on the papason chair..That was the hardest to mount due to it's shape.But i have 3 screws in and it's wrapped with " tie wire ", so it's not going anywhere.That's the stuff we use to secure scaffold to buildings..Much stronger than plastic wire ties..Now let's go see if i have enough speaker wire to get this done today.

brickie

Originally posted by Vantorax
That is just odd and shouldn't be happening. How did you split the LFE line? Are you using a splitter or using the line-out of your sub?

I'm using a splitter (Y-shaped RCA cable). The only difference I see is that my subwoofer has 2 RCA inputs (L/R) as compared to others (1 input). Below is a rough diagram :-

.......................Primary amp
.................................!
.................................!
............................../....\
............................/........\
......................... /........... \
.........................!..............!
.........................!..............!
......................../.\........... /..\
....................../.....\........./.... \
.......................Sub.......Secondary
....................................dvd input

Also could it be that my sub is an active sub and others in this thread are not? Nevertheless, I think it's quite ok, considering I can control the bass shakers from the sub's controls (cutoff freq, volume, phase, etc.)

Originally posted by suffolk112000
GREAT THREAD!!

I have a 7+ year old Pioneer VSX-D606S 5.1 receiver rated at 100 watts per channel.
How many shakers could I effectively run out of this receiver if using it to run shakers only?
Is anyone else using this receiver?

Craig


Help!!

I still have this question!

I have six pro 50 watt shakers that I bought a while ago.
Could I run them on the above DD 100 watts per channel receiver? I'm assuming I can...
Next, what is the best way to hook them up to this receiver?
Do I turn on the Dolby Digital and just hook the shakers up to the speaker connections like I would if they were speakers and just double two shakers up to one of the speakers, say the center channel?

One last question. If I decided to down the road, would it be possible to hook two more pro 50 watt shakers to this receiver... 8 total.

Craig

Originally posted by suffolk112000
I have six pro 50 watt shakers that I bought a while ago.
Could I run them on the above DD 100 watts per channel receiver? I'm assuming I can...
Next, what is the best way to hook them up to this receiver?
Do I turn on the Dolby Digital and just hook the shakers up to the speaker connections like I would if they were speakers and just double two shakers up to one of the speakers, say the center channel?

One last question. If I decided to down the road, would it be possible to hook two more pro 50 watt shakers to this receiver... 8 total.

Craig

Can't recall reading anybody using channels other than the main channels, for bass shakers. And t's about varying the combination of series/parallels, depending on the ohms of bass shaker, receiver and no. of seats. There doesn't seem to be a limit to the no. of shakers as you can see from beginning of this thread or other threads (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=330436). Most likely, your connections would be 3 shakers to each main channel.

If you are only using the receiver to run shakers then I would not run it in the DD mode. Take advantage of the fact that you have all of those channels available to you. The units are 4 ohms each so I would connect them in pairs so that two shakers are in series raising the impedance to 8 ohms which should be ideal for you receiver. Then put your pairs on separate channels. One pair on Left Front output and one pair on Right front output and one pair on Center. If you can set your receiver to Mono input then that should give you the same signal on both left and right. I am assuming your receiver has separate inputs for each channel. If that is the case you can take an RCA Y cable and connect it to both the left input and the center input. I think that should do it for 6 shakers. If you need to go to 8 shaker then add two more to the Left Rear. You may even have a setting on your receiver that allows you to mono all of your channels. Sometimes you can set left and right front to be mirrored in left and right rear. If that is the case may use those 4 channels instead of using the center channel as described above. It may be easier to check things out with some music going through your receiver and then using a single speaker that you move around to the various channel outputs to make sure they are all getting the same signal at the same level. Sometimes this is harder to determine with shakers unless you have access to a scope or meter. Hope this helps.

..Doyle

Hi Doyle,
Curious, how do you set the receiver to mono or stereo and still get signals from other-than-main channels?

suffolk,

If you've got a 5-ch stereo mode on the the old reciever use that...

Craig,

That is why I said you may have to try a few things to get the receiver into the mode where you can take advantage of 4 or 5 of its channels. Not being familiar with that specific receiver, I could only give general instructions. As David said above, there should be a 4 or 5 channel stereo mode that essentially replicates the front channels to the rear. Not sure whether it would pick up the center channel or not. If you do have the stereo front and rear mode then you probably need a Y cable to put the signal into both left and right. A little experimentation with a signal going into the left and right inputs and you should have it. A number of receivers also have a mono mode where the signal only needs to be present on one of the input channels and then it also appears on the other channel. Whether a mono mode will also get you signal on the rear channels is something I can't answer with that specific receiver. I looked for an online manual of your receiver but couldn't find one.

..Doyle

Originally posted by David_Larkins
suffolk,

If you've got a 5-ch stereo mode on the the old reciever use that...

David, Doyle and pixel8 I have a stereo mode on the receiver.
Its either for two or four speakers/channels. I'm not at home, I'm at work so I am not sure.

Thanks, I'll try it!

Craig :)

Well, i got my shakers up and running, or should i say shaking !!!These things are amazing!! Truelu up there inthe hall of fame for "bang for the buck" !For the price i would urge anyone to give them a try before dismissing them.It was late last night when i checked so i couldn't really give them a TRUE workout...I did test the 1st appearance of the T-rex in Jurassic Park ...AMAZING!!!!!Really added a new dimension to the scene where you see the water rippling in the glass..The only thing i worry about is that i may now only want to see "action movies".

One thing i wanted to add is go for a receiver with a remote..Yeah i know it's been mentioned a thousand times but i'm not using one now...Hey it was cheap locally, what can i say..It will make for an easier setup.Also don't know if it's necessary to avoid anything under 100 watts..My Onkyo is rated at 50 watts i believe..so old i'm not sure..Even with this "low" power rating, it's driving 6 shakers with EASE!! Well now that's this is finished time for the next big project..

brickie

Excellent news, brickie. Another enthusiast who will be walking around with blurred vision. :D

Absolutely !!!I'll probably go ahead and order 6 more so i can be prepared for the future.

brickie

Got mine up and going last night too. Holy man. I recomend the pod race scene in phantom menace and the beach landing of saving private ryan. Both good demos. Just amazed at the punch those little shakers do. I had almost gotten the 50watt ones instead and i'm glad I didn't.

Getting them mounted on plywood and then to the chairs really helped over the wire tie method. Probably an obvious point, but the difference was really striking. Unless I really crank up the shakers past reasonable points, its very difficult to even tell they are mounted in the chair and not coming from the speakers.

Brickie,
How did you end up wiring the 6 shakers to your amp/receiver?

I wired 2 in parallel , then 1 in series. Iv'e got 3 shakers on each channel..I had a minimum rating of 4 ohms per channel for the Onkyo i'm using.I should be running 6 ohms if i'm correct.

brickie

Hi all

Never heard of these shakers till I read this thread...Thanks. I ordered four Monday and they arrived Friday. Here is my set-up: Split the LFE and ran the signal into an old Newmark EQ. On the EQ, I boost 20Hz to 60Hz by 15db. All higher freqs are attenuated by -15db ( this makes for a great low pass crossover). I then run the signal from the EQ to my old 80 watt Yamaha and run the shakers at 8 ohms.

I did a test using the movie 'Sixth Sense', which has little LFE. But when it did come on, like during the ghost scenes, man oh man, holy cow, I must admit it spooked me. The vibration, which is not isolated, sneaked up on me and made me jump. These things are awesome. I do not have them cranked so it is a very subtle, yet powerful effect.

For this test, I just put them under the cushion. Tomorrow, the wife will be gone , so I will be able to explore the cavities under her very expensive sectional sofa. If she found out I was going to take a box knife to her couch, even only the crumb catcher, she would kill me:rolleyes:

I will do some testing on mounting positions on the wood frame and report back my results. Thanks again for the useful info

Kurt
Birch Bay, WA

Kurt Iv'e attached a picture of how i mounted mine..perhaps you could do it this way instead of cutting into couch.This is my loveseat,and i did the couch the same way..I had slats of wood running in the direction of the screws, as you'll notice in picture.I just screwed a piece of wood to these "slats" and then mounted shakers firmly to board..Rock solid, and works fabulous.I too did mine while the wife was away..Just makes for less headaches, til she feels them and agrees what a great idea!

brickie

When will I learn not to come to the HT Accessories forum???? :rolleyes:

After reading about these shakers, now I want them!!!! SIGH . . .

Ok, maybe it will be too much trouble for me and I can stop plotting on how to get them in my HT.

I have 8 Berkline recliners (too early Sunday morning to remember the model). If anyone has a suggestion on how best to mount them, I'm very interested!

Also, if someone could PM me with the info on the great deal, that would be great!

Brickie . . . did you end up getting the regular shakers or the PROS?

Thanks for helping me stay poor from HT enhancement!! :D

Doug i went with the pros.Although a few here have reported great success with the regular ones..The one thing i will say is use a receiver with a remote..I didn't, but i believe i got mine dialed in pretty good.Also a 100 watts receiver is overkill, IMO.I'm using what i believe is an 50 watt Onkyo and it has NO trouble at all pushing them...Not even turned up half.

The deal is at Parts Express, they have them on clearance. I got mine from an ebay seller , whos price is very similar to Parts express..If you need i'll dig up his info..Either way you can't go wrong.

brickie

Brickie:

Thanks for the reply. . . no need to dig up Parts Express info, I have bought NUMEROUS things from them during the course of my HT construction.

If/when I decide to do the shakers, the reciever I will be using is my old Pioneer which is around 100- 125 watts per channel X 5. I had to retire it because it developed a "streak" in the picture when used as an AV switcher. That, and it did not support all the new formats, etc. Right now it is just sitting in its box collecting dust so it would be continuing its useful life in this mode even though it will likely be overkill for the application.

Naturally, it has a remote . . . but that MAY be a problem because my replacement receiver is also a Pioneer. And to add to the confusion, My Bravo D1 ALSO responds to the Pioneer commands and ejects the disc if I try to raise the volume too much at one time!!! :(

I'm thinking hard about this . . . if I can just figure a way to effectively conect them to my Berklines that does not impact how they look -- - WAF VERY important here. :D

Below is a picture of my Bass Shaker Pro installation on Berkline 090's. They are mounted to the back and work great! The vibrations are felt throughout the chair. The top half of the picture shows the slight bulge created in the back panel by the Shaker.

Doug. no problem and I urge you to give them a try..

Mine passed the test last night..We watched XXX and it was awesome! Really has some great LFE energy.A few times my wife gave me the look like wow, although she has yet to figure out what's up..Perhaps i will elt her in on it.GREAT bang for the buck item here !!

brickie

Originally posted by DougSmith911
Naturally, it has a remote . . . but that MAY be a problem because my replacement receiver is also a Pioneer. And to add to the confusion, My Bravo D1 ALSO responds to the Pioneer commands and ejects the disc if I try to raise the volume too much at one time!!! :(


I have yammies for primary and secondary receiver/amps. The remote control works for both. So wat I do is block the secondary's IR sensor and manually adjust its volume. Not a problem at all 'cos after weeks with the shakers, there are only 2 kinds of volumes frequently used ie. loud during the day (secondary then set at 45% to reduce shaking) and soft in the night (secondary then set at 65% to increase shaking).

Originally posted by brickie
I wired 2 in parallel , then 1 in series. Iv'e got 3 shakers on each channel..I had a minimum rating of 4 ohms per channel for the Onkyo i'm using.I should be running 6 ohms if i'm correct.

brickie

Brickie,

Although your expertise with popcorn is legendary, and your knowledge of Ohm's law sounds pretty decent, I'm not sure about your knowledge of Kirchoff's law.

The way you described your wiring of your bass shakers does indeed result in 6 ohms load to your receiver... However, the distribution of power to the shakers is anything but equal.

The 1 shaker in series (representing 4 ohms in your combination) will have two-thirds of the total available voltage from your amplifier across it.

The two shakers in parallel (representing a total parallel value of 2 ohms) will have one third of the voltage from your amplifier across them.

Let's assume your amplifier puts out 12 volts AC. If that is the case, 8 volts are delivered to the single shaker, and 4 volts to the two in parallel.

8 volts / 4 ohms (the resistance of the single shaker) = 2 amps current.

4 volts / 4 ohms = 1 amp current (through each of the two parallel shakers) for a total of 2 amps current. Note that this same 2 amps is exactly the same 2 that is flowing through the single shaker. (That is basically Kirchoff's law, the sum of the electrons flowing into a node in a circuit are equal to the sum of the electrons flowing out of a node)

now... if you follow me so far, 2 amps (through the single shaker) * 8 volts (across the single shaker) = 16 watts power that is being dissipated by the single shaker you have wired in series.

and 1 amps (through one of the parallel pair of shakers) * 4 volts (across the parallel pair) = 4 watts being dissipated by each of the two shakers you have wired in parallel. (for a total of 8 watts)

So the power is divided up like this

Shaker #1 = 16 watts
Shaker #2 = 4 watts
Shaker #3 = 4 watts

Did you intend that two thirds of the shaking power be delivered by one of your shakers and that one sixth of the shaking be delivered by each of the others? Or did you want equal power (and equal shaking) be done by each of the three? I addition to uneven shaking, you run a higher risk of burning out the one shaker dissipating the higher power when you turn the volume up on your receiver.

I only know three ways to get equal power to 6 shakers.

1. All in series (three on each channel of your receiver). This would result in a load of 12 ohms on each channel of your receiver. It would be an easy load on your amplifier and if it still provided enough shaking, is probably the simplest solution. (The amp will deliver roughly half of the power to 12 ohms than it can to to 6 ohms, but if it is strong enough shaking, who cares)

2 All in parallel. This would be just over 1 ohm resistance and probably way too low a resistance for most amplifiers...not a good choice for your Onkyo.

3. Put two shakers in series, parallel that set with another set of two in series... hook that to one channel of your amplifier. It will be a load of 4 ohms. (Two in series are 8 ohms, two parallel sets of two in series = 4 ohms)

On the other channel of your amplifier, put the remaining two shakers wired in series. It will be an 8 ohm load.

Then, adjust your left/right balance control on the Onkyo receiver for equal shaking of the two vs. the four shakers. Yes, the one channel of the amplifier will be delivering more power than the other, but the Onkyo will be operating within its ratings and all the shakers will be shaking the same amount .... and that is what matters.

Now... do I smell fresh popcorn???

Joe L.

JL


I am impressed. I finally understood what I need to do. I am a little dense so it took me about 6 pages but I think I've got it now. Thanks for the lesson.

Brickie -- Did you decide to use the 50Hz FMOD's?

well, after reading this thread for awhile, and since the shakers were so cheap, I bought 4. I hooked a pair up in the 8 ohm config to a resurrected reciever and managed to get one channel (L) going. I'll do the other tomorrow after work. Initially I thought I had something wrong, as I was getting nothing out the shakers. I had to turn the volume up halfway to get some thumping. I assume this is typical. Surround is off, balance is in the middle.

Does anyone have a different experience? As it is ... I can't wait to get the next pair in on the (R) channel.

Originally posted by kcgr
I had to turn the volume up halfway to get some thumping. I assume this is typical. Surround is off, balance is in the middle. Does anyone have a different experience? As it is ... I can't wait to get the next pair in on the (R) channel.

Depending on the volume of your primary amp/receiver, your secondary's volume will vary. The louder your primary, the less volume from your secondary.

Originally posted by J. L.
Brickie,

Although your expertise with popcorn is legendary, and your knowledge of Ohm's law sounds pretty decent, I'm not sure about your knowledge of Kirchoff's law.

The way you described your wiring of your bass shakers does indeed result in 6 ohms load to your receiver... However, the distribution of power to the shakers is anything but equal.

The 1 shaker in series (representing 4 ohms in your combination) will have two-thirds of the total available voltage from your amplifier across it.

The two shakers in parallel (representing a total parallel value of 2 ohms) will have one third of the voltage from your amplifier across them.

Let's assume your amplifier puts out 12 volts AC. If that is the case, 8 volts are delivered to the single shaker, and 4 volts to the two in parallel.

J.L., awesome post!!!! I struggled with how to wire these 6 shakers for awhile..I will correct this situaution later on today..I will just go for the all wired in series approach.As you said if it's equal shaking at 12 ohms, who cares.Thanks big time..

Tom, yeah i'm using the 50 hz fmods as we speak..you know what i mean..I didn't try it without them but i'm sure having them in is helpful..Don't really know if one can tell the diffference between 50 and 70 though...As someone mentioned if we're splitting the LFE channel then it would seem to be that sending all that bass info ro shakers would be fine..But for them i think it's too much..I only wanted shaking on truely deep bass..Not when Vader as an example might be talking..

brickie

8 volts / 4 ohms (the resistance of the single shaker) = 2 amps current.

4 volts / 4 ohms = 1 amp current (through each of the two parallel shakers) for a total of 2 amps current. Note that this same 2 amps is exactly the same 2 that is flowing through the single shaker. (That is basically Kirchoff's law, the sum of the electrons flowing into a node in a circuit are equal to the sum of the electrons flowing out of a node)

now... if you follow me so far, 2 amps (through the single shaker) * 8 volts (across the single shaker) = 16 watts power that is being dissipated by the single shaker you have wired in series.

and 1 amps (through one of the parallel pair of shakers) * 4 volts (across the parallel pair) = 4 watts being dissipated by each of the two shakers you have wired in parallel. (for a total of 8 watts)

So the power is divided up like this

Shaker #1 = 16 watts
Shaker #2 = 4 watts
Shaker #3 = 4 watts

Did you intend that two thirds of the shaking power be delivered by one of your shakers and that one sixth of the shaking be delivered by each of the others? Or did you want equal power (and equal shaking) be done by each of the three? I addition to uneven shaking, you run a higher risk of burning out the one shaker dissipating the higher power when you turn the volume up on your receiver.

I only know three ways to get equal power to 6 shakers.

1. All in series (three on each channel of your receiver). This would result in a load of 12 ohms on each channel of your receiver. It would be an easy load on your amplifier and if it still provided enough shaking, is probably the simplest solution. (The amp will deliver roughly half of the power to 12 ohms than it can to to 6 ohms, but if it is strong enough shaking, who cares)

2 All in parallel. This would be just over 1 ohm resistance and probably way too low a resistance for most amplifiers...not a good choice for your Onkyo.

3. Put two shakers in series, parallel that set with another set of two in series... hook that to one channel of your amplifier. It will be a load of 4 ohms. (Two in series are 8 ohms, two parallel sets of two in series = 4 ohms)

On the other channel of your amplifier, put the remaining two shakers wired in series. It will be an 8 ohm load.

Then, adjust your left/right balance control on the Onkyo receiver for equal shaking of the two vs. the four shakers. Yes, the one channel of the amplifier will be delivering more power than the other, but the Onkyo will be operating within its ratings and all the shakers will be shaking the same amount .... and that is what matters.

Now... do I smell fresh popcorn???

Joe L.

Originally posted by J. L.
Brickie,

Although your expertise with popcorn is legendary, and your knowledge of Ohm's law sounds pretty decent, I'm not sure about your knowledge of Kirchoff's law.

The way you described your wiring of your bass shakers does indeed result in 6 ohms load to your receiver... However, the distribution of power to the shakers is anything but equal.

The 1 shaker in series (representing 4 ohms in your combination) will have two-thirds of the total available voltage from your amplifier across it.

The two shakers in parallel (representing a total parallel value of 2 ohms) will have one third of the voltage from your amplifier across them.

Let's assume your amplifier puts out 12 volts AC. If that is the case, 8 volts are delivered to the single shaker, and 4 volts to the two in parallel.


8 volts / 4 ohms (the resistance of the single shaker) = 2 amps current.

4 volts / 4 ohms = 1 amp current (through each of the two parallel shakers) for a total of 2 amps current. Note that this same 2 amps is exactly the same 2 that is flowing through the single shaker. (That is basically Kirchoff's law, the sum of the electrons flowing into a node in a circuit are equal to the sum of the electrons flowing out of a node)

now... if you follow me so far, 2 amps (through the single shaker) * 8 volts (across the single shaker) = 16 watts power that is being dissipated by the single shaker you have wired in series.

and 1 amps (through one of the parallel pair of shakers) * 4 volts (across the parallel pair) = 4 watts being dissipated by each of the two shakers you have wired in parallel. (for a total of 8 watts)

So the power is divided up like this

Shaker #1 = 16 watts
Shaker #2 = 4 watts
Shaker #3 = 4 watts

Did you intend that two thirds of the shaking power be delivered by one of your shakers and that one sixth of the shaking be delivered by each of the others? Or did you want equal power (and equal shaking) be done by each of the three? I addition to uneven shaking, you run a higher risk of burning out the one shaker dissipating the higher power when you turn the volume up on your receiver.

I only know three ways to get equal power to 6 shakers.

1. All in series (three on each channel of your receiver). This would result in a load of 12 ohms on each channel of your receiver. It would be an easy load on your amplifier and if it still provided enough shaking, is probably the simplest solution. (The amp will deliver roughly half of the power to 12 ohms than it can to to 6 ohms, but if it is strong enough shaking, who cares)

2 All in parallel. This would be just over 1 ohm resistance and probably way too low a resistance for most amplifiers...not a good choice for your Onkyo.

3. Put two shakers in series, parallel that set with another set of two in series... hook that to one channel of your amplifier. It will be a load of 4 ohms. (Two in series are 8 ohms, two parallel sets of two in series = 4 ohms)

On the other channel of your amplifier, put the remaining two shakers wired in series. It will be an 8 ohm load.

Then, adjust your left/right balance control on the Onkyo receiver for equal shaking of the two vs. the four shakers. Yes, the one channel of the amplifier will be delivering more power than the other, but the Onkyo will be operating within its ratings and all the shakers will be shaking the same amount .... and that is what matters.

Now... do I smell fresh popcorn???

Joe L.
J.L., awesome post!!!! I struggled with how to wire these 6 shakers for awhile..I will correct this situaution later on today..I will just go for the all wired in series approach.As you said if it's equal shaking at 12 ohms, who cares.Thanks big time..

Tom, yeah i'm using the 50 hz fmods as we speak..you know what i mean..I didn't try it without them but i'm sure having them in is helpful..Don't really know if one can tell the diffference between 50 and 70 though...As someone mentioned if we're splitting the LFE channel then it would seem to be that sending all that bass info ro shakers would be fine..But for them i think it's too much..I only wanted shaking on truely deep bass..Not when Vader as an example might be talking..

brickie

I finally got all 6 of my shakers hooked up. side note: after reading joe's post, I think i've got mine wired up poorly too. Different than brickie, but still wrong. Is there some good way to test the output of these things? I play good scenes, but moving from chair to chair as clips play isn't great testing how consistant they are in each. Is there some kind of tone generator program or something I can run on my HTPC to produce some low freqs or am I just obsessing?

If you've got the Godzilla dvd with Matthew Broderick that should work..In the main menu it loops his footstep which from what i read is around 20hz or so..Just fire up the dvd and don't play anything and it will just keep looping his footstep so you can go from chair to chair.

brickie

Tried the 70 hz FMOD last night - much better..... I found that there was less shaking during things like music scenes and when there was shaking it had more impact. Plus I was able to turn the volume up more to get a better effect without feeling the residual shakes that seemed to come around the 100hz mark.

These things - when properly adjusted - absolutely rule.

Originally posted by siropa
Is there some kind of tone generator program or something I can run on my HTPC to produce some low freqs or am I just obsessing?

Use the LFE sweep in AVIA disc. It sweeps all the way from high to low frequency. By repeating the sweep and alternating chairs, you can compare the difference of the shaking and at which specific Hz frequency.

But personally, I prefer to use my favorite movie demos and use the A*B repeats on my player to compare eg. DTS demo disks, Dolby Digital trailers, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Haunting (this one is scary... I worry my shakers will blow up at the bedroom scene), etc.

Originally posted by pixel8
Use the LFE sweep in AVIA disc. It sweeps all the way from high to low frequency. By repeating the sweep and alternating chairs, you can compare the difference of the shaking and at which specific Hz frequency.

But personally, I prefer to use my favorite movie demos and use the A*B repeats on my player to compare eg. DTS demo disks, Dolby Digital trailers, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Haunting (this one is scary... I worry my shakers will blow up at the bedroom scene), etc.

duh on me. I must be staying up too late at nights because it never dawned on me to use the AB repeating of zoom player on a scene.

Thanks for the suggestion.

For those of you still searching for a relatively inexpensive way to drive the Bass Shakers, you should look into Plate Amps designed for sub-woofers.

An example is:

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

Not only are they relatively low cost, they have a built-in variable, low frequency bandpass filter. There are also models with and without remote control. I have my filters set to 40 Hz since I only want the very low frequencies going to the Bass Shakers. One of these plate amps can easily drive 4-8 shakers depending on how much kick you like.

Also from PE - while not the purdy-est thing on the market - is this stereo receiver... goes down to 20hz with plenty of power.

I may be doing up this one myself.....

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

A little off topic but there was a nice article on Buttkickers in todays Wall Street Journal in the Personal Journal section. Big thing was more guys like them then gals.:D

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!

Thanks buddhawood,thats exactly what I needed.Good find.

I had been using an old receiver and getting lots of shake. My only gripe was that to get the amount I was looking for, the volume require also caused a fair amount of shaking when it didn't seem right. So I ordered a sub amp from PE with a crossover. Wow did that make a difference. Way more kick than i'd ever want and can actually set the crossover so low that it doesn't seem to even shake at all the points it should. much more control than the receiver.

You could have simply bought some f-mods, and that would have solved your problem.

brickie

Originally posted by brickie
You could have simply bought some f-mods, and that would have solved your problem.

brickie

I was an excuse to get the amp. :) I had another use for that receiver anyways.

Okay that explains it..I just rewired my shakers so they are in series..3 on each side.I must say i'm still getting a TREMENDOUS effect without touching one setting at all on second receiver.Gotta go finish testing jurassic Park 1st T-Rex appearance!!

brickie

siropa:

Which amp did you get? The 250 w/ remote?

Originally posted by Gibbie
siropa:

Which amp did you get? The 250 w/ remote?

Wanted to, but decided the remote would be overkill. Hope I don't regret that later. I ended up with the 120 watt with the free shipping.

I'm not using a remote, but i will eventually switch to a receiver with one.Can be very important for adjusting the level of the shakers..If price is close between the amps in question, get the remote..just my opinion.

brickie

Originally posted by brickie
I'm not using a remote, but i will eventually switch to a receiver with one.Can be very important for adjusting the level of the shakers..If price is close between the amps in question, get the remote..just my opinion.

brickie


I tuned mine in about 10 mins of fiddling around tonight. I guess i'm going to set mine low enough to have an affect, but to not be over powering. If i'm needing a remote to adjust them all the time, then its going against what i'm trying to do in my theater. I very much want to start up the movie and not even have a remote in sight. I'll sacrafice a little shake to not have to mess with it on the fly.

Siropa, I can feel you on some points..I agree that you shouldn't have to fiddle with them constantly,I don't..But the benefits of using a remote have already been discussed, as well as why one would want to use a receiver instead of a plate amp.But whatever works for each of us is all that matters.

brickie

Holy smokes watched Master and Commander the other night..... the cannon fire scenes were wild and I thought my wife was going to leap out of the sofa!!!!

The FMOD really seemed to help - I was able to have the shaker volume up more and eliminate some shaking that I felt was not appropriate.

Again its all about taste.... Im sure when I get a better receiver to drive these things I will have to readjust again - but I tried watching the same scenes without the shakers and it was just not the same.

There is no going back.:D

Brickie - my other 70hz mod should be on its way!

I HAVE to get mine hooked up, this thread is making me jealous that everyone is a shakin' but me. The shakers have been sitting in their box for about 3 weeks now, I have the amp all set up, The whole time I have been thinking that I will wait 'til my new carpet is installed & run the wires under the carpet, but I just want to try them now. Gotta get off work early today.

With all these comments about making the wife jump... has anyone found it gets her in the mood?:D

Originally posted by pcrx
Holy smokes watched Master and Commander the other night..... the cannon fire scenes were wild and I thought my wife was going to leap out of the sofa!!!!

The FMOD really seemed to help - I was able to have the shaker volume up more and eliminate some shaking that I felt was not appropriate.

Again its all about taste.... Im sure when I get a better receiver to drive these things I will have to readjust again - but I tried watching the same scenes without the shakers and it was just not the same.

There is no going back.:D

Brickie - my other 70hz mod should be on its way!

Got it saturday, although i have not had a chance to try it yet.My wife was trying to figure out what was going on as well..She looked at me a few times like wow..Although i know it wasn't too over the top because she didn't comment on it..And believe me she would!! Even over the weekend watching Rugrats Go Wild, the shaking was awesome in CERTAIN scenes..I most definitely think this is a must have product!!

brickie

I agree completely. I had a few friends over for a demo on sunday. They kept commenting on the satisfaction of the rumble. after about the 5th demo clip, one of them asked if there was something extra in the seats and I fessed up. I think I had the volume just a tad high and that was a give away. I turned them off for a few clips and everyone agreed how much of an impact they make. It was the best couple hundred of bucks spent in the theater for the wow factor.

I did actually get mine hooked up tonight, only had a chance for a quick play, watched the Spiddy 2 trailer a few times, that has a good effect, I do wish I had gone with a receiver with remote instead of the power amp without. I only hooked 2 of the 4 up to the coutch, and was getting a good rumble, I may hook the other 2 up tomorrow. I just don't want to over do it, I really bought the extras for when I get my new seating. Now I can't wait to have the chance to watch a movie the whole way thru with them. I also have some detective work to do as the sub output on my receiver didn't output anything, I will have to check the manual to see if it is possible to turn it off somehow. In the end I had to use the preout for the sub on the back of the DVD player. In my normal setup I run the sub from the L&R channels so I have not used the sub out in the past.

Thanks to all!

I was lurking on this thread since the beginning. Now I have bass shakers installed with an active crossover. They rock!

My test disc is Toy Story 2 - big smile.

Not my favorite movie, but i recommend the " pod race scene" from Episode II as the definitive test. It will blow you away!!

brickie

Uhh... That'd be Episode I. Ya, not your favorite.. It shows. ;)

Absolutely !!! But contains some great audio demo material!!

brickie

Haven't watch the pod race yet.

Last night I watched Two Towers. I adjusted my shakers with Toy Story 2 and Two Towers' bass level caused the shakers to shake too much to my taste.

In the ideal world I would adjust the shaker level before each movie. I am too lazy for that. So tonight I will reduce the shaker level and watch a quieter movie and see how it goes.

Originally posted by gravymaker
Hey Tom,

I bought 2 of those cheap Aura's and the effect is impressive! I put one in per sofa and your and your guests will love them. Just a tip - dont' tell them about the shakers - most people will continue to assume its the bass!

I just screwed them right to the frame of the couch underneath. A plywood connector will work great if there isn't a big enough piece of wood to screw them to underneath.


The idea of using bass shaker sounds very interesting but I have no idea what it is and how it works. Do you know of any link that explains more about this subject? Thanks.

Originally posted by wdang
The idea of using bass shaker sounds very interesting but I have no idea what it is and how it works. Do you know of any link that explains more about this subject? Thanks.

Go to the Speakers forum, there is a sticky there that should provide all the information you need.

I thought all the info was in this thread as well..Are we not explaining ourselves good here..LOL

brickie

Originally posted by brickie
I thought all the info was in this thread as well..Are we not explaining ourselves good here..LOL

brickie

Actually, it's just me and my nasty habit of wanting to know things in great details including... definitions :) . I thought we are all 'perfectionists' here :D

You are correct..I try not to be, but always winding up going there.

brickie

It seems each movie I watch needs a different volume setting, which is why I went with the spare receiver. I thought I had it set to a subtle effect for "Master and commander," but the cannon blasts were quite heavy. I went ahead and left the setting alone. I asked my wife after the movie what she thought, and she said she didn't notice the shakers!!!! I think she had become used to the effect so that it is just part of the movie experience (or she has no feeling in her butt cheeks from the bass shakers and the cannon blasts)

:D

Damn, that's funny !!!!!!!LOL. So far iv'e resisted the urge to change my setting for each movie..I may run my effect a little lower than others to achieve this.But for me it defeats the purpose if i have t constantly adjust them.

brickie

P.s My wife still has no idea i modified her living room setup!She'll give me that look on certain scenes, "like wow"...But still doesn't know.

quick newb question. Now with the shakers we want to stay away from using your primary digital reciever cause its gonna just have the shakers going crazy correct? So any old analog reciever would work just fine with these shakers seeing as how its only job is to vibrate....not put out quality sound. I ask because my father has an ancient reciever that I think would work for that purpose.
Thanks for the help and sorry if im really off base with this.
Ryan

You are correct Ryan.Any old prologic,stereo receiver will get the job done. One with a remote is preferable for the reasons we've discussed.

brickie

People, you may not believe it but my wife complained of a headache from all the shaking, during Matrix Revolutions. Hehehe... either that or it's the movie.

Originally posted by kcgr
[B]I asked my wife after the movie what she thought, and she said she didn't notice the shakers!!!! I think she had become used to the effect so that it is just part of the movie experience

Then watch the next movie with the shakers off. She'll complain to you in no time. ;)

These things are great.

After seeing this thread I went and got one of the pro shakers to start with (low on funds). I have two rows of seating with berklines in the front and some comfortable overstuffed chairs in the back that don't recline. So that people don't always fight over the recliners I put the first shaker in one of the back seats. Kind of a consolation prize if you get the back seat.

Well after getting everything hooked up my friends and I tested out all sorts of dvds. All of which were great with the new shakers. Well this past week we had a double feature night watching "We Were Soldiers" followed up with "Big Fish". Well my girlfriend was in the shaker seat and she was wondering if it was still working when I put in "Big Fish". I told her there isn't as much low end on this so she might not feel much. About a half hour passes and after some low end scene in the movie we hear from the back row:

"Oh yeah, it is definitely still working!"

Funny at the time but probably had to be there for the full impact.

Anyway a great investment. I hope to add 6 more when I can. Thanks to the forum and its members for pointing these out!

For those of you using subwoofer plate amps, what do you DO with the amp? They aren't rack mountable, so where did you put it?

Originally posted by katri
For those of you using subwoofer plate amps, what do you DO with the amp? They aren't rack mountable, so where did you put it?


I haven't built my cabinet yet, but I was just planning on putting it at the lowest point in my rack and i'm going to build it into some woodworking. the actual shelving in my rack will probably start right above it. Given that i'm doing all mine custom, its probably easier to accommodate this.

Brickie, when you say "any" stereo/ prologic receiver will work, does the receiver still have to be able to output a frequency as low as 20Hz in order to get the best effect? I ask this because there are some cheap receivers out there (i.e. KLH 2 channel stereo, not surround) that only go as low as 40Hz.

I know that this question has been asked before in this thread, but I wanted to check before I spent money on something that isn't going to work well. One ebay auction that I was looking at has a KLH R7000 surround receiver with 100W per channel, but I haven't been able to get any specs on it.

What do you think?

Originally posted by katri
For those of you using subwoofer plate amps, what do you DO with the amp? They aren't rack mountable, so where did you put it?

I wanted my plate amps at the rear of the room so I built a simple box from 1x6 wood to hold two plate amps. The box is about 6"D x 27"L x 17"H in order to allow its placement at the end of a room of Berkline 090's. I added a flip up top and placed power switches, level meters and other configuration switches there for easy adjustment. Output binding post are in one end of the box. Sanded and painted flat black, it is totally unobtrusive.

My opinion is that you don't need a very low frequency ($) amp to run the shakers. I'm using a 100 watt Radio Shack PA amp I found at a yard sale for $10. It sits under a table in the corner and is completely out of sight. You reach under the table to adjust it. It is by no means designed for a audiophile range of frequencies, and works absolutely great.

Remember, instead of moving a paper/polymer cone, they are basically moving a weight. You need a certain frequency to even really feel it. But they supplement your existing speakers. I would think that a 20hz frequency would be felt significantly less than a 40hz or 50hz, because at the lower frequency there is less motion, and less movement.

The two main purposes of these are to support the sub (which my plain aurora's do exceptionally well) or to create a tactile sense where you actually notice the movement. but it's easy to over do it. This is why you'll read in most of the posts, the people actually have their amps turned down quite a bit.

When I had friends over for the first time to I didn't tell them about the shakers. The guy sitting in one of the wired chairs kept asking what kind of sub I had. I had him stand up, and suddenly he couldn't "hear" it nearly as loud any more. After I fessed up, I turned up the amp a bit, to really feel the vibrations. But at those levels, to me at least, it kind of turns into more of a gimmick than a real asset to the theater sound/experience.

I keep mine turned right at the level to where if there is a loud explosion gunshot, etc. you will definitely "feel" it a bit, but not so much as to be distracted by the sensation. For the most movies, mine are only "heard" through your body, as a type of sub. The side benefit of this, is you can keep the feeling of having a lot of low frequency bass in your movie late at night, without waking up the neighbors or family.

-Jason W

I pretty much agree with Jason...The only thing is , Iwould go for a receiver rated at 20hz.does it matter, Idon't know,but the cost difference is so little,why not!!! I don't think anyone here is using or tried a 40hz receiver so it's tough to say what the effects would be..LIke i said, in my mind, i don't think you'd notice..but a 20 hz is only a few dollars more..

I too tuned mine to be a little low..You can still feel them, but only on the big scenes.What i would suggest is some f-mods!! That is important to me..You really only want these things shaking on the LOWWW bass.

brickie

Jon, I would seriously suggest getting the cheapest 100w amp you can find. Go to a flea market, and pick one up for >$20. Remember, you mainly need it to generate power/movement from an audio feed, not for listening. Even the cheapest Best Buy amp is in the $100 range, and for something like $20 more you can add DTS. Way overkill, and unnecessary for these things. go out and find a super cheapie amp with some watts. That's my opinion at least.

The basic amp I'm using has the 'tone' knob. Something dreaded for listening use, but just right for shakers. Keep the high stuff out, and limit it to the low frequencies. If not, it's rather weird to hear lower pitched voices talking into your butt on the couch. Try it. ;-)

-Jason W

I just bought 6 to supplement 2 Buttkicker 2s. The BKs will go into a rear platform and these will go into some couches and a Berk.

Now I just need to find something to drive them with. And I've got to stop reading this forum and buying stuff...

BTW, is there a good explanation of how this ohms stuff works? I'm still not quite getting it...

c

Joe seems to really have a good grip on it..Drop hime a pm with your setup to see if he could shed a little light for you.Joe, hope you don't mind, just considering how you got me in the right direction.

brickie

(2) 4 ohm shakers in parallel would be a 2 ohm load
(2) 4 ohm shakers in series would be a 8 ohm load

Using these formulas it's possible to come up with amp friendly loads..What Joe explained to me though, was that you have to be careful, because each shaker may not get the same amount of power.

Holy smokes I watched ROTK the other night and these thinks easily paid for themselves in the enhancement to the experience!

And I still need to find a decent extra receiver (still using a 11 year old JVC mini-system receiver through the phono input)

craige17,

Your Buttkicker 2's have a vastly different drive power requirement than the Aura shakers you purchased.

The Buttkicker's need somewhere between 400 and 1000 watts to drive each one and they recommend 600 to 800 watts. They clearly need something far more powerful than a yard-sale, beat-up, stereo amplifier you can find for $20. Instead, they need a dedicated, high power amplifier. Expect to spend a few $$ for that amplifier.

The Aura shakers however can easily be run on 20 to 100 watts of power. I have 4 connected to a 75 watt amplifier and it is plenty.

Now, as brickie said, it is important to present a load your amplifier can handle AND also to wire the shakers in such a way that they all shake the same amount. I've seen many "suggested wiring diagrams" where the total resistance was fine, but where most of the shaking was being done by one of the shakers and the others left with a small fraction of the power.

For six shakers you can wire three in series. That will give you a resistance of 12 ohms. Then wire a second set of three in series. It will also add up to 12 ohms.

Finally, wire the two series strings in parallel to your amplifier. Two 12 ohm loads in parallel will result in a 6 ohm load, just about perfect for most amplifiers.

Attached is a drawing illustrating what I tried to describe in words. It assumes you have a monaural amplifier. If you have a stereo amplifier, use a "Y" adapter to feed both the left and right inputs from the LFE output of your main receiver and wire one set of three in series to the left output and the other set of three in series to your right output. They will each represent a 12 ohm load and be very easy for it to drive.

Joe L.

craige17,

A second way to wire 6 is as follows.

Take two shakers and wire them in parallel. This will result in a 2 ohm load
Take two more and wire them in parallel. This will result in another 2 ohm load
Take the third set of two and wire them in parallel. A third 2 ohm load

Now, take the three paralleled sets and wire them in series. 2+2+2 ohms = 6 ohms and again perfect for your amplifier.

Attached is an illustration.

Joe L.

The Buttkickers have their own amp, but it's only enough to drive the 2 BKs (and is very easy to set up) so I need something else for the Auras.

I'm probably going to buy a cheap receiver to power the Auras, unless anyone thinks a cheap amp would be better.

Those diagrams are AWESOME. Very clear. One question...assuming they are connected +/- like this:

And like this:

New to the forum and HT
Lots of great info here.
I just ordered a set of bass shakers. I will post a review after the install.

craige17,

Your new drawings with shaker polarity defined look just fine. Paying attention to phase probably can't hurt.... but read on...

If you have two shakers mounted on a couch, one on each end, is it better for them both to shake upward at the same time (both wired in phase), or will the shaking effect be greater if one end is shaking upward while the other is shaking downward? (wired out of phase, almost like rocking the couch along its centerline)

Between different seats, my opinion, it probably does not matter too much if the couch next to you is shaking upward while your chair is shaking downward....so phase is probably not critical.

I personally don't think polarity (phase) when wiring shakers is anywhere near important as when wiring your Left/Right/Center surround sound speakers where the surround sound speakers work together (in phase) to present a uniform stage of sound across the front of the room while watching a movie.

So... as I said, your drawings are fine, and paying attention to phase probably can't hurt, but you might try an experiment or two if you have the time and report back.

Now, you said you have an amplifier to drive the two buttkickers. I played with some number crunching and guessed the output voltage from it would be roughly 60 volts. That voltage across 4 ohms results in 15 amps of current flowing through a 4 ohm Buttkicker. The wattage delivered would then be 900 watts (15 x 60) That is roughly in the middle of the power needed by your Buttkicker. (it says min 400 to max 1500 watts on the side of mine)

Now, if you take all six of your Aura shakers and put them in series you will have a total resistance of 24 ohms. You could put the series string of Aura shakers in parallel with the buttkickers. That same 60 volts (from the buttkicker amplifier) across 24 ohms will result in a current of 2.5 amps (60/24=2.5). One sixth of the voltage (10 volts) would then be across each Aura shaker. The wattage delivered to each Aura shaker would then be 25 watts (2.5 amps * 10 volts) That is probably plenty to get them shaking pretty decently and worth a try. .. and you don't even need another amp for the Aura shakers. Now, you won't be able to adjust the buttkicker shake level independently from the Aura shakers, but who knows, it might be an advantage. (only one volume control to mess with)

If you had the professional version of the shakers, you might be able to use a set of 4 in series connected across your Buttkicker. This would then result in 15 volts developed and a 3.75 amps of current (60 volts/16 Ohms)
Then, the power delivered to each shaker would be 56.25 watts. Oops... just a bit too much too much power... forget I even suggested this... 5 professional shakers in series would work though... 20 ohms resistance results in 3 amps current. Each shaker would have 12 volts across it (60/5) and the wattage delivered to each Aura shaker would be 36 (3 amps * 12 volts)

Isn't Ohm's law wonderful...

Joe L.

Edited to correct MAJOR error in calculating wattage delivered to Aura shakers when connected to Buttkicker amplifier. (Now you know... I'm human. Reminder to self... have second cup of coffee before engaging brain))

So basically I'd flip the +/- on one of the Auras to give this a try? Certainly willing to do it, once I get things up and shaking.

As to the BK amp, it's this one: http://thebuttkicker.com/buttkicker%20amplifier_home.html

Being used to drive 2 BKs. And I have to say, it's a mighty mighty driver.

So how would I hook all the Auras up plus the BKs to this?

I hope everyone is paying attention..school is in session.

brickie

Note to anyone who may have printed the posting I made earlier today...

I've edited my prior post to correct a MAJOR error in calculating wattage delivered to Aura shakers when connected to Buttkicker amplifier. Please throw the older copy away. Do not connect less than 6 series connected Aura shakers to a Buttkicker amplifier. Fewer than 6 will result in excessive power to them and likely burn them out if you turn up the volume on the buttkicker amp.

A set of 6 in series will get approximately 25 watts of power (to each Aura shaker) when the Buttkicker amp is near its max output. This is within their power rating.

craige17,

You asked how to wire the Aura shakers to your existing Buttkicker amplifier. Attached is a drawing of how I would do it.

Now... if you find the Aura shakers shake more violently than the Buttkickers, you could wire one or two more in series (7 or 8 Aura shakers in series instead of 6). The added resistance would result in less current through the series string and less voltage drop across each shaker, resulting in less shaking.

7 shakers in series with that same 60 volts from the amp = 28 ohms total resistance, and 2.14 amps of current. Each shaker would have 1/7th of the 60 volts across it. (8.5 volts) This would result in roughly 18 watts power to each Aura shaker. (2.14 * 8.5)

8 shakers in series with that same 60 volts from the amp = 32 ohms resistance and 1.875 amps of current. Each shaker would have 1/8th of the 60 volts across it. (7.5 volts) This would result in roughly 14 watts power to each Aura shaker. (1.875 * 7.5)

In any case, attached is an illustration of how 6 Aura shakers in series could be wired to your Buttkicker amplifier.

Joe L.

I hooked up 4 to my couch tonight to try them out, but I'm pretty sure I wired them wrong...what can I say, I was away from my computer so couldn't get to all these cool diagrams! And this was 4 instead of the final configuration of 6 that I'll be going for, so I hadn't put any thought into 4 before. Enough excuses.

For 4 the way I think they *should* be is:

Split the subwoofer output of Receiver 1 into the L/R inputs of Receiver 2. Then wire 2 auras in series to the L output of receiver 2 and 2 in series to the R output of receiver 2.

Anyway, as poorly as they were set up, they still made some movement. Not nearly as much as one of my BK2s, but enough to get the effect I was looking for.

I also mounted 2 to one of my Berkline 099s, but didn't get a chance to try them out yet. On the 099s it seems like you can mount them pretty easily to the base of the chair back, under the fabric flap that hangs down. It makes the fabric flap hang a bit differently than intended, but I don' think anyone will notice.

Your wiring sounds fine to me. Only thing left was to adjust the volume control of the second receiver to get the desired amount of shaking. You might also put the couch on rubber isolators to give it the ability to move.

There is no way the Aura shakers will be able to shake as much as a Buttkicker A few ounces of internal mass being moved compared to over 10 pounds. They just cannot be in the same league. I can't think of mounting a Buttkicker directly to a couch, nor would I mount a single Aura shaker to a platform.

The other night my wife and watched the third episode of "Lord of the Ring" and prior to watching I had turned the level control on the amplifier driving our shakers down a bit.

All I can sat is that the movie experience was intense! A lot of shaking was occurring during the battle scenes and I cannot imagine it much stronger without it being very distracting.

Joe L.

Yeah, I was not expecting BK peformance, just using them as a point of comparison. The auras are pretty much doing what I expected.

When I first got the BKs, I threw one in a love seat, just to test it out. It was awesome. We had drinks sitting on the arms of the loveseat...those took about 1 second to fall off. Shortly followed by the remotes. Cats were next. The only reason the cats took so long to get off is because they loveseat was shaking too violently for them to get their footing...

c

I have just ordered some home theater seats with the bass shakers allready attached to them.......they are from richmond hill in ontario
i will let you know how they are when they arive........

Watched Return Of The King last night myself, and all I can is WOW !!!!You MUST turn them down for this type of movie!!! The bass scenes are just too intense compared to other mopvies..I didn't and all I can say is it was one HELL UVA RIDE !!!!!Everybody that was lucky enough to get a seta on the love seat or couch was like OH MY GOD !!!!! They all just assumed the subs were working overtime!!!! Good deal.

brickie

What did you guys ever determine with the f-mods? Was 50 or 70 better? I may get one or the other. (If anyone wants to trade a 50 for a 70 or vice versa, let me know, as they come in two packs and I'll have an extra one or the other).

I ran some aura shakers that I pulled out of the interactor vests with the amp that came with the vest and they were a lot of fun. 10 of them are now sitting in my closet waiting to be struck by bolts of creativity for their next use :P

I then upgraded to 2 buttkickers mounted to a 8x8 platform with kinetic isolators (using their amp) and it shook so hard that while testing it out I gave myself a sore neck :P I had to them way down as I think they are more power then my temporary platform needs.

One interesting thing I found was that to make sure you are only sending the subwoofer signal and not a subwoofer plus (sub plus bass from fronts) to your shakers. It's makes a huge difference in my opinion. The combined signal is really muddy and shakes far more than it needs to. I also found the lower the crossover the better. I'm using the one built into their amp and set it to the lowest setting (40 hz I believe). I might try 20 hz next.

Also the effect of the shakers can also be appreciated in non-action flicks. In "Shallow Hal", when the elevator stops suddenly, the shakers give you a bit of a startle. I noticed this as well when watching the lame comedy "Club Dread" The buttkickers would kick in nicely and give us a little scare! And of course their is the shaker standard the dts version of The Haunting....

Originally posted by craige17
What did you guys every determine with the f-mods? Was 50 or 70 better? I may get one or the other. (If anyone wants to trade a 50 for a 70 or vice versa, let me know, as they come in two packs and I'll have an extra one or the other).

I did a swap with Brickie for a 50hz fmod - so I have a 50 and 70. To be honest, I had a hard time really telling the difference between the two, but definately noticed the difference with no fmod at all.

I really have not sat down and done any extensive comparisons yet, but watched many many scenes of TTT with both the 50 and then the 70 fmod - hard to tell for me at least. This may change when I get a better receiver that has more power.

My conclusions were the same as Pcrx.Just to hard to ttell the difference as far as bass goes..I woulkd if i had a choice go for the lowest possible. Even with my 50 hz I get a TON of shaking!!!!

I also agree many non-action movies can benfit from these.I watched Rugrats Go Wild with the kids and it had some outstanding scenes with LFE in them.

brickie

I have 2 of the fmods 50hrz and i use both of them together..
it works better for me,try the 2 together and turn it up a little more....you will enjoy it....

I don't understand what good connecting two of the same fmods does vs just one....

I think it increases the slope of the crossover so if it was a 12db one then it makes it 24db so it's a sharper cut off of the upper frequencies.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Insert Tom Petty "Waiting is the hardest part..."

Jun 4, 2004 6:37 A.M. ADDISON, IL, US OUT FOR DELIVERY

3 more hours of pacing.. :)

I may be showing my rookie status here but would some comment on why the reciver should be Pro-Logic?

thnx