I wanna shake my butt: which Clark Synthesis model to buy?  

MikeSer,I have four silvers with the audiosource amp-4 and i am very satisfied. I placed one shaker in each chair attached to a piece of oak 1x6,you have to find a place to attach them that is very secure.Fyi the Clark silvers have been replaced with a new more powerful version for the same money. Check out partsexpress.com also go to clarks home page .As for vibrating the floor , you will trust me. Don't fret you can also buy rubber feet to place under the furniture feet, they help isolate the vibrations and in fact help intensify the shake you feel. You can also get them at partsexpress for under $3.00 each the part number is "Ti-100". good luck .

I have two of the older TST229 tactile transducers. What model you need depends on how much shaking you want, and where the transducer(s) are attached. For chair/couch use, the lower models should be fine. I also have a TST229 connected to a leather couch, and it works great for me. I personally don't like my chairs vibrating when people speak, and only want to use the transducers to enhance low frequency effects (I also have a subwoofer which is great for low frequency SOUND, but the tranducers give the impression of much more bass since they actually vibrate the chairs/couch. I use a Paradigm X30 crossover so that only frequencies 50Hz and below are sent to the Clark tactile transducers. I also don't want the couch/chairs to vibrate too much, such that they don't distract too much from the movie, but still greatly enhance the "action" of the movie. For this type of usage, the lowest model of the Clark tranducers is more than enough. The 229 has been replaced by the more powerful 239. The 239 is the least expensive version, and I think that would be more than enough, at least for me in how I use the transducers.

Enjoy!

I connected a Y adapter to my processor's LFE output. I connected one wire from the Y adapter to my subwoofer (so it receives 80Hz and below) and a second wire from the Y adapter to my tactile transducers' crossover (a Paradigm X30 crossover, which I set to 50Hz, so only very low frequencies are sent to the TSTs). Then, I connected the output of the tactile transducer's crossover to another Y adapter which is then connected to two channels of my Rotel RMB-1095 amp. My two transducers are powered by two of the channels in my Rotel amp. Each channel is 200 watts at 8 ohms and 380 watts at 4 ohms. This is actually much more power than the tactile transducers need. My TST 229 transducers have an impedance of 4 ohms. So when you get amplifier(s) for your TSTs, just make sure that they can handle 4 ohm loads. I don't think you want to connect two TSTs in series to the same amp, since they will present a load of 2 ohms (4/2) and most amps cannot handle 2 ohm loads. Make sure that the amp(s) you use can handle 4 ohm loads. Probably a 150 watt amp (at 4 ohms) is more than sufficient for each TST.

Edit: according to the description in partsexpress, the TST239 is 4 ohms.

What are the overload characteristics of the Clarks? Do they bottom or make any kind of noise?

Wiring in series will DOUBLE the impedance, not halve it.

A way to save on wire runs and get the same power as at 4 ohms is to wire in series and power with two bridged channels of an amp.

Just to correct the statement above.............If you connect the two (4 Ohms) units in SERIES than you will have an 8 ohm load to the amplifier, with half the power to EACH transducer. If connected in PARALLEL than the total is 2 Ohms, and the power from the amplifier will be equal to each transducer.

Hope that helps.

I see. Nevertheless, in my hookup, I use one amplifier per transducer. I have never overloaded the Clarks. I don't set it high enough to be an issue. My preference is for the Clarks to enhance the effects of low frequency movie sound effects, but not so much that they distract from the movie.

randman..........

I agree with the "enhance the effects of low frequency movie sound effects". I now have a Velodyne DD-18 which can put out plenty of low frequency power, yet I kept my (low priced) transducers attached the the main viewing sofa. I did readjust it's amplifier level down to the transducers as some of vibration, I felt was now detracting from the movie "special effects"

At the proper level the transducers just adds that special "punch"

I totally agree.

Do the Clarks really produce usable effects at very low frequencies, say 25 Hz and below?

I can't remember ever seeing any info on the Clarks' internal construction, but assuming it's a voice coil type design, it would be limited by the fact that every halving of frequency quadruples the voice coil displacement.

Perhaps because the desired output is force and not displacement they get around this with a high moving mass, which will restrict the displacement.

Here's a guy who added a subharmonic synthesizer to get more shake, apparently with no ill effects

http://theater.stevejenkins.com/articles/ultrabass.html

As to the original question, it seems like a no-brainer to get the new 239 model for the most bang for the buck. If you wanted the output of the 429 it'd be better to get multiple 239's for better distribution of force over a large area, like a couch, and less flexing of its structure.

YOU BET .
Specifications: Power handling: 100 watts RMS/350 watts max *Tactile frequency range: 15-800 Hz *Audible frequency range: 35-17,0000 Hz *Impedance: 4 ohms *Transduction force: 2.2 lb-ft/watt *Tactile force peak: 297 lb-ft *Dimensions: 8" dia. x 2.25" H.

Yup. I actually have 2 subwoofers: a Paradigm Servo 15, and an old M&K V1B. I only send 50Hz and below to the tranducers, and set their amps' levels such that the chairs vibrate, but the tranducers themselves don't make any significant sound. I prefer to "hear" my bass from the subwoofers, and use the tranducers to enhance the "feeling" from the bass!