install advice for bass shaker

27dnast

madmax wrote: »

Try this,
With the chair in the same position as in the pics sit down on the base above the transducer and give it a try, you will be amazed at the difference.

I followed along on the advice I had read on user reviews and this guys review page:

http://moesrealm.com/home-theater/retired-equipment/aura-bass-shaker-pros/

The tech guy at parts express also told me I could mount the just about any where on the frame.

The problem is that my HT is our basement with a rug on top of concrete... and there is no way (if you catch my drift) that our furniture will be mounted on a platform.

I wondered if I could secure the speakers using zip ties to the springs under the seats... but I though the wouldn't be tight enough and would buzz or rattle...

BWilberg266

27dnast wrote: »

No... I didn't....

I have the LFE split (one cable going to my sub and the other going to another splitter that I attached two heavy-duty RCA cables to)... the two RCA cables are plugged into the DVD red and white line-in's.

Is this wrong?????

What should I do?

Someone else can chime in here if I'm off base on this one, but I would think you would want to connect an rca cable to each of your corresponding channel inputs that you are using. In your case this would be the Front Right, Center, and Front Left. Then select the multi-channel input as your source and then the pio should simply output whatever it is that you are feeding it. This is the same way you would connect these if it was a standalone amp.

That seems to be the most straight forward way to connect it. The shortest path is typically the best IMO.

madmax

27dnast wrote: »

I followed along on the advice I had read on user reviews and this guys review page:

http://moesrealm.com/home-theater/retired-equipment/aura-bass-shaker-pros/

I can tell you that is not even close to optimum from several years of playing with them. If you want to prove it to yourself try what I suggested about placing the chair the same way as in your pic then sitting on the base.

One other tidbit I've learned with these things is that if your feet don't feel the same thing the rest of your body feels your mind tells you there is something not right about the situation. I don't see how you would get around that issue unless the chair is a recliner but its not that big of a deal, just a fyi.

27dnast

Okay... so outside of making a platform... you are saying I should mount at least one of them firing up into the seat?

There are 2 ways I could do that.

1) zip tie to the springs under the cushion (have you ever tried that)?

2) mount a board to the frame (across the seat under the spring) and mount the bass shaker firing up into the seat (on the board).

The second bass shaker will remain firing back into the part of the seat that turns into the seat back, allowing vibration to extend up the seat back.

Thoughts?

27dnast

BWilberg266 wrote: »

Someone else can chime in here if I'm off base on this one, but I would think you would want to connect an rca cable to each of your corresponding channel inputs that you are using. In your case this would be the Front Right, Center, and Front Left. Then select the multi-channel input as your source and then the pio should simply output whatever it is that you are feeding it. This is the same way you would connect these if it was a standalone amp.

That seems to be the most straight forward way to connect it. The shortest path is typically the best IMO.

I just tried this... didn't seem to help with the power situation....

27dnast

I guess I could also have both firing up... but it seems like spreading the love is a good idea

madmax

27dnast wrote: »

2) mount a board to the frame (across the seat under the spring) and mount the bass shaker firing up into the seat (on the board).

The second bass shaker will remain firing back into the part of the seat that turns into the seat back, allowing vibration to extend up the seat back.

Thoughts?

Number 2 is the best. Clark recommends this and I had good results with it too. They recommended 3/4" plywood.

Another really helpful tip is to decouple the bottom of the chair from the concrete with some pieces of maybe 1/4" to 1/2" rubber. Decoupling the chair allows much more vibration of the whole chair.

It would be very effective if you could mount the 2nd one up on the frame behind your back in the same fashion as you mounted in the base if possible, would depend on if you wanted to mess with it.


Yes, I have tried mounting to soft things, it does nothing. You really need to vibrate a solid structure.

27dnast

Unfortunately, I can't access the inside of the chair back. This is pretty unique modular furniture and it's construction won't lend to that.

I can, though, mount the plywood and fire the shaker upward.


I guess this will help... but what about the power issues I referenced earlier?

Also, it bugs me that the power output to my bass shakers is partially controlled by the volume level of my primary AVR. When I turn the primary AVR's volume down, the power to the bass shakers goes down. Is there a way to decouple that while keep the crossover influence of the primary avr?

This is getting complicated.

maxima

madmax is totally on the mark with option number two according to my experience with the Aura Pros. Mounting the shakers with zip ties will not work well. The more coupling you can get with the frame of the chair, the more tactile feel you will have. I used 1/2" OSB to mount mine securely to the frame. The 3/4" plywood madmax suggests would probably work even better.

The other issue you may have to a lesser degree is the Pioneer VSX 1016 is a very good receiver but if you're using all channels probably is only putting out about 60 watts to the shakers. 30 watts to each shaker will work (Aura Pro is rated at 50 watts RMS) but more power would give you more "shake". Although these are rated at 50 watts, I have seen them used with considerably more power with good results.

You can try the 6 ohm setting on the receiver but I think any improvement you would get from this would be minor.

27dnast

Okay... I am going to detach my set-up and remount both of them firing up into the seat. One will be attached to the rear of the frame and the other more near the middle.

***Hopefully*** that will be enough to get some more feel.

Thanks for the input, guys.

madmax

One way I use my transducers is when I want to watch a concert or movie insanely loud in the middle of the night I put on the headphones and crank up the transducers. No one but me can hear anything. With two of the clarks on a platform (my livingroom floor) I can crank it up high enough to make my vision blurry. Whole lotta shakin goin on!

I'll take a pic tonight if I remember and post it.

Oh yeah, don't forget some rubber pieces between the chair and the concrete.

27dnast

The floor is concrete... but is carpeted (with a pad underneath)... do you still think I should put some rubber under the feet of the chairs????

madmax

I would for sure because the carpet and pad will be crushed between the feet and the concrete. Might as well get the most bang for the buck.

If you have a few inches under the bottom of the chair I would mount one shaker on the top of the board, dead center, and the other on the bottom of the board, dead center. You could use the same 4 holes to mount both transducers with 4 bolts and nuts. The principal is when all the force is applied at the center point of the mount you end up having the forces more closely aligned so they work together better. Plus, if they are centered it helps the board transfer the energy to the base of the chair more efficiently and more evenly.

sda2mike

i have a big 'ol sectional couch...in theory, mounting the transducers sounded easy..in reality, it's a cluster fk under there! when i could find an absolutely solid point large enough for the aura, only half would fit..so, as i posted earlier, i built a bridge to support the other half....this bridge is solid enough to pick up the section of the couch, so it's good..

the amp i used, i bought off ebay...it's from a gutted yamaha sw...i think it's 50 watts total..my couches are on tile..i have no isolation...after some tweaking, i'm very satisfied with this addition...it's used only for avr duty, btw


mike

27dnast

Big Props to Madmax. Thank you.

You just saved me several hours of frustration.

So, I mounted the bass shakers firing up in the front end and the back end of the seat platform (before they were firing to the sides.

Luckily, the LoveSac Sactional base units allow easy access to the inside of the bottom of the chair (as you can tell from the pictures I posted) and there is a lot of wood to attach plywood to (I was able to attach plywood across 3 major bridging joints on the base of the chair in both the front and the back.

The bass is exponentially better. Maybe still a tad soft (because the wattage coming out of my amp - as someone pointed out - may not be quite enough). But, I can't quite imagine having more.

I have two fMod 50Hz low pass filters attached to the input line going into the AVR powering the shakers.

I give the additions two thumbs up... the really add a lot to the LFE sounds... just another step into total submersion!!!!!


I guess my last quest in my new little set-up is the issue of the primary AVR effecting the strength of the signal going to my avr powering the bass shakers. When I turn the volume down on my primary avr, the signal being sent to the bass shaker AVR also goes down (which I think is adding to the lack of power my bass shaker avr is putting out).

Right now, I have a splitter on the LFE line-out on the primary AVR... and a second splitter allowing me to use rca cables to feed my bass shaker AVR via DVD IN.

Is there a way to get a pure signal feed from one AVR to the other?

madmax

If you want to get totally into it you need a foot stool with a shaker in it. When your feet vibrate the same as the rest of you it feels like you got a 10 fold increase in power.

In the end you really want the shaker volume to vary with the speaker volume, not sure what you were getting at with your previous post. You may just need more power, or more shakers or both.

27dnast

I guess you are right... Just wanted to make sure I was maxing out the juice available.

Anyhow, thanks for your help. I demo-ed the gun battle and train arrival in 3:10 to Yuma. Absolutely awesome!!! N

rtart

Just came across your thread and thought I would wade in. I added an Aura shaker to each of my Berkline 090 chairs a few years ago. I run four of them off of a plate sub amp that is rated around 200wpc. The amp is fed an LFE signal from my pre/pro. The amp has an IR remote controllable adjustment for both volume and frequency, and has a small plate (2"x4"-ish) that can be mounted remotely with lighted dials indicating the position of the knobs. I mounted this near the bottom of my equipment rack where I can see it from my viewing position. I added buttons to my Pronto Pro so I can adjust both shaker freq and intensity on the fly. I also use an SMS-1 and can control bass intensity via the remote as well. Coolest setup I've ever seen to control bass, if I say so myself.

I've never seen this amp on eBay again and have looked for a long time -I'd buy another one as a spare- so don't know how to guide you toward one for yourself.

I tried the Buttkicker option but found that the effect was a little overwhelming. The Aura's do a nice job at a great price, IMO.

BTW, my HT has a concrete floor covered in carpet and padding and the transducers work fine.

maxima

27dnast,

Splitting the signal probably isn't hurting you much. If want more tactile effect, add more power or add more shakers. If you add more shakers without additional power, you'd have to run 4 of them in series-parallel and would most likely be unhappy for the money spent.

Right now, more power is probably your easiest option.

FYI- The Clark units shake more but cost more money and need more power.

27dnast

madmax/maxima --

Do you run your transducers at frequencies 80Hz and below???

Just curious... I've been tinkering around with the fMod 50Hz low pass filters. I've noticed the following (while watching 3:10 Yuma).

If I stack the fMods and attach them to the splitter (on the branch that splits to the shakers)... there is a drastic reduction in rumble.

Only on fMod is fairly good... lots of shake and rumble.

No fMods (meaning a signal of 80Hz and below)... tons of shake and rumble... the strongest of the three options... but some of the musical low notes bleed through into the transducers (if that makes sense).

madmax

I run my transducers mostly below 80hz. I have a bass controller which allows me to adjust exactly to my liking.

Here are a few pics of the clarks. The one with 4 of them attached to the main beam of the house is my old house. Mounting like this turned my whole living room into a shaker. I can't tell you how detailed this made the bass. There was absolutely no difference between this setup and a fine massive subwoofer except that when you walked out of the room all the bass went away. The neighbors loved it! Each transducer was running on 250 watt amplifiers.

The pic of two transducers is in my new house. They are on the joists rather than a main beam so they only produce a circle of bass, maybe 8' in sort of an oval. They are mounted right below my main seating in the livingroom. Its good but not like the old setup.

madmax

Here is the other setup.

sda2mike

very cool chuck! no basements in florida:(

maxima

27dnast,
I ran my shakers with a 60hz crossover as that was as low as I could go. 80hz resulted in the "bleed through" you described. I wouldn't double stack the FMODs, just use one. If you're not happy with the 50hz FMODS, you could try the 70hz ones.

Are you using the 80hz crossover in your receiver in conjunction with the FMODS (sorry can't tell for sure in your post)? If you are, you could have a cascading crossover effect going on where you've got an 80hz/12db slope going on as well as another 12db drop at 50hz.

27dnast

Maxima...

Yes, I am using the 50hz fmod on the same line that is coming off of the LFE line coming out of my AVR (which is only carrying 80Hz and below).

In other words, my LFE line to my subwoofer (coming out of my primary AVR) is split with one line going to my primary sub and the other line going to the AVR that is powering the bass shakers. I have the fmod attached to the line that is going from the primary AVR to the bass shaker (after the y-split).

Is there a way for me to get a non-x-over feed from my primary amp?

27dnast

Madmax-
Thanks for sharing the pics. Very nice set-up!

maxima

Is there a way for me to get a non-x-over feed from my primary amp?

You could turn off the internal crossover within the receiver, then use the crossover on your sub amp (assuming it has one) and then use the FMOD on the bass shakers.

27dnast

I guess I could... I do like my Elite AVR taking care of the bass management though...

Oh well, I'm 90% happy right now and I'm sure I'll figure out just a few tweaks to get this baby really cookin'.

maxima

If you have an 80hz crossover within your receiver with a 12db/octave slope and the 50hz FMOD split via a y-cable, you've got multiple cascading crossovers on the same line. You would gain a TON of output by resolving this. I would say an additional 12db but the shakers don't put out sound. I would think however that the same logarithmic formula would apply. This would be the equivalent of adding 6 more shakers.

27dnast

What if I use the tape out... Or another "out" on the back of the receiver? There must be some out that leaves the signal untouched. I'll call pioneer tomorrow and ask.