Aura Bass Shakers Installed Under Pilot's Seat

When I originally designed the pit I planned on using a subwoofer in the pilots chair for adding vibrations.  That however would entail using a loud volume of bass ferequencies in order to get the desired effect.  However, I came across a sale a while ago at Parts Express that had the Aura Bass Shakers (25 Watt RMS each) for a VERY reasonable price as a closeout.  (They now make a different bigger model.) So I bought them and put them in "storage" awaiting a reasonably priced subwoofer amplifier to match them.

Then recently, good ole' Parts Express had a great price on an AC powerred 25 watt RMS subwoofer amp with both left and right outputs.  SO........ I picked that up too a couple of weeks ago.

Today I finally had some time to install it.   :)


Here's the combination:

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/BassShaker1.jpg



The bass shakers are basically HUGE, heavy speaker voice coils attached to a plate instead of a speaker cone.  They get bolted to a structure and transfer the electrical energy to vibreation without a lot of sound being generated.  A lot of places like Disney World use this type of transducer in their simulations and rides.  Each of these transducers weighs a LOT!  Serious magnets :o.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/BassShaker2.jpg



The amp is a compact design that is designed for flush mounting onto a speaker cabinet.  It has controls for on-off + volume as well as crossover frequency.  I installed it in the front side (under my legs) of the base for my pilot's seat.  

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/BassShaker3.jpg



I took out the previously mounted subwoofer speaker that was under the pilot's seat, and mounted the two bass shakers.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/BassShaker4.jpg



Then using a drill and a jigsaw, I cut out the place to mount the amplifier.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/BassShaker5.jpg



Here it is all mounted and awaiting the speaker wiring to be put in place.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/BassShaker6.jpg




And here it is powered up and tested for function.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/BassShaker7.jpg


I now need to get a long set of audio cables and a Y splitter to connect it to the flight sim computer's sound card subwoofer outputs...... and away we go!  Can't WAIT to try this out...... it has been at LEAST a year since I got those Bass Shakers.  But they say "patience is a virtue".   ;)


best,

.......................john

Hmmmmm...... Thats wild John, should help with the whole immersion aspect.

I just got a chance to test this out tonight.    It is GREAT.  Well worth the effort and money it took.

This would be AMAZING for a combat flight sim person.... guns and explosions would be awesome.

It is almost silent..... but with amazingly intense vibrations.  Even with very little "drive" on the amp.  I can now turn down the volume on my subwoofer a lot.

If you get a chance and can find the hardware ....... give it a shot!  A nice addition to the sim..... adding even more realism.


best,

..................john

Sounds great John... might have to fit a couple of transducers into my 'pit.

I saw a transducer idea at another site (simpits? have to look it up again)... tailored for combat primarily. It looked very cool and I was considering it but didn't know anyone who had used a transducer in FS.

Looks like you are having fun.

Steve,

Yup.... this time of year is my main simpit "fun" time.  ;)

For combat sims, if you wanted to get REALLY slick......... and the sim you were using supported stereo (or better yet 5.1 or 7.1 sound)........ mounting a NUMBER of these little units in various places on the cockpit shell driven by separate amps could simulate significant thudding bullet hits with real directionality.

Last night, flying the stock Baron, when the gear came up, the sensation of the mechanism moving and seating in place was VERY immersive.  I would SWEAR that there were masses of metal moving under me.  :o  Flying the BAE146-200, when the main gear touched down, there was a distinct "jarring" feeling as the sound file kicked in upon contact.....and then the vibration of the ground roll.  Pretty interesting situation.

Have to tailor some sound files now for specific effects, utilizing a combination of low frequencies and the subwoofer's frequency cutoff pot.  Yipee.... another "project".  It just never stops.

best,

.....................john

Hey John,

If you really want some ground and pound especially when the engines are at max throttle or if you have thrust on reverse, I suggest 1 920 watt Fusion powerplant 12" and a 2000 watt mono D-Class powerplant amplifier. That'll really give ya a but massage lol. I've got 2 of these subs in my car in a ported box and have hit 139 dBs he he. ;)

Definitely the way to go... shakers are "tighter" sounding and don't require tons of volume to get the desired effect.  So what kind of deal did you get...?

Rottydaddy,

Here is the subwoofer amp.........

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=300-782

More in a few minutes.

Here is the bass shakers... sold out!  BUT...see the link at he bottom of the page.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=299-027


Which links to this one among others:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?DID=7&PartNumber=299-028
 

Or do a web search to see if the smaller pairs are still available.



Hope this helps.

best,

.....................john

For those who want to do-it-themselves, there's a description of how to build your own transducers at flightsim.com or simprojects.nl. It's not an easy process, but within the capabilities of most home pit builders if they have the patience. Might be useful for very small transducers though.

I just looked at something from that page of links above.... and found another great little part of possible simpit use:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?DID=7&PartNumber=300-950

Might work nicely for adding some directional sounds coming from other parts of the pit.... driven by stuff like PMSounds.  The price is good.

best,

...................john

I found that listening to music while sitting in the pit is great with the seat really giving lthe ow end a distinct boost!   :D

Hey, I just thought of a name for your "plane", if you want to personalize it:
Shaken, Not Stirred

;D

Sound is so important to the simpit experience... I'm not planning anything that fancy yet, because it sounds OK with very little in the way of equipment.
A while back, when I got the small LCD, I set it up in the 'pit and connected it and my 2.1 system to this computer, fired up the sim, put the DC-3 on AP, and went in there, closed the door, turned up the volume, and just sat there for a while.

It was glorious. ;D

My plan right now is to get a mid-priced 5.1 system, but I'll be thinking about those shakers...