Are Buttkickers still worth it for simracing? In 2020!

[@christophereee3491]

One thing I didn’t mention is you might need a separate sound card, but in my case I used the motherboard for the buttkickers and hooked up my headphones to my monitors HDMI sound output (Nvidia sound). But also keep that in mind, you might need a second sound card in addition!

[@UTubeSL]

Thank you! Really helpful and informative. I've been tempted by the SRS Shakekit, but living in the UK, shipping and import tax @20% make it quite pricey! You too, stay healthy and safe.

[@christophereee3491]

Steve Lane thanks for the comment. :) yeah agree, we have to pay a bit more for these things in Europe and UK.

[@ChrisCO930]

I used to run a second internal soundcard to drive my Sim Commander but now I just use a USB dongle sound card and it feels no different. I think I paid US$10 for it.

[@christophereee3491]

@@ChrisCO930 I ended up having to use a USB sound card as well, the HP Reverb uses Realtek drivers and it conflicted with my onboard sound card. For now I don’t see any issues with it.

[@francoisgoyette1822]

Moi, j'utilise le canaux optique pour mes haut-parleurs et les canaux avant et arrière pour mes 4 buttkickers de la même carte de son. Et pour mon casque il sst bluetooth donc pas besoin de la carte de son.

[@FatTLivR]

About a quarter way through.. feel like I’m listening to an entire life story with no end in sight. Wish me luck

[@christophereee3491]

My life story would have been shorter 🤣

[@YCorey]

I had the playback speed over x2 at one point lol

[@christophereee3491]

@@YCorey well played! 🤣

[@robcampbell6099]

@@christophereee3491 yeah just tried watching this.... turned it off after a few mins... Hate videos with talking heads that drag on.

[@lemurdreamur9257]

Really? I didn't have that feeling at all. Perhaps I was just really into the topic and info, flew by for me at 1x :) thanks for the vid! Still relevant 2 years later

[@reprobite]

Hey thanks for this! I already built a motion rig on a P1X and I was on Thomann already looking at this model (4x Mini LFE) anyways, so basically you just gave me an ultimate guide to the rest of the work needed (amplifier,cables,brackets etc), you did it for me, thanks! Subscribed!

[@davidkanan528]

HI Christoper, How did you connect your 4 channel amp to the computer???

[@mervyoung5397]

Great video. Do you find the BK mini LFE transducers have enough power to provide the required effects effectively? I'm considering these for my rig too.

[@chuckcribbs3398]

I have been sim racing for about 8 years now. I made my own rig from a car seat, wheel and PVC pipe w/ a PS3. Pretty fun. Then I upgraded to a Playseat and G29 w/ a PS4 and GT Sport. Decided to make the purchase and buy a Buttkicker 2 today, with a digital to analog converter (from what I read I will need it with the PS4). Hoping it increases the experience.

[@tlcsc]

Hello Chuck. Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me how it's been for you the buttkicker-PS4 experience these past months? I´m looking in to that solution, but I I'm still very doubtfull that it is worth it with the PS4.

[@OhItsThat]

Great video. I started off with a single Gamer ll. I eventually added three Buttkicker simulation kits. Those come with a Mini Concert transducer and a BKA130C amp as well as a bunch of heavy duty rubber isolators. I really like them. One thing I have to say about the official seller for Buttkicker here in the states (The Guitammer Company) They really know how to treat their customers. I had a couple of issue over a year and half to two year period and they sent me replacement amps and transducers immediately. Seriously, the day after I sent the email my replacements where in the mail. They also came with boxes and prepaid shipping to return the faulty hardware. None of the usual, “You prepay for shipping and send us the broken stuff. Then once we receive it and determine you didn’t break it we’ll repair for you then reimburse you for shipping....sorry it’s gonna take 30 days” bull crap that you get from some manufactures of sim racing hardware. Doesn’t matter if you’ve spent $6k with them. They’ll still treat you like you can’t be trusted. The only thing I don’t like about my Buttkicker setup is Sim Experience SimVibe. For one it’s apart of a larger price of software (Sim Commander) for the Sim Experience AccuForce direct drive wheel base. As well as their motion simulators. The SimVibe part is only a tiny piece of that bloated over complex, Windows 95 looking software. It works good once you figure it out. I only mess with it a couple times a year and have to relearn it each time. Pain! How they haven’t extracted SimVibe from Sim Commander, modernized it and offered it for $20 to the community is kinda shameful really. Honestly though, when you see how outdated looking their crazy expensive motion simulators are you get the feeling the whole company is out of date when it comes to sim racing. I could wrong and I’m being a bit harsh but when you do things like this you open yourself for criticism. It ain’t alway pretty either.

[@lukaskliment9646]

What is difference between Mini Concert and Gamer2? If I want to use only one transducer, which one should I buy?

[@OhItsThat]

@@lukaskliment9646 Both have the same power and use the same amp. It comes down to mounting. How plan to mount the transducer? The Gamer2 has to be mounted to some kind of post. A mini concert can be mounted to any flat surface but you may have to drill some holes.

[@lukaskliment9646]

@@OhItsThat Thanks!

[@busterbrown1686]

Well it's May 2023 and I have a Gamer pro attached to a office chair and use Hapticonnect. I also have a z906 surround and you get everything as far as wiring to enjoy external audio and haptics. Worth every penny. Gets muddy if you try to turn up any effects. I elected to turn 2 off and increase others like rumble strips and RPM.Guitmmar makes it plug and play basically. I enjoy idling in a car and feeling the engine even in a F1 car.

[@ChrisCO930]

This video sums up most of my feeling for my buttkicker setup for iRacing. I run 2x buttkickers on iRacing via the sim commander software. While they do add a great deal of immersion I would say they are only for the real enthusiast who doesn't want to go to the expense of a motion rig. For me it was a real trial and error process to get my buttkickers dialled in as there is no one true source of information to work from when putting it all together, I went through a number of different mounting and amp combinations until I was happy. They do add a lot of complexity to the rig and well and truly add to the myriad of wires I need to try and keep neat behind my frame. The one thing I would say is don't use the buttkicker amps, they are terribly low quality for the price and there are far better multichannel units available for similar money. I use an SMSL SA-98 to drive 2 buttkickers which is more than capable for such a small amp. While I would say they are a nice to have but not a necessity I can't deny that when you are zoned in on your race and hitting all the kerbs and feeling the gear shifts kicking into your back it really can be quite awesome.

[@christophereee3491]

Thanks for your insightful input! 👍

[@bloodgain]

How does one _work_ in sim racing? Are you a game tester or something like that? Just curious. I think writing a racing or flying sim would be fun. I do a lot of work in simulation, but nothing intended to provide visceral experiences like gaming.

[@keyserni]

Answer is yes it is worth it. Most pc users wont need a need a dedicated sound card if they are using a gpu which is usually a given if they are playing sims. A program like Voicemeeter will let you duplicate the audio out to multiple sources. I'm able to use the 'dumb' sound and game features but also the simhub telemetry by switching a couple of settings. I only have the one buttkicker for my chair but I would def think about one for under my pedal board and do front/rear setup.

[@skapunker1986]

I bought one around 2013, It was an nice gimmick, but its now just collecting dust under my bed to my left. In the past i used to have an Logitech Force Feedback Flightstick, and i used to have an Race wheel with force feedback, However, i live in an big shopping street . on 1st floor. and unfortunately the store below me has complained. at first they thought we were just drilling holes in the floor weeks long... I started then only use it ones per week, and only during the daytime, the vibrations are to loud if i use it at night when people are sleeping, so that also isnt an option. I like to play Wargames, like Planetside 2, and i must say it was quite an phenomenal experience, to FEEL the difference of different type of weapons hitting me, or nearby explosions... I used it for about couple of months, and then i just stopped using it. seeing your video, reminded me that thing is actually still attached under my chair.. i think ill hook it up again and give it another try today.

[@fondoo]

Thank you! Just what I was looking for

[@markkmotorsports9764]

Do you have a video or can you provide any recommendations on setting on the amp? Have the Buttkicker Simulation kit (2 of them).

[@DerpMcDerp101]

I have the imotiva amp and it was so expensive 4 buttkickers simcommander And the amp came out to like 800 bucks or something like that. Quite expensive. And i have the P1 rig as well and they do vibrate the chassis some

[@biohazardjuicd8513]

thanks for the great video help out as im thinking of adding this to my rig

[@meridacavediver]

Good video, I would have liked to see the setup, maybe get some idea of the noise you are talking about, some idea on cost, etc.

[@shattereddnb3268]

Great video, it answered alot of my questions! I still have a few left though. Can a buttkicker simulate more than one "effect" at a time? Say I want to feel everything, bumps, road texture, motor vibrations, slipage and so on. Would the 4 corner mounted BKs in chassi mode take care of that, or would I need more?

[@dexternorville9279]

Sir, I have the simlab p1 X simrig with the same buttkickers you have. However I don't have the bracket, I simply bolted the kickers directly to my rig. My question is do the brackets make for a more tactile feedback? I will really like to know before I invest in the four more I want to get. I currently have 4 kickers one under the seat, at the back of the seat, and 2 under the pedals

[@ANIMLFIRE]

Easy answer YES ! I have 2 mini pucks hooked up to a subwoofer and speakers and it adds so much immersion and feel, so fun

[@andkirby7]

Quite useful. Thanks, man!

[@silentp401]

Hello, The setup looks really nice. Can you make a shorth video to show how they are connected to the amp and the pc (the whole wiring setup) ? I think you need 4 Speakon Male for the shakers beside what you link. Please correct me if I'm wrong

[@silentp401]

Hello, I want also to ask if you know what have grater impact on the overall experience shaker mounted on a wood plate or mounted on a metal one. Thank you.

[@elliotkouns9915]

There has been a lot of headway in tactile, it’s worth investigating further on RD. Software and concepts for mounting have really evolved from your setup.

[@christophereee3491]

Yep that’s for sure, can always improve things. I did a lot of research before jumping in, also read many helpful threads on RD. I will continue to mod these, but for now it works nicely. It gives enough detailed road feedback and adds an extra layer of immersion. TBC ;)

[@efkute20]

Could you share your settings on sim hub? I got exactly same setup as yours and with original settings shaking is all over the place

[@christophereee3491]

Unfortunately I can’t get SimHub working right recently have had to go back to Simcommander for now. I have a conflict with two Realtek outputs, the Reverb and my onboard are both Realtek so I’ve had to resort to a creative USB sound card to run the buttkickers....

[@steverubino7190]

i race in the main room of the house with a headset. Are they loud ? Thx :)

[@christophereee3491]

I think it depends how hard you drive them, but mine are quite loud actually.

[@daemon3spade]

How do you isolate the vibrations from the floor tho? Are they that strong?

[@mark6865]

I felt the same way back when I had mine. Too much set up and tuning dialing it in, I just wanted to race. It would add an extra layer of tediousness I just didn’t want to deal with anymore. The biggest thing though was living in an apartment, even with me stacking foam under my rig, these things transmit way too much vibration. If I had a house, it would be way better.

[@christophereee3491]

Yep the extra fiddling is a pain. I use them only when I know it’s for a longer stint.

[@P3ktoRis]

this is good info, too much vibration for apartment. i used to own g25 hooked on a wooden table and neighbours were complaining, they couldnt sleep. so this is out of the question unless its mounted only on the seat(below or at the back of the seat)?

[@exhaustor5983]

Hi, how did you managed to buy it in EU, the website ships them only to U.S. and Canada.

[@bystander85]

How does the 4x setup compare to the 1x setup? How would you rate the experience going from 0 to 1, from 1 to 4?

[@acrock21]

Is there anyway that you can capture their sound on video? Also can you run more than 4? Like for steering wheel and gearshift vibration?

[@francoisgoyette1822]

Yes, you can add up to 8 buttkickers.

[@Jdid-kc9zs]

Great video! I too have a P-1X rig and wanted to know if the Mini LFE's have enough to power to transfer feedback through the very rigid rig. I've been considering the exact same set up 4 LFE's and mounts, but have had a hard time making the decision on which AMP to purchase. In hind sight, would you do anything different? I really like the cables/connectors you used as make for a very clean set up. Thanks again for your insight!

[@christophereee3491]

I think it depends on how intense you expect the output to be. For me, in the beginning the shake was actually making my legs numb. After a lot of messing around with the values for each output I found something I like by getting rid of any of the high frequency vibrations such as road texture. Going bigger than LFE minis is quite a big jump in price if you want to get 4 of them, considering you also need amps to power them. I opted for minis which I don't regret. Might be cool to add one full size LFE for other forces such as engine (which I shut off now as it tends to mask the road effects) Another thing, I put the minis as close to what I wanted to shake, for the pedals I put them on the pedal mount, for the rear the minis are mounted to the rail my chair sits on.

[@dr_arcade]

Do I want this if I have Dbox?

[@BigMeanyVids]

Don't completely agree. I have 4 shakers for the corners of my rig plus one buttkicker gamer for my pedals. Bought my amps and shakers at parts express as they always have sales. My amsp are silent also by the way. Probably $550 total invested. Only takes me about 40 minutes or so to tweak a new sim. Yeah, you can spend hours and hours if you wish but it's not really needed. I can't drive without it now as sim seems so "dead" without it. I'm using simvibe also by the way. I've tried a full motion rig and while cool I'm not convinced I could drive with it all the time as it's a bit much. For the cost of shakers this for me your best next upgrade if you already have a good wheel and pedals.

[@bwest6275]

Just a suggestion. But perhaps at least hold or show the item you’re talking about while talking to keep the viewer engaged.

[@christophereee3491]

Good point cheers.

[@raypeasley]

if a 4 channel amp is good enough, why do the racedepartment forums frown on them and recommend only using 2 channel amps? I read somewhere that the rear channels arn't as powerful .... what do you think?

[@christophereee3491]

I was in close contact with both Thomann and The Guitammer Company (Buttkicker) technicians, their opinion was that my amp was more than adequate and well suited. Of course if you want a step up you can get an amp with ‘DSP’, which gives finer control through a built in chip and software to help avoid bottoming out. There are some cool open source EQ solutions however that I experimented with that do close to the same thing, and cost you a tiny bit of CPU. I assume you mean rear outputs being weaker on the sound card? That can be fixed by running ‘quadraphonic’, my onboard motherboard sound supports it, however some PCI-E sound cards no longer support quadraphonic and you have to fiddle with 'rears', which is not ideal imo.

[@daemon3spade]

Review the Gametrix JetSeat /Shaker Kit with these Buttkicker 2

[@WilXuH]

Very helpful, I didn't know it could get that expensive - In any case I sim race mainly during the night and live in an apartment, I don't think the wife would be very happy :D :D thx!!

[@seattime4075]

Certainly worth it, if you are using VR you should be able to mirror the sound and just use the motherboard sound card to drive the 'Buttkickers'.

[@Flatnens]

DOF Reality H3 is an awesome motion setup for around 2k.

[@izhangt3787]

Bad quality, just buy njmotion aluminium rig

[@tonygee3284]

I have butt kickers gamers 2 hooked up to my VR sim rig Hooked up to my Accuforce v2 which comes with Simvibe hooks straight up and its awesome

[@mcgrup]

Buttkicker is also a thing drummers use on their drum throne this may help

[@eyeswideopen5562]

Got the buttkicker 1 and 2 , the amplifier sucks on both they died , if they improve the amplifier i would get another one

[@ringmasterblaze]

Great video! You convinced me that they're not worth the pain in the ass (pun intended)

If you never tried a motion rig, buttkickers will blow your mind, but I can see how if you have used a motion rig they might be somewhat underwhelming.

[@DokCrAzYJoKeR]

Hello, I also wanted to make an implant but I am undecided whether to do it with 4 ButtKicker or with 2! Can you feel the difference between front right and front left or is the vibration mixed?

[@francoisgoyette1822]

Yes, is have a big difference between 2 and 4 buttkicker. When the front wheel blocked, i know is become on front. And when the wheel spin I know is become on back. But, I have ADVANCE B4-4 buttkicker. There are big difference between LFE-mini, especially when you pass on vibrators in F1 it is more realistic and as a whole too.

[@francoisgoyette1822]

And in my opinion you are better off with 2 BK4-4 than 4 LFE-mini.

[@000GunterGabriel000]

Thx! I guess that seals the deal for me and mid/longterm i will go straight to motion.

[@filipebeat4941]

very informative, thanks!! now i know 'exactly' how it feels

[@guybrushthreepwood3002]

If you're using VR, you just need one butt kicker, your brain will trick you into feeling directional vibration. One is plenty imo.

[@alphazangaming7200]

upload more!!!!!!

[@Alfred1989]

So you'd rather pay 4x$120 for Buttkickers than 1x$1300 for a real motion rig (DOF reality) ?

[@aabe4327]

You can DIY your own for a fraction of the price, so hard to see how they'd be worth it. Very informative video tho.

[@1995pieter]

could you explain how or point me in the right direction?

[@aabe4327]

@@1995pieter kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJ6UnWikdp2Abq8

[@markkeetch5176]

Lost the will to live watching this, I'll find an opinion elsewhere

[@RoscoePablo]

Waste of money when you start to really get into sim racing become fast and trying to win races,you don’t even notice them after a while

[@tonyyimbo]

lol not true

[@Wodz30]

If you think the POINT of installing these is to win races then you 10,000% missed the fucking point mate

[@francoisgoyette1822]

Bonjour, merci pour la vidéo, cela m'a servi. Voici mon expérience et mes paramètres final. 1er paramètre : 4 buttkickers LFE et 2 ampli Dayrona APA150. Les mini LFE on un bruit anormal a basse fréquence, comme un lousse entre le piston et la boîte externe, mais n'empêche pas de fonctionné. J'ai rajouter de la graisse à l'intérieur et cela à beaucoup aidé. Ils sont trop petit pour le chassis P1-X de Sim-Lab, lorsqu'il vous faut une vribation lourde. L'ampli APA150 fonctionne parfaitement, pas trop bruyante et de grosseur moyenne. 2e paramètre : 4 buttkickers advance BK4-4 et ampli Thomann the t.amp E4-250. Les BK4-4 sont parfait et une bonne différence de résultat avec les mini-LFE. La différence prix vos la différence de résultat. L'ampli E4-250 est assez performante pour les BK4-4 mais pour moi le canal #2 a brulé après un moi. Je n'ai pas pu la retourné sous garanti car DHL charge 500$ canadien pour le transport du Canada et Thomam n'a pas voulu utiliser leur compte pour le transport moins chers. Avant de recevoir E4-250, j'ai testé APA150 sur 2 BK4-4 et c'est limite mais fonctionne bien. E4-250 n'est pas pratique en amérique car c'est un voltage 240 volts mais fonctionne bien, elle est très pesantes et fait ENORMÉMENT de bruit. 3e paramètres final 4 Buttkicker BK4-4 et 2 ampli AIYIMA A07 TPA3255. L'ampli TPA3255 est très petit, ne fait pas de bruit, ne surchauffe pas. Prix en dollar canadien : BK4-4 300$, TPA3255 : 100$. Donc 1500$ canadien cela en vaut le prix pour ceux qu'ils veulent augmente leur immersion. Sorry if is it in french ,my english not good. You can use google translate.

[@VirusOfCyrus]

NO! Buttkicker does NOT work with 90% of driving/racing games!! The "Software" that is NEEDED for the Buttkicker, (SimHub) only supports like 20 games!?! I totally wasted my money getting the Buttkicker this year. IF you want to get feedback from games like Dirt 5, The Crew or The Crew 2 then the Buttkicker WONT WORK! ALL I wanted (like many others) is to "Drive" around (not race) the world of the Crew 2 with my steering wheel & Buttkicker Gamer, but NO :( If anyone knows HOW to get Buttkicker working with The Crew 2 &/or Dirt 5 PLEASE help!

[@alphazangaming7200]

upload more!!!!!!