How to make a tactile transducer (bass shaker)

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Hello! the rod is bolted with nuts on both sides on the plexiglass so that the speaker is "hanging" in the glass itself but it needs to be good centered (so that the voicecoil runs free without touching the inside of the magnet when it moves) also good to adjust so the "spider" is in rest position (when you have the speaker hanging in the rod for best performance) under the console is only the bottom nut that holds the straps together. it should not be in contact with any of the magnet.

[@aquilarubra]

Thank you, that makes sense. So, I imagine that the entire vibration depends on the flexibility of the glass, and part of it is transferred back to the body of the loudspeaker. I wonder if it would work worse, if I use metal strips instead of the glass. Also, if I attach the shaft to a very heavy and big thing, such as a wooden chair or a bed, I suspect that the vibration will be mostly transferred just to the body of the loudspeaker. I would like to build a sonic bed, just trying to figure out.

[@Pulverrostmannen]

the shaft is bolted and adjusted on both sides of the plexiglass so that the speaker is hanging in the glass itself.the flex in the plexiglass will allow the shaker to operate nice :) all of the console should only be in contact with the cone and the glass so you get a floating suspension that can flex up and down. i could make a complementary video on the console part if you like me too :) thanks for your comment and i hope this helps ^__^

[@Pulverrostmannen]

yeah, a speaker as heavy as that would prolly break the plexi. but i can tell you that this shaker is extremely powerful so a speaker weight around 5KG is pretty good for most purpose :) your video is allmost done now btw

[@Pulverrostmannen]

hello :) I know that would also work but I wan't to keep the moving part (the coil and pin) to be as light as possible to increase performance of the shaker and it gives better range and power for each watt aswell. adding weights to the diaphragm would sure work too but that means two different weights fight eachother lowering the performance and range imo. my shaker works with the magnet and basket as the counterweight and then the power travel directly from the coil to the object :)

[@aquilarubra]

Thanks again. Indeed, for my sonic bed (I would experiment with music therapy, so the shaking force should be pretty big) I was thinking to use a 18" woofer, which will be a lot heavier. I wonder if plexi will withstand the weight. I thought to use metal strips and where they are bolt to the chassis I would use some rubber washers. This should provide the required elasticity.

[@linkup901ify]

I found an Samsung 6" 3ohm subwoofer and plan to mount it to the underside plastic of my PC chair. I'm thinking about using glue like in your other video to make the rod stable and transfer the vibration to the chair. If the rod is the same distance as the four screw spots then isnt it easier to just mount it directly with maybe a small rubber spacer between each five contact points to the chair? Would that make way to much vibration in the chair? Or perhaps pit to much stress on the speaker?

[@Pulverrostmannen]

+linkup99wa ther is sure to be different ways to make this shaker work, however is the plexi important to keep the voice coil centered in the speaker too. then the magnet is the weight that makes the force enter the chair so the magic can happen. the the rod can be made different length for your desire but exactly how your solution would work is hard to tell. if you look down in the comment field you can find others that posted links to gaming chairs using this method. maybe it helps some too :)

[@MrMichaelgo]

Great design! Can I do these with just a 10 inch woofer does it have to be a subwoofer?/

[@Pulverrostmannen]

yes the speaker I use here is a 10" driver. it is better the bigger coil it has, it can handle more power without overheating then

[@Pulverrostmannen]

it works the best to use plexi because it is stiff and strong, metal would make a too hard suspension with less movement so the power have nowhere to go and that would only make you burn the coil. this construction is made so that the speaker itself is a counterweight that makes the thing it is attached too shake when the coil pulls in the rod. if you see my other video where it operates you can see how powerful it is :) i allso working on a video for you this very moment ;)

[@aritanmaia1183]

First congrats on the video. It's awesome!!!! I'm writing this because I have a buttkicker starter kit (that comes with a 50W tactile transducer) and I'm a little disappointed, because I thought it would be stronger. Because of that, I'm thinking about building one on my own. Would you know how a home made tactile transducer compare to a buttkicker? I mean, let's say a home made tactile with a 100W speaker and a 50W BK (such as the one I have or a BK gamer 2 that has the same tactile transducer). By the way, I'm interested on using it for sim racing. Thanks.

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Aritan Maia Thanks for your comment! glad you like my video :) if you make one of these shakers like in this video they may be wicked strong. it depends what speaker you use and how well you build it. nothing is stronger than the weakest link. if you search this comment field below you can find others that has build this shaker for their gaming chairs and are happy with it. I know there is at least one link to a full setup gaming chair down there :) good luck with your project :)

[@Chiefpaylor]

This is way late in the replies but I have a buttkicker BKA1000-n running 3 buttkicker 4 ohm transducers “400 watt minimum, 1500 watt max” their in series for a 12 ohm load, one transducer per couch and they’ll shake the paint off the wall if you crank it up too much lol

[@georgestephenopolous5508]

Great design; I don't understand why people attach heavy weights when they have plenty of weight in the speaker magnet itself. I have a question, though, what are the metal "straps" that you used?

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Thanks :) it works very good for the purpose. the straps are regular holed metal straps or "Pipe hanger strap" which you can most likely find in a hardware store. they are used to hang pipes and other applications :) thanks for your comment

[@georgestephenopolous5508]

Pulverrostmannen I built two of these successfully with some woofers and have them attached to my chair in two channels. Now I can feel the helicopter blades spin left to right in DCS Huey! Thanks for your video, man.

[@Pulverrostmannen]

George Stephenopolous awesome :) glad it works for you. it would be cool to see a video of your creations if possible :)

[@georgestephenopolous5508]

Pulverrostmannen i.imgur.com/f1ezRay.jpg Two Aiwa woofers from more than a decade ago, with your design. I screwed them straight into my chair where the old machine screws were. The amp is a budget Lepai 2020A+.

[@Pulverrostmannen]

George Stephenopolous Awesome! it is even more than I have in my system as I have one. one thing that can be good to know is that if the shakers lean as it looks in your chair it may stress the suspension so the coil can take damage. best way to mount is if they hang right down. but it looks very nice :)

[@aquilarubra]

Could you add a picture of how the shaft appears bolted below the metal straps and below the glass?

[@Youtuvespyonyou12]

I did a 12 sub 'cause of this video is freaking awesome i put on the metal frame of the sofa after watching the Conjuring 2 the way you feel the {Lows} I was with mister Bill too why settle for 50 watt in the market , when you can do 700 watt thanks for the idea bro

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Awesome! glad my video could help you

[@dennis07rock]

I myself am eager to build and shaker, who work between 5-20 Hz would be about right. How low can your go? Some problems with uneven response?

[@Pulverrostmannen]

yes :) two nuts and 3 washers. one nut under, a washer, plexi1, another washer, plexi2, a washer and the top nut. this is what support all weight of the shaker and center the coil :) feel free to ask more if you need and i try to help. thanks for watching!

[@pbjtime17]

Is there a nut on the underside of the Plexiglas securing the rod or is it just on the top (kind of shown at 5:09) Thanks

[@Pulverrostmannen]

precis. det är viktigt att spolen får stöd så den inte kan flytta sig i sidled så det skrapar i. normalt justeras shakern efter högtalarens vikt med muttern på gängstången tills spindeln sitter rakt i linje med magneten när högtalaren hänger i pinnen :)

[@MohammadZeidX]

hey man, it's been a while since I saw your video (not this, the testing one) but just now id built one. It is great, really. But one problem, when the bass go badass I can hear some noise that I think the plastic strips are causing it when hitting each other. Did this happen with you? if yes how did you fix it? I'm thinking of gluing them with fast glue, or placing some rubber sheet between them. Keep up the good work ;)

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Hello sir. yes the plexi sheets may squeak some with high excursion. to distance them away from each other with washers in between can help some. I have the ends distanced from the basket too. the top layer needs more washers on the ends too to keep it from bending. Using a rubber between the layers would most likely work too but I would place rubber on all the points then to keep the metal parts from grinding the plexi as the rubber allows more play. hope this can help :)

[@MohammadZeidX]

Pulverrostmannen definitely helps, you pointed out some good points there. I will use washers, and maybe add some rubber where it's needed.

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Mohammad Zeid hope it works good. feel free to let me know how it turns out too :)

[@Uploadvideoschannel]

i want to build something that will last. is your project still working to this day?

[@Pulverrostmannen]

it binds to the rule that nothing is stronger than the weakest link, the choice of speaker to rebuild and the suspension will affect the result, however have none of the ones I built like this broken yet, and I count to 3 so far :) I have based this shaker on a guide that use plexi for suspension but made a compleately new rod and fastening myself to make it easier to build and last longer without the use of epoxy and stuff. I am however very happy with the result and this is most likely one of the most efficient and lasting shakers you can make yourself. I have one in my bedroom home cinema system that been playing often for for a long time now, you can see pictures of it in my complementary video :)

[@Uploadvideoschannel]

Pulverrostmannen THANK YOU!

[@Pulverrostmannen]

W Lee it was no problem :) feel free to ask more anytime you need

[@aquilarubra]

I don't understand something. The console should be bolted to the glass through the threaded shaft. So, it will make a rigid structure with the voice coil. But you say that the voice coil has to run free. How can it run free if it is bolted to the glass through the shaft? This makes me think that the bolt is only on top, and below the glass there is no bolt, so that the shaft can oscillate freely. Then I wonder how the voice coil can withstand the weight of the loudspeaker when you suspend it.

[@Pulverrostmannen]

yeah, 5cm "deep" or something like that should it say , the thickness of the glass are3-4mm

[@momofyr3]

couldn't get your tracks there is no same name in the link you provide...!!?

[@Pulverrostmannen]

I have updated the links in the description for you and put in direct links to the tracks used in this video. "Swing the tune" and "Dark mind" are the names for these tracks. but they are really old songs I made now and "Swing the tune" is kinda the first upload I ever made. you may follow my music on my music channel "Powertoast Music" if you like to see what stuff I make today :) thanks

[@dirint]

Can Anyone help? I want to make my own bass shakers, but have a 5.1 system that runs the bass through an RCA cable. How do I connect the shakers into this system? Can anyone suggest any additional equipment I'll need for this?

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Hi. there are various ways this can be done. mostly what you want to find is an amplifier powerful enough to power such a shaker. it does not have to be super powerful maybe 100 watts more or less is a rather good level to look at. the amplifier can be hooked up to the system using the SUB RCA line out either from a pre out on the sub or using a RCA split that you connect to the extra amp. another was to make this is how I do it. I don't normally use a subwoofer in my home cinema as my speaker are big enough to make the good stuff by their own and I prefer to hear the full range in all speakers including the bass. the way I have done this is by using the headphone output on the TV that mix all channels in the surround sound to stereo and run that one to the shaker amplifier. this way no sounds are skipped that the sub out on the amp may do in some cases. this is also good to use if you don't have a subwofer to the surround amplifier and run the full range setup with the sub out disabled. however it necessary to use external filters to low pass all the sound to a good level doing it this way. but in your case I would likely suggest you split the RCA cable and hook it up to an extra amp and power your shaker with. Good luck, Pulverrostmannen

[@aquilarubra]

Just noticed in the video: plexi 5cm thick. Should be 5mm.

[@ledmondsable]

you've gone through a lot of work. Why did you cut the perfectly good suspension and cone off. All you need to do is add weight to the Diaphragm(the thing you cut off) then mount it in an unsealed whole. This will give you the vibration your seeking without the added sound waves in the air Because it's not in an enclosure. Your bolts just need to be bigger and add more of them to the center part of the cone. Not trying to take away from your DIY video its cool. Now make one like this :) .

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Hello! the good response are between 5-40HZ on this one. you can check out my other video when it's in action to see how it operates better :) you find link in the description or direct link in the beginning of the video. the response are pretty even trough out the range. thanks for your comment and feel free to ask more if you need to :)

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Thanks man :D

[@Pulverrostmannen]

thats correct ;)

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Thanks :D

[@dennis07rock]

Are you from / in Sweden?

[@daveyhi3154]

I think it'd be quicker to use some 5-minute epoxy than taking the time to cut, bend, drill, and bolt together all those sharp pieces of metal strapping. ;-)

[@Pulverrostmannen]

it can be quicker indeed but there is a great risk using glue as it can pour down on the coil and brick the sub, it also takes some rather precise lining and fit washers or the like to glue on too and the power this produce can be somewhat fragile in some cases. but there are many ways to make this work indeed

[@daveyhi3154]

I'm just going by the reason you stated for not using epoxy: "so you will not need long drying time". Typically a speaker would have a dust cover that would keep the glue out of the voice coil. Also, most speakers are not going to have a heavy plastic cone that you can bolt the metal strips to. Even with plastic, there's a good chance that bolting the metal strips to the cone will warp the cone and cause the voice coil to rub. I didn't find your music annoying, btw. It was much less so that much of the 'professional' stuff that people use!

[@Pulverrostmannen]

it is true as you say, I have tested both ways and for smaller devices I do use glue instead of a console because it may be easier to put together than making such small and bulky console. the first shaker I made and still use regularly has a paper cone with the same metal console but with more stripes to allow more bolts and been in use since 2011 and still works. the console itself can be bent and adjusted before the final tightening of suspension bolts and I have not had any shaker end up with a rubbing coil due to warping stripes either so far (for me at least) so I think it is up to each persons taste how they want to put this together the way one wants. thanks for letting me know your opinion in this matter :) And for the music in the video, I am glad you find it listenable. but this music is really not as good as the more recent songs I produce and use these days and are becoming rather obsolete now compared to that. but it is still my legit stuff and hopefully get no problems with copyright lol

[@daveyhi3154]

Thanks for sharing your experiences :-)

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Davey Hi it was my pleasure :)

[@Pulverrostmannen]

precis :D jag skriver normalt på engelska för att fler skall kunna läsa :)

[@mackizzer2302]

Don't throw away the cone make a passive radiator with

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Yes that is possible to do if you so desire if you add a suitable weight to the passive cone

[@popalock85]

Moro from Princess Mononoke?

[@Pulverrostmannen]

popalock85 it could had been as it is very similar but this is actually taken from Naruto and it is the two headed wolf combination of Kiba and Akamaru

[@popalock85]

Well done all around my friend. I plan on using your design with 16 12" drivers mounted under a riser. Riser suspended on coil-over springs tuned to a resonance of 10Hz. I appreciate you putting this together.

[@Pulverrostmannen]

popalock85 thank you! Making that many could sure make a lot of force to your needs. If you make this right it can go very deep in frequency. I can recommend making one to begin and test it out if the prototype seals the deal for your needs and make the others after that one. As every speaker has it’s own character it will vary the final result too. But I have made 3 different shakers and all of them goes very deep without any issue. I be happy to know how things went if you make this :)

[@popalock85]

I'll keep you updated man. Probably make a video of it when the time comes. I'll be using the JBL CX1200. Picked them up on clearance for $29USD per driver! I have a DSP to manipulate the signal however I need to boost the low frequencies. At that price, I don't even care if I burn a few up...haha. Probably going to high pass them @ 40Hz or so as that has worked for me in the past regarding tactile feedback. Should be fun.

[@Pulverrostmannen]

popalock85 good luck! I look forward to see the result. Be sure to share it with me when you have time :)

[@dennis07rock]

Gött då så slipper man greja med massa google översättningar. ;)

[@tomski182]

Hey mate, thanks so much for the video. I was about to find a 100w active sub for $20. I stupidly cut into the middle of the speaker come to find the centre. Have I just ruined it? i.imgur.com/pMkZj1V.jpg

[@Pulverrostmannen]

+tomski182 seems like you only cut in the dustcap, if that is the case you can gently remove the whole thing and use the driver to make a shaker and make a new cover for the coil. don't cut in the center of the actual cone however as you need that as shown in the video. thanks for your comment

[@andrewdimonda10]

lol 3:01 how can someone be smart enough to make this but spell sure "shure"

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Sure, that ended up wrong but I don't take anything extra for that ;) sometimes it may not be as clear and logic as one may think when you come from another country and try to spell things correct all the time from the very beginning like you never had done anything else in your life. You would likely spell Swedish words wrong if you were to make videos with that too but I never judge anyone because even the sun has spots if you look close. Men det är roligt att du ändå tittade så noga på videon att du faktiskt såg stavfelen :) Jag är lycklig oavsett och jag önskar dig en bra dag min vän!

[@sIpoolguy]

do you even English, bro?

[@Pulverrostmannen]

+Chris Stephens yes, I can do English. better to read and write than talk because if I talk I have this special accent lol Sweden is my home

[@daveyhi3154]

At least he can write proper English. "English" is not a verb so you cannot 'do' English. If it's some slang that I haven't heard of, it's not well known enough to have been accepted by any American or English dictionaries that I checked. Even if it is, one should not use obscure, local slang to criticize another's language skills.

[@awarle]

What a annoying music

[@Pulverrostmannen]

+awarle pretty true words indeed, the second song is the very first song I have ever made and are really nothing special that I made back then 3 years ago now. however was it better to use these than to use others music and get trouble with third parties and copyright. I rather had my shit than to get marked even if I had permission from the very artist and still got trouble for copyright again. But everyone starts somewhere and these days there are better stuff in my newer videos you may listen to than the music in this old one. sorry