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Who wants Bass Shakers?!?!??!! (1 Viewer)

Brian Johnson

Supporting Actor
Joined
Oct 21, 2001
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739
Heres my pictures I took after I installed my shakers
These are the Aura Pro shakers and a AudioSource 5.1A Amp.
http://www23.brinkster.com/twowatt/shakers.htm
Picture1: I had to mount a board lengthwise across the frames of the couch. I had NO other choice but to do it this way. The couch frame was too narrow for the speakers.
Picture2: Just a close up. NOTE: If you look closely, you can see I first mounted the shakers on the OUTSIDE of the frame. I got much better response by moving both speakers INSIDE the frame (see pic1 or pic3). The board I 'mounted' to the couch for the speakers only goes about 8 inches beyond the frame, I think I was losing vibration off the end of the board. So, again, I moved them to the inside.
Picture3: Same as picture # 1, I guess, but you can see better how they are wired.
Picture4: The amp that powers them. I used a cable from my SUBWOOFER OUT from my dedicated sub to the Line-IN on the AMP. Bananna plugged the speaker wire & thats about it. I used some extra 12 guage wire I had lying around. I had to trim the ends to fit in the shakers snap-type connectors. I keep my sub on the side of the couch, right next to the amp, so it all worked out well.
As you can see, I didnt have to deal with a WAF. I just cut a big square in the bottom of the couch :D
Hope this helps...
Are these 'little' shakers they are posting about any good?
p.s. http://www23.brinkster.com/twowatt/default.htm click on My Place for other pictures. You can see the couch,sub,etc.
 

Mark Guidry

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 28, 2001
Messages
222
HTTP1.1 STATUS 403 Remote Access to this object forbidden This file cannot be directly accessed from a remote site, but must be linked through the Brinkster Member's site.
This is the message I get:frowning:
 

rodney wiley

Second Unit
Joined
Nov 23, 2001
Messages
307
I have a few of the shakers that I took out of the interactor vest. My question is this. Should the bolt in the middle be touching the wood or should I add washers or spacers to that it does not? They work but I get an awful clattering sound.
 

Mark Guidry

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 28, 2001
Messages
222
Brian,

Does that shake the whole couch or just the sweet spot?? I was thinking about rigging something like that but I was going to go on the outside of the felt on the bottom of the couch. Do you think that would work as well as your setup or should it be "in" the couch like that??

Great pics by the way!
 

Brian Johnson

Supporting Actor
Joined
Oct 21, 2001
Messages
739
Yeah, I can "feel" it throughout the couch. Like I said, when I had them mounted outside the frame it wasnt that great, inside produced better vibrations. I read my manual for the shakers & found that location is VERY important. I didnt have much of a choice other than how they are mounted now. The shakers were too big to be mounted anywhere directly to the couch frame. So I ended up with what I have. Which works well.
Oh, the pictures, not bad for a $20 non-flash pen-camera :D
 

Scooter

Screenwriter
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Scooter
What I did with mine that I got a coupla years ago..was to mount a total of 8 in the two risers and the one on each theater seat.

I split out of the Sub Line Out and then split again back at the seats...I have two amps running the shakers.

Thay are fun no doubt!
 

TonyD

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If you are run them from the subwoofer out of your main receiver to your old prologic receiver they will be crossed over at whatever your other sub is crossed at, probably 80. I wouldn't mind if mine were crossed over a little lower (like 50) but I will deal with that somewhere down the road.
ok so i put a wire in the shaker. then run that wire to...what.

i have a prologic extrra reviever. so if i buy 5 of these $10 shakers how do i do this.
i know how i would attach them to the chairs but to the reciever etc... i dont understand.
chris you mentioned paralel before what do you mean by that.
do you mean run 1 wire out of the sub or reciever hook 1 shaker to that, run a second wire out of the first shaker to the 2nd shaker, etc...

sorry i'm a little dense about directions sometimes.
 

Chris Moe

Screenwriter
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Jun 12, 2002
Messages
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Do you have a hard time setting the clock on your VCR? :D
Now that I've made fun of you I guess I should help you.
You are going to run the sub out from your main receiver into one of the inputs on the back of your prologic receiver (AUX, CD, TAPE, ETC) basically the subwoofer out from your main receiver is acting like a CD player or a tape deck and just sending the audio information to your prologic receiver. Then you just hook the speaker wire from the shakers like you would any other speaker to the speaker terminals on the back of your prologic receiver.
Now in my setup since there is only one cable coming from my main receiver to my receiver that is powering the shakers, I ran that cable into the left channel of the AUX input. Since it is only going into the left channel I only ran speaker wire out of the left speaker terminal. If you want to run it off both the right and left channels get another Y splitter and take the one cable coming from your main receiver and split it into two and plug it into the right and left of whatever input you choose (AUX in my case).
I hope that all makes sense.
Wiring speakers in parallel will halve the load that the amplifier sees for each speaker that is connected.
Wiring in parallel goes like this. For speakers wired in parallel, you'll connect each speaker's positive lead to the receivers positive terminal, and you'll connect each speaker's negative lead to the amplifier's negative terminal. For every additional speaker that you add you halve the load the receiver sees. Since these are 13 ohm speakers, if you wire two of them in parallel the receiver would see a 6.5 ohm load. If you add a third speaker the receiver would see a 3.25 ohm load. Almost all home audio stuff is 8 ohm stable, a 6.5 ohm could be harmful to your receiver but I am not worried about it on mine, I wouldn't do a 3.25 ohm load though.
Wiring in series will double the load that the receiver sees for each additional speaker added in the chain.
To wire in series the first speaker's positive lead is connected to the amplifier's positive terminal, and the negative lead from the first speaker is connected to the positive lead of the second speaker and then the negative lead on the second speaker is connected to the negative terminal on the receiver. Since these are 13 ohm speakers the load that the receiver sees would be 26 ohm. Which is probably safe but definitely not very efficient. If you added a third speaker to this chain the load would be 52 ohm.
It can get kind of confusing because you can do a combination of series and parallel together as well but I am not going to get into that. Here are a couple links if the stuff I said above just confused you even more. Most of these links are car audio related but the same rules apply.
http://www.installdr.com/TechDocs/999016.pdf PDF file
http://www.termpro.com/articles/spkrz.html
If those links don't help there is a ton of stuff out there on the net.
One more thing. If I were you I would get either 4 of 6 shakers not 5. It will make wiring things up easier on you. If you get 4, just wire two in parallel off of the right channel and two more off the left (this will put a 6.5 ohm load on your receiver so it may be a bit of a risk, but I personally wouldn't worry about YMMV). If you get 6 I would do the same as for four and then just run two more off the center channel in parallel assuming that the fronts and center receive the amount of power.
Hopefully that clears it up for you if it doesn't let me know and I will try again :D
 

jeff peterson

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 29, 1998
Messages
675
An extra option (and to add to your confusion) is to hook up the four shakers to your pro-logic receiver's left, right AND A and B speaker outputs. That's assuming the receiver has speaker A and B outputs (most do).
 

Mark Guidry

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 28, 2001
Messages
222
Yeah Jeff I was just thinking about that last night...If you have a receiver that has A and B speakers that both play when they are both on you can use it all ;) good idea if you ask me.
Question about the ohm thing...I understand it all but there is one thing...if it damages the receiver...it will just fry it internally (over heat)...I don't have to worry about a fire or anything like that do I???
 

Shawn Sefranek

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 30, 1998
Messages
258
Scooter,
Since you brought up this topic I think it’s your duty to buy about FIFTY of these suckers for next years ScooterPalooza 2003.
If you bury them in a grid pattern about 6” deep in the ground spaced every 5-foot or so it would take your backyard theater to the next level.
Put little red X marks in the grass for proper lawn chair placement and you’ll be all set.
Just make sure the dogs don’t try and dig them up.
Shawn S
PS…. Since I think he’s crazy enough to actually DO IT, I’ll stress the fact that I’m joking !!!!!
…. Or AM I ??? :D
 

Shawn Sefranek

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 30, 1998
Messages
258
Another hookup question.

Has anyone considered or successfully hooked up these things to a single output of a Multi-Channel Power Amp?
Here’s my scenario.
I have a B&K Video 5 Sonata Power Amp that puts out 105-Watts into FIVE Channels.
I’m currently using FOUR of the channels to drive the FOUR surround speakers in my Lexicon “Logic-7” system.

Would it be possible to run (2) or (4) of these transducers off of the ONE 105-Watt output or am I asking for trouble ?

Shawn S
 

Joe Szott

Screenwriter
Joined
Feb 22, 2002
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Joe S.
Chris,
I have a quick question or two, as long as we are skinning this cat here might as well bury it too.
I understand series and parallel, but would I want the receiver to select 4 or 8 ohm to drive the 2 parallel shakers (@ 6.5 ohms)? Also, why would it be better to use the A + B configuration on a receiver to drive 2 sets of 2 parallel shakers, does it somehow lessen the strain on the receiver?
Many thanks to all who have offered help here, I am tettering on the edge of buying 4 shakers for our HT. God, it would piss my wife off ;)
One more small question: do you have to aim these things right at your butt under a couch, or is attaching to a lower back wood frame enough to transfer a good vibration?
 

Chris Moe

Screenwriter
Joined
Jun 12, 2002
Messages
1,087
Yes of course you can run more than one off of a single channel. That is what I am doing. I am running two of the left channel of an old Marantz receiver. You will be putting a different load on that channel of your amp which may or not be a problem. You can run as many as you want off a single channel just need to do some clever wiring to keep the load on your amp in check.
 

Mark Guidry

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 28, 2001
Messages
222
Getting the itch ehhh Shawn ;) I am also thinking about slapping some of these (or the Aura's) in the CL once I get to my car stero :D
 

Chris Moe

Screenwriter
Joined
Jun 12, 2002
Messages
1,087
Joe Szott, if your amp is 4 ohm stable, you could safely run 2 in parallel (6.5 ohm load) it wont be completly efficient but you will definitely be safe. You could also run three in parellel which would put a 3.25 ohm load on the receiver, maybe a little risky but would probably not be a problem.

Using the A+B would be good if you just want to hook one up per channel and put a 13ohm load on your receiver, which would not be very efficient but would definitely be safe.

If I was in your situation with a 4 ohm stable amp. I would run them off two channels of your amp, each channel driving 2 shakers wired in parallel, with the amp set to 4ohm. This would have the shakers putting a 6.5 ohm load which would mean you are not entirely efficient but you are definitely safe.

Almost forgot. I have mine hooked up on my couch in the front right behind your calves when you are sitting down and I get plenty of shake. See the pics above.
 

Joe Szott

Screenwriter
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Feb 22, 2002
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Joe S.
Great, thanks for all the good advice. 2 100 watt channels driving 4 parallel shakers at 4 ohms was what I had in mind (uh..2 sets of 2), I don't care if the shake isn't maximized.

Best...
 

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