Can someone help me get my Buttkicker running....

[markturner1960]

Hi, as title says, this is a bit frustrating, since I moved my sim set up and reconnected everything, I cant get my Buttkicker working....pretty certain I plugged everything in as it was....but suddenly it does not work.
 
I am hoping some of you guys with a better understanding of the product & the cabling and set up options within the PC sound card software etc will be able to help...
 
Some background information:
 
I use headphones for my gaming , so use the front headphone connection on the PC to connect my headset. I don't currently have any speakers connected.
 
The PC soundcard is a Realtek and uses the realtek HD audio manager software.
 
 
I have a cable to connect the Buttkicker amp to the PC, it is 3.5mm mini jack one end and has a double male red and black RCA the other, which according to the manual, I should use either one of to connect to the "line level input RCA ( white)" on the rear of the amp. Which I have. I am unsure exactly where to plug the mini jack end on my soundcard, have tried green line out & centre sub.
 
With regard to the software side, I have the following:





Can anyone see where I am going wrong?

Thanks

[igalbe]

hi

you need to connect another wire and the heaadphones to him

if you have a problem try youtube

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by igalbe

[Leader98]

Try if connecting the mini jack to the headset connector on the front of the case makes the Buttkicker work again.
If that works look up in your manual which connector you must use on your motherboard when connecting a pair of headphones and use that.

 

With most audio drivers a popup windows appears when you connect a device to a connector asking you what you have connected.

You can try connecting your headset to the rear connectors and see if the popup window appears.

 

Otherwise post your motherboard brand and type ans someone will point you to the correct connection to connect the Buttkicker to.

Edited December 26, 2020 by Leader98
Addition

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

You would need a second sound card, a cheap $6 usb would be enough.

[Bob1943]

Yep, get a second USB sound card to handle the vibration telemetry signals from SimShaker.  I use the $14 UGREEN USB audio adapter (https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-External-Headphone-Microphone-Desktops/dp/B01N905VOY)

 

I have a powered 10 port USB hub connected to my computer USB port.  All my HOTAS hardware is connected to that USB hub.  The USB cable from the UGREEN adapter also plugs into that USB hub.  Then get a "3.5mm Plug Male to 2 x RCA Male Adapter Cable".  The 3.5mm jack goes into the green connector port on the UGREEN module and the RCA jacks go to the left-right "Line In" connections on your amp.

 

When you start up the SimShaker software, select the USB sound card and you should be good to go.

[markturner1960]

Thanks all for the advice, will try as suggested....I should add however, that I have had it working before I moved it all around, without a USB soundcard, but have ordered one and will try that way.
 
The 3.5mm mini jack cable has 2 outlets the other end, one red, one black......on my amp ( see picture above) the left connections are called "line level" not line in and one is labeled input, the other output...are these the connections you mean? 
 
The mobo is a ROG maximus X1 hero with ROG supreme FX S1220 8 channel hi def audio codec if that helps. Outlets on rear are pictured above. Not sure what type of soundcard this is in terms of the buttkicker instrcutions, which offer 3 different types of set up:
 

Edited December 28, 2020 by markturner1960

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

Maybe when using the front panel connections, back panel are inhibited ¿? 

[markturner1960]

Bear in mind I dont use speakers, if i need them, i switch to the speakers on my monitor. So in the above instructions we can discount the bits about the speaker cable. 

 

The other thing i wonder is why they supply a cable that you only need to use one of the 2 ends on? If you read the above instructions, all of the 3 options say only connect one of the two ends to the white line level connector on the amp. You would think they would have supplied a dedicated cable and also that makes me ask why if you only need one connection, does the amp come with 2 line level connections on the back? 

 

What type of card do you think mine is from the description? I think it must be a multi channel with digital output, as I assume that's what the SPDIF outlet is? in which case as I dont have a sub woofer, I would plug the 3.5 mini jack into the sub out orange connector...

Edited December 28, 2020 by markturner1960

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

28 minutes ago, markturner1960 said:

Bear in mind I dont use speakers, if i need them, i switch to the speakers on my monitor. So in the above instructions we can discount the bits about the speaker cable. 

 

The other thing i wonder is why they supply a cable that you only need to use one of the 2 ends on? If you read the above instructions, all of the 3 options say only connect one of the two ends to the white line level connector on the amp. You would think they would have supplied a dedicated cable and also that makes me ask why if you only need one connection, does the amp come with 2 line level connections on the back? 

 

What type of card do you think mine is from the description? I think it must be a multi channel with digital output, as I assume that's what the SPDIF outlet is? in which case as I dont have a sub woofer, I would plug the 3.5 mini jack into the sub out orange connector...

 

No speakers but yes you plug your headset to the front connectors. Notice into your screenshot how the rear outputs are greyed out. unlike front ones.
If you are using SSA software, you are into USB telemetry mode, so your BK vibrates depending on the readout of the sim, no sounds. Open your Realtek software to check  what output is selected, maybe default is stereo. So I would play safe and go with green.

[Bob1943]

12 hours ago, markturner1960 said:

The 3.5mm mini jack cable has 2 outlets the other end, one red, one black......on my amp ( see picture above) the left connections are called "line level" not line in and one is labeled input, the other output...are these the connections you mean? 
 

 

Yes, the RCA jacks would go into the "Input" connection on your amp, i.e., you are feeding the SimShaker telemtry signal "into" the amp in order for it to be amplified before going to your bass shaker.

 

However, it appears that you have a single-channel mono amp, not 2-channel stereo amp.  I'm not sure how the 3.5mm jack with 2 RCA stereo jacks might work with your mono system.  Maybe you would need a 3.5mm jack with a single RCA plug on the other end.

[markturner1960]

Hi, the amp is just the standard one that came with the buttkicker.

 

My USB sound card arrived and plugged into that it does now seem to working, but needs tweaking....also an issue with Andres software 

 

thanks to all for the advice

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

1 hour ago, markturner1960 said:

Hi, the amp is just the standard one that came with the buttkicker.

 

My USB sound card arrived and plugged into that it does now seem to working, but needs tweaking....also an issue with Andres software 

 

thanks to all for the advice

So being working previously is now even more of a mistery! enjoy!!

[metalnwood]

Hi Mark, in the pic from the first post it looks like you are trying to output not to the realtek on board audio but the realtek usb2 audio that looks a lot like the one with the reverb G2.

 

    I think the software is pointing to the wrong audio device and you wont even know because you are using headphones not the built in audio

Edited December 29, 2020 by metalnwood