Connecting & Using Your ButtKicker Gamer2

A brief overview of the setup and use of the ButtKicker Gamer2 Transducer and Amplifier for PC gaming, console gaming & simulators. For more detailed instructions, view the Quick Start Guide here.

1. Package Contents

2. ButtKicker Gamer Setup
- Office Chair
- Simulator

3. Power Amplifier Setup
- PC
- Console

4. FAQ / Tweaking

1. Contents of the ButtKicker Gamer2

ButtKicker Gamer with Easy Clamp™ Attachment Mechanism
90 watt ButtKicker Power Amplifier BKA-130-C
Optional Base Stand for Vertical Placement
13.5' cable with Quick Release
RCA and mini "Y" Adapters
5' RCA to RCA cable and 5' RCA to mini cable
Two Velcro® cable ties

2. Setting Up the ButtKicker Gamer Transducer

OFFICE CHAIR

Raise the pneumatic lift on your chair and then push down the plastic sleeve covering the center post.
Loosen the knob on the ButtKicker Gamer transducer, place the clamp around the post and tighten.
Us the supplied Velcro™ cable wraps to secure the cable along one leg of your chair.

SIMULATOR

Even though the ButtKicker Gamer was designed for use with a center-posted office chair, many people use it for sim racing or flight simulation.

With as many types of simulator chairs as are currently available - many of them custom made - it's not possible to provide exact installation instructions for all of them.

Instead, here are some guidelines that will help you determine if it's possible to use the ButtKicker Gamer with your setup and some best practices when doing so.

The ButtKicker Gamer transducer and amplifier were designed to adequately shake one office chair & the person sitting in it. If your sim rig weighs significantly more than that, you'll want to consider buying a second ButtKicker Gamer2 or the Wireless ButtKicker Kit.
The ButtKicker Gamer Easy Clamp™ can fit diameters of 1" to 1.375".
The ButtKicker Gamer transducer should not be mounted sideways with the logos facing up and down.

If you are using a Playseats Evolution, check out this user video for a cost-effective mounting solution using a socket and some screws.

3. Connecting Your ButtKicker Power Amplifier BKA-130-C

PC

- For On-board Audio, Stereo or 4-Channel Sound Cards
  - Insert the mini "Y" adapter into the "Line Out" (Usually Green).
- For 5.1 - 7.1 or Greater Sound Cards
  - Insert the mini "Y" adapter into the Sub/Center output (Usually Orange).
Connect the mini male end of the 5' mini to RCA cable to one leg of the "Y" adapter.
Connect either the Red or Black RCA male end into the "Line Level Input" RCA input on the back of the BKA-130-C Power Amplifier.
Connect the regular signal cable for your speaker system to the other leg of the mini "Y" adapter.

CONSOLE

Instructions for use with a video game console will vary depending on what equipment and configurations you have. In almost every case, there is a way to use the ButtKicker Gamer2 with a game console setup.

Connecting to the audio...

From My Video Game Console (See Fig. 1)

This is an option if your console is equipped with, and you are using, analog outputs to your A/V processor or TV.

Connect the Female end of the included RCA "Y" adapter to the end of the Red or White RCA cable coming from the output on your console.
Connect one Male leg of the "Y" adapter to the Red/White RCA audio input on your TV.
Connect the Female end of the included 5' RCA cable to the remaining leg of the RCA "Y" adapter and the Male end into the Line Level Input on the back of the amplifier.

From My TV (See Fig. 2)

Your game console is plugged directly into your TV and you are using your TVs speakers or speakers which are connected to the output of your TV.

Plug one leg of the included RCA "Y" adapter into the Red or White RCA output on your TV.
Do not connect anything to the Female jack of the RCA "Y" adapter.
Connect the Female end of the included 5' RCA cable to the remaining leg of the RCA "Y" adapter and the Male end into the Line Level Input on the back of the amplifier.

From My A/V Processor Using RCA (See Fig. 3)

The audio output from your game console is running to an A/V processor equipped with RCA speaker outputs.

Sub-Out is the ideal connection: connect one leg of the included RCA "Y" adapter into the output. Red/White stereo ouput can also be used.
Connect your subwoofer or speaker to the female jack of the RCA "Y" adapter.
Connect the Female end of the included 5' RCA cable to the remaining leg of the RCA "Y" adapter and the Male end into the Line Level Input on the back of the amplifier.

From My Subwoofer Using Bare Speaker Wire (See Fig. 5)

None of the above options are available and you have a subwoofer with a bare speaker wire connection.

Connect the Speaker Level Interface Adapter (available separately) to the bare speaker wire inputs on your subwoofer along with the normal speaker wire carrying the audio signal.
Connect one male leg of the included RCA "Y" adapter to the end of the SLIA (Speaker Level Interface Adapter).
Do not connect anything to the female jack of the RCA "Y" adapter.
Connect the Female end of the included 5' RCA cable to the remaining leg of the RCA "Y" adapter and the Male end into the Line Level Input on the back of the amplifier.

4. FAQ & Tweaking

FAQs

Q) Everything is hooked up but I'm not getting any output from the ButtKicker Gamer transducer
- A) Here are a few things to check. Make sure that:
  - The amplifier is plugged in and turned on.
  - All connections are firmly connected.
  - Any audio software is installed and functioning.
  - Your computer's sound card is turned up enough and the bass setting is set high enough.
Q) I get a lot of extra shaking even when there isn't any action in the game or movie. How can I get rid of this?
- A) The ButtKicker Gamer is reacting to the bass in the soundtrack. Turn on the high cut switch and dial the high cut knob down to a lower frequency. The extra shaking may also be eliminated by turning off or down the background music from the in-game settings menu.
Q) My Chair is Rattling! How can I fix this problem?
- A) The part that most often rattles is the lever that controls the pneumatic lift cylinder and/or tilt control. Try jamming foam or cardboard under the lever or using a long rubber-band to secure it to the arm of the chair.
Q) I hear a knocking or banging noise coming from the ButtKicker Gamer transducer - what should I do?
- A) That is the internal piston of the ButtKicker Gamer transducer hitting the inside of the housing. Although this will not immediately harm the unit, you should turn the volume down on the amplifier to avoid "over driving" of the ButtKicker Gamer transducer
Q) At times I use my chair away from my desk, how can I do that with the cable attached?
- A) The quick release on the cable allows the cable to easily disconnect at the base of the chair without having to remove the ButtKicker Gamer transducer from your chair.

TWEAKING & OPTIMIZING

With all ButtKicker transducer applications it is important to note that the ButtKicker experience is mostly subject to the existing audio signal provided in the game, movie or simulator. With that said, there are a few things that can be adjusted on the ButtKicker amplifier to optimize the experience.

Tweaking for Sim Racing and Flight Simulation

Here are a few points to help optimize your ButtKicker simulation experience:

Engine sounds utilize a very full and dynamic range of low frequency audio. Therefore, it is ideal to turn off the "High Cutoff Frequency" control by disengaging the High Cutoff button, or at least keep the High Cutoff turned up to about 160hz.
If you are having problems with the ButtKicker Gamer transducer "bottoming out", or being over driven, try turning on the Low Filter Cutoff to block frequencies below 25hz.

Tweaking for First Person Shooters, Movies or Other Video Games

Action video games and movies sometimes cause the ButtKicker Gamer to react too strongly to the music soundtrack rather than the action (helicopters, crashes, explosions, gun fire etc.). The result is 'ambient' rumble that doesn't seem to correlate with what is seen.

The soundtrack causing the 'ambient' rumble resides in the higher low frequencies while the intense action is in the deep low frequencies. By adjusting the High Cutoff Frequency control on the amplifier you can cause the ButtKicker to react only to frequencies lower than the music soundtrack. Every game and movie audio track is different so frequency settings will differ.

To minimize the ButtKicker's response to the music sound track in a movie or game, do two things:
- If gaming, turn the music soundtrack volume down in your game audio settings.
- Engage the "High Cutoff Frequency" control on the BKA-130-C power amplifier and turn the High Cutoff knob down between 90hz and 40hz.