ButtKicker Gamer 2 + USB Headset Setup Guide

[ajpongress 467]

(I didn't know which forum this belonged in, so mods please relocate as needed)

 

THE PROBLEM

 

If you're like me, then you likely spent several frustrating hours trying to get your ButtKicker Gamer 2 brand bass shaker to work with your USB headset. Only when someone goes into their FAQ section on the website do they see a disclaimer that USB headsets aren't made to work with the Buttkicker Gamer 2.

 

Fortunately, there is a workaround.

It does cost extra money for the software though (it ranges from $25-$50 depending on the level of support package you order...$25 is self-help, $35 for basic-help, and $50 for extended support)

 

THE SOLUTION

 

The workaround uses software called Virtual Audio Cable (VAC) that is available here - https://secure.avang...SD&CURRENCY=USD

 

What it does is lets you split an audio source (Winamp, FSX/FS9/X-Plane, various media players, etc.) to multiple audio inputs (i.e. any audio device plugged into your pc such as a subwoofer, usb headset, the ButtKicker Gamer 2, external speakers, etc.)

 

I use Windows 7 and by default it won't let you split audio sources to multiple devices. I don't know how Vista or XP works so I can't comment on those OS capabilities. The VAC software is made for everything from Win 7 to XP however, so it's a good bet your version of Windows is compatible.

 

THE GUIDE

 

So how do you do it?

 

After you install the VAC software:

 

A) Open the VAC Control Panel and make the changes shown below.

 

 

 

B) What this did is create a new audio input for Windows. What does this mean? To understand it, first open up your Sound options (Control Panel -> Sound, or right click on the speaker icon in the taskbar on the lower right and choose 'Playback Devices'.

 

Eventually you should see this window below. Click on the 'Playback' tab on the top:

 

 

 

C) So how is this all going to work?

 

You have your ButtKicker Gamer 2 plugged into the back of your PC. It should be plugged into the GREEN colored 3.5mm stereo jack. We'll call this input X.

 

You also have your USB headset plugged into a USB port on your PC. We'll call this input Y.

 

Lastly you have the new 'Line 1' input created through the VAC Control Panel. We'll call this input Z.

 

If you're a visual person like me, it makes more sense to see visually how everything works together:

 

As you can see, Virtual Audio Cable has created 'Line 1', a new audio input, and it's acting as a splitter to pipe FSX sound into both your USB headset and the ButtKicker Gamer 2.

How do you set this up?

 

D) First you have to go into your FSX sound options (I'm using FSX so from now on I'm only referring to FSX...FS9/X-Plane users should be able to find similar options as described).

 

By default, the options should look something like this:

 

 

 

 

Under 'Windows sound devices' you have the option of choosing what device you want FSX to use for Sounds and Voice. We're interested in Sounds. The default option is 'Default Primary Device'.

 

Change this to LINE 1, the new input we created earlier. Voice can be left alone.

 

Next, open up TWO windows of 'Audio Repeater (MME)' from the Virtual Audio Cable folder in your Start -> All Programs. That means click 'Audio Repeater (MME)' once, then click it again to open a second instance of it:

 

 

Since we chose 'Line 1' as the Sounds input for FSX earlier, this is now the input (Wave in) we use to split it to our different devices.

Wave out is the OUTPUT, or where the sound is going. We chose the USB headset, and the Windows default Speakers input (remember the green 3.5mm stereo jack you plugged the ButtKicker into? That's what this is).

 

Pressing Start begins the process of allowing Line 1 to feed sound into the device listed in the Wave out box.

Ultimately, we now have sound going into our USB headset, and also the ButtKicker which takes all the low frequency noises and translates them into vibrations in your seat.

 

Voila. USB headset working with the ButtKicker.

[DickB 6]

This is brilliant !!!! I've been wanting to do this for years. And the only solution I found were some external sound processors costing hundreds of pounds. Thanks for posting !

[Stonelove 2]

Yeah I have been using this software to connect ButtKicker to my Logitech wireless headset, for a while now.

Got the info for it before purchasing Buttkicker from the company because I knew analog and digital don't mix.

He told me about the possible solution so so I Google searched and downloaded.

 

Can be a bit fiddly setting up the virtual cables, getting the sound piped through to your sound card or onboard sound card but well worth it.

Took me a while, learning mainly through trial and error mostly cos just haven't got the time for complicated help files that just don't get straight to the point.

 

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[slait 169]

I'll have to try your settings, I'm getting a lot of crackling and popping.

[DickB 6]

I installed this yesterday, and it's wonderful. As well has running my Buttkicker along with my USB headset, I also started up another MME task to run a set of headphones from the front socket on my PC for the occasional co-pilot.

 

However, I have also been getting a lot of clicks and micropauses in the sound. The MME monitors showed the buffering to be pretty much OK (I think), but I was getting a lot of underruns. I played around with the settings, which didn't seem to make much difference. My main problem seemed to be related to CPU load. I've been running OC'd at 4.0Ghz and that doesn't look to be enough. So today I bit the bullet and OC'd to 4.6, and everything is running much better. In particular, most of the micropauses in the sound have gone, and I'm left with a few clicks here and there (and just a few underruns). Since I feed all my sound (engines and ATC) through my headphones, I can pretend that's static :-)

 

My settings are pretty much the defaults. The panels look a little different from the pix posted by 777fan. When I get a chance I'll post some pix of the new ones with my settings.

 

 

[ajpongress 467]

I installed this yesterday, and it's wonderful. As well has running my Buttkicker along with my USB headset, I also started up another MME task to run a set of headphones from the front socket on my PC for the occasional co-pilot.

 

However, I have also been getting a lot of clicks and micropauses in the sound. The MME monitors showed the buffering to be pretty much OK (I think), but I was getting a lot of underruns. I played around with the settings, which didn't seem to make much difference. My main problem seemed to be related to CPU load. I've been running OC'd at 4.0Ghz and that doesn't look to be enough. So today I bit the bullet and OC'd to 4.6, and everything is running much better. In particular, most of the micropauses in the sound have gone, and I'm left with a few clicks here and there (and just a few underruns). Since I feed all my sound (engines and ATC) through my headphones, I can pretend that's static :-)

 

My settings are pretty much the defaults. The panels look a little different from the pix posted by 777fan. When I get a chance I'll post some pix of the new ones with my settings.

 

/shrug

 

With the settings I listed, I get no crackles, pops, or any static in my audio. I'm running @ 4.02 GHz.

[WILDHEART3003 8]

Just curious, is there any different with this method and the Y splitter that came with the ButtKicker?

[DickB 6]

 

/shrug

 

With the settings I listed, I get no crackles, pops, or any static in my audio. I'm running @ 4.02 GHz.

 

Every system is different of course. With any of the settings I tried (including yours above) at 4.0 Ghz I can run FSX at high settings on its own with virtually no sound problems using VAC. And the CPU load is high but not hitting the ceiling. When I add in my other applications (Opus, ASE, MCE etc) together with VAC that's enough to make it peak at 100%, and that appears enough to cause the frequent micro pauses. I suspect my sound card may be a factor too. I tried upping the priority on the MME processes but it didn't help. Hence the higher OC. Like I said, I'm still getting the odd crackle, and VAC is recording a few underruns not associated with CPU peaks, so there is something else out there.

 

Still a great find though - thanks again for posting.

[drumsonly2002 3]

Would a stand alone sound card be of any advantage? Thanks.

[ajpongress 467]

Just curious, is there any different with this method and the Y splitter that came with the ButtKicker?

 

All that does is split an existing analog input. It still doesn't solve the problem of splicing the sound to a completely different input at the same time, such as a digital USB headset.

 

Every system is different of course. With any of the settings I tried (including yours above) at 4.0 Ghz I can run FSX at high settings on its own with virtually no sound problems using VAC. And the CPU load is high but not hitting the ceiling. When I add in my other applications (Opus, ASE, MCE etc) together with VAC that's enough to make it peak at 100%, and that appears enough to cause the frequent micro pauses. I suspect my sound card may be a factor too. I tried upping the priority on the MME processes but it didn't help. Hence the higher OC. Like I said, I'm still getting the odd crackle, and VAC is recording a few underruns not associated with CPU peaks, so there is something else out there.

 

Still a great find though - thanks again for posting.

 

That's the difference then. I run my weather programs and everything else on my networked laptop. Only my desktop runs FSX to save on power.

 

Would a stand alone sound card be of any advantage? Thanks.

 

I've heard it's been used successfully but I don't know for sure so I can't confirm.

[DickB 6]

Would a stand alone sound card be of any advantage? Thanks.

 

I think it might. What I had forgotten is that before I went to USB headphones all my sound came through the sound card, and I did get some interference, I think it may be because I run about 16 USB attached gauges and controllers, and I'm told the USB controller and the sound card share the aame bus or something. (When I went to USB I disabled the sound card completely.) So part of what I'm seeing now may be down to that old problem. Moving the analogue sound processing outboard may be helpful. As would offloading all my gauges, controllers and other applications etc to a second PC as 777fan mentions above.

[DickB 6]

Now this is really weird (in a good way). It so happens I have an old USB sound processor (Lindy USB Audio Adapter No 42961) which I bought last time I was trying (unsuccessfully) to figure out a way to use Buttkicker with my USB headset. I figured this time I could use it to offload my analogue sound processing. So I disabled my internal sound card and plugged the USB SP into a spare USB port on a powered hub (to isolate it from the PC power supply. I guessed this might impair the sound quality, but hell, with the buttkicker it doesn't really matter ! ) I let it install, and then plugged the Buttkicker into it.

 

On the PC, I started two VAC MMEs, one for the Plantronics headset, and one for the USB sound processor, and ran FSX. And it all worked, but it didn't get rid of the cracks and pops (I was probably wrong to suspect the internal sound card). So to troubleshoot, I killed the MME for the USB processor to run the headset alone through VAC. Still the cracks and pops, but - the Buttkicker was still working ! Huh ?

 

So I killed the MME for the headset as well, and ran FSX again. No sound from the headset or Buttkicker. Started the headset MME again, and sound from both.

 

It seemed like the headset and Buttkicker were being treated as one channel by VAC. Which gave me an idea - would FSX do the same ? So I killed VAC completely, went into FSX Settings/Sound and set Aircraft and Voice sounds to the Plantronics headset, and flew again. And bingo - sound through both the headset and Buttkicker without (as far as I can tell) any VAC process running ! And no cracks and pops.

 

My suspicion was that VAC was still running somehow, so I went through Power Off / Reboot and tried again - both still working. The only other thing I can do is completely uninstal VAC, but I'm a bit reluctant to do that in case this rather welcome anomaly is somehow caused by VAC just being on the system.

 

The other possibility is that the headset and USB sound processor are sharing the same driver (quite possible, as they are both plug and play) and being treated as a single channel by W7.

 

Make of this what you will. I have no idea why this is happening (maybe somebody more technical can offer a better explanation ) or whether it will work for anyone else. . But I'm a very happy bunny !

[ajpongress 467]

I'll test my system and see if I can duplicate your results even though I have no audio USB thingy.

 

Who knows, but I doubt it will work. Shared drivers is the likely cause. We shall see...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone...typing errors imminent

[DickB 6]

I still don't believe it. I wouldn't be at all surprised if I start up tomorrow and it doesn't work any more. If it does, I may try plugging another Plantronics headset in and see whether that works too. Or would that we tempting fate ?

[ajpongress 467]

We tempt fate every time we start up FSX.

It's like a ticking bomb.

One day......"boom."

 

 

Sent from my iPhone...typing errors imminent