ButtKicker Promises to Shake your Money Maker Home theater and gaming enthusiasts will both be pleased with this
great new product from The Guitammer Company Inc: The ButtKicker
Gamer. It ties inline with your sound system to finally allow you
to "feel" the bass with similar technology used in professional
movie theaters, and aims to make the PC gaming and multimedia experience
that much better.
Hardware-Review.net: Buttkicker Gamer When you're gaming at LAN parties or with a bunch
of friends in a garage or basement, using your 5.1 stereo sound system
when you're fragging them isn't an option. So, what are you going
to do when you want that "bass feel", but you have to use headphones?
The ButtKicker Gamer was designed with this purpose in mind, and
we just happen to have one on our test bench to review today.
International Flight-Sim Convention The winner of this year's CES Innovation Award didn't
go to some great computer device that makes computers quicker or
quieter, or to anything with a lowercase I before it's name, but
rather to a product that straps onto your chair, sends thumping vibrations
through your seat.
Extreme Mhz Extreme Excellence Award The Buttkicker Gamer is certainly one of the coolest
toys I’ve ever had the pleasure of reviewing at EM. If you
already use force feedback Joysticks or Steering wheels, this item
has got to go on your ‘must have’ list! The Buttkicker
will almost certainly add a new spin on games, movies, and audio
that you thought you’d memorized already.
From GIG Magazine: "Wow! I never imagined how actually feeling bass frequencies could make
such a dramatic difference. Suddenly, I perceived things I'd never heard
before - such as the subtle dynamic shifts in my bass player's performance. I
locked in so tight with the bassist that, at times, he and I just started
laughing."
"Electronics Show-Stopper Kicks Butt.. one of the more memorable products that were displayed. vibrations of the ButtKicker rumble on." Scott Simmie The Toronto Star
"ButtKicker, a name that says what it is and what it does.here is the next thing to fire up a completely different part of your cerebral cortex." John E. Johnson Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
"The ButtKicker was awesome. I felt like I was right there in the movie. This is how movies were meant to be experienced. What a difference." Rebekah Koppenhaver Wide Screen Review
"Worth noting here was how clean each response was, accentuated and in perfect synch with the onscreen action, not vague or buzzy, as was sometimes the case with an old subwoofer of mine."
"Musically, I found the ButtKicker to render very accurate percussion, particularly the jolt I felt in my chest at the thump-thump-thump of a good bass drum. This level of involvement works well with live tracks, and could also turn your best studio recordings into a private concert."
"Even as is, though, the ButtKicker is extremely spouse-friendly. You can and probably should turn down the subwoofer, to create a more balanced sound field with no perceived loss of bass response, and cohabitants outside the room will scarcely hear a thing. For these reasons it is also a viable component for apartment dwellers (rubber isolation feet are another encouraged option)."
Highlights
Fast, precise "shaking" action adds an entirely new dimension to movie watching at home
Extreme low end sensitivity and wide frequency response range deliver plenty of bass effects, including some you've never heard
The ButtKicker Rocks, Rolls And Kicks Butt!
By Perry Sun
The World Of Tactile Sound
In home theatre, or in real life, for that matter, there's two kinds of sounds that we experience. Audible sound is what our hearing system detects, and of course is what our speakers deliver to our ears when we experience movies or music. Tactile sound, on the other hand, is sound that we don't necessarily just pick up with our ears, but can also feel, either as air shaking and/or vibrations through the ground, the floor, the walls etc., caused by the mass movement of air. Subwoofers add immeasurably to the experience of a film, and movie soundtracks are produced with content targeted for subwoofers because of the realism and visceral effect that is possible with them.
A tactile transducer is a device which is something like a speaker. The difference is that rather than driving a cone diaphragm to transducer input electrical signals to sound, an electromagnetic source, usually a voice coil, drives a substantial mass, which in turn imparts inertia on the outer enclosure, causing it to "shake." When this device is mounted against a fixture, such as a couch or the floor, you feel vibrations in concert with the low frequencies that have been channeled through the transducer. The result, in many cases, is a convincing feeling of realism and an emotional jolt with explosions, earthquakes, tornadoes and whatever else you can think of that can be felt.
The ButtKicker shaker, from The Guitammer Company, Inc. ($699) is just one of these tactile transducers designed to rattle, shake, rock and roll you, depending on what you experience from them and what movies you're using them with. The ButtKickers have seen much action in the music world with the Backstreet Boys and Creed. Now, they're available to enhance the entertainment offered by movies in your home theatre, though the company has also recommended experimenting with them when listening to music with generous low frequency content. To put the ButtKicker to the test, several members of the Widescreen Review staff auditioned a movie excerpt with significant low-end content, and shared their impressions. They also reported their thoughts on the ButtKicker's performance as compared to the Clark Synthesis Tactile Sound Transducer, which we reviewed previously (Issue 35 and in this edition) in a similar fashion.
Suzanne Hodges, Film Review Editor
I first met the ButtKicker in a very painful way. I did not realize that there was a new equipment member in the O3 reference home theatre installed on the platform right next to the chair I usually occupy. Carrying a handful of DVD's, I switched off the lights, kicked off my shoes (as I normally do) and approached the desk when my star-crossed big toe met the ButtKicker mono y mono! Among other choice words, the ButtKicker quickly became known as the "toestubber!" My hostility for the ButtKicker softened when I finally experienced what the little shaker could do.
In the demonstration of The Haunting, my initial listen was speakers-only, and I was quite impressed, though as I mentioned in the review of the Clark Synthesis tactile sound transducers, I am not much of an audiophile. When the ButtKicker was turned on, each knock on the door was aggressively enhanced. The experience was startling, with each sound effect concisely executed. The Clark Synthesis transducers, by comparison, were pretty much "shakers"; pulsating with every low-end reverberation in the soundtrack, even if there was really no need for enhancement. The Clark Synthesis also rumbled longer, while the ButtKicker seemed to kick in at the right moments, but its vibration did not linger.
Overall, the ButtKicker seems to be a great way to experience big sound action adventure, thriller and horror flicks. Sorry Woody Allen fans, but this is not the home theatre enhancement for you.
Danny Richelieu, DVD-ROM Review Editor
The ButtKicker does kick some major butt! I enjoyed this piece of hardware immensely. Of course, I am one of those people that love feeling my bass, especially in movies where the bass is added for just that purpose. With every step on the ground and every slam of the door, I felt like I was right there in the action. I will definitely be waiting in line to try this out again, this time watching Jurassic Park and feeling the vibrations I see while that cup of water ripples before the Tyrannosaurus Rex attacks. This is an addition I will surely be adding to my home theatre system very soon.
The Clark Synthesis is impressive in its own right, but not quite at the level of the ButtKicker. It seemed to be more of a subtler vibration. When the ButtKicker would vibrate, the Clark Synthesis sometimes would not. If you are really looking for a boost in your home theatre experience, the ButtKicker is my preference between the two.
Nate Fowler Special Projects Contributing Editor
The ButtKicker rocked my derriere during our testing with The Haunting. The sound was non-directional, which made the experience more intense than ever, bringing me into the movie. When the doors slammed, you felt the walls shudder with the impact. Everything moved when the bass was there. The timing on the bass was also very fast and distinct when I played different music videos of Filter, Crystal Method and Rage Against The Machine.
The Clark Synthesis transducers also performed impressively, but the ButtKicker excelled with its intensity. After using the ButtKicker, I noticed quite a bit more subtle action with the Clark Synthesis units. The Clark Synthesis sounded more detailed, but the ButtKicker was more powerful and seemed more precise.
Rebekah Koppenhaver Subscription Coordinator
The ButtKicker was awesome. I felt like I was right there in the movie. This is how movies were meant to be experienced. What a difference!
Gary Reber, Editor
The A/B comparison Perry put the WSR staff through was challenging as both the ButtKicker and the Clark Synthesis Tactile Sound Transducer perfectly enhanced the holistic sense of space and tactile feeling in the soundtracks we auditioned. While the ButtKicker definitely felt more tightly pronounced and seemingly better timed with the bass content from the Polk Signature Reference Theater "Forcefield" SRTT "Super" System at WSR, the Clark Synthesis unit displayed the attribute of being able to convey the more subtle visceral qualities of low frequency response in a soundtrack. The tightness of the fast transient slam of the ButtKicker is addicting. But then the Clark Synthesis' "fatter" feel provided a slightly greater sense of subtle tactile enhancement that was just as involving. Note that our installation conditions with respect to platform materials and size may have prevented the ButtKicker from revealing more of the subtle low frequency and mid-bass tactile characteristics.
Bottom line: Both devices perform exceedingly well and won't disappoint in conveying a more emotional involvement with movie and music sound. With the ButtKicker's current special pricing, which includes a Carvin professional amplifier, it has a better price/performance value. If at all possible find a specialty home theatre retailer who can demonstrate both. Let your senses be your guide. It's fun!
Conclusion
To sum it up, the WSR staff members generally agree that the ButtKicker played an effective role in enhancing the excitement, entertainment and emotional involvement of a movie's storytelling experience. I surmise that this tactile transducer is worthy of commendation for its innovative, fundamental design, leading to low frequency response which is both quick and accurate. Along with movie soundtracks, the ButtKicker should be a welcome addition to your favorite music concerts on DVD; how about giving this a test drive with "Hotel California" on the Eagles' Hell Freezes Over? And with the limited-time special being offered at $699 for both the shaker and Carvin amplifier, you're getting literally lots of bang for your buck!
