OpusFSX is providing a great deal extra, it is infinately better than letting the BK just respond to noise. Please read our OpusFSX_ButtKicker.pdf. You will see that everything is configurable. The BK is controlled using synthesised audio rather than just noise.

If you are not using our weather engine then you will have to rely on that package providing the turbulence, you will get all the effects apart from turbulent bumps. In OpusFSX the effects are coordinated with our Live Weather and DHM. DHM must be enabled in OpusFSX to see the effects, either via Live Camera or our General DHM options.

 

Regards

Stephen

OpusFSX Beta Version 3.34.7 is now available for download on our website.

 

Remember when installing the OpusFSX_v334_Beta.msi file you must uninstall your current version before installing the new version (do not delete your previous \OpusFSX installation folder).

 

After installing please check all the settings in your Configure and Weather dialogues. You can download from http://www.opussoftware.co.uk/opusfsi/downloads.htm

 

Added spoiler movement effects to the ButtKicker control and revised the landing gear end of travel bump.

 

If upgrading from previous beta, please specify your Master Volume and reassign all defaults to all the effects using the individual Default buttons in the ButtKicker Options dialog. Otherwise follow the instructions in the OpusFSX_ButtKicker.pdf document.

 

Regards

Stephen :smile:

 

Thanks for the quick reply Stephen, having turbulence feedback through the chair is something I have wanted since I purchased the buttkicker, looks like I will have to switch weather programs! looking forward to purchasing when I am back from my travels.

 

Cheers

hey there, works great, but I'm hearing the frequencies -- I guess the optimal use would be if you redirected the buttkicker frequencies on an independent soundcard not linked to FSX sound output? 

 

Another suggestion -- tubeliner profiles (yes I'm lazy and hate messing around with settings!)? As others have suggested -- you don't feel certain certain aspects of the flight...otherwise, this has certainly up the realism a notched!

 

I just have to figure out how to make it work and have my FSX sounds play happy!

We recommend using a Sound Blaster X-Fi Go PRO USB sound card for the ButtKicker control to separate the BK audio signals from the simulator's sound. Nothing we can do about hearing the BK sound if you use a shared audio card since the human ear is sensitive throughout the entire BK frequency range.

 

No real need to mess around with the settings, just follow the advice in the OpusFSX_ButtKicker,pdf and use the Opus Master Volume and Assign Default Volumes to adjust everything. The BK has a limited range and response so there really isnt any need to tweak very much at all.

 

Of course, these are beta releases, part of an onging development cycle, the current state of affairs is described in the pdf...

 

The current Beta software includes audio control during taxiing, roll out after landing, engine vibration, landing gear movement, flaps movement, and spoiler or speed brake movement effects. Subsequent betas will also include accumulated audio control for landing touchdown effects, turbulent motions and of course those sudden turbulent bumps or jolts. The current beta does not support frequency mixing, all audio outputs are single frequency.

 

If upgrading from previous beta, please specify your Master Volume and reassign all defaults to the all the effect options via the individual Default buttons.

 

Stephen :smile:

just did another flight with the latest beta and i am really impressed with what opus is offering here, really looking forward to the DHM part of this.

Hi Stephen,

 

Thank you so much for bringing this BK Opus development so quickly :lol:

 

Isolating the Opus sound to BK is definitely the way to go, so I bought a X-fi sound card to test the effect.

 

I am using all 3 DHM axis setting all to X-Fi sound card in opus although I only have one bk physically. I think this is a great idea as I could mix the different freq/vol for the 3 axis to get a little depth of vibration and rumbling.

 

One observation I have so far is that, taxi sound and engine vibration do not overlap at all. I tested this when aircraft is static on the ground, push power to max and you can feel the vibration clearly. The moment aircraft start to roll the engine vibration got cut off. And the moment I lift off the ground, the engine vibration immediately kicks in.

Not sure if I am the only one experience this so post here to check. I tested with the main sound speaker vol tuned to zero, so that it is easier to feel the BK. 

 

The following actions seems potential for some BK action. No pressure just a few suggestions for your consideration.  

 

1. Reverse thrust 

2. When aircraft turn on the spot with differential brake.

3. When brake is applied to stop after landing, especially braking at high speed due to short runway.

4. Touch down - I couldn't get a distinct BK effect.

5. Engine vibration synchronization with the engine spooling - I understand that you sync with the throttle percentage for the current beta. BK is pretty quiet although engine is pretty much alive when in idle.

6. Stalling.

 

And thanks again for providing this very unique feature for BK users. Cheers!

 

PS : I haven't got the chance to test the turbulence yet.

 

Edit : lower landing gear and retract immediately cause the BK sound to keep going without ending until pressing Q key or pause and unpause. Not sure if this is related to Opus BK sound.

The DHM axes are not referenced to yet as we have yet to develop the turbulence effects.

 

The effect you have seen, changing from engine vibrations to taxiing effects is to be expected since I mentioned in the OpusFSX_ButtKicker.pdf doc, the current beta does not support frequency mixing so the output is single frequency only, hence only one effect is active at any one time at the moment.

 

1. Good reminder, I will add a note for when I do the landing touchdown effects to also check for reverse thrust if needed. But the frequency mixing should take care of this automatically because the engine will be on full power.

 

2. The same as above, the engine vibes will mix with the taxi movement effects.

 

3. I will add braking effects to the 'to be investigated' list.

 

4. Touchdown effects have already been indicated as 'not implemented at present', see the OpusFSX_ButtKicker.pdf doc. These, like turbulence, will reference the current DHM accelerometer data.

 

5. You can set this in the BK options and it is explained in the BK doc. The effect is deliberately turned off for jets to prevent continued BK use on long haul flights. But just like the Light aircraft (piston) setting, just set the power setting to 25% or so and you will get some vibration no matter what power setting, just like the piston aircraft setting.

 

6. Not really on the cards as that's down to the aircraft sim software to calculate and detect which is different for every aircraft.

 

As mentioned in the PDF, spoiler/speed brake vibration, touchdown, turbulence and turbulent bumps have not been implemented in the current beta. We have to test the frequency mixing effects before moving onto implementing them in addition to considering which effects will or can be mixed.

 

The quick gear down then up is most likely an oversight in the software which monitors the landing gear position waiting for it to fully deploy or retract. Looks like the software does not account for the control changing before it has fully travelled. I will correct that in the next beta.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Glad you are enjoying the effects, I did not anticipate people using or mixing all three outputs.

 

Stephen :-D

 

If the frequency mixing doesn't result in a good reverse thrust effect I could add a new effect and settings for it. Same for the braking effect, it could have its own settings in the options dialog.

 

Stephen :-)

Another quick question related to number 6....If I purchase an external USB and connect to buttkicker that will mean it no longer takes singles from the direct sound output from the sim, correct?

 

Although I am not in the habit of stalling my buttkicker configuration does provide very nice feedback from the sim directly if I do stall! apply reverse thrust etc etc! this is obviously due to the wav files used in my addon aircraft.

 

I assume I would lose all those direct effects if I am going via the USB? Or I would only get effects that your software applies, irrespective of what my addon aircraft would normally send.

 

Would there be a way to have the buttkicker take signals from my default soundcard and USB inputs? Like a splitter lead I could purchase?

 

Once again great work!

Its up to you how you connect up your ButtKicker bearing in mind that the human ear can hear all the frequency range of the BK device. You will only really loose the stalling effect since stalling is calculated by the aircraft sim. I will have a look to see if there is any data that can be monitored through SimConnect but I doubt there is anything indicating the pre-stall buffet.

 

I haven't been too impressed with the BK response to noise so I prefer a separate control signal rather than using the simulator noise which can corrupt the controlled signals if allowed. But its up to the individual.

 

I have no idea about combining or wiring up two fully isolated audio outputs.

 

Stephen

 

I should have added I haven't really bothered to explore the fully potential of the ButtKicker responding to the simulators sound output. Its really down to the personal preference of the user. Personally I prefer the controlled vibrations and trembles produced by the synthesised sound.

 

There may be something on the web about combining two audio outputs without incurring any feedback signals.

 

Stephen :-)

Hi Stephen,

 

My bad! I didn't read the manual in detail.   Thanks for the reply.

 

Just to clarify number 5..

5. Engine vibration synchronization with the engine spooling - I understand that you sync with the throttle percentage for the current beta. BK is pretty quiet although engine is pretty much alive when in idle.

 

I meant to say that the engines spinning always react slower than the throttle power percentage for most aircraft and every aircraft differs. For example during engine startup the throttle is at zero percent for most cases, but the enigne always fires up and engage in a surge follow by idle sequence. This is very much the case for most aircraft.

 

Engine vibration:

I am just wondering if its possible to have an option to let user select the engine to vibrate based on either DHM or source engine(come with each aircraft) sound of the particular aircraft?

This means Opus BK need to be able to isolate the source engine sound for BK unit instead of rely on the throttle power percentage alone. The freq and vol control that Opus offer is really good and should be used for users' fine tuning to each aircraft of their choice.

 

What do you think of this idea?

 

Cheers.

The software uses throttle position for light (piston) aircraft and N1 power for heavy (jet) aircraft. The software cannot isolate the sound of the engines, those sounds are in FSX not the Opus program. If you want FSX sounds to activate the BK then wire them in or use a splitter. One program cannot 'see' or have any knowledge of another sound output, just not possible.

 

Stephen

Beta Version 3.34.9 posted which includes frequency mixing allowing up to three BK effects to be modulated and controlled concurrently.

 

Stephen

do i need to install the latest update if i only have 1 buttkicker?

...this is so funny ...I've been thinking about doing this for over a year or since I first purchased Stephen's OpusFsx...(whichever came first)

... But I never put two and two together until all of a sudden I get this idea

 

...Steven's Magnum Opus I should say, should be able to produce what I want ....I'm still grinning and laughing.

 

See, my son gave me the butt kicker at least three years ago, and it has pretty much lain unused until the last several weeks.

 

It just occurred to me, TONIGHT... that opusFSX might be able to do it via DHM low-frequency bump and turbulence ,and sure enough when I looked for the topic, Bam! there was! I can't believe I missed it!

 

So, here's my two cents...

 

I do have a few questions since I don't have one yet.

1. Does the BK respond to both the audio signal's frequency and amplitude?

2. Can the BK be driven from the audi out or headphone output of a laptop?

If the answer to 2 is Yes then I could provide users with an option to use the audio out from a networked OpusFSX client.

Stephen

...if Virtual Audio Cable(VAC) has already been mentioned, I'll delete this part, otherwise here you go!

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/397614-buttkicker-gamer-2-usb-headset-setup-guide/?p=2576558

 

I am keeping it in because of the following info that was related by Stephen.

 

"If you want FSX sounds to activate the BK then wire them in or use a splitter. One program cannot 'see' or have any knowledge of another sound output, just not possible."

 

A side note...it's so sad that my favorite weather and camera generator author, Stephen, and my favorite FSXblogger, Froogle, {and Froogle, my friend...you GOTTA try this out and report it to your thousands of devoted fans}...can't get together....I suspect the tiff was over the price of OpusFsx...as per his recent request for gratis X-plane and x-plane ad-on software...btw dear F, I think it's perfectly reasonable for you to receive "review copies".

 

 

 

A Low bow to the Maestro...

 

Thank you Sir Stephen, for your incredibly quick and comprehensive inclusion of butt kicker into your superlative product!

 

Chas