I don't know if you need FSRealistic if you are using opus or sim shaker for aviators. I tried it when it first came out and realized what I have now is better. Also for airplanes there is no need to turn the volume way up as you just want realistic vibrations. I run two of my shakers for events with separate sound cards and have the other one hooked up to the sim audio that way I get the effects and also the personality of each plane.

Had 'em and used 'em for years.  I have a 3-unit setup... one for the chair, 2nd for my pedals and a 3rd for my yoke and throttles.  I get a full body "massage" when I fly! 😄

10 hours ago, sniper31 said:

I have been using a Buttkicker with MSFS since the sim was released. It works sensationally in the sim, and really adds much immersion, so much so that when I forget to turn it on (which is rare) I immediately know that something is missing. You feel the engines spooling up in jet aircraft, feel the rumble of the props as they spin up, feel the landing gear coming up and down, feel the lowering of speed brakes and spoilers, feel the touchdown on the runway. What's more, you can easily increase or decrease these effects on the fly. It is one awesome piece of kit. You will not regret it. Oh, forgot to mention, another cool effect you feel is the seems in the concrete / asphalt as you taxi to your runway of choice, as well as the rumbles as you increase your takeoff roll down the runway. 

Is addon software required to get the best out of it?

3 hours ago, FreeBird(Josh) said:

I got 3 hooked up to my setup and use OPUS for MSFS which has buttkicker support. I use the Buttkicker 2 on the chair and two transducers mounted under the desk. With the software you can add canned effects like rumble,gear,flaps,turbulence, takeoff and landing effects.

http://www.opussoftware.co.uk/opusfsi/OpusMSFS_ButtKicker.pdf

Opus states there should be a separate soundcard for the ButtKicker, is this a must?

1 hour ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

Is addon software required to get the best out of it?

The only software that might be required is a free sound settings app. But, it's free and easy to setup.

57 minutes ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

Opus states there should be a separate soundcard for the ButtKicker, is this a must?

In my experience, this has not been necessary at all. I have just been using the internal sound device on my system's motherboard, and that has been across three different system builds. Not sure where Opus (not familiar with them) is getting that information.

Looking at Buttkicker's website, they do show some new haptic enhancement software that is optional, but they did not have that available when I bought mine, so I cannot comment on that.

50 minutes ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

Opus states there should be a separate soundcard for the ButtKicker, is this a must?

Yes with opus if you use there software you will need a separate sound card. I run two with the software and the other without only using the sim sounds. The other two I use the event triggers. If you don't use separate cards then you will get a hum. I use this soundcard https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-play-3  $20

Also there are cheaper ways to do this without using the Buttkicker product as there expensive now. You can get a amp,transducer and soundcard for about $130 vs $275.    On the plus side there warranty is good and they do backup there product even after the warranty has run out.

1 hour ago, Clutch Cargo said:

Had 'em and used 'em for years.  I have a 3-unit setup... one for the chair, 2nd for my pedals and a 3rd for my yoke and throttles.  I get a full body "massage" when I fly! 😄

Same here. When it is not on you really know it. I believe it is one of the best and cheapest thing you can add to your sim that will bring the realism and immersion up to new levels. Now I just need a motion platform to go to the next level.

Edited June 21, 20223 yr by FreeBird(Josh)

2 minutes ago, FreeBird(Josh) said:

On the plus side there warranty is good and they do backup there product even after the warranty has run out.

I can confirm this too. I had my first Buttkicker for years, and then one day the amplifier blew ( and I don't even have mine that loud ). It was way out of warranty, by over a year, but when I called Buttkicker and explained the issue they immediately FedEx'd me a new receiver, free of charge. Top notch customer service. Also, I will note that I use my Buttkicker with the Voicemeeter software (which is the free software I mentioned) and I do not get any weird hum or odd noises by not having a second sound card.

15 minutes ago, sniper31 said:

Looking at Buttkicker's website, they do show some new haptic enhancement software that is optional, but they did not have that available when I bought mine, so I cannot comment on that.

They don't have anything at the moment for Flightsim with that software yet.

3 minutes ago, FreeBird(Josh) said:

They don't have anything at the moment for Flightsim with that software yet.

Gotcha...I just glanced at their website real quick when I was replying to MrBitsFlyer and saw that, but I did not dig into the info about to deep. Might be a cool addon down the road if they are developing it for flight sim, but then FS Realistic might achieve similar effects. 

24 minutes ago, FreeBird(Josh) said:

I use this soundcard https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-play-3  $20

Oh, a USB soundcard, didn't know they existed!

I’ll echo what everyone pretty much is saying, I was on the fence with the buttkicker for a very long time, decided to finally give it a try and bought one a year or so ago, while expensive, I’d happily buy another one when this one expires without a second thought.. adds so much to the sim, that clunking feeling when the gear on my 737 drops, or retracts, along with everything else of course. Absolutely love it.

It packs a real punch though, so no need to use it full blast, If I had to guess I’d say I use mine at 25% levels, which is enough for me, along with sim shakers module. 

I fly with a headset and would like to add this to my setup.  Just how loud is the buttkicker to other rooms of the hosue?

9 minutes ago, micstatic said:

I fly with a headset and would like to add this to my setup.  Just how loud is the buttkicker to other rooms of the hosue?

The thing about the buttkicker is in MSFS you really don't need allot of volume as you only want the light feel of vibration on your controllers. No one in this house ever complains and I just don't hear them. So it is not a issue, but if you are playing shooter ups then it might get nosier.

Edited June 21, 20223 yr by FreeBird(Josh)

Buttkickers and other transducers aren't very loud as far as adjacent rooms are concerned. They don't generate much noise through the walls. But in a room downstairs it's another matter as the vibrations easily go through the floor/ceiling if the noise insulation between floors is sparse. At least in my building it was an issue with my downstairs neighbour, and I had to put some noise insulation underneath my sim rig to dampen it somewhat.