Bass Shakers

Bass Shakers convert telemetry into low-frequency audio for tactile feedback.

Use them to feel:

• engine RPM
• road texture
• suspension hits
• tyre slip
• brake lock
• gear shifts

Input Source

DashForge can drive Bass Shakers from telemetry, audio input, or both.

Source	Best for	Notes
Telemetry	precise RPM, tyre slip, brake lock, suspension and gear shifts	Recommended for supported games.
Audio Input	games without telemetry, console audio, ambient sound, or virtual audio devices	Detects bass energy and sharp transients from the selected system input.
Telemetry + Audio	adding extra rumble and impact peaks on top of telemetry	Keep audio gain moderate to avoid masking telemetry detail.

When audio mode is enabled, choose Audio Input Device in the Bass Shakers panel. System Default follows the macOS default input. You can also choose a specific microphone, line input, capture card, or virtual input such as BlackHole, Loopback, or another audio routing tool.

DashForge does not capture protected system audio by itself. To react to game audio, route the game or system output into a virtual input and select that device in Audio Input Device.

Audio Input Tuning

The audio mode exposes two meters:

• Input: overall incoming level
• Events: detected bass/transient events that can trigger stronger shaker hits

Useful starting values:

Setting	Start	Purpose
Audio Gain	55-70%	Overall amount of audio-driven vibration.
Sensitivity	60-85%	How easily peaks become events.
Noise Gate	3-7%	Ignores fans, room noise and quiet idle audio.
Bass Mix	65-85%	Low-frequency rumble contribution.
Transient Mix	45-75%	Sharp impacts, gear thumps and hit detection.

Raise Noise Gate until the shaker is quiet when the room/game is quiet. Then raise Sensitivity until real events show on the Events meter.

Basic Setup

1. Open Settings > Hardware.
2. Enable Bass Shakers.
3. Choose Telemetry or Audio Input.
4. If using audio mode, choose Audio Input Device.
5. Choose a default audio output.
6. Add one shaker.
7. Select its cockpit position.
8. Choose output device and channel routing.
9. Start with moderate gains.

For a complete example using a Nobsound USB amplifier and a Douk Audio BS-1 50W bass shaker, follow Tutorial: Nobsound + Douk Audio BS-1 50W.

Recommended first shaker:

Setting	Value
Position	Seat Center
Engine RPM	40-50%
Road	35-45%
Suspension	30-45%
Slip	20-35%
Brake Lock	10-20%
Gear Shift	35-50%

Cockpit Positions

DashForge supports:

Position	Typical mounting
Seat Left / Seat Center / Seat Right	Under or behind the seat
Rear Left / Rear Center / Rear Right	Rear frame, rear deck, or rear chassis bar
Pedals	General pedal plate vibration
Brake Pedal	Brake-specific feedback
Clutch Pedal	Clutch-specific feedback
Accelerator Pedal	Throttle-side pedal vibration
Wheel Deck	Steering wheel or dashboard frame
Center	Single-shaker fallback or chassis center

The cockpit map shows where each shaker is assigned and lights up as telemetry drives it. Position affects the signal mix: rear placements emphasize rear slip and rear suspension, pedal placements emphasize brake lock and pedal events, and seat/center placements work well for engine and road rumble.

Output Routing

Each shaker can use:

• the default audio device
• a specific audio output
• a single stereo channel
• L+R Mono when you want the same shaker signal on both left and right channels

Use L+R Mono only when the two physical outputs should receive the exact same signal. For independent left/right shakers, keep separate channels.

Important Parameters

Setting	Meaning
Input Source	Telemetry, Audio Input, or both.
Default Output	Fallback sound card for shakers without a specific row output.
Master	Global output level for all shakers.
Update	Control update rate. 60 Hz is a good default.
RPM Range	Maps engine RPM to low-frequency tone range.
Idle Cutoff	Silences engine vibration below the chosen RPM.
Gain	Per-shaker volume trim.
Channel / Output Mode	Sends the shaker to left, right, or L+R mono output.
Effect Mix	Per-shaker blend of engine, road, suspension, slip, brake lock, and gear shift.

Tuning Advice

• Tune one effect at a time.
• Lower engine if it masks road and suspension detail.
• Keep brake lock sharp but not constant.
• Use separate outputs only after the basic setup feels right.
• Watch the performance panel during long sessions.

For advanced hardware input and command routing, see Game Control and Hardware Overview.