DSPeaker ShakeEQ Bass Distortion Pedal – Vibration control

The Finnish company DSPeaker is primarily known for its subwoofers and home theater systems, but now the manufacturer has noticed that the same technology works equally well in bass speakers, whose market, especially in the United States, is relatively large; and is also growing in Europe.

Instead of repairing the room distortion, this ShakeEQ digital signal processor costing about 300 euros is designed to repair the “vibration response” of bass speakers, while also acting as a controller unit with its level controls and filters.

The device is capable of analyzing the resonance created by the vibrator and mounting structure, and it is said to smooth out overly strong and extra resonances and strengthen weaker areas, thereby making the physical perception of the vibration behave more linearly and better match the original frequency and intensity content of the input signal. In theory, that is.

In addition, the device also features a manually adjustable parametric equalizer, adjustable low- and high-pass filters, level control (via remote control), delay control, and much more. Too much?

The compact-sized DSPeaker ShakeEQ is placed in the signal chain before the bass boost amplifier. In practice, it is connected to the audio source’s line-level outputs, and its two RCA inputs (A and B) are combined within the device to form a single signal that is fed to the bass boost amplifier via the two RCA outputs. If more amplifiers are used, the output can be expanded using RCA splitters.

In stereo use, the connection is made to the amplifier’s line output (if there is one) or, if necessary, to the speaker output using a line level adapter. In home theater use (with an AV amplifier), you can use the subbar output, but in this case too, the manufacturer recommends using the main channels (left/right) line outputs and setting the main speakers of the amplifier to the “large” setting, so that the signal includes the entire bass range. If this is not possible, for example due to a lack of amplifier connections, ShakeEQ can of course alternatively be connected to the subwoofer output (LFE), in which case the main speakers are set to the “small” mode. This ensures that the sub output transmits a wider frequency range than the LFE effects alone, and ShakeEQ receives a sufficiently versatile signal for frequency correction. This is the manufacturer’s recommendation.