Alpha mini gang stand up! Love my alpha mini and can't imagine a point where I feel like I need more FFB. One con I've seen a lot that you didn't mention is that the green light on the front never goes off. Hasn't bothered me personally in the year + that I've had mine but thought I'd mention it. Solid stuff as always Ben!
I turned my Mini upside down , repositioned the round power board 180 degrees on the end of the shaft and now the green power light is underneath the shaft and not glowing brightly in my vision . Also because the Mini is now under the rigs wheel mounting plate ( which for me is a 2ft x 6" x 1\2" thick piece of aluminium ) this acts as a great big heat sink and I have not noticed my Mini get even warm since this modification . Have been using it this way for 2 years now . P.S. You may have to reverse FFB in your software too .
I just pulled the trigger on a Alpha mini + P500 Pedals + R/D GT1 Alcantara Wheel... I am giving you some ammunition so you can reload and start firing the rounds =)
Love your channel mate! Great voice and commenting of your races. Seeing your rig (not high end) makes you even more credible and congenial. Keep it up!
I was a driving shoe guy until I broke my rules and wore them outside (to move a branch that fell in my backyard) and stepped in some kind of animal shit. I tossed the shoes and have been wearing grippy socks ever since which has been great with haptics on the rig. Maybe I'm missing out on additional feel by not going raw dog.😂
Remember guys higher wheelspeed brings out more details alot more details and is more responsive but it can imo make you less consistent. I think 25 to 50% wheelspeed is perfection. 100 will be alot but it will also imo drowned out any bit of the edge of grip feeling but curb and road textures will be insane because as stated by simagic it raises the response time for those details but I do believe with any wheelbase when to much is going on then other more important details can get covered up. People shoot for way to much details that aren't needed instead of truely perfecting the suspension and edge of grip feeling which are the two most important details for being faster. And yes settings can mske you faster regardless of what people say. If you dial it in you can gain 3 to 4/10ths as i did. I now can turn in and my car turns in easier because it's as if the base and pc knows. Friction at 15 and inirtia at 8 to 10 is what helped me tremendously in game with that true car and tire feel. I'm able to turn in less and get more pointy of a car. It legit changed that much. I can now turn it off check and realize wow I am faster with these things on. I say the higher the wheelspeed the more friction you should add. It helps so so much. But I have to say it can be very wild with wheelspeed at 100% insane details insanely snappy etc. So its about whatever you like and however you drive. Enjoy! Just know friction will make the wheel feel more draggy and heavy when not in game. But when in game it activates everything and feels amazing. I think sometimes we want a wheel that's to free flowing and then you lose so much tire and suspension feel with balance. But this is why it's so incredible imo this wheelbase does whatever you want. Seriously whatever you want and every change makes a massive difference unlike some other wheelbases settings on this one does so much. No filters imo is not the way with simagic you may like the wheel feeling looser but it doesn't help with times. If you feel like you are turning in and you have to turn the wheel to much. Add some friction you will be shocked. Also dampening with simagic doesnt just dampen it adds a rich full feel. So using a little bit can reslly give you a nice full rich feeling.
You're probably right but, I've been using this one for a couple years and sometimes I will get clipping on certain corners, so I have to turn it down a bit. Clipping spikes are no issue because they are over before you know it...only seen on a graph. It's the prolonged clipping on long fast corners that you will feel nothing except the tension (no road texture or bumps). One sim even clips everything, (I can't remember which one as I must not play it much) and the base just releases the wheel for a fraction of a second. It can cause you to spin due to snap-oversteer from your wheel over-rotating. If that happens, you must turn down the FB in-game (leave SM software at 100). I will be selling mine someday soon to get the ultimate. I won't use the full 23nm, I'm guessing around 15-18 active nm, the rest can be passive nm to cover clipping. Overall, I'm super happy with my mini, I'm just ready to graduate to something stronger.
Hi Ben, nice review. Proud owner since 2 months as well of exactly the same set. Coming from Fanatec csw2.5, i was surprised how good that one actually still is, but no regrets. Just seeing for 1st time the size and feel of that full metal QR, i was like " how big of a brute does Simagic think I am?" . The huge flex in my much loved Fanatec Mc Laren wheel then became very apparent...
@@jenscee7679 ah you legend and congratulations on the new purchases. Hope you enjoy them buddy, and thanks for supporting me and the channel over the years.
@@Ben_LaBrocakeep up the good work. Love your videos, you’re so friendly (I do video voiceovers at work but nowhere near your level). You’ve reignited my sim racing bug after two years of intermittent driving. Going to get a nasty shock to my IR! It’s currently 2.6K…I’m expecting it to be hammered.
I upgraded from a thrustmaster t248 which served me well without fault for 5 years. When I moved on I purchased the simagic alpha mini with gt neo and gt1 Sr wheel alcantara and I'm over the moon with it, software is easy to use. I highly recommend the simagic eco system for a first dd
Tip for better FFB - for most sims setting the Wheel Rotation Speed to 0 removes oscilations and gives the most natural feel. Personally tested in AC, AMS2, RBR and it makes a huge difference
I don't agree with this at all. As explained by the makers higher wheel speed allows for more communication/faster response and more details to come through better. Yoy should just add dampening and raise some filters. Me I like wheel speed up all the way and filters as low as possible. I don't mind a little noise and a little movement down straights I mean I'm not letting go of the wheel mid race. Lol
Nice review! I've been using a Moza R5 with KS wheel for about a year now, but will upgrade the wheel base in the next several months for more strength and detail. I'll have a tough decision to make between sticking with Moza or switching to Simagic.
It’s a great time to be a sim racer! Seeing other reviews it seems there is very little to choose between Simagic, Asetek and Moza, and all offer great quality for the price point!
Hi I have the simagic mini and yes it is great but if your already in the Moza go for r12 Moza are making huge strides in the market and there ecosystem is growing and at a better price point then simagic I had the r12 and moved over but part of me should have stayed with Moza
Im looking at the Alpha instead. Ive seen a few people end up wanting more, then getting the Alpha U and feeling like they should have just got the Alpha 15nm to begin with. My thinking is id like to have around 13nm and the Alpha can do that with a bit of headroom still
Great video Ben. I'm actually looking into a new wheel base since my Logitech is starting to feel even weaker and the throttle pedal is starting to glitch.
Ah that’s exciting Rob! Well if you fancy the Simagic gear you know where to go to! 😅 But my feeling is there’s so many good options in the mid market you can’t really go wrong!
@Ben_LaBroca many great options out there my issue is I still race with some old friends from a GT Sport league on GT7 so console compatability is a issue and keeps pushing me towards Fanatec or the Logitech DD. I have thought of using a drivehub but getting mixed reviews on them with higher end wheel bases and wheels with more buttons.
Interesting take. Was wondering about ffb and torque as I’m on a square tube wheel stand with supports on left and right. My eye was on this but having never used DD before I wasn’t too sure if it’s enough or if I should go for the sim magic alpha. I’m also a casual racer as well
@@johnmifsud6007 Hi John buddy - is that an aluminium profile rig you’re describing? If so that will certainly be strong enough for more powerful wheelbases. But as I say for me the 10-13nm range has offered everything I need in sim racing so far. Good luck with your choice - feel free to join our discord and let me know what you go for!
What are your experiences with the GT Neo? I had a Neo from one of the first batches and after just 6 hours of use during an endurance event the rubber on the handles started to disintegrate. According to Simagic you shouldn't ride it with gloves. Since you apparently ride it with gloves too, I'd be interested in your experience 😊
@@maas7740 oh wow really?? I haven’t had that experience buddy and I’m sorry to hear you have, that sucks. I will do a video at some stage, but longer story short, I think it’s fab value, comfortable for the lengths of time I use it, and has proved sturdy and robust. I don’t always use gloves - it depends if I get into my rig having accidentally left them on the other side of my room 😂
@@Ben_LaBroca Thank you for your answer 😊 Do your gloves have silicone surfaces on the inside? According to Simagic, that was the reason. There were also a few reports about it on their Discord at the time, but maybe it has been fixed by now. I actually really liked the wheel and would actually give my GSI X-29 back because the Rev Lights on the Neo are really super practical.
I "downgraded" from a Fanatec DD1 (20 nm). Actually it was a significant upgrade in terms of quality. I love my Mini and the Simagic ecosystem. Cost more than Fanatec did but the joy of driving and racing is multipilied!
Will you still recommend alpha mini or You think alpha is better?. I currently own no dd wheel.. still Thinking between mini and alpha. Dose mini gives all the details, dose it warms.Thanks
@@blessonjacob9260 hi buddy - so I haven’t tried the Alpha. If I had the money and the rig that could take the extra power then I think I’d go for the Alpha on the basis it’s a higher end product. But for a lower budget option the Mini is fantastic, and for most sim racers will be all they need.
@@Lakedistrictrider hey buddy! So it’s been a long time now since I used a non DD wheel, but what I’d say is I’d imagine you’d notice more weight and power, and much more smoothness and detail in the feedback you get.
I would imagine that might be tricky buddy, if running at 10nm force. And I'm not aware that there's a desk clamp for simagic products, but there could be!
Wearing gloves and going barefoot is comedy gold Gloves and shoes for me (all be it hot tuna water shoes from sports direct) they seem to be a tiny upgrade over socks 😂
@@Ben_LaBroca haha completely understand. I'm the opposite of you, basement rig, so it's constantly cold enough that I'm in socks. Thank you for the review though. Nice to hear a "normal" guy's input once and in awhile on hardware and post-race analysis.
Alpha mini gang stand up!
Love my alpha mini and can't imagine a point where I feel like I need more FFB. One con I've seen a lot that you didn't mention is that the green light on the front never goes off. Hasn't bothered me personally in the year + that I've had mine but thought I'd mention it.
Solid stuff as always Ben!
Ah that’s funny - I’ve never noticed it either…. But maybe I will now! 😂
A tiny piece of electrical tape took care of this for me lol
Doesn't annoy me either I'm too busy having fun lol
Light bothers me to all heck. Little black e-tape and I actually forgot I did that until this comment
I turned my Mini upside down , repositioned the round power board 180 degrees on the end of the shaft and now the green power light is underneath the shaft and not glowing brightly in my vision . Also because the Mini is now under the rigs wheel mounting plate ( which for me is a 2ft x 6" x 1\2" thick piece of aluminium ) this acts as a great big heat sink and I have not noticed my Mini get even warm since this modification . Have been using it this way for 2 years now .
P.S. You may have to reverse FFB in your software too .
Been looking at this wheel and wheelbase for about a week now, just waiting to pull the trigger. Thanks for the detailed review!
@@puddleflopracing6928 ah amazing mate, glad the video helped. Lots of good options out there but you can’t go wrong with this IMO.
I just pulled the trigger on a Alpha mini + P500 Pedals + R/D GT1 Alcantara Wheel...
I am giving you some ammunition so you can reload and start firing the rounds =)
Love your channel mate! Great voice and commenting of your races. Seeing your rig (not high end) makes you even more credible and congenial. Keep it up!
Ah thanks mate - yep it’s very much whatever I’ve been able to squeeze into a tiny corner in the attic 😂😂
Barefoot driver spotted - YABBA DABBA DOOOOOOO
Great video!
@@dannyleeracing hahahaha you’ve earned yourself a 🏆 for that buddy 😂
Time to find out how many others eschew socks and shoes while racing….
😂😂
Rocking the Barney Rubbles
I was a driving shoe guy until I broke my rules and wore them outside (to move a branch that fell in my backyard) and stepped in some kind of animal shit. I tossed the shoes and have been wearing grippy socks ever since which has been great with haptics on the rig. Maybe I'm missing out on additional feel by not going raw dog.😂
Remember guys higher wheelspeed brings out more details alot more details and is more responsive but it can imo make you less consistent. I think 25 to 50% wheelspeed is perfection. 100 will be alot but it will also imo drowned out any bit of the edge of grip feeling but curb and road textures will be insane because as stated by simagic it raises the response time for those details but I do believe with any wheelbase when to much is going on then other more important details can get covered up. People shoot for way to much details that aren't needed instead of truely perfecting the suspension and edge of grip feeling which are the two most important details for being faster. And yes settings can mske you faster regardless of what people say. If you dial it in you can gain 3 to 4/10ths as i did. I now can turn in and my car turns in easier because it's as if the base and pc knows. Friction at 15 and inirtia at 8 to 10 is what helped me tremendously in game with that true car and tire feel. I'm able to turn in less and get more pointy of a car. It legit changed that much. I can now turn it off check and realize wow I am faster with these things on. I say the higher the wheelspeed the more friction you should add. It helps so so much. But I have to say it can be very wild with wheelspeed at 100% insane details insanely snappy etc. So its about whatever you like and however you drive. Enjoy!
Just know friction will make the wheel feel more draggy and heavy when not in game. But when in game it activates everything and feels amazing. I think sometimes we want a wheel that's to free flowing and then you lose so much tire and suspension feel with balance.
But this is why it's so incredible imo this wheelbase does whatever you want. Seriously whatever you want and every change makes a massive difference unlike some other wheelbases settings on this one does so much. No filters imo is not the way with simagic you may like the wheel feeling looser but it doesn't help with times.
If you feel like you are turning in and you have to turn the wheel to much. Add some friction you will be shocked. Also dampening with simagic doesnt just dampen it adds a rich full feel. So using a little bit can reslly give you a nice full rich feeling.
I've been using this wheelbase for a couple of months now and love it. Not sure why you need any more power that this, but each to their own!
Ah that’s great buddy - and yep likewise, this does a job for me!
You're probably right but, I've been using this one for a couple years and sometimes I will get clipping on certain corners, so I have to turn it down a bit. Clipping spikes are no issue because they are over before you know it...only seen on a graph. It's the prolonged clipping on long fast corners that you will feel nothing except the tension (no road texture or bumps). One sim even clips everything, (I can't remember which one as I must not play it much) and the base just releases the wheel for a fraction of a second. It can cause you to spin due to snap-oversteer from your wheel over-rotating. If that happens, you must turn down the FB in-game (leave SM software at 100). I will be selling mine someday soon to get the ultimate. I won't use the full 23nm, I'm guessing around 15-18 active nm, the rest can be passive nm to cover clipping. Overall, I'm super happy with my mini, I'm just ready to graduate to something stronger.
@@widerfov Yes I'm sure if I tried the stronger versions I would notice the difference generally....maybe one day I will do the same & upgrade 👍
Fantastic review, Ben! Great to see you dipping your toes (see what I did there?) into this kind of content as well.
lol - I did wonder how many people would notice that I race barefoot!! Thanks for the support buddy!
@@Ben_LaBroca 😂I race barefoot as well, welcome to the club!
Hi Ben, nice review. Proud owner since 2 months as well of exactly the same set. Coming from Fanatec csw2.5, i was surprised how good that one actually still is, but no regrets. Just seeing for 1st time the size and feel of that full metal QR, i was like " how big of a brute does Simagic think I am?" . The huge flex in my much loved Fanatec Mc Laren wheel then became very apparent...
Yes
Thanks for the 5% saving on top of the Black Friday sales. Hope you get a few pounds to help you. Bought the GT Neo and Alpha mini.
@@jenscee7679 ah you legend and congratulations on the new purchases. Hope you enjoy them buddy, and thanks for supporting me and the channel over the years.
@@Ben_LaBrocakeep up the good work. Love your videos, you’re so friendly (I do video voiceovers at work but nowhere near your level). You’ve reignited my sim racing bug after two years of intermittent driving. Going to get a nasty shock to my IR! It’s currently 2.6K…I’m expecting it to be hammered.
I upgraded from a thrustmaster t248 which served me well without fault for 5 years. When I moved on I purchased the simagic alpha mini with gt neo and gt1 Sr wheel alcantara and I'm over the moon with it, software is easy to use. I highly recommend the simagic eco system for a first dd
Tip for better FFB - for most sims setting the Wheel Rotation Speed to 0 removes oscilations and gives the most natural feel. Personally tested in AC, AMS2, RBR and it makes a huge difference
@@arekkubiak5957 interesting! Thanks buddy - I shall experiment!
Max ffb max torque and 0 filters is the way to go correct!!!!!
Yep as an Alpha owner for 3 and half years I totally agree withtl this.
I don't agree with this at all. As explained by the makers higher wheel speed allows for more communication/faster response and more details to come through better. Yoy should just add dampening and raise some filters.
Me I like wheel speed up all the way and filters as low as possible. I don't mind a little noise and a little movement down straights I mean I'm not letting go of the wheel mid race. Lol
@reviewforthetube6485 simagic recommend using a lower wrs on the mini and higher on the ultimate
Great review Ben 🫶
Thanks buddy!
Nice review! I've been using a Moza R5 with KS wheel for about a year now, but will upgrade the wheel base in the next several months for more strength and detail. I'll have a tough decision to make between sticking with Moza or switching to Simagic.
It’s a great time to be a sim racer! Seeing other reviews it seems there is very little to choose between Simagic, Asetek and Moza, and all offer great quality for the price point!
Hi I have the simagic mini and yes it is great but if your already in the Moza go for r12 Moza are making huge strides in the market and there ecosystem is growing and at a better price point then simagic I had the r12 and moved over but part of me should have stayed with Moza
Im looking at the Alpha instead.
Ive seen a few people end up wanting more, then getting the Alpha U and feeling like they should have just got the Alpha 15nm to begin with.
My thinking is id like to have around 13nm and the Alpha can do that with a bit of headroom still
Great video Ben. I'm actually looking into a new wheel base since my Logitech is starting to feel even weaker and the throttle pedal is starting to glitch.
Ah that’s exciting Rob! Well if you fancy the Simagic gear you know where to go to! 😅
But my feeling is there’s so many good options in the mid market you can’t really go wrong!
@Ben_LaBroca many great options out there my issue is I still race with some old friends from a GT Sport league on GT7 so console compatability is a issue and keeps pushing me towards Fanatec or the Logitech DD. I have thought of using a drivehub but getting mixed reviews on them with higher end wheel bases and wheels with more buttons.
Interesting take. Was wondering about ffb and torque as I’m on a square tube wheel stand with supports on left and right. My eye was on this but having never used DD before I wasn’t too sure if it’s enough or if I should go for the sim magic alpha. I’m also a casual racer as well
@@johnmifsud6007 Hi John buddy - is that an aluminium profile rig you’re describing? If so that will certainly be strong enough for more powerful wheelbases. But as I say for me the 10-13nm range has offered everything I need in sim racing so far. Good luck with your choice - feel free to join our discord and let me know what you go for!
Also I think someone has done some tests on this wheelbase and it actually produces more like 12-13 according to their tests 👍💪
What are your experiences with the GT Neo? I had a Neo from one of the first batches and after just 6 hours of use during an endurance event the rubber on the handles started to disintegrate. According to Simagic you shouldn't ride it with gloves. Since you apparently ride it with gloves too, I'd be interested in your experience 😊
@@maas7740 oh wow really?? I haven’t had that experience buddy and I’m sorry to hear you have, that sucks. I will do a video at some stage, but longer story short, I think it’s fab value, comfortable for the lengths of time I use it, and has proved sturdy and robust. I don’t always use gloves - it depends if I get into my rig having accidentally left them on the other side of my room 😂
@@Ben_LaBroca Thank you for your answer 😊 Do your gloves have silicone surfaces on the inside? According to Simagic, that was the reason. There were also a few reports about it on their Discord at the time, but maybe it has been fixed by now. I actually really liked the wheel and would actually give my GSI X-29 back because the Rev Lights on the Neo are really super practical.
I "downgraded" from a Fanatec DD1 (20 nm). Actually it was a significant upgrade in terms of quality. I love my Mini and the Simagic ecosystem. Cost more than Fanatec did but the joy of driving and racing is multipilied!
Amazing product and ffb quality is unreal
Max Tourque, FFB detail at 9, and wheel smoothness at 3 feels nice
Will you still recommend alpha mini or
You think alpha is better?. I currently own no dd wheel.. still
Thinking between mini and alpha. Dose mini gives all the details, dose it warms.Thanks
@@blessonjacob9260 hi buddy - so I haven’t tried the Alpha. If I had the money and the rig that could take the extra power then I think I’d go for the Alpha on the basis it’s a higher end product. But for a lower budget option the Mini is fantastic, and for most sim racers will be all they need.
How different would this be to use compared with a Thrustmaster TS PC?
@@Lakedistrictrider hey buddy! So it’s been a long time now since I used a non DD wheel, but what I’d say is I’d imagine you’d notice more weight and power, and much more smoothness and detail in the feedback you get.
Ok cheers mate, thanks for that 👍
i have the csl dd 8nm im loocking to upgrade is it worth getting the mini or better getting the alpha 15nm
Can you attach this on the gaming desk?🤔
I would imagine that might be tricky buddy, if running at 10nm force. And I'm not aware that there's a desk clamp for simagic products, but there could be!
My La Prima base is strong enough to hurt me. I think I would be too scared to get anything with more force feedback.
Haha exactly! My arms aren’t big enough to cope with 20nm!
Bare feet warning would have been good.... Nearly choked on my cereal
😂😂 Some content providers charge extra for that
Start Calling this La Toes Sim Racing channel
Providing sim racing that’s got sole 😅
Wearing gloves and going barefoot is comedy gold
Gloves and shoes for me (all be it hot tuna water shoes from sports direct) they seem to be a tiny upgrade over socks 😂
@@SCoeSimRacing 😂 What you can’t see is that I’m also wearing a helmet…
@@Ben_LaBroca i do that too... But only because I only race in VR...
I think I have an excuse, what's yours 🫣
Bare foot driver! haha. I'm bare feet in the summer and socks in the winter.
@@anubis_phoenix181 haha I’ve outed myself! The rig is in the attic so other than the depths of winter it’s waaaay too hot up there for socks!
@@Ben_LaBroca haha completely understand. I'm the opposite of you, basement rig, so it's constantly cold enough that I'm in socks. Thank you for the review though. Nice to hear a "normal" guy's input once and in awhile on hardware and post-race analysis.
I’m a little more upper class - use my slippers.
Constant problems with connection from wheel to base. Sick to death of it
1 year and I have never had a disconnect.
trust me to find this 4 hrs after buying a simagic base wheel and peddles.
😂😂 doh! Never mind though mate, you’re going to love the new gear!