Sonic Maximizers

[Jbone]

Anyone ever use one live. I have a band with three vox doing lots of harmonies and I was thinking that this may help clean the vox up a bit.
Any Suggestions?

[Track Rat]

Run away from these toys as fast as you legs will carry you. There's NOTHING one of these will do that you can't do with EQ. You want better vocals, get better mics and preamps. That will go a LOT farther in making an audible improvement.

[Nick The Man]

if you ever buy one every person on this website will say "RETURN IT". At least thats what happened when i bought one.... so i returned it ... they are pretty stupid they dont do much

[maskedman72]

bbe sonic maximizers are crap in my opinion.

i cringe when i see metal guitar players come in to record and they have these things in their racks.

it wont do a dam thing for vocals.

[AvoidTheClap]

i swear by mine in my guitar rig....& so do many other people.
i don't use it for recording, i like to keep it as clean as possible.
but for live its a must for me. i may not use it if i was using tube, but for solid state i like it.

[chessrock]

Worse Goddang things ever invented. Truly the one-way ticket to "instant suck."

Use it too much, and you may inadvertantly be elected to a full-term as "Mayor of Suckville" by write-in balot.

[Massive Master]

I've got a 382 with around 1 hour on it. $50 bucks.

But yeah, it's basically junk.

[Warhead]

Originally Posted by chessrock

Worse Goddang things ever invented. Truly the one-way ticket to "instant suck."

Use it too much, and you may inadvertantly be elected to a full-term as "Mayor of Suckville" by write-in balot.

Ooh ooh, if I get one can I at least be sheriff?

War

[studiowebx]

Originally Posted by Jbone

Anyone ever use one live. I have a band with three vox doing lots of harmonies and I was thinking that this may help clean the vox up a bit.
Any Suggestions?

Beware when someone says that it sucks or it is good for nothing.. That usually means one of two things...

They don't know how to use it.
The paid too much for it.


Just like with guitars.... Someone will ask is a Squire ok? Typical answer will be.. Squire suck! Nothing good about a Squire!

Put that fucking squire in the hands of a Danny Gatton!

I have heard good results from a BBE in a rack that needed a little spice... The key is.. Learn how to use it.. That means how much and when..

[darnold]

ive found uses for it. but it doesnt work magic or make your recording sound "professional".

danny

[HangDawg]

Originally Posted by studiowebx

Beware when someone says that it sucks or it is good for nothing.. That usually means one of two things...

They don't know how to use it.
The paid too much for it.


Just like with guitars.... Someone will ask is a Squire ok? Typical answer will be.. Squire suck! Nothing good about a Squire!

Put that fucking squire in the hands of a Danny Gatton!

I have heard good results from a BBE in a rack that needed a little spice... The key is.. Learn how to use it.. That means how much and when..

Comments like these usually come from people who have never used good gear.

[AvoidTheClap]

Originally Posted by HangDawg

Comments like these usually come from people who have never used good gear.

people just have to know how to use it. & to use it sparingly.

i have it in my effects loop, parallel (putting it series wets it way too much). then i have it plugged into itself, so i can use both channels) & set fairly moderatley. i dunno. its good for people who don't use any guitar rack gear or pedals & only have a 3band on their head.

[mcolling]

But what does it do exactly.

[Farview]

Originally Posted by AvoidTheClap

i have it in my effects loop, parallel (putting it series wets it way too much). then i have it plugged into itself, so i can use both channels) & set fairly moderatley. i dunno. its good for people who don't use any guitar rack gear or pedals & only have a 3band on their head.

You've just given yourself away.

Anyway the original question was about live vocals. The bbe will make them cut more, but so will some eq and a push of the fader.

[AvoidTheClap]

Originally Posted by Farview

You've just given yourself away.

Anyway the original question was about live vocals. The bbe will make them cut more, but so will some eq and a push of the fader.

i'm not disagreeing with that, about vocals. but i am against the view that it's a piece of junk...

[MOFO Pro]

Woah... look out if behringer ever clones the BBE Sonic maximizer

[Massive Master]

Offer still stands... $50 bucks. One hour of use... Original box...

[chessrock]

Originally Posted by studiowebx

Beware when someone says that it sucks or it is good for nothing.. That usually means one of two things...

They don't know how to use it.
The paid too much for it.

Or it could mean that it really does just plain suck.

[mixmkr]

I think bsabbath used one on his guitar sound, and I would venture he has probably posted some of the best sounding guitars to ever come out of the MP3 clinic.

Like all equipment, it is in the hands of the user. Wow...an 1176 is GREAT!! a Behringer is sucky... poo poo...

This forum never ceases to crack me up with what people tell you you shouldn't do or use. If you don't prescribe to THEIR theory, you won't sound like them!! .......thank goodness 99 percent of the time.

[flyingfaders]

Originally Posted by mcolling

But what does it do exactly.

The BBE (used to be short for Barcus Berry Electronics) uses a process to align harmonics. They have a link to a white paper on their site. It is not an EQ. A properly recorded and mixed song will not benefit much by them IMO. To use one insinuates impropper tools or skills were used to correct the signal.

[chessrock]

Originally Posted by mixmkr

I think bsabbath used one on his guitar sound, and I would venture he has probably posted some of the best sounding guitars to ever come out of the MP3 clinic.

Just because something sucks ... and one guy used it and somehow managed to get good results despite it's sheer suck factor ... doesn't make something any less sucky.

If someone's tracking really good guitar tones despite inserting said suck box in signal chain, then great. I have total respect for the guy. But getting good guitar sounds is difficult enough without the poo knob engaged. Why make it any harder on yourself than it already is?

[riccol]

Dangit!!!
I read --- try to learn -- go back listen some more -- then read a few more posts -- study what Chessrock has to say -- just when I start to think I'm making progress he throws out pro-terms like making things less "sucky"
and now I've got to do some searches on the "poo knob"

But I dang sure aint' buying a sonic maximizer!!

[Warhead]

Originally Posted by chessrock

Just because something sucks ... and one guy used it and somehow managed to get good results despite it's sheer suck factor ... doesn't make something any less sucky.

On Gearslutz Mike Shipley was guest mod for a month and someone asked him about the clean guitar sounds on "Hysteria". He said the secret was a Tom Scholtz Rockman although it was modified. I swear it seemed like a ton of guys were acting like it was time run out to get one and he begged them..."don't buy it...it's crap!". It was sort of funny, he made it work for one unique sound and even had to get it modified at that...but I bet eBay had a ton of searches that day...

Gear, gotta love it.

War

[mixmkr]

Originally Posted by chessrock

Just because something sucks ... and one guy used it and somehow managed to get good results despite it's sheer suck factor ... doesn't make something any less sucky.

sure it does. reread what you just said. if someone got good results, that pulls it out of the "less sucky" pile doesn't it? maybe all the other users are just home recording idiots.

[Farview]

Originally Posted by flyingfaders

The BBE (used to be short for Barcus Berry Electronics) uses a process to align harmonics. They have a link to a white paper on their site. It is not an EQ. A properly recorded and mixed song will not benefit much by them IMO. To use one insinuates impropper tools or skills were used to correct the signal.

Align the harmonics with what? I prefer leaving my harmonics exactly where I recorded them.

Anyway it is supposed to make up for some deficiency in loudspeaker design. Somehow magicly put everything back in place so the speakers cant screw up the sound. It doesn't take into account that all speakers will need different amounts of processing to compensate. All this would make more sense as something on a playback system, not a recording studio. In the studio you are presumably compensating for the deficiencies of you studio monitors, wouldn't it stand to reason that you would need more (or less) to compensate for your car speakers?

I could see using it for PA systems and even home stereo applications for the purposes that it was designed (according to the white paper) But recording, it can only be used as an effect because there is no way to truely compensate for everyones stereo system. Don't even get me started on guitar rig applications.