BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer - Place in the studio

[mickmadness]

Hi,

What would be the desired place for a BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer in a home studio?

Would it make sense to hook one of these up between the outputs on my interface and my monitors?

[ocnor]

Originally Posted by mickmadness

Hi,

What would be the desired place for a BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer in a home studio?

[Massive Master]

Well said.

THAT said, the absolutely positively LAST place you'd EVER want such a - thing - would be in your monitoring chain.

Personally, I can't even imagine where anyone would come up with such a thought. But I digress (as I'm so accustomed to do).

Anyway - if you're even doing high-speed duplication from pancake reels (to cassette tape) then you might want to put it in line with very conservative settings (1-2, no more). Other than that, I'm pretty much in agreement with the previous post.

I've used similar settings on bass players with bad instruments or if they were just too lazy to change their strings. I wouldn't say that it "helped" really... At least, it didn't help nearly as much as new strings would have.

[disgruntled-inc]

I picked up the BBE Sonic Maximizer plugin on clearance through MF and the only thing I use it for is a quick mix to give an idea of what might come out later. Some people can't hear the end goal (including myself sometimes) so the BBE acts as an easy rough mix EQ to give a quick warm fuzzy of where we are going. Can't see using for much more then playing around at this point.

-Wes

[disgruntled-inc]

Originally Posted by ocnor

That's just funny.

[Sailjunkie]

of my pedal chain. It actully DOES have a utility for me. I have about 12 pedals, and the BBE helps enhance the original sound of my guitar. The out(s) go to my amp.

[Treeline]

It can be useful in a live setup sometimes - maybe - but in a studio setting it will really confuse things. I'd just leave it on the shelf.

[MOFO Pro]

Originally Posted by ocnor

Studio's in the garage... I guess, right next to the lawn mower and leaf blower?

[Treeline]

Originally Posted by MOFO Pro

Studio's in the garage... I guess, right next to the lawn mower and leaf blower?

Holding up the lava lamp.

[darrin_h2000]

You want to hear out of your monitors exactly the same signal that is going to CD...so before the burner is the place for it...I have an Aphex Aureal Exciter I like to pump up some stuff with...I get alot of Karaoke singers (Yeah...they have checkbooks too...lol.) and they like how it makes the soundtracks sound with a touch of reverb.

[Creamyapples1]

I fell for the BBE hype back in the late 90s, it wasn't until a few years later I actually monitored a signal with it and then took it completely out of the loop and gave it another shot. I could find more use for a toaster in my rack.

[promesis]

i had a buddy a few years ago whom was hyping all about this device - i tried to explain that it does not "enhance" more than it "filters". I explained how i thought it was simply a kind of "scooping" of mids and how it actually masked frequencies instead of "re-align" or whatever the tagline stuff was. then i played for him a Japanese "no-wave jazz" band with all sorts of brass and woodwinds blowing all over the place - LOTS of timbres - then engaged the device - it was obvious the detrimental affect it had with some sax passages almost totally disappearing. it does have something to do with the genre as well - granted, not a lot of genres will translate well with this device - some may. my experience is the former. the same may be said for equipment as well. i can concede that on some systems this device may "mask" and mangle enough to create a pleasing effect. but that is all it is; an "effect". it will change the sound - that is for sure. but into what?

that being said, i agree with the folks here that suggest not using it at all. but that is a conclusion that you have to come to yourself in your own time in order to be a true revelation. "stupid people do not learn from their mistakes - smart people learn from their mistakes - but the smartest people learn from others' mistakes".

however, that is not what you are asking about - your post was not "what folks think of it" - but rather - where it should be placed in the signal chain. ok to be fair, you asked where it should be placed in your studio. to that question, folks have had fun - but i believe the implication of your post was implicitly referring to the signal chain.

i agree with Massive on this - no reason to stick that between your board and monitors under any circumstances that i can imagine - and his post is quite clear upon the utilizations he has found useful in the most specific applications.

the main LR output channels' INSERT would be the place to stick this device to affect the whole mix. place it in the INSERT buss of some specific channel to affect only that channel (e.g. bass - most folks whom use this device find it is helpful to this instrument's timbre - BUT THIS IS A GLORIFIED 'TONE CONTROL' that will totally mangle the very important MID RANGE frequencies [imo]).

i encourage you to experiment with the device - never stop experimenting - and never stop asking questions. some folks may abandon you for the lofty fear of creating a dependency class of newbies incapable of figuring things out on their own or maybe possibly stifle gear/technique-experimentation. perhaps a flawed omniscient and mis-placed egalitarian retreat if not simply a euphemism for 'dis-interest' after chiming in all over your posts. but sometimes these folks will actually follow through and be helpful.. good luck and share with others what you have found: both opinion and fact. someone, somewhere, sometime may find it useful.

[MCI2424]

Originally Posted by mickmadness

Hi,

What would be the desired place for a BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer in a home studio?

Would it make sense to hook one of these up between the outputs on my interface and my monitors?

This tool is invaluable if you are stuck with really shitty sounding speakers. I would not use it for recording at all but in a live situation it can make a so-so PA sound really good. There is no other tool I know of that can do this, so I value it for it being a one trick pony.

[rayc]

It can add some clarity to guitar or bass but it's a very occassionally used tool and very carefully even then.
It's a maybe for trying on some things sometimes - very, very rarely on a complete mix - and then only to see what happens (sometimes the results work - usually not).
As stated NOT between you amp & monitors - it won't give you what you need from monitors - an accurate & uncoloured (that's the ideal not the reality) representation of what you've recorded.
I use the plug in every now & then when I have a track in a mix that needs something & I can't work out what to do or what is required - the plug sometimes covers up the prob.
I have an untweakable domestic unit called the Omnisonic 801 Imager that is similar for a home stereo - it actually does a better job - it's a YES or NO result straight away - again a rarely used item.
There's also the issue of the bypass in some exciters/FX deliberately degrading the sound so that the A - B makes them sound better. Don't know if this applies to the unit your talking about.

[Eric F]

I had a BBE unit in my bass rig years ago. It lasted about 3 months before I realized that I hated what it was doing to my sound. There seem to be some peolple who do like it for live sound applications, but in a studio, I'll side with ocnor's opinion.

[Weasel9992]

Originally Posted by Treeline

Holding up the lava lamp.

Or holding down your track sheets.

Frank

[89gtsleeper]

honestly I agree with what a few others have already said. It doesn't belong much in the studio, but can help in several live applications. I have personally seen it make a bad PA in a bad room sound a bit better, but other than that, I haven't heard it do much else other than mutilate sounds.