BBE 362 Sonic Maximizer.

[Farview]

BBE's have their uses. People that bash them, don't know how to use them. You CAN NOT do the same with EQ.

They do have their uses, as a band-aid. If you get your sound right at the source, there is no need to have one.

5150's are a hell of a lot better than any crate, b52, etc... that you can get new for the money. The Boogie suggestion was great.

 

[Toker41]

I didn't name anyone specific when I said "People...".

Also, again, everyone that says that if you get things right you don't need them as a "band aid"....doesn't know how to use them. (being a little more specific this time ) You can not recreate what it does to a guitar rig with EQ. I defy you to do it.

I was in NFL films studio a few years back....they had a rack full of them.

My only complaint about them is the older ones do create some harsh highs. 482's seem to have that problem under control.


Back to the Crate amp. crap. However, at least you won't sound like everyone else. It's one of the reasons I stopped using the Rectifier, and went back to the Studio Preamp. Recs are beautiful, great amps, but....everyone using them sounds the same.

and as for the 5150.....being a "hell of a lot better than the Crate" doesn't mean it still isn't crap. Better crap is still crap. Don't waste you money on amps that "will do", or are "all I can afford". You will only end up chasing your "perfect tone" to the tune of thousands of dollars before you finally spend the grand you should have to begin with.

 

[Steve Henningsgard]

...and as for the 5150.....being a "hell of a lot better than the Crate" doesn't mean it still isn't crap. Better crap is still crap. Don't waste you money on amps that "will do", or are "all I can afford". You will only end up chasing your "perfect tone" to the tune of thousands of dollars before you finally spend the grand you should have to begin with.

I agree to a point. If you've got a shitty crate, and very little cash, I'd still consider a 5150 an upgrade, even if a small one. I'd never be caught dead playing one, don't get me wrong. But I'd rather eat a piece of shit than play a show with a crate. I don't feel the same about the 5150.

 

[MOFO Pro]

You will only end up chasing your "perfect tone" to the tune of thousands of dollars before you finally spend the grand you should have to begin with.

Well Stated... this applies to every piece in the chain.. live or studio...

 

[Steve Henningsgard]

Well Stated... this applies to every piece in the chain.. live or studio...

I agree with this as well. There are exceptions though, especially if the gap between "OK" and "Amazing" is over $2,000-3,000. In that case, if you're strapped for cash, I still say get the best you can afford as long as it's something that will last you until you save up for a real amp/piece of gear. In general though, I agree with not buying little stupid mini-upgrade after little stupid mini-upgrade. It just wastes your money.

 

[soundchaser59]

I'm speachless.

I dont have any speaches either....

 

[soundchaser59]

I thought the maximizer was trying to compensate for disparities in speaker response, not in amplifiers.....? I dont really know how they work, other than some vague concept of "time alignment".

Best use for a maximizer is on a drum machine.....

The 362 isn't really intended for guitar rig, especially when it has a subwoofer outputon it. You should look at the BBE stomp boxes if you really think you need a maximizer on your guitar rig. I've had my maximizer on my drum machine for years, and I use an EQ pedal on my guitar, which is a lot more versatile.

But I agree in general, dont try to fix the sound coming from the Crate..... get a better amp and you wont need a maximizer.

 

[dweeb]

well thats the thing, i like the wa it sounds when i turn the mid all the way down, and although it sounds good like that when i play a power chord, when i play single notes it sounds really muffled, and also im not able to turn the gain all the way up, which is what i like because it gives too much feedback whne i turn it up loud enough to play with my band, get me ?

- Lou

Maybe it's your pup.

 

[Farview]

I thought the maximizer was trying to compensate for disparities in speaker response, not in amplifiers.....? I dont really know how they work, other than some vague concept of "time alignment".

They have changed the story over the years, that's the main reason why I think it's snake oil. When you start playing with the time alignment of things you get comb filtering. Just what everyone needs.

 

[cubanorocker316]

problem..

well, i bought it, and now when i plug it in to my effects loop, i just lose volume, like almost all my volume, and the distortion just gets fuzzy. I'm plugging it in correctly, but it isn't working. ive tried every output and input it had, none make a difference. any advice ? thanks

- Lou

 

[Steve Henningsgard]

well, i bought it, and now when i plug it in to my effects loop, i just lose volume, like almost all my volume, and the distortion just gets fuzzy. I'm plugging it in correctly, but it isn't working. ive tried every output and input it had, none make a difference. any advice ? thanks

- Lou

Ok I'm probably gonna get yelled at for this, but don't ask for fucking advice if you're just going to ignore it anyway. We all told you the problem is your amp, we even had a page-long discussion about why a sonic maximizer is a bad choice for your problem, you didn't listen, and now you're asking why it didn't work. You stupid fucking idiot.

 

[cubanorocker316]

Ok I'm probably gonna get yelled at for this, but don't ask for fucking advice if you're just going to ignore it anyway. We all told you the problem is your amp, we even had a page-long discussion about why a sonic maximizer is a bad choice for your problem, you didn't listen, and now you're asking why it didn't work. You stupid fucking idiot.

Listen people told me it wouldnt sound good okay. they didnt say id lose all my fucking volume, so watch what your saying.

 

[Jamz0r]

Check that you don't have some effects loops settings, or settings along your audio chain that are causing the decreased volume. Check your cables.

Good luck.

 

[Steve Henningsgard]

Listen people told me it wouldnt sound good okay. they didnt say id lose all my fucking volume, so watch what your saying.

What's your point? You still ignored all of our advice, and you admit it. Why would you ask for more advice? Why did you buy it when we all said it would just make your problem worse?!

That said, post your exact amp and we'll look it up and try to figure out wtf is going on.

 

[ocnor]

Listen people told me it wouldnt sound good okay.

So that's why you bought one? You wanted to sound shitty?

 

[Steve Henningsgard]

So that's why you bought one? You wanted to sound shitty?

Thank you!

 

[soundchaser59]

Is your loop parallel? Or series? Does your amp have a loop level setting? A maximizer isn't really intended to be put on a parallel loop, but that shouldn't effect your guitar level. The 362 needs to be cranked a bit just to break even, it is not a true bypass kind of thing. You are not using the subwoofer jack are you? You never did say exactly which Crate amp you have.....

 

[cubanorocker316]

all it says is crate, St.Louis ,or something like that

 

[punkin]

Are the LEDs on the BBE getting up near zero? If not, you don't have enough level going from the amp to the BBE.

Try running a patch cable between the input and the output of your effects loop. Effectively bypassing the BBE yet "exersizing" the effect loop path. (Yup, one cable connected to the input of your effects loop to the output on the back of your amp). Does the sound improve?

Any chance you've got a bad cable?

Do you have any other line driven devices like a mixer? Insert the BBE into a mixer line path to test the BBE.

 

[cubanorocker316]

only one effects loop.