BBE Sonic Maximizer

  • Thread starter Thread starter Micter
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Micter

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Anyone found a use for these things in recording? I know a lot of people like them in the FX loop of their guitar amps but is it something to even mess with when recording? Vocals? Acoustic guitar? Anything?

Thanx!
 
I used to use one to hold the door open a little -- The smaller live room would get pretty hot.
 
If you ask me, using it in a guitar rig is foolish as well.
 
I personally wouldn't use it when recording, because then you can't undo it later if you want to. Some people use them in their live rigs, but if you are going to use one, the time would be during mixdown, in my opinion.

I own a BBE and an Aphex Aural Exciter. They have their uses, but really I think there are so many things more important to have before these. They should be toward the bottom of the list.
 
It's in my wife's Karoake rack (BBE 462)...I go over and listen to it from time to time if I haven't heard enough shreaking that week! :D

PS - I forgot, I've got a JVC TV with BBE built in there also. So when the Prez says "Let me make this perfectly clear..." I've got the BBE so it comes thru even 'mo betta!
 
If you´re talking about the plug in:

I don´t like it.will not makes any instrument sounds better, but that´s my opinion.
Will provides you with kinda "smiley eq", boosting highs and lows (which sounds too unnatural the more you "boost") and if you pretend to use like a "miracle" to save (bad) recording tracks or mixes, forget.

If you´re talking about hardware, sorry...I already use on studio, but was not mine, I can´t give opinions.
 
Sonic maximizers are great at birthday parties. You just fill it with candy, hang it from the ceiling by it's cord, and then beat the hell out of it with a baseball bat.
 
youll probably get alot of replies from old farts around here that play hollow bill non gain type music. if your into the fender blues junior sound i would pass. if your doing modern rock or nu metal it will give you a beefy bottom. it does have a use but for recording maybe sparingly would be a cool effect.
 
gemsbok said:
youll probably get alot of replies from old farts around here that play hollow bill non gain type music. if your into the fender blues junior sound i would pass. if your doing modern rock or nu metal it will give you a beefy bottom. it does have a use but for recording maybe sparingly would be a cool effect.
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If you just get a Mesa, you won't need a freakin' BBE. I may be old, but I do metal all day, every day.

Everyone that comes in with a BBE, leaves wanting to sell it. Once I turn it off, redo the gain structure, and re-EQ the rig, it sounds bigger, better and more powerful.

If you know what you are doing, you can get all the compression you need without all the fuzz that makes the sound 'unclear' and causes you to want to add something to bring the clarity back. It's always better to not lose the clarity in the first place.
 
gemsbok said:
youll probably get alot of replies from old farts around here that play hollow bill non gain type music. if your into the fender blues junior sound i would pass. if your doing modern rock or nu metal it will give you a beefy bottom. it does have a use but for recording maybe sparingly would be a cool effect.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the grey chicklet. If you had half-o-brain you would understand that sonic maximizers are a gimmick used to separate a fool from his money. When will these dumbasses realize that they are playing a guitar and not a tuba? Let the bass player do his job and quit trying to play his part.
 
Micter,
I've used it occasionally just to see what it would do to a mix. I've only kept the result on one track so far - & it was reasonably well received in the mixing clinic. I used it very lightly and kept it on a piece that suited it.
If you have one handy or the plug in already installed don't be afraid to try it. Just don't expect anything. It certainly won't SAVE a problem recording or breath life into a dud but it is a tool just like exciters, reverb, delay, etc. If you play with it & learn what it does - like all your other gear - you might find a use for it occasionally. It's expensive though.
I've also used an aural exciter - I used to run a mix through it after then A - B the result. SOMETIMES it did something good.
 
rayc said:
Micter,
I've used it occasionally just to see what it would do to a mix. I've only kept the result on one track so far - & it was reasonably well received in the mixing clinic. I used it very lightly and kept it on a piece that suited it.
If you have one handy or the plug in already installed don't be afraid to try it. Just don't expect anything. It certainly won't SAVE a problem recording or breath life into a dud but it is a tool just like exciters, reverb, delay, etc. If you play with it & learn what it does - like all your other gear - you might find a use for it occasionally. It's expensive though.
I've also used an aural exciter - I used to run a mix through it after then A - B the result. SOMETIMES it did something good.
Click to expand...

Thanx

I have a 482i in my rack (guitar rig). It does open up the amp's tone a bit. I have heard very mixed comments on any uses for recording purposes. I guess the few positive responses have all been simular in the "use it sparingly" type of advice.
 
BBE Sonic Max

Remove the BBE from the studio, take it home and hook it up to your home stereo. If you r home stereo is like mine, cheap, it will make it sound better (thats about it). DO NOT USE IT IN RECORDING! It will give you a false sense of security, especialy don't use it for mix down. it also make a good coffee cups holder!

I have two, both were free, I use one for my home stereo, and one is being used to enhance my out door speakers. Go figure...We have some great sounding parties.
 
Recording... no. Mastering as an exciter in a pinch... maybe. That is all it really is is an exciter. Just know what you are getting into. I wouldn't say it is completely worthless, but it is certainly towards the bottom of the list.
 
I do FOH. I have one in my rack for those clubs that hire a full rock and roll band, and expect them to play at Musak levels (so thier customers can talk to each other!).

If I have to turn down to under 90 decibels, I'll flip on the BBE, it's like a 'loudness' switch. But I wouldn't use one for recording.
 
I bought the second generation Maximizer (422) new around 1990, which I still own. It was really more popular at the time for recording – mastering. This particular era of Sonic Maximizer is well made (in USA) and works as advertised.

Phase relationships do indeed become corrupted as audio passes through the signal chain. High frequencies don’t just loose volume; they loose their place in time. Boosting EQ level can only do so much. My experience with the 422 has been very positive with the composite mix during mastering. I’m able to increase clarity and separation while leaving the EQ on the board alone.

I can recommend the 422 and 822 for recording, but not any later versions.

The new Maximizers are not the same product, and IMO BBE is one of many companies that went south, er... east, as outsourcing swept through the industry.

Different people have extreme and opposite opinions of these devices partly because we’re not talking about the same product, and we’re not all making the same type of music. Also keep in mind I record primarily with analog, so we’re not all speaking the same language on many levels… YMMV.

~Tim
:)
 
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