BBE Sonic Maximizer

  • Thread starter Thread starter Micter
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Fair enough, I've got the plugin (use it on drums), a Maximizer on a bass preamp(haven't needed it) and a 461(sits in the 'To Be Sold' stack.)
 
Becks experience makes sense because the BBE was designed to make up for some of the limitations of analog tape. Once tape started giving way to digital, BBE had to find a new use for the product. That's when the 'magic box' image was cultivated by the marketing department.
 
They kind of always had that "magic box" vibe to their advertising. I do find that the BBE and Aphex Aural Exciter have their uses.
 
Farview said:
Becks experience makes sense because the BBE was designed to make up for some of the limitations of analog tape. Once tape started giving way to digital, BBE had to find a new use for the product. That's when the 'magic box' image was cultivated by the marketing department.
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Yup… and after digital became affordable, almost immediately, everyone was yakking about how to “warm up” digital tracks. So the last thing people wanted to do was increase separation and clarity with an exciter or phase correction device. The Maximizer started falling out of favor to the same degree tubes were experiencing a revival. The technologies are at opposite ends of the sound processing spectrum.

Before digital we didn’t think much about the warmth of tape. In fact the goals were opposite – to lower noise, distortion, and increase clarity. After the digital revolution many people were trying to smear things up a bit to sound more like tape. So BBE, along with a slew of other manufacturers, found a new way to make a buck by selling a “magic box” with tubes in it.

~Tim
:)
 
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BBE sounds like shit no matter what format you're recording to.

If your piece of crap cassette recorder from 1985 sounds so bad that you actually need that instant "suck" knob to improve your recordings ... then you don't deserve to live, let alone record music. :D

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chessrock said:
BBE sounds like shit no matter what format you're recording to.

If your piece of crap cassette recorder from 1985 sounds so bad that you actually need that instant "suck" knob to improve your recordings ... then you don't deserve to live, let alone record music. :D

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Are you gonna be OK? I've got no use for these thing either, but damn!
 
It's just that I hate them. They are responsible for all that is evil and wrong in the world, and I hate them! Aggghhhhhh ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! !

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Ya know what I hate about sonic maximizers? There's only two knobs and a bypass button. FUCK THAT. :mad: How in the hell can a rack with all kinds of faders, knobs, LEDs, and other assorted shit look remotely cool with that vast expanse of wasteland decorated by a couple of measley wartlike knobs? It CAN'T. I know...I've tried. :(
 
I think the coolest looking BBE is the model I have, the BBE 702. It's a little stereo module that sits in one slot of a DBX 900 rack. It's three rack spaces tall and an inch and a quarter wide. Four knobs, two switches, and metering, and no wasted space at all. I really think it is a good tool when used judiciously on the right things.
 
Purge said:
Ya know what I hate about sonic maximizers? There's only two knobs and a bypass button. FUCK THAT. :mad: How in the hell can a rack with all kinds of faders, knobs, LEDs, and other assorted shit look remotely cool with that vast expanse of wasteland decorated by a couple of measley wartlike knobs? It CAN'T. I know...I've tried. :(
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This is a problem. It's not any worse than the lonely face of your average stereo power amp, but for those that just can’t get around it, look at those knobs like Michael angelo would.

Paint the knobs flesh color and paint nipples in the center of the knobs. It will soon become your most tweaked piece of gear. And when people come in and say “Wow, nice rack!” It’ll just make you feel good all over.
 
chessrock said:
It's just that I hate them. They are responsible for all that is evil and wrong in the world, and I hate them! Aggghhhhhh ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! !

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Dude, Mel Gibson said the same thing about Sonic Maximizers! :D
 
SonicAlbert said:
I think the coolest looking BBE is the model I have, the BBE 702. It's a little stereo module that sits in one slot of a DBX 900 rack. It's three rack spaces tall and an inch and a quarter wide. Four knobs, two switches, and metering, and no wasted space at all. I really think it is a good tool when used judiciously on the right things.
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Hmmm - I've heard some folks (that should know) say they sound good. It looks like 702 is using dynamic coimpression/expansion maybe that's the diff from the 462 I have, I mean a friend of mine has... :D

The BBE software plugin is pretty unrelenting IMO - anything over 10% gives me the willies. But I just thought of another use for the 462. It seems like I put it in a headphone mix for a singer one time and it worked out well - although her teeth were chatterin after about 20 minutes... :p
 
I quite prefer the Aphex Aural Exciter 402 - has the Big Bottom aswell... slightly different to the BBE but I would take that instead any day...
 
The Aphex is a different sound. I have both, and I don't want to say that one is better or worse than the other. Sometimes one works better to get a sound, and sometimes the other works better to get a sound.
 
short answer : its the best thing ever.. so buy mine i never use it :)

no seriously, buy mine please..

real cheap!!

(seriously though, buy mine please)
(all proceeds will go to mshilarious for another MSH-1A SDC)
 
i have the apex exciter, and at first i tried it in my guitar rig,........it sucked. but it does come in handy (if needed) in post mixing or mastering of recordings. thats is.....if you use it wisely. all it does is add harmonic distortion, which most people hear it as "being brighter" and 'excited".

use it lightly, too much will sound like pooh..................

the most ive used on one is.......like 2 or 4%......if 100% is full on wet, ill only use about 2-4%. very little will do so much........................
 
My drums sound pretty shitty, and i am goin to upgrade in a week or so, but for the mean time the sonic maximizer plug in helped me tighten up my drums in the mix. After i get my new set, im not gonna use it though. It's your preference bud, it gives me the bottom end of my drums that i dont have right now.
 
The Flame said:
My drums sound pretty shitty, and i am goin to upgrade in a week or so, but for the mean time the sonic maximizer plug in helped me tighten up my drums in the mix. After i get my new set, im not gonna use it though. It's your preference bud, it gives me the bottom end of my drums that i dont have right now.
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By far the best use for a Maximizer is on a drum machine..... try it on an SR16. Your drum machine will go from bag-o-rocks to Rare Earth in one push of a button!
 
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