Why you shouldn't waste your $ on a Sonic Maximizer

[improvpwnd]

According to BBE, Sonic Maximizers reduce harmonic distortion by delaying certain frequencies.

Low frequencies will travel slower than higher ones. Different rooms will have different affects on different speakers in relation to frequency response (especially troublesome lows), so how does the Maximizer compensate room to room/speaker to speaker? It doesn't. It has a *set* crossover point and adds a *set* amount of delay to those frequencies below that point...so how the heck can it work for every speaker set up in every room?

IMO, its all fluff. It is like having an EQ with they sliders/knobs *set* for you! It is still and EQ, but a worthless one unless you can set it for your purposes.

[niftydog]

I had that thought when I read their blurb and I agree that description is doing them no favours, and one centred around a description of "phase correction" rather than "delay" (same difference in this context) would be much more believable.

Phase correction could provide some benefit IF you assume that ALL speakers have certain majors phase 'flaws' and adjust for those. However, you are totally correct in saying that the effect can't ever be optimised for every cabinet/room combination.

[irvinz]

lol. i half expected to see a 'just get a sonic stomp statement' =p

[musicelectronix]

I can trade yours if you are no pleased

[improvpwnd]

Originally Posted by musicelectronix

I can trade yours if you are no pleased

Already sold. Sorry.

[Hookus]

Well, for what it's worth. When my band recorded last year, we used Pro-tools and used a Sonic Maximizer plugin during mastering, and it made a huge difference. Now as far as live sound goes, I don't think it makes a difference at all. A halfway competent sound guy will maximize your sound for you.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by improvpwnd

IMO, its all fluff. It is like having an EQ with they sliders/knobs *set* for you! It is still and EQ, but a worthless one unless you can set it for your purposes.

My bet is that their "fixed EQ" sounds "good" to enough people, through enough rigs, in enough rooms, so that it is not entirely worthless. It is very much like the "enhance" or "presence" knobs on more than half the bass amps out there: a fixed EQ that irritates the small minority of bassists who understand how to use a fully-controllable EQ, but which pleases the simple masses of bass-amp-consumers who just want a knob that makes it sound good. And again, it actually "works" and "sounds good" for enough people, I'd guess more than 50%, to make it a bit more than just fluff and certainly not worthless -to those that like it.

[basadam]

I have it. I like it. FWIW It's not a fixed eq, and you can adjust the process using the "process" knob.

Fluff? One of the best fluff I've ever seen!

[Mitchell Royce]

To be honest this is a device which I have never understood from reading the descriptions. Maybe this is the thread where someone could post some samples to compare dry and "maximized" sounds?

Pretty please.

[judas jedermann]

IMHO sonic maximizer opens the bass sound when placed after effects. For example overdrive sounds more accurate and more detailed. Especially when the bass sound is heavily altered/effected bbe helps a lot.

[RickenBoogie]

I scoffed for a long time, but having one placed very near the end of my fx chain, I can tell you that it adds back alot of the bottom I lose through some pedals. A HUGE difference in my final tone. I generally run my amps pretty flat, maybe a slight bump in the lower midrange, and the Sonic Stomp, much as I hate to lose the real estate, will stay on my board.

[bassman1185]

I've got a 362 in my rack, post everything, and it does wonders for my tone when used correctly. The lo contour needs to be used carefully, because it can kill your midrange, but if you keep it low (right now I have the lo contour set at about 9:00) it can add a bit of girth more effectively and naturally than an EQ. Likewise, the process can be overdone, but it adds a LOT of clarity. My rig is tweeterless, and the process can add some extended high end that is similar to a tweeter, but it is more natural and continuous than a tweeter and crossover.

I don't know if you have ever used one or not, but if you haven't, I would highly recommend that you give one a shot. They are very subtle, but they really bring overdrives and effects to life when used correctly.

[EricF]

The Sonic Maximizer is a useful tool in some situations. However, I'm of the belief that a live instrument rig is not one of those situations (just in case you're wondering, I have used one).

As with anything, if YOU like the results, then go with it.

[Zooberwerx]

I've heard it referred to as "instant EQ in a box" but that's oversimplifying things.

I have one in my rack but rarely use it. Probably serve a better cause if I stuck it in our PA chain. They do a much better job of cleaning up vocals.

Riis

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by EricF

As with anything, if YOU like the results, then go with it.

This could be a reply in virtually evey thread on TB.

I'm not exactly sure what those things (BBE, Aphex, etc.) do but there is a subtle but noticable difference in tone. I used one when I had a rack rig.

[irvinz]

at the end of the day, its something easy to use if your travelling around everywhere and not able to bring in a good rig and setup everytime u go. i regret getting rid of mine, looking into getting the bbe DI 100x since it has the maximiser built in. it def does clear up the frequencies a lil.

[Rickett Customs]

Originally Posted by improvpwnd

According to BBE, Sonic Maximizers reduce harmonic distortion by delaying certain frequencies.

Low frequencies will travel slower than higher ones. Different rooms will have different affects on different speakers in relation to frequency response (especially troublesome lows), so how does the Maximizer compensate room to room/speaker to speaker? It doesn't. It has a *set* crossover point and adds a *set* amount of delay to those frequencies below that point...so how the heck can it work for every speaker set up in every room?

In a nutshell:

How it works: Unamplified sound reaches our ears with all the highs and lows in proper relationship. But, sound amplified and played through speakers get slightly "shifted," and sounds distorted or mushy, it has to be corrected... The Sonic Maximizer works somewhat like an auto-focus camera. It restores proper "phase relationship" and compensates for distortion.

The maximizer's function is not to adjust to a room.
If adjusting to a room, a product that comes to mind is the DBX driverack.

IMO, its all fluff. It is like having an EQ with they sliders/knobs *set* for you! It is still an EQ

Yes,
Enhancers are generally associated with equalization, enhancer products are marketed to appear as though they are more sohpisticated than multiband or parametric equalizer units, however, this is seldom true.An Eq however, will not adjust phase or attempt to compensate distortion. That would be a clear difference from an EQ.

But hey, the Sonic Maximizer is not going to appeal to everyone. Theres no need to preach against it. It just didn't make a noticeable difference to you.

[Mitchell Royce]

Again, can we please get some samples from one of you guys that have them? I'd really like to hear what they do to the sound, the above description doesn't really translate into a sound for me.

[greenboy]

Originally Posted by Alembicplyr

How it works: Unamplified sound reaches our ears with all the highs and lows in proper relationship. But, sound amplified and played through speakers get slightly "shifted," and sounds distorted or mushy, it has to be corrected...

Cutting to the chase, the BBE process simply leaves the HF passband undelayed, applies a slight delay to the MF passband, and a slightly longer delay to the LF passband. This doesn't really invert/correct anything that's taking place in loudspeakers unless they have a deeply set-back HF horn that benefits from time alignement, and a MF horn with a little less setback than the HF but more than the woofer. But it does place the frequencies that are the most obvious component of transient "fastness" and articulation forward, which in some uses is a pleasing enough sound.

The marketing blurbs are just fluff so that people will think its not just a processing choice, but a fix for another part of the audio chain. Unfortunately, that part of the audio chain, speaker enclosures, is considerably more complex and operates in a fashion largely contrary to their marketese.

But if you just think of it as an effect or enhancer and leave it at that, for some goals and situations it could be considered an enhancer.

[spideyjg]

Originally Posted by Mitchell Royce

To be honest this is a device which I have never understood from reading the descriptions. Maybe this is the thread where someone could post some samples to compare dry and "maximized" sounds?

Pretty please.

The BBE website has a demo thingy. That is what it can do. I run the SM in several places and the demo is a good representation of what it CAN do.

It isn't as pronounced for bass.

Originally Posted by EricF

The Sonic Maximizer is a useful tool in some situations.

As with anything, if YOU like the results, then go with it.

Exactly. Some like, some don't. Curious on anything borrow one or buy used and if you don't like it you flip it and lose little if anything.

I brought mine to a guitarist who was complaining about the rig being muddy to see if it helped. Yep but where in the chain was a bit fussy.

Jim