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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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$263.25
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8.5
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Description:
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One rack space preamp. Bright switch, bass (mainly boost), mid (only cut), and treble (mainly boost) controls. Semi-parametric midrange control (cut/boost). Switchable optical compressor. BBE process section with Lo Contour and Process controls. Effects loop. 1/4" and XLR primary outputs. Built like a rock (front plate is 1/4" thick solid metal).
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Author
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White_Knight
Registered User
Registered: March 2000
Location: USA
Posts: 621
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Review Date: Thu May 6, 2004
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $300.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great sound that is very clear and yet warm (think of mixing Ampeg and SWR), very easy to use - controls are powerful but not overwhelming.
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Cons:
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Not really a negative, but the gain is so powerful that even with a passive bass it has to be kept quite low, also no clip or peak indicators.
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I bought this preamp when I first decided to go to seperates (I use an ART SLA-1 as a poweramp, it\'s a low power studio amp that is exceptionally clean). The sound is great! Tons of low bass, round and thick midrange, and warm trebles (not brittle or harsh at all). I mainly play a thicker kind of dub and old school style of music, so I can\'t comment too much on what the BBE may do for a modern tone. However, for old school this sounds great. I was mainly comparing it to an Ampeg amp that I had played recently (B-5R I believe) and it gets very close to the same sound without too much control tweaking - perhaps a little cleaner, but still the thunderous bass and cutting midrange. This is also the first preamp (or any bass amp for that matter) that I\'ve found myself boosting the treble on. Why? It\'s not because the treble isn\'t there; on the contrary, the treble just sounds so natural and warm that I don\'t mind it at all. Very musical sounding.
Overall tone: The closest thing that I can compare it to is an Ampeg but with more clarity - vintage sounding (warm, low) but at the same time it has the capability to add a bit of hi-fi (SWR comes to mind).
Construction: Very well built, all jacks and knobs feel very solid (even the mini-switches). Chasis is built quite sturdily.
Definitely reccommended.
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ingmar
Registered User
Registered: October 2002
Location: Normandy, France
Posts: 135
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Review Date: Fri May 28, 2004
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Sound quality + BBE process, build quality
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Cons:
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Gain knob too sensitive, no clip indicator, no inputs at rear, quite heavy, not very versatile
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I won\'t go over features or specs. The unit looks and feels well built, and it is quite heavy as preamps go, a surprise to me as I was used to an ultralight BBE 482 rack before the BMAX.
The sound is great on my studio monitors: Genelec 1031A. Neat, warm, deep, precise. The Bmax has its own character which overpowers my guitar\'s character a bit, a matter of taste I guess.
The gain pot is way too sensitive, changing the setting by a hairs amount changes the level enormously. It is hard to set the right gain level as there is no clip inndicator, only your ears can tell ... I think the pot is the result of an engineering mistake, BBE seem to have underestimated the output level of a bass. However this is not a problem if you don\'t change guitars all the time.
The tone shaping is a bit limited in my opinion, I can basically get only one really nice sound out of the 3 band EQ, and do some variations with the parametric mids which could boost/cut a bit more, 12dB is really not that much. The one really nice sound is really nice, mixes great with my band and sounds great through my EBS410 or the smaller combo at rehearsal. I\'m a BBE process addict, this explaining that  I regret not being able to get a really modern sound out of the unit, the treble control is just too limited, you can\'t act on anything above 5 khz, I would need 8 khz shelving for my slap sound.
The compressor is great for normal playing, but it does less of a good job at higher settings. The compressor on my late Fafner was a lot better, also in the single knob style.
The connectivity is fairly complete, rear inputs would have been a nice to have however. If I keep it (still waiting to be convinced), I will add a rear input mysellf, plus a parallel main output at line level, if I find enough space ...
Overall the Bmax is a great unit, it satisfies many of my cravings, but sometimes I ache for that hightech sound that I can\'t seem to find.
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"The deeper you go, the better you feel!"
... Umberto Pelizzari, diver.
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andrewd
Registered User
Registered: September 2003
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 1513
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Review Date: Wed July 28, 2004
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $299.99
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sounds amazing! Parametric mids make it easy to change your tone on the fly.
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Cons:
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One of the knobs came off recently.
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This thing is amazing. Don\'t have much to say, except that I suspect that the tube version is slightly better.
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ADbassman
Registered User
Registered: April 2004
Location: Augusta, GA & Saint Louis, MO
Posts: 1694
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Review Date: Sat November 13, 2004
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $230.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Phat tone, Good Compressor, Sonic Maximizer is great, good all around
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Cons:
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Sensitive gain knob, but doesn\'t get in the way really
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I love this preamp. It gives me the tone I was desired, and corrects all the imbalances in frequencies that my other amps had. This hooked up to my QSC USA 1310 is amazing. I recommend it.
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[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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craigb
needs to spend more time on music and less on gear
Registered: January 2000
Location: Spring, TX (Houston metro)
Posts: 2040
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Review Date: Fri February 18, 2005
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $220.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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great sound, high output
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Cons:
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no mute, no dedicated tuner out, no clip indicator, no effects blend or in/out
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It\'s got a great clean sound that really lets the character of your bass shine through. With the powerful gain/master it provides a lot of output (noticeably more than some other preamps I\'ve had) to drive the power amp effortlessly. Quick response.
I personally don\'t use the sonic maximizer and pretty much leave the EQ flat. But it sounds great with all my basses and handles my piezo-only Godin A4 very well (a tough test of its abilities).
I get around the lack of an input clip indicator by engaging the compressor/limiter set to it\'s least intrusive setting and using the limit light to set the gain level (boost gain until it\'s just clipping on hardest playing then back off a hair).
The features my ideal preamp would have that this does not are a dedicated tuner output with mute switch and a switchable, blended effects loop. But with this sound at this price I\'m not going to complain.
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wanting off the GAS carousel but enjoying the ride too much
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Bryan R. Tyler
TalkBass: Usurping My Practice Time Since 2002
Registered: May 2002
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 21292
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Review Date: Tue March 1, 2005
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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If you\'re looking for the kind of tone the Bmax offers, it excels at it. Very solidly constructed.
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Cons:
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Not much variety of tones; top end not very thick.
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Pros: Beautiful look with center detented knobs (not that looks are relevant to a preamp, but I\'m going over every angle here). Comes with a (to my ears) very good compressor, and has the Sonic Maximizer effect. I didn\'t delve too far into the Maximizer-it\'s effects at lower volume were pretty subtle; I imagine in a live band situation it could be very useful. Fantastically quick response-fast runs sound impeccably clean and precise. Its clean tone is great for chordal work, as well as slapping, particularly if you like the modern scooped slap tone. It was very punchy as well, even at low volumes, where punch has a tendancy to disappear. Great dark low/low-mid tone. Also has a quasi-parametric midrange EQ which contains up to 12dB of boost (I had the previous misconception that the EQ had no mid boost option at all, as the mid in the regular EQ section is cut-only).
Cons: Limited amount of tones. The Bmax seems to have one or two almost built-in tones that you can tweak and massage to countless subtle variations, but I couldn\'t get drastically different tones out of the box. I also couldn\'t thicken up the top end to what I like-this is inherent to its more modern sound, but I like my top end thicker-to the point of being able to get \"farty,\" if you will. Takes quite a bit of tweaking to get the tones I was looking for as well.
I decided to sell mine for a Sansamp RBI, which had the thicker top end and variety of tones I was looking for.
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The paintings and drawings of Bryan R. Tyler
My music, gear, and chord fingering charts
My YouTube vids (solo/looping bass and effect pedal demos)
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wilser
Registered User
Registered: May 2004
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 4713
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Review Date: Thu March 24, 2005
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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all the tones you might need
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Cons:
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gain too sensitive ...BUT (read review)
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As a previous reviewer indicated, the gain is too sensitive and easily clips the next stage. I talked to BBE about it and they asked me to send the unit in, they fixed it, no cost, waiting for it as I write this.
Tone shaping capabilities are out of this world! You can get ANY tone you\'re after, this thing was really built for BASS. A little goes a long way, and tone section is serially connected, so a change in one affects the next, so be careful. Sonic Maximizer is a life saver for wimpy no-low end basses. A little can really turn your bass into a floor shaker.
I use the XLR output into a DC24 compressor, I prefer to compress my lows and highs separately, but the BBE compressor is definetly useful. It does what it\'s supposed to do, and does so transparently, without affecting your tone.
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don't ask me what wood produces XYZ tone ...I JUST DON'T KNOW!
http://www.ramirezbass.com
got mid-hump®?
WENGE FOR QUEBEC, DANG IT!
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DanBuck
Registered User
Registered: May 2005
Location: North Haven, CT.
Posts: 26
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Review Date: Mon June 6, 2005
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $230.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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clean, quiet, responsive
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Cons:
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no clip led at inputs
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I would recommend this pre to anyone looking for clean, fat, clear bass tone. Coupled with a decent power amp, this pre does it. If, however, your looking for distortion, don\'t buy it. I also love the sonic maximizer and optical compressor.
------------------------------
1974 Fender Jazz
2003 Musicman StingRay
GK 410 SBX Cab
Carvin DCM1000 Amp
Ampeg B100R
Sansamp PBDDI
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toobster
Guest
Registered: January 2006
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Sun January 22, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great tone. FABULOUS BASS. Lots of features in a simple to use package once you figure out the tone controls....
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Cons:
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...aah those tone controls. Functional but odd. Input gain is silly. You have to keep it at like 3 or 4 to avoid audible farty distortion.
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Before you open the package, send it to BBE and have the input mod done.
If you buy mailorder, have them send it to BBE and then BBE will pay for the shipping to you.
After the mod, it is a very musical sounding preamp. By the far the best thing for the money (I paid $215 shipped).
TONS of great sounding bass.
The tone knobs are goofy but you would be hard-pressed to make it sound bad so long as you don't overdrive the input stage.
Buy the BMAXT if you have a discriminating ear. It records MUCH better and didn't need the input mod.
BBE is a dream to deal with. I have tons of their gear.
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srxplayer
Registered User
Registered: May 2004
Location: Highland, CA
Posts: 3067
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Review Date: Sat August 18, 2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $297.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Nice Warm Tone, Tight Bottom End, Versatility
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Cons:
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No Input Clip Light, Effects Loop has no Pre/Post Switch
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Most of the other posters have already said what I would say about it. Nice warm tone. I won't say it can sound Hi-Fi though.
I found the EQ to be a bit weird when I first got it. It took a day or so before I got comfortable with the EQ section but it's all good now.
Build quality is very good and it's an excellent product for the money. I bought it as my first preamp and really wanted a Sansamp RBI instead. I figured I would use it for a while and eventually move on to a an RBI or something like an Ampeg tube preamp. I have actually really grown to like the SS BMax and have not felt a need to move on. I use it with my Sansamp BDDI and can get anything I want.
I will mention that my Bmax was purchased in 6/06 and did not need the input mod to be done. I also have not experienced any of the noise issues that have been mentioned. I recently recorded with it and did not experience anything negative related to unwated noise. I guess they fixed that too.
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Christian P&W Club Member #200
Avatar Club Member # 157
ATK Club Member # 138
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DaZombieWoof
Registered User
Registered: August 2004
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Posts: 482
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Review Date: Tue January 6, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $289.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Clean, tight, and surprisingly warm for a solid state rig
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Cons:
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no mute, "flat" on the thing is not intuitive
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Very nice for what it is. Only thing that annoys me is the tone stack is not as intuitive as it might be which hampers its use for a shared backline. With appropriate power and cabs, it is wonderful.
A real plus is it is quiet and the XLR out pleases the guys at the mix board. One of the great truths is if the feed to the house is no good, your onstage tone is moot.
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"Tellin' you all the Zombie truth, here I'm is ....."
Usually five string with or without frets.
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ashtray
Registered User
Registered: February 2008
Location: Ventura County, CA
Posts: 1130
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Review Date: Tue March 10, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Single Rack Space, quality feel to knobs, great tone, great price.
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Cons:
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I experimented with a lot of different variables in my live rig setup - from different basses, to different amps, and especially different cabinets. Then I bought this pre-amp on a whim, and it really changed everything! No other piece of gear has had such a profound change in my tone.
First, I set the eq "flat" - which according to BBE's instructions, is to turn the treble and bass down to "2", and crank the mids to full. This gets you "close" to a flat setting. From there, I adjusted the variable mids, and boosted a little bit, then tweaked the bass and treble to suit.
Using the sonic maximizer function, I added some more low end "smoothness" and definition. It really makes a difference! I use a small amount, but turning it on/off you can hear what it is doing.
The compressor is ok too. When it starts coming on, it does what it's supposed to. I don't notice it if the light doesn't come on. When the light it on, you notice it the compression. I've used other units where you were left wondering if they were doing anything at all unless you cranked it up - so this is decent, though I've used some compressors that were better at going from no compression to compression mode.
Either way, it's a nice feature to have that you can turn off if you don't want to use it.
Another feature is the bright switch - wow, that really cranks up the highs! I experiment with it sometimes, but it's not really my sound.
This preamp combined with a powerful amp has replaced all my other bass amps. I was going to get a much more expensive preamp, but now I don't see the need. This does everything I want and then some.
(no input gain issues with mine, and no noise either that I've noticed)
------------------------------
Former Guitarist turned Bassist turned Guitarist. 
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Arranger
Registered User
Registered: March 2003
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 440
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Review Date: Sun July 19, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $240.00
| Rating: 9
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The BMax (SS version) impressed me with its unique capabilities and tonal palate. It has a more pre-determined sound with highly sensitive controls that sweep across a narrower selection of tonal range, offering more deep control of its inherent overall tone. It took more time for me to discover the full variation of its sounds - but I wasn't left hunting for a lack of any. The BBE Sonic Maximizer is quite useful for pushing the presence without the requisite brightening inherent in other pre's. The manual was necessary to prime my understanding of it's controls.
The Bmax dresses the tone in an incredible way and could easily be labeled as a definitive tone in more pop/modern music circles. It is a must-have in my mind for any industrial, grunge, or similarly heavy musical style. There are just gobs of deep bass and tons of harmonics in the lower mid and deep bass registers. Intervals on the lowest strings are super rich with maximum sustain. I bet this thing really does WOW the crowds and fellow players if you want to stand out in a heavy-handed band. The BMax also seems to respond to effects placed before it very strongly, enhancing those effects (pedals) to the max. It also seems to isolate notes quickly in rapid playing, as if it processes signals more digitally. You'd have to lighten up in your playing style considerably to play old Beatles with the BMax.
For a night in a bar playing rock, or jammin with a synth guru, or a heavy drummer who is miced up irreverently, the BMax will help the bass stay more up front in the mix. In the studio, the BMax is clean with a very low noise floor, albeit with a relatively restricted tonal palate that might not suit all genres.
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Hear Since Now
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