I've been reading the posts about the BBE Sonic Stomp (the pedal version of the Sonic Maximizer) and there are some misconceptions about what it does and how it does it.
I've used it in the past, and am using it again and the pedal does do it's job, but many are ill-informed on what it's job is. I'll try to sum it up as best as possible and hopefully those that use it can use it to it's best "effect", and maybe those that don't like it, can see why they might want to give it another try.
First of all, the purpose of the Sonic Stomp (or Maximizer for those rack mount users) is to balance how you hear the frequencies coming from your speakers. It will not boost or cut frequencies like an EQ, but rather it will delay certain frequencies to remove the muddy or distorted sound you may hear.
Low frequencies have larger and longer sound waves than higher frequencies, so what comes from your speakers is that the mids and highs (having smaller and shorter sound waves that travel faster) will get to your ear before the lows do. This causes the perception that your lows may be lacking, when in truth they are just naturally slow in coming at you. What most bass players do then is boost the low end (or cut the highs) which affects your tone. What the Sonic Maximizer does is delay the higher frequencies to compensate for the low end soundwave's natural delay and get all the frequencies to "match up" so you hear them all at the same time. It is similar to Roland's combos speaker analyzer, only the BBE reads the input prior to going to your speakers and the Roland reads the speaker output. Either way works because the speakers only do what the output to them tells them to do.
Instead of thinking of the Maximizer as an EQ (which it is not) think of it as a delay pedal, but only delaying certain frequencies to get all frequencies to line up.
It is not to EQ anything, so the misconception of it sucking out your mids and only boosting the low end and highs are somewhat incorrect. It can do that, but only if you do not employ the pedal properly or (my guess) it's that those who think it sucks mids, are not putting it last in the chain. Also, if you like that mid-hump and boost the mids to stand out in the mix, the BBE will delay those mids more to balance it out. If you don't like that, dial it back or bypass the unit (that's what the controls are for). It's all about using it properly for the effect you are after. It's not a full-on/full-off kind of thing.
The best way to "maximize" (pun intended) the BBE's capabilities is to have it be the last thing in the signal chain before the power amp. It can only correct what it recieves, so if you put it before other effects, the preamp or before an EQ you are not using it to full effect. It will delay the frequencies based on what it receives (and what you dial in) and if the tone controls or EQ are after it, you are then overriding it's purpose.
This isn't an EQ pedal and it's not voodoo. It will do it's job based on the signal coming into it and how you dial it in and that's all. People ask, "How does it know what room you are playing in?". It doesn't know...it is just reading what it's being fed through the signal chain and that's it. Put it last in the chain (right before the power amp...use the effects loop on an amp if that is only way you can do it), and it should tighten up your sound without sucking the mids out. If you still think it sucks the mids out, perhaps when all the frequencies are aligned, the mids were too prominent (based on the signal, not what you hear) prior to the BBE doing it's job.
Oh...and like any other piece of equipment (like a compressor for example), it is best used judiciously. The complaints about the BBE are similar to the complaints about compressors. A little goes a long way. I would say that if your sound is already perfect (as in small rooms, low volumes, practice settings) you don't need it, and might not notice much of an effect when employed. That's why it has a bypass switch. Some places you may not need it and some you play might benefit by using it to tighten up your sound.
If all you want is more low end, get a different amp or cab. This pedal's only purpose is to maximize what you already have, thus it's name...Sonic Maximizer.
I've used it in the past, and am using it again and the pedal does do it's job, but many are ill-informed on what it's job is. I'll try to sum it up as best as possible and hopefully those that use it can use it to it's best "effect", and maybe those that don't like it, can see why they might want to give it another try.
First of all, the purpose of the Sonic Stomp (or Maximizer for those rack mount users) is to balance how you hear the frequencies coming from your speakers. It will not boost or cut frequencies like an EQ, but rather it will delay certain frequencies to remove the muddy or distorted sound you may hear.
Low frequencies have larger and longer sound waves than higher frequencies, so what comes from your speakers is that the mids and highs (having smaller and shorter sound waves that travel faster) will get to your ear before the lows do. This causes the perception that your lows may be lacking, when in truth they are just naturally slow in coming at you. What most bass players do then is boost the low end (or cut the highs) which affects your tone. What the Sonic Maximizer does is delay the higher frequencies to compensate for the low end soundwave's natural delay and get all the frequencies to "match up" so you hear them all at the same time. It is similar to Roland's combos speaker analyzer, only the BBE reads the input prior to going to your speakers and the Roland reads the speaker output. Either way works because the speakers only do what the output to them tells them to do.
Instead of thinking of the Maximizer as an EQ (which it is not) think of it as a delay pedal, but only delaying certain frequencies to get all frequencies to line up.
It is not to EQ anything, so the misconception of it sucking out your mids and only boosting the low end and highs are somewhat incorrect. It can do that, but only if you do not employ the pedal properly or (my guess) it's that those who think it sucks mids, are not putting it last in the chain. Also, if you like that mid-hump and boost the mids to stand out in the mix, the BBE will delay those mids more to balance it out. If you don't like that, dial it back or bypass the unit (that's what the controls are for). It's all about using it properly for the effect you are after. It's not a full-on/full-off kind of thing.
The best way to "maximize" (pun intended) the BBE's capabilities is to have it be the last thing in the signal chain before the power amp. It can only correct what it recieves, so if you put it before other effects, the preamp or before an EQ you are not using it to full effect. It will delay the frequencies based on what it receives (and what you dial in) and if the tone controls or EQ are after it, you are then overriding it's purpose.
This isn't an EQ pedal and it's not voodoo. It will do it's job based on the signal coming into it and how you dial it in and that's all. People ask, "How does it know what room you are playing in?". It doesn't know...it is just reading what it's being fed through the signal chain and that's it. Put it last in the chain (right before the power amp...use the effects loop on an amp if that is only way you can do it), and it should tighten up your sound without sucking the mids out. If you still think it sucks the mids out, perhaps when all the frequencies are aligned, the mids were too prominent (based on the signal, not what you hear) prior to the BBE doing it's job.
Oh...and like any other piece of equipment (like a compressor for example), it is best used judiciously. The complaints about the BBE are similar to the complaints about compressors. A little goes a long way. I would say that if your sound is already perfect (as in small rooms, low volumes, practice settings) you don't need it, and might not notice much of an effect when employed. That's why it has a bypass switch. Some places you may not need it and some you play might benefit by using it to tighten up your sound.
If all you want is more low end, get a different amp or cab. This pedal's only purpose is to maximize what you already have, thus it's name...Sonic Maximizer.
