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BBE Sonic Maximizer Yeh or Neh?

#41
madjazzbass said:
I was wondering just what the "general consensus" is here on TB as far as the BBE Sonic Maximizer (or the Aural Exiter) goes. I have a Gallien Krueger Fusion 550 and I Love the versatility and tones I can get from just this one amp head; BUT, no one amp can "do it all"; so I heard mention (somewhere here on TB) that the particular tone I was "chasing"/after SWR (SM400) could be had by simply adding in a Sonic Maximizer and it'll get me "in the ballpark" of that particular tone. They're really not that expensive, but I wanted to see/hear what some others here have to say about them Good or Bad. I figure if I came get close to that tone for ? $150 (or less used) it may be well worth it. Thoughts? Thanks.
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If you're looking to add some punch to your sound, then by all means, go for it. I've check this pedal out on some youtube clips and it sounds awesome. I think it would be a great pedal to own.
 
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#44
DWBass said:
I've found that it expands all frequencies and not just the high frequencies. I have one built into my BBE B-Max bass preamp. I've also experienced it's use in the studio. When used correctly, it can bring to life a very dull sounding track.
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Hey, I was just looking at the BMAX on their site; Do you know what the difference is between the BMAX and BMAX-T are? They really don't go into specifics on the site. Thanks.
 
#46
SuperTbass said:
I used to have one and found that it made things sound a little better. But then when I would turn it off, things would sound MUCH worse. It’s one of those “don’t notice till it’s off pedals”.
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Yeah, I find the same thing happens when I use my Zoom multi effects pedal; My favorite amp setting is the SM400; when it's off, my amp and settings sound Great; when I hit the pedal on I just get that added UMPH, and then I don't wanna play without it :laugh: Thanks.
40Hz said:
I own a Sonic Maximizer and an SM400.

I can confidently tell you that using the BBE Sonic Maximizer with a different head isn’t going to make it sound like an SM400.

The Maximizer is an interesting device that does bring its own subtle something to the party. But it is a very much misunderstood effect that just does that one thing it does. It doesn’t work miracles or have the ability to emulate other amps. It’s more a presence enhancer and signal clarifier for lack of a better way to describe it. At least to my ears. And IMO it’s more suited for use in the studio than it is for live performance most times. But that may just be me.

You can often find SM400s in good condition between $400-$500. I know it’s easy to say, but if you really want to get that SM400 vibe it may be smarter and cheaper in the long run to just save up and get the real deal rather than spend hundreds on pedals chasing a tone only to wind up being disappointed. I went through that for awhile trying to get close to an Alembic vibe. And I wasted a lot of time and money messing around with approximations and substitutes before I faced up to reality, bit the bullet and bought one of their F1X preamps. Problem solved.

Like the saying goes: “Buy once, only cry once”
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Yeah, You're probably right, I mean the SM400/500 IS the Deep, Punchy, tone that I'm after AND I've seen them going for even less, like $279 - $400; I think maybe I should go that route and just have two amps, (cause I can't see myself getting rid of my GK Fusion 550 anytime soon), Thanks Bro' :thumbsup:
 
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#48
jamro217 said:
I don't know whether or not a BBE or an Aphex will get your rig to sound like a different kind or not, but I've got both and use them regularly. They seem to clean up a blah muddy sound and used in conjunction with compression can create a smooth sound across the spectrum.
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So basically it just brings out the best in/of whatever you love about your current amp/setup.
 
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#49
madjazzbass said:
Yeah, I find the same thing happens when I use my Zoom multi effects pedal; My favorite amp setting is the SM400;

Yeah, You're probably right, I mean the SM400/500 IS the Deep, Punchy, tone that I'm after AND I've seen them going for even less, like $279 - $400; I think maybe I should go that route and just have two amps, (cause I can't see myself getting rid of my GK Fusion 550 anytime soon), Thanks Bro' :thumbsup:
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You’re welcome!

I went through something similar. Had my SM400 and Goliath Jr. cab. But I wanted some additional signature tones. So I was also running preamps straight into the effects return. Which wasn’t particularly convenient. So I did an additional stack consisting of a Crown amp for the power stage with an Alembic F1X into channel-A for that classic Alembic/Bassman tone; and a DiCosimo 360+ into channel-B for that Acoustic 360 vibe. I can also optionally put a Barber Linden EQ in front of the F1X (which I’ll leave set flat for this) and get very close to the sound of a B-15N.

I’m pretty happy with this arrangement since I now have all my favorite amp tones (SWR, Ampeg, Acoustic, and Alembic/Fender) on tap.

Life is good! :):thumbsup:
 
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#52
Bass4Brkfast said:
I have both the pedal version (Sonic stomp) and a 2-channel rack version.
Whatever it does, I like it. I guess you could think of it as a very broad eq.
In general, I like what the 'lo contour' does to sounds, sort of thickens the bottom end.
The 'process' knob, I use sparingly. I try to keep it around 9am below sometimes, I feel it 'smears' the high midrange too much if I go near the noon position or beyond.
On bass, I hear it does more than an eq would to help the lower notes ring out clearer, not necessarily louder
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And I like what I'm hearing here about the "unit" - So it brings out the best in whatever amp/rig your currently using - correct?
 
#53
I'm actually curious about the MS-92 pedal. The stuff we write, we can jump through multiple styles mid-song. I usually have a bit of a mid focused tone. Something like an enhancer which has a kind of non-eq sounding mid scoop thing may work when jumping into metal for the contrast. Maybe? The pedal's only $99 new. Worst case I could use it in the effect send when mixing.
 
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#54
madjazzbass said:
Hey, I was just looking at the BMAX on their site; Do you know what the difference is between the BMAX and BMAX-T are? They really don't go into specifics on the site. Thanks.
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The BMAX is solid state and the -T has a tube section in the preamp. I have the BMAX-T. It’s a neat preamp. I’ve used it for recording bass, keys and vocals in the past.
 
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#55
I use the BBE Sonic Stomp for acoustic guitar and a 482 rack for a Roland TR-8. I like them, they'll take a lifeless piezo and give it some depth and sparkle and the TR-8 is the same, more snap and fuller bass tones.
They're a love it or hate it effect so used prices are usually pretty low.
 
#56
Used to use a Sonic Max in a rack setup. It was along with an SS poweramp and an ADA MB1 Pre. I was also pushing a full Mesa stack, so it was a good starting point. Still, I like what the Sonic Max did to add more depth and sparkle to everything. I also was playing a modulus quantum. So overall, it added to that bell-like clarity I wanted...
 
#58
Fuzzbass said:
I used the Aphex Aural Exciter with Big Bottom (talk about marketing!) for awhile. ….. The Aphex isn't the same thing as the Maximizer, but the end result is in the ballpark: gives the appearance of clearer highs and lows. I thought it was okay: sounded best when used subtly, but I eventually decided I didn't need to sacrifice a rack space for a subtle change so I got rid of it. ..
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I had that after reading tons of good "maketing" (I guess) about it. It did sound good, sounded way fuller when I turned it on VS having it off. Then one day an employee/and musician from a music store "explained to me" about the "Suck Switch". The theory is that the tone of the unit sounds slightly thin/weak when the POWER switch in off (weaker than a signal NOT going through the unit), and then you turn on the power..and then BOOM! the magic happens. Sounds..better/fuller/more gooder

I do not know if any of this was true, as I never did A/B the tone going straight to amp, and then going through the aphex (power off) to see if it did have the "tone suck/suck switch"- as legend had it. it sounded good, but just cldnt keep faith in it thinking that it was a possibility. (Made vocals sound less- sucky too, vs power off , line running through unit).

I ditched the rack anyway, and got into smaller amps anyway..so it really dint matter.

Is the BBE similar? Don't know but (in my opinion) it too makes the signal sound "better" once you turn that switch on.

IME
IMO
YMMV

T$
 
#59
Bassdirty said:
I had that after reading tons of good "maketing" (I guess) about it. It did sound good, sounded way fuller when I turned it on VS having it off. Then one day an employee/and musician from a music store "explained to me" about the "Suck Switch". The theory is that the tone of the unit sounds slightly thin/weak when the POWER switch in off (weaker than a signal NOT going through the unit), and then you turn on the power..and then BOOM! the magic happens. Sounds..better/fuller/more gooder

I do not know if any of this was true, as I never did A/B the tone going straight to amp, and then going through the aphex (power off) to see if it did have the "tone suck/suck switch"- as legend had it. it sounded good, but just cldnt keep faith in it thinking that it was a possibility. (Made vocals sound less- sucky too, vs power off , line running through unit).

I ditched the rack anyway, and got into smaller amps anyway..so it really dint matter.

Is the BBE similar? Don't know but (in my opinion) it too makes the signal sound "better" once you turn that switch on.

IME
IMO
YMMV

T$
Click to expand...

Interesting legend! It's certainly true that gear manufacturers do weaselly things with technology -- such as bass amps that hit maximum volume when Master is left of noon, with most of that dial being useless.

I'd like to think that someone would have noticed if the bypassed tone of the Aphex was degraded so that the effected tone would sound better in comparison... but not many publications outside of Consumer Reports are willing to raise serious red flags, especially when reviewing a product advertised on that publication (and Aphex did a lot of advertising).

I never A/B'd Aphex in-the-rack versus Aphex out-of-the-rack-entirely. Would have been a good idea, though. Shouldn't assume that off/bypassed is flat.
 
#60
madjazzbass said:
I was wondering just what the "general consensus" is here on TB as far as the BBE Sonic Maximizer (or the Aural Exiter) goes. I have a Gallien Krueger Fusion 550 and I Love the versatility and tones I can get from just this one amp head; BUT, no one amp can "do it all"; so I heard mention (somewhere here on TB) that the particular tone I was "chasing"/after SWR (SM400) could be had by simply adding in a Sonic Maximizer and it'll get me "in the ballpark" of that particular tone. They're really not that expensive, but I wanted to see/hear what some others here have to say about them Good or Bad. I figure if I came get close to that tone for ? $150 (or less used) it may be well worth it. Thoughts? Thanks.
Click to expand...
I owned two back in the day. The red and white one and the solid darker red one. It’s kind of hit or miss. I think it more so depends on what amp you run. When I was using a sans amp rbi based rig I liked using the sonic stomp. But with a lot of other rigs like the SWR, Avalon, and my current Mesa rig I feel like it doesn’t really add anything beneficial and just takes up room on my pedalboard. I think the deal is it boosted lows at a different frequency than the sans amp and that’s why it was useful in that rig
 

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