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Should I Try A BBE Sonic Maximizer?

#21
millsbass5 said:
Those things were all the rage once upon a time. And, of course, I took the bait.... Hook, line, and sinker. Come to think of it, I don't even remember how I came to not using it in my rack anymore. But, it definitely does as advertised. Their big selling point was that it was "like lifting a blanket off of your speaker cabs, producing more punch, and clarity." But, as I'm sure some on here will point out, there may be some shortcomings when using one.
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they sounded really digital to me.it will sure boost your signal and scoop your EQ really well, but the digital pixilation of the sound was totally not worth it.

Especially upper register work could come off really 'keyboard-y'nor video gamey.

and some people may be able to use that sound to their advantage...but it was really unwanted on my end.
 
#22
So, are there any good exciters? (the BBE is an exciter, right?)

I've used the Aphex, which I didn't really like, and have also wondered about the BBE. I've used excitation in mastering, and it's basically an 'AWESOME' button. I would love some of that in a live setting.

And yes, the Fdeck kills. Better bang for buck than most other pedals out there. Your cabs will thank you, your head will thank you, the people sitting in the corners of the room will thank you (although if you're not really playing out, not that helpful.) Shell out for the Series 3, well worth it
 
#24
kleinenenten said:
Thanks for the responses, gentlemen! You were fast! Similarly, I've considered an Fdeck to tighten my big low end. Any input?
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Have you tried setting your EQ flat and heard what that sounds like in the mix? If your bass is active...try setting your EQ flat...and then tweak the frequency knobs on your bass and head to familiarize yourself with how they effect your tone. For example, if you boost lows on your on board EQ, chances are it is centered at a different frequency than the low EQ on your head. Same with mids, treble etc. Also, it is always best to EQ in the context of the mix with the band. EQing a tone you think sounds good for the bass solo in the absence of the context of how it is sitting with the rest of the band is generally worthless IMO save for a you tube clip of just your bass.

FWIW my understanding is that a Sonic Maximizer makes the high and low frequencies hit the speakers at the same time rather than at slightly different times since they travel at slightly different speeds thus enhancing 'clarity'. It's really a tool designed for over all studio and front of house mixes. IMO, you are a million times better off investing in becoming a better player with better technique than adding one of these to a rack. Invest in your fingers.
 
#26
faulknersj said:
Have you tried setting your EQ flat and heard what that sounds like in the mix? If your bass is active...try setting your EQ flat...and then tweak the frequency knobs on your bass and head to familiarize yourself with how they effect your tone. For example, if you boost lows on your on board EQ, chances are it is centered at a different frequency than the low EQ on your head. Same with mids, treble etc. Also, it is always best to EQ in the context of the mix with the band. EQing a tone you think sounds good for the bass solo in the absence of the context of how it is sitting with the rest of the band is generally worthless IMO save for a you tube clip of just your bass.

FWIW my understanding is that a Sonic Maximizer makes the high and low frequencies hit the speakers at the same time rather than at slightly different times since they travel at slightly different speeds thus enhancing 'clarity'. It's really a tool designed for over all studio and front of house mixes. IMO, you are a million times better off investing in becoming a better player with better technique than adding one of these to a rack. Invest in your fingers.
Click to expand...

I DO have active basses, which I almost always set flat. I have my main bass, and a secondary that I just slightly boost bass and treble on to achieve a similar sound to that of my main bass. My amp EQ is great, I do try to EQ in context of my band as much as possible. I think part of the "cutting" the other bass player had was due to his usage of a pick, which I don't typically do.

The video posted earlier, however, was quite informative. It (along with your comments) really cemented what my gut was telling me about this product - waste of money. And the mid range cut really showed in the other bassist's rig, I guess I just didn't notice it. He was only heard playing "lead" lines, or extreme low bass. Any time he played mids, he was inaudible.

OK, so I guess the question is now this: how would I tighten up my low end and cut more? I'm going to try the high mids adjustment tomorrow for punch, maybe throw in a pick a bit more often, but what about the FDeck? My understanding of it is that it shelves (this means removes, right?) both high and low frequencies that your cabs can't handle anyway, thereby tightening your sound and giving your amp a little more headroom. Is that correct? Should I look into that as an option? Thanks again, TB!
 
#27
The fdeck removes the very low end where speaker cones and amp power is wasted flapping speaker cones and not really producing usable sound.

Flat should be pretty close with contour and presence full CCW (7:00), string switch out, Treble 10:00, high mid 2:00, low mid 1:00 and bass 9:00 IIRC.
 
#28
B-string said:
The fdeck removes the very low end where speaker cones and amp power is wasted flapping speaker cones and not really producing usable sound.

Flat should be pretty close with contour and presence full CCW (7:00), string switch out, Treble 10:00, high mid 2:00, low mid 1:00 and bass 9:00 IIRC.
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Thanks, I'll try those settings out and go from there! The FDeck does give more headroom, correct? At least that's what I've heard...
 
#29
kleinenenten said:
I DO have active basses, which I almost always set flat. I have my main bass, and a secondary that I just slightly boost bass and treble on to achieve a similar sound to that of my main bass. My amp EQ is great, I do try to EQ in context of my band as much as possible. I think part of the "cutting" the other bass player had was due to his usage of a pick, which I don't typically do.

The video posted earlier, however, was quite informative. It (along with your comments) really cemented what my gut was telling me about this product - waste of money. And the mid range cut really showed in the other bassist's rig, I guess I just didn't notice it. He was only heard playing "lead" lines, or extreme low bass. Any time he played mids, he was inaudible.

OK, so I guess the question is now this: how would I tighten up my low end and cut more? I'm going to try the high mids adjustment tomorrow for punch, maybe throw in a pick a bit more often, but what about the FDeck? My understanding of it is that it shelves (this means removes, right?) both high and low frequencies that your cabs can't handle anyway, thereby tightening your sound and giving your amp a little more headroom. Is that correct? Should I look into that as an option? Thanks again, TB!
Click to expand...

What kind of bass are u using? Are u favoring the neck or bridge pup? Could u post a pic of your amp with your EQ where u normally set them? I just feel like there is likely another issue or issues going on if you can't get a good sound without outboard gear. Do u have any videos of a live performance?

Cheers!
 
#31
faulknersj said:
What kind of bass are u using? Are u favoring the neck or bridge pup? Could u post a pic of your amp with your EQ where u normally set them? I just feel like there is likely another issue or issues going on if you can't get a good sound without outboard gear. Do u have any videos of a live performance?

Cheers!
Click to expand...

No videos, but here's my setup and EQ
Amp and Cab - GK 700RB-II and a NEO 410
Amp EQ (in o'clocks)
Bass 3
Low Mid 1
High Mid 11
Treble 2
Presence 2
Contour 10
Boost Maxed
Woofer Maxed
Input to taste (typically about 9)

I use Ibanez basses, and typically have the pickups balanced between neck and bridge. Too much neck and I find I'm muddy, too much bridge and I'm too airy with no low end. Hope that helps you help me! Thanks!
 
#34
kleinenenten said:
How could I find that out? Is it the 10khz from my cut switch?
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First off: I should add that, because the Fdeck has a rather steep slope, it could add headroom even if it's set at or below an amp's built-in HPF.

Maybe B-string or someone else who has measured the response of a 700RB can tell us where (and how steep) the built-in high pass filtering is. It has nothing to do with the "Hi Cut" button.
 
#35
kleinenenten said:
No videos, but here's my setup and EQ
Amp and Cab - GK 700RB-II and a NEO 410
Amp EQ (in o'clocks)
Bass 3
Low Mid 1
High Mid 11
Treble 2
Presence 2
Contour 10
Boost Maxed
Woofer Maxed
Input to taste (typically about 9)

I use Ibanez basses, and typically have the pickups balanced between neck and bridge. Too much neck and I find I'm muddy, too much bridge and I'm too airy with no low end. Hope that helps you help me! Thanks!
Click to expand...

First thing, CUT back on the contour! That is the midrange suck control. It boosts lows and highs and scoops out the cutting mids.
 
#36
kleinenenten said:
No videos, but here's my setup and EQ
Amp and Cab - GK 700RB-II and a NEO 410
Amp EQ (in o'clocks)
Bass 3
Low Mid 1
High Mid 11
Treble 2
Presence 2
Contour 10
Boost Maxed
Woofer Maxed
Input to taste (typically about 9)

I use Ibanez basses, and typically have the pickups balanced between neck and bridge. Too much neck and I find I'm muddy, too much bridge and I'm too airy with no low end. Hope that helps you help me! Thanks!
Click to expand...

To me 'need to cut thru' = Needs more presence in the mids.
Your settings are heavy in the low end..lows and low mids. You can achieve a potentially better balance 2 ways. 1) turn down your lows and low mids. I recommend starting with everything flat and tweaking from there. Or, 2) boost your high mids. Also...'Contour' is a fancy word for a knob that scoops (reduces) your mids. Try turning that off or to 0. when your EQ on the head is set flat...boost lows on your bass and compare that to boosting lows on your amp. They will sound different. Figure out which boost sounds better. Then, do that for each frequency. Let me know if this helps!

Cheers
 
#37
B-string said:
Awesome video, confirmed my thoughts. Sonic minimizer was my take on it.
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The review is kind of cool but they ignore the point of the unit after the first few min. The main point is it aligns the phase of the signal , regardless of the eq. No eq will do that. Aligning the phase changes the way the signal hits the speaker, making it sound fuller and more articulate. The 2 controls are just contour controls, but they keep the phase correct. Different models sound different also. Is it a one trick pony? Yep. But it's a good trick nothing else does. I run a 422 and love it. Helps keep things focused.
 
#40
grendle said:
The review is kind of cool but they ignore the point of the unit after the first few min. The main point is it aligns the phase of the signal , regardless of the eq. No eq will do that. Aligning the phase changes the way the signal hits the speaker, making it sound fuller and more articulate. The 2 controls are just contour controls, but they keep the phase correct. Different models sound different also. Is it a one trick pony? Yep. But it's a good trick nothing else does. I run a 422 and love it. Helps keep things focused.
Click to expand...

Are you talking about the 360 degree phase shift it provided? That is not "aligning phase" it is providing a phase shift, the delay may make a larger sound stage effect. An effect I find artificial in a live performance and detracting. Difference of personal opinion and personal sonic tastes is what makes the world continue spinning. IMHO.
 

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