Have you used a sonic maximizer (like the BBE Sonic Stomp) in your bass rig? Would you kindly share your opinion and the results you got? Thanks very much. Happy grooving in 2023!
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Sonic Maximizer for Bass
- Thread starter Pradeep
- Start date
There has been a lot of discussion about Sonic Maximizers and such in the past, some can hear the improvement while others are of the opinion that they are simply hi and lo EQs, IME it depends on several factors: your playback equipment, listening space and your ability to hear the difference aka an educated ear. Most tradiional bass amps do not offer the best fidelity to hear the sonic correction of maximizer units, you really need something more accurately full range like a powered PA style speaker, modern bass speaker design or a studio monitor or headphones for best results. Also you need a properly designed space and speaker placement. You also need to know haow to listen and make comparisons.
IME as a sound designer [not a bass player driven by ego*] Sonic Maximizers are best used sparingly at moments when a part needs to pop out in the mix, or to bring attention to a part without boosting the volume, sometimes but rarely on bass.
*My opinion, no reflection on players that choose to use a Sonic Maximizer.
IME as a sound designer [not a bass player driven by ego*] Sonic Maximizers are best used sparingly at moments when a part needs to pop out in the mix, or to bring attention to a part without boosting the volume, sometimes but rarely on bass.
*My opinion, no reflection on players that choose to use a Sonic Maximizer.
Thank you very much, Brad. I appreciate and respect your sound designer perspective.
As a bass player 100% driven by ego, it was the magic sauce that made my BBE 383 preamp sound good.
I’ve moved onto a new drug now: my harmonic booster pedal.
I’ve moved onto a new drug now: my harmonic booster pedal.
I had one of those BBE 383 preamps. Used it for years. Still have it but now use different stuff. It always sounded great. The BBE process was the icing on the cake. I also used to use a rack mount BBE unit in my PA. These days, my PA equipment is good enough that I don't think it would be improved much by one. Recently, I hooked up a newer rack BBE to my Warwick LWA 1000 head to see what difference it made. I didn't like it enough to make it a permanent part of my rig. It made the sound crisper, but not really better. I guess maybe my bass equipment has progressed to the point where a BBE isn't needed. With speakers that aren't the best quality it might be an improvement, but on good stuff, probably not necessary.
The saying around Fender was that there are 3 ways to make an amp sound better:
1) Make it brighter
2) Make it louder
3) Make it brighter and louder.
The BBE things are pretty much just adding brightness - a treble boost works just as well, without anyone trying to tell you that it's "magic". I had one of their sonic stomp pedals, and traced the circuit. It was incredibly simple, and there was no magic. Åt least that version of the emperor had no clothes.
1) Make it brighter
2) Make it louder
3) Make it brighter and louder.
The BBE things are pretty much just adding brightness - a treble boost works just as well, without anyone trying to tell you that it's "magic". I had one of their sonic stomp pedals, and traced the circuit. It was incredibly simple, and there was no magic. Åt least that version of the emperor had no clothes.
Sonic maximizer: new strings
Thank you all very much. I appreciate everybody's perspective/opinion/experience with sonic maximizers in bass rig. I am better informed now, thanks to you all taking the time to share and respond to my query.
The manual for the 383 includes a schematic. The BBE process is implemented on a proprietary chip. The circuitry inside the chip is not shown in the manual, only how the chip is connected in the circuit.
I am pretty sure that some years ago I was able to find a schematic of the chip and discussion of how the BBE process works. My recollection is the BBE process uses dynamic EQ. So it's not quite the same thing as simply turning up the treble. Rather, the frequency contour varies in response to signal level.
I bought the 383 because it's what I could afford...or more precisely what I was willing to spend, given my level of income and responsibilities. I think I paid $79 new, which was probably half price. I used it for quite awhile, but I never thought it sounded very good. Rather, it was tolerable at best. I would have been way happier with an Alembic F-1X...but I really felt it was not responsible or appropriate to spend that much.
Inserting the 383 in the signal both with the BBE process turned off degrades the sound considerably. The lows are sloppy and loose, the highs seem suppressed, and the overall sound is somewhat muddy/undefined. Additionally, the compressor is awful and the tone controls are not particularly musical or powerful.
Turning the BBE process on makes the sound better, but it's still not as good as a "straight wire with gain" style preamp. I found it necessary to run the Low Contour and BBE Process controls almost maxed out. Even with these extreme settings I felt it lacked the ability to produce any air or glass up top...even with cabs that included a tweeter. So I would not describe the BBE processed sound as bright. Rather it was less dark/degraded than the unprocessed sound.
Overall the 383 has a lot of features for $79, but it sounds about as good as you can expect for such a low price. Actually it probably sounds more like about $59.
It's not just me who feels this way. I have read quite a few testimonials from others who have had similar impressions with various models of BBE Sonic Maximizers. The consensus is they seem to be largely snake oil. Essentially the Sonic Maximizers make the sound bad, so that engaging the BBE process makes more of an apparent improvement. But the best sound is probably to take the Sonic Maximizer out of the signal path.
YMMV of course.
No idea how current BBE processors work. I have seen positive reviews of the more recent bass preamps.
It's always best if you can try before you buy!
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I used to have a BBE sonic maximizer in my rackmount rig. After a while I realized it made it boomy and noisy. So I took took it out and I’ve never missed it.
I enjoy its use. I have one in my rack gear and one on the pedal board for when I’m running no amp on stage.
A little goes a long way, as they say.
A little goes a long way, as they say.
I used a BBE 383 in my rack stage rig throughout the latter half of the 90's up until about 2004. I really liked that preamp overall, and I found that the BBE process helped a bit if I dialed in just a very small bit. Can't remember exactly what too much of it did (I think it just made everything muddy), but a tiny bit improved the tone a little. I used various other amps and pre-power amp configurations after, and never really missed it. I do wish I still had that preamp - not enough to seek one out, but I'd probably use it if I still had one.
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They used to be very popular. I never quite understood the appeal.
They do pretty much the opposite of what I expect from a bass tone. I want thick and gnarly, not thin and airy.
They do pretty much the opposite of what I expect from a bass tone. I want thick and gnarly, not thin and airy.
I have four rack units and a Sonic Stomp pedal. They are largely unused, except for one rack unit on my computer speakers.
Last week, I added a boost/cut midrange to my Sonic Stomp. NOW it's useful. After looking at several schematics, some DIY information etc, and finding the right points on the PCB, it was an easy mod. I could use this as a bass or acoustic preamp.
Last week, I added a boost/cut midrange to my Sonic Stomp. NOW it's useful. After looking at several schematics, some DIY information etc, and finding the right points on the PCB, it was an easy mod. I could use this as a bass or acoustic preamp.
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I had the exact same experience. I gave mine to a guy that did a bunch of recording for a band I was in. He loved it, said it added a bit extra to tracks he ran through it. Sounds like it had its uses, just not so much on bass.
