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What is a sonic maximizer and why would I need one?

mrmack1911

mrmack1911

Dec 2, 2009
58
4
Macon Georgia
#1
I played at a Jazz club open mic last night. The house bass player had a Peavy T-Max pre-amp, rack tuner and a BBE sonic maximizer. What does the maximizer do and is it worth me hunting one down to add to my rig? I like the sound I got out of his rig with my bass, but i don't know what model it was. I have seen several BBE sonic maximizers on E-Bay (362s 862s 482s) but not sure which way to go. I also want to get my hands on a T-Max as well.....
 
#2
Some will disagree with me... but believe that it's a hokum device made to part you with your money.

They were VERY big with bassists back in the late '80s - yes, I briefly had one. I came to believe that it was one of those "king's new clothes" devices. You know - if you can't tell the difference, there must be something wrong with YOU, that kind of thing?

Take that money you're thinking of spending and buy yourself a good sports-massage or some more lessons or something. THAT will make you sound better than a "Sonic Maximizer" will.
 
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#6
I have owned two in fact it was the very first effect I bought and if you can get one cheap I say go for it I think it adds a certain something to your signal that some like and some don't. I currently have a Acoustimax preamp that also has the Sonic Maximizer onboard and it's invaluable when I'm playing my ABG and it also sounds good with my electrics.


acoustimax-front_L.jpg
 
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#7
There was an article about this in this month's Bass Player magazine. I believe it read that the BBE circuit adjusts the phase of the overtones so they arrive at the audience a little differently. Guess that means you are not going to hear a difference at the amp but out front in the crowd. Never owned one so can't comment. I know that they have been popular with audio engineers though.
 
#8
Most sonic maximizers are a combination of EQ and delay, phase shifting or compression of specific frequencies that are designed to make a mix or full range instrument sound less muddy.
 
#9
I'm not an engineer, but I think the purpose is to compensate for speakers whose phase response isn't flat. That is, high & low frequencies come out of the speaker slightly out of phase with each other, resulting in a muddy sound. The maximizer (also called an exciter) allows you to adjust the phase of the input signal to compensate. It might have been a great idea in the 70s, but I think that improvements in drivers and crossover designs since then have made it unneccessary.

EEs, feel free to correct me.
 
#13
I have one in my rack , I run the EQ on my amp flat , sometimes if I want a little more bottom I use the lo contour just a hair . Nothing that couldnt be done with the EQ. That being said if I didnt already have it I prob would not spend the money for it again.
 
#14
here's a very revealing video about these things and how the signal looks on a 'scope. the "process" essentially twists the phase through 360° as you go from 20Hz to 20K (not sure why), and the two controls are just plain ol' bass and treble EQ boosts.

the kicker is that apparently it kills noticeable low end when bypassed, which magically comes back when it's engaged! (making you think the system sounds "better" with it engaged, perhaps? :bored:)



 
#16
When I was a gullible teenager I had a BBE 262 half rack (and stereo, ooh!) unit. Technically I still own it, a friend borrowed it for playing some gigs.

I recall digging it on my passive basses at the time, and on guitar, simply because of that 10dB of bass boost lol. Everything sounded huge! The alignment knob or whatever they called it, I swore up and down at first that it made the highs sound "better" but it also added a TON of f'ing noise. Supposedly it 'realigns' the highs and lows so everything comes out more balanced and in sync, iirc.

Just noticed walterw's response which absolutely explains why it was so noisy and made highs "better" >.>
 
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#17
I use the sonic stomp. It's basically a 2 band eq that also supposedly does phase correction or something. From my experience for certain amps it more obvious than others so that's why some people like them and some people think they are a total waste of money. If you get one if get the sonic stomp. It does everything and you won't have any line level issues.
 
#18
the cliche answer is that the BBE on your tone is like salt on food; if the food is bland or yucky, shaking a bunch of salt on there makes it at least edible; if the food is already good, dumping salt on it ruins it.
 

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