What happened to BBE?
- Thread starter Artie
- Start date
misterwhizzy
Well-known member
I guess we know how much sound they can maximize now. If they can actually maximize sound, of course.
Artie
Peaveyologist
I have several of their products. They may not maximize it, but they do mess around with it just enough to be fun. :9:
misterwhizzy
Well-known member
It was just a woodchuck joke. I understand they can't always be gems.
Artie
Peaveyologist
I know. :beerchug:
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Us not clapping doesn't mean we didn't get the punchline
Artie
Peaveyologist
To be honest, I did something similar. MF had the 382 (I think that was it) as their SDOTD for maybe $50. A few weeks later they had the higher up 482 (I think) for maybe $100. Both have been sitting in my shop for about the same amount of time as yours. I also have the little "desktop" 264, that I got at a flea-market for $3 since they didn't know what it was.
Having said that, the Acoustimax preamp is an outstanding unit, even without using the maximizer. Great control set and flexible ins and outs. It's one of my favorite pieces of guitar gear. And the maximizer section is sweet for acoustic guitar. I use it, (the Acoustimax), even more for electric. Really works great for my "Lipstick Tube" Strat.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
As much as I am all about scooping the right kind of frequencies, the Sonic Maximizer was just a glorified midscoop. At least when run into just a non-linear tube poweramp with the half-ass frequency range that guitar speakers have.
treyhaislip
Well-known member
BBE is the first pedal I ever bought (American Metal.) Also the first pedal I ever sold as it really didn't click with me. No complaints with the build quality and I sold it on eBay for more than I paid for it even after shipping and fees...no complaints for me!
Gtrjunior
New member
Ha! Me too.
Artie
Peaveyologist
Let's get these BB's out and make them work.
Mikelamury
New member
What does the sonic stomp (sonic maximizer) pedal do?
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Supposedly process the signal so that the frequencies reach the poweramp more cleanly and "orderly", leading to more clarity and depth.
However, like I said in my post, when used with non-linear poweramps and speakers with reduced frequency and dynamic esponse (like all guitar gear is), then it's just a fancy midscoop. Well, not really midscoop, but rather high and low boost.
Last edited:
In the live sound world, they became a loathed product. More or less, only a tool would be caught dead with it in their PA system. They found a resurgence several years ago as a recording tool, but again I think they have gone by the wayside in that market. They have always had some support from guitarists using them in their FX loop, which I think is what drove their pedal product line. Now, again with the pedal craze being more about " boutique " overdrives and fuzz 's, subtle effects like BBE's Sonic Maximizer is just not topping any love charts.
The effect is pretty much a gimmick anyway. It supposedly " aligns " the lows mids and highs so they come out in the right order..... Perhaps 20-30 years ago there could be an argument for it when most PA systems were badly aligned in the time domain. It could give at least some semblance of " time alignment ". It is more that the " time " aspect of their design is the marketing point. The quick and dirty of it is that it is an active shelving crossover. The highs come out first because they aren't pushed back in time by the filter networks. When you turn up the " process " you are turning up a 10khz shelving filter, the lo-contour control turns up frequencies below about 50hz. It is the equivalent of a Fletcher Munsen processor for loud audio systems.
For guitarists, it could be seen as a mid-scoop sort of tool. You get the highest of highs, and lowest of lows that a typical guitar speaker cannot reproduce naturally, giving the effect of clarity and power. That is not a bad thing per-se, but.... if you look at from a technical standpoint it can be. The phase shift that occurs from that effect out of a single speaker will be seen as phase shifts. These phase shifts are measurable and can be an issue, just as much as they can be a blessing. I had on in my rig 20 years ago too, then I started doing sound, and learned real quick that I was wasting energy on trying to make it work for me in a productive way. It just didn't work. It was an effect, no more, no less.
The effect is pretty much a gimmick anyway. It supposedly " aligns " the lows mids and highs so they come out in the right order..... Perhaps 20-30 years ago there could be an argument for it when most PA systems were badly aligned in the time domain. It could give at least some semblance of " time alignment ". It is more that the " time " aspect of their design is the marketing point. The quick and dirty of it is that it is an active shelving crossover. The highs come out first because they aren't pushed back in time by the filter networks. When you turn up the " process " you are turning up a 10khz shelving filter, the lo-contour control turns up frequencies below about 50hz. It is the equivalent of a Fletcher Munsen processor for loud audio systems.
For guitarists, it could be seen as a mid-scoop sort of tool. You get the highest of highs, and lowest of lows that a typical guitar speaker cannot reproduce naturally, giving the effect of clarity and power. That is not a bad thing per-se, but.... if you look at from a technical standpoint it can be. The phase shift that occurs from that effect out of a single speaker will be seen as phase shifts. These phase shifts are measurable and can be an issue, just as much as they can be a blessing. I had on in my rig 20 years ago too, then I started doing sound, and learned real quick that I was wasting energy on trying to make it work for me in a productive way. It just didn't work. It was an effect, no more, no less.
