mro Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 After reading ads for aural enhancers and big bottom as in the aphex 204,what does this thing actually do? I hear studios use them, but I question the use for live gigs.Do any of you use this thing live? Is this a $200-$300 tone tweeker? Thanks in advance.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 Yes, I have an aphex 204 in my rack and I use it live. Yup, it's a $200-$300 tone tweaker. The company's blurb says, "fattens up the bottom without changing the volume." Yeah, right. But I do like it. Rather than a tone control which boosts a relatively narrow range of bottom frequencies, this thing seems to fatten up the bass pretty evenly over the whole range. It doesn't add any noise. And it has a nice little green light which flashes when I hit a note. I've had fewer complaints about being too loud since I started using it, so maybe it is living up to some of its claims. And of course after I bought mine, the newer model came out, but maybe that's why it was on sale when I bought it. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 I have an Aphex 104 Aural Enhancer w/ Big Bottom in my rig. I haven't used it live (because I haven't played live since I've had it). It came as part of the deal that brought me my SWR Super Redhead. I got some tips a while back from Jeremy about how to set it, but I still don't think I've fussed with it enough to have maximized it's full value (I'm not a big knob-tweaker). I don't know how mine compares to the newer version. I think there was a BP review of the new one within the past year. Peace. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorg Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 there was a review in last BP on the new stompbox model. half of the price of the rackversion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Originally posted by Jorg: there was a review in last BP on the new stompbox model. half of the price of the rackversion.Some of the folks on this forum played it at NAMM. Maybe Jeremy was even one of them? Anyway, I seem to remember some positive reviews from them of that stompbox. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Nope, I missed it. I think I'd want this effect after the amp preamp, not before, though. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 STOP IT! I'm going to have to take some G.A.S.-X soon if you guys keep talking about this unit... But since we're on the topic... How do you think this compares to the BBE Sonic Maximizer? Do they have similar affect on the sound, or are they like apples and oranges? I've used a BBE to turn horrible-sounding "condenser mic in boomy room into MiniDisc" recordings into fairly listenable recordings with a couple knob twists... Can't hear the cymbals? Just twist a couple knobs and bingo! The hi-hat returns from the murky depths! Yet the treble doesn't sound boosted, just more "defined". I've heard from an audio engineer that it separates the treble and bass frequencies out by a few milliseconds so that they hit your eardrum at the same time. Whatever it does, I was impressed. <----wishing for greenboy---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 DBB can probably post about the Sonic Maximizer. It does work differently than the Aural Enhancers, but I think the general goal of both BBE and Aphex is to help clean up and clarify the sound. I'm too lazy to look now, but I think there's a thread in the archives somewhere where someone actually discussed the technical differences between the two units and how they work. Peace. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Hey everybody in the UK! I've just discovered that one my clients at work (I do b2b forex) is Aphex's UK importer so I'm trying to sort out a deal on the new pedals. Drop me a PM or email if you're interested... Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpmiii Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Aphex generates extra harmonics which aren't part of the original signal you then have the option of how much of that is added back into the signal. This increases the apparent amount of brightness in the signal (more top end) BBE actually splits the signal up and then time delays the top end of the signal by a predetermined amount. Both are cool in certain applications but easy to abuse. "I never would have seen it, if I didn't already believe it" Unknown http://www.SongCritic.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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