Jazz+ Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Anybody here recommend using a BBE 362 Sonic Maximizer to improve the clarity of a live rig? Claims are that when used it makes speakers sound like a towell was removed from them. I am running my digital piano, a jazz guitar, vocals and keyboard bass thru my nice sounding PA: EV Sxa360 active 2-way 12"-2" Mackie 1202 VLZ mixer Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz+ Posted November 29, 2006 Author Share Posted November 29, 2006 . Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Sonic Maximizers are snake oil. The only thing that makes speakers sound better is better speakers and better PA gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahZark Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Originally posted by The Real MC: Sonic Maximizers are snake oil.Although this is an opinion that is widely held, there are clearly those that disagree. My recommendation would be to do a search of this forum and the live sound forums (e.g., over at Harmony Central) for "sonic maximizer" or "BBE." You'll find a wealth of opinions on the subject. Good luck. Noah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 If you have one in hand and want to try it out it could very well be beneficial. I don't know that it's going to provide clarity in the true sense of the word, as I believe the effect is created, in part, using a form of distortion. But the end result is a brighter sound and one that might allow your instrument to cut through with greater clarity. I have been using it as an option with the SRX-11 board in my XR. The built-in exciter FX emulates the devices like the Sonic Maximier. I find I like it better than the Roland EQ for brightening up the sound. As rooms are so different, it's nice to have a away to adjust brightness quickly. Busch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz+ Posted November 30, 2006 Author Share Posted November 30, 2006 Thanks everybody. I guess the only way to know is to experiment with one. The folks on the Live Sound Forum all seem to dislike it: http://acapella.harmony-central.com...hreadid=1455216 Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundscape Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Originally posted by The Real MC: Sonic Maximizers are snake oil. The only thing that makes speakers sound better is better speakers and better PA gear. Not so! For example, the SRS TruBass and Waves MaxxBass (also in the Waves RBass plug-in) processes work by through the use of compressing bass and adding harmonics--these are at higher frequencies that smaller speakers have an easier time with; yet the human hearing system 'fills in' the fundamental. Also, speakers themselves will compress as they are driven hard and the distortion will shoot up, so appropriate use of limiting/compression will actually improve performance! Ultimately, the way to get better performance is through better speakers (perhaps moreover, properly configured system, which is virtually impossible for any portable setup as we're talking arrays of speakers optimized for coverage across the room) but there are many techniques to make things sound better. Also "production polish" is common on studio recordings, so why not use a little for live settings? (Having said all that, the blurb written by BBE's marketing department IS full of BS... but that doesn't mean it's not a good process.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Tee Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 This is another one of those subjective subjects....like ....which piano sound is better....Roland or Yamaha..... In my experience I use the 882 and like what it does to my sound system. I often have compliments on the clarity and punch coming out of my FOH system. Last week our drummer asked what the Sonic Maximizer does....so I set the sound on the system with the BBE bypassed (as I always do) then when I had it sounding as good as I could...I signaled him when I kicked in the 882 and he immediately smiled.....so for me it works...YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Jazz+, I like them alot, have one on every rack rig I use, they tighten up the bass and improve the midrange and high end presence and clarity. Especially good for piano...... Careful with one on a B3 clone .... tends to scew and nasalize an organ sound.... that lowend and lower midrange is very important on a B3 sound... I usually just run it on piano and synth! I don't care what anybody says..... they work for me.... If your not playing super loud and subtlety and detail are important.... I found them to solve my stage sound problem..... Some sound guys may want your mix before them though.... you would have to set your mixer outs and monitor out(s) appropriatly wiring wise! Also 12 noon on both knobs is usually the rule! Or 10-12 on the treble process side! Made me smile too! Anthony CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Jazz+, I use the 362 with an old Roland ME-120 rack mixer..... Samson dual 15 band EQ..... Crown Powerbase 2 ..... and 2 EV-200sx's for my biggest concert stage rig.... Running A Leslie 145 with Speakeasy Classic Pre and an XK-3 with a CP300 run in stereo into the ME-120 Anthony CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 jAZZ+, The BBE362 is last in the chain CP300>Mixer>EQ>BBE>Poweramp.... if you use monitor out to the house.... your bypass in the BBE to the house of course. . . lb CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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