Simply put, you can imagine this as a (but very musical) loudness switch on the stereo system. The signal becomes more powerful, fresher and subjectively louder.Use the Process knob to adjust the height effect The Lo-Contour knob adds tight bass.

Technically this is done by a kind of multi-band compression, in which the phase shifts of the different frequency ranges are adjusted so that extinctions that occur in speakers and hearing, are largely eliminated. This makes sense for live PA as well as studio applications. You will find you need much less EQ, especially in the high end with the BBE in your system.Maximizer Signal ProcessorThe BBE Sonic Maximizer is actually already a classic, it is a studio effect, which is mostly used to 'refresh' the stereo sum. The trick to using one is to de-equalize the PA system, insert the BBE and set both the contour and the bass knobs, and then equalize your PA system. There is a process knob that is user adjustable, as no two speakers are exactly the same. The BBE pre-delays the low frequencies so that when the voice coils do their thing, all the frequencies hit the listener's ear at the same time. The result is that the high frequency sounds are delayed more than the low frequency sounds, so the lows reach the listener's ears first. The voice coil in loudspeakers resist change and do so in the high frequencies more than the low. Here is my understanding of what a Sonic Maximizer does and why. I hate compression as it minimizes the dynamics I work so hard to create while singing and/or playing my sax/guitar/flute/wind-synth/etc. I love the sonic maximizer and won't leave home without it. The two boxes sort of contradict each other.

('Really Nice Leveling Amplifier') for mix-down compression.īut note - the BBE is accentuating certain parts of the dynamic range. I just bought a new stereo compressor, an FMR RNLA I would never sing without my JoeMeek VC3 pre-amp compressor.

The beautiful thing though is that the best ones can add a littleĬolor, warmth and character to your vocals. It functions kind of like a scalpel in that respect. It will keep the loudest part of your singing - which is probably the best part - in a tightĭynamic range. Voice, throat noise or perhaps where a singer tapers off a note or into a note a little south of the key.Ī good compressor will level those noises out. There are lot of low volume noises in one's But I would if I could find one where I live.Īs for compression - it squashes your voice into a tight range. I always liked the sonic maximizer on my voice & my guitar.

Bbe sonic maximizer