BBE Sonic Maximizer VS. Aphex big bottom aural exciter

[patricknorth]

Sorry for deleting the other thread, but i wanted to make the title more clear.

Does anyone have experience using either the BBE sonic maximizer or the Aphex big bottom? or BOTH? Specifically in a live setting.

your thoughts on either or both?

Thanks

 

[mynan]

I've never heard of using the aural exciter on bass...I thought it was a vocal effect.

I used to use a BBE 882i with my acme basses and liked it...so much that I bought the pedal version to see how it would make my SR5 sound. I didn't like it. I don't know if it was the MM's accentuated mids or what, but it sounded very synthetic whenever either the contour or process knobs were put past 10 o'clock and below that, I couldn't really tell whether it was doing anything or not.

 

[stingray96191]

I used the aphex 204 for about 3 years and thought i would never be able to live without it. Then i got a 4x12 and a mesa boogie 400+. Moral of the story, the aphex is great for adding thickness to your tone, but nothing can beat a big tube head, and the proper cabs to get the job done. ps my band sounds like ac/dc meets the supersuckers, so its all about big driving rock and roll.

Erin

 

[Ken Baker]

Sorry for deleting the other thread, but i wanted to make the title more clear.

Does anyone have experience using either the BBE sonic maximizer or the Aphex big bottom? or BOTH? Specifically in a live setting.

your thoughts on either or both?

Thanks

I've used and use a Sonic Maximizer. If you're after clean, it's where you want to go - particularly if your amp isn't a big strappin' beefy SOB. I found it to be like adding headroom to a G-K 400RB into a 1X15. The lows have exceptional fundamentals and the highs are crystalline. We're not talking an edgy sound - just very clean and clear. I've found it to have slightly less effect when raw amplifier headroom isn't in question, but this is only for the lows. The highs are every bit as nice. I run the Lo Contour between 5 and 7 and the Process between 5 and 6.

As always, of course, YMMV.

Hope this helps.

Ken...

 

[b-unit]

I had a few different versions including the Bmax pre amp and eventually realized that I greatly preferred my tone without the Sonic Maximizer in line. The BBE sound accentuates lows and highs and tends to squash your mids.

It utterly destroyed my fretless tone. One of those things you have to try for yourself but I find them to be an unnecessary link in the chain.

 

[eadg98005]

I use a BBE DI-1000 with built in Sonic Maximizer. It also is constructed with Jensen transformer. I use it for recording and live application.

For recording, I most use my SR5. Live, I use my Sterling exclusively.

I've been extremely pleased with this little box and consistently get a lot of compliments on my "tone" from other musicians. (Now, if I just just get them to compliment my chops )

I haven't used it with my SR 30th Fretless, as yet, but I see that happening soon. I don't leave home without my Balls (and my BBE DI-1000).

 

[thunder]

bbe is really designed for "enhancing" the over all sound (all freq.). it sounded beter on my stereo that my bass rig. the big bottom is very similar to the bbe the raggea and hip hop dj's love this item. it tightens up those cervin vega earth quake speakers. bbe made aural exciters specificlly for instruments (there out of production) check ebay. i remember those probucts where very good. most effect proccessors have them built in.

 

[eadg98005]

bbe is really designed for "enhancing" the over all sound (all freq.). it sounded beter on my stereo that my bass rig. the big bottom is very similar to the bbe the raggea and hip hop dj's love this item. it tightens up those cervin vega earth quake speakers. bbe made aural exciters specificlly for instruments (there out of production) check ebay. i remember those probucts where very good. most effect proccessors have them built in.

I agree. For recording, I use the DI-1000 direct to the board. For live application, my stage setup (SWR 350 - pre FMIC, Ampeg SVT 115 and 210) is used for onstage only. I still use the DI-1000 to run through the house.