KVR Audio

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:40 pm

anyone know of any alternatives to the BBE sonic maximizer directX plug in? commerial, free, or anything else? thanks in advance.

mgc3003.com · Post by **mgc3003.com** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 5:59 pm

I'm skeptical of BBE's sonic maximizers. For obvious reasons.

They do work by adding a slight delay to the different frequencies so they arrive at different times... but again, I'm real skeptical. I would never use such a thing on my mixes. Has anyone ever used this in a "professionally" made and released CD? Like literally, have we ever heard a BBE Sonic Maximizer on a CD released by a major label?

As far as alternatives go -- Ozone has the ability to add a delay to certain frequencies. It can definitely alter the stereo imaging of a song.

That's scary stuff to be playing with, though. =)

DuX · Post by **DuX** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:09 pm

Of course people use it professionally, but mostly on different tracks or vocals, but it's not that popular anymore to use exciter type of things anymore, BBE and Aural exciter were mostly used in 80's to compensate for lack of highs, because everything was recorded on tape. Today people tend to "warm-up" things, meaning less highs, not more highs. It's just fashionable. In my opinion, if it sounds "right", you can use whatever you want. It's very subjective and it depends on what you want to achieve. But what I'm getting at is: no, BBE isn't bad at all, if you know what you're doing/what you want. It's a tool like any other.

Cheers.

WhiteNoise · Post by **WhiteNoise** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:12 pm

I used it on several tracks completed tracks and even on instruments while recording them and it works great to add brightness and clarity.. It sounds like bullshit, but it really works. Also, I suspect there is other stuff going on aside from just delaying the different frequency bands - there is no audible delay as far as I can tell. It probably also adds some kind of compression or mild distortion.

Anyway, I highly recommend it. I'm sure lots of studios use them.

Kriminal · Post by **Kriminal** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:15 pm

I use it in my mastering chain in soundforge, i'd never leave it out.

Resonance · Post by **Resonance** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:19 pm

mgc3003.com wrote:I'm skeptical of BBE's sonic maximizers. For obvious reasons.

They do work by adding a slight delay to the different frequencies so they arrive at different times... but again, I'm real skeptical. I would never use such a thing on my mixes. Has anyone ever used this in a "professionally" made and released CD? Like literally, have we ever heard a BBE Sonic Maximizer on a CD released by a major label?

As far as alternatives go -- Ozone has the ability to add a delay to certain frequencies. It can definitely alter the stereo imaging of a song.

That's scary stuff to be playing with, though. =)

Umm, yeah. Hardware versions of the BBE Sonic Maximizer have been around for years in studios. I happen to have one in my own studio...

Works great on acoustic and electric guitars. I know of a couple engineers in Nashville who use it on acoustic guitars ALL the time.

So yeah, you've probably heard it on lots of major label shit and don't even know it. You'd be surprised what kind of kit makes it on to major label releases...

eugene, what's wrong with the BBE plugin version - why do you need an alternative?

TotcProductions · Post by **TotcProductions** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:23 pm

f**k the sonic maximizer.....the VST and the hardware version...use 4front's Contour Max

That thing rox! ; )

peace!

smart · Post by **smart** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:25 pm

4Front Countour is a great alternative - I think it's more useful actually.

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:34 pm

My 3 Golds records released by Verity 9Gospel Label) have Sonic Maximizer on them mixes. (Vocals/Kick Drum/Bass Gtr are my main uses)

jeffn1 · Post by **jeffn1** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:37 pm

WhiteNoise wrote:I used it on several tracks completed tracks and even on instruments while recording them and it works great to add brightness and clarity.. It sounds like bullshit, but it really works. Also, I suspect there is other stuff going on aside from just delaying the different frequency bands - there is no audible delay as far as I can tell. It probably also adds some kind of compression or mild distortion.

Anyway, I highly recommend it. I'm sure lots of studios use them.

I didn't think it worked by delaying frequency bands. I though it added certain higher harmonics to create a "sheen" effect.

jeffn1

WhiteNoise · Post by **WhiteNoise** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:47 pm

There is documentation somewhere that talks about improving the perception of transients by delaying different frequency bands. If it only added extra harmonics it would just be an Exciter. It's probably doing a few things.

esl · Post by **esl** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:48 pm

For what it's worth, I've used both the hardware and software versions, and the hardware version is much better.

Funkybot · Post by **Funkybot** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:48 pm

Jeffn1, I believe it actually is delaying certain bands, if you read up on it from BBE they say it works by playing with phase. Frankly I think it sounds decent on guitars and certian other instruments as long as you never bring any knob above 2. Do they still sell the plug-in version or has it been discontinued? I may have to pick one up.

DuX · Post by **DuX** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:52 pm

Yep, some kind of Poly-Phase filtering or so I've heard, whatever that means

. But when you think about it, logically, it has something to do with phases, many of them and filtering - meaning it's passing through it, no shit...

.

Cheers.

RandyHancock · Post by **RandyHancock** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 7:03 pm

The first record I had pressed had it twice over. I added some of it with the plugin version and when I went to the mastering guy's studio, he had it in his signal chain ahead of the lathe. I asked, "Is it going through that?", and he said yes but I was too shy to ask him to take it out because I had already done it. Turned out sounding pretty tinny. Moral: Don't apply it more than once

-r