The Mystery Pedal: BBE Sonic Stomp/ Sonic Maximizer

[Töñə ÇH@$əR]

The BBE Sonic Stomp is one of the most popular pedals in the world of guitar gear. Amidst the guitar community, the sonic stomp gets praised whenever the device gets brought up. Being called an "always on" pedal, due to how it enhances the tone and dynamics, with great transparency. Some say its nothing more than an EQ. Others think its a klon of sorts and some a compressor. Which all a fairly logical conclusions. So what is the BBE Sonic Stomp? Is it just a common circuit or is this a pedal all its own?

 

[soulman969]

I asked the same question of a couple of guy in a bassist forum I'm on and their opinion which I do respect was, "don't waste your money".

It appears to be an EQ device of sorts that proposes to add more brilliance and detail to the signal. When I have more time later today I'll locate their posts and put them in here for you TC.

 

[Noodling Guitars]

It's a bit of all of that. It's actually a very specific EQ + delay all mashed into one designed to (supposedly) give you a more hi-fidelity sound. So ... the first thing to note is, when you run an EQ pedal, what an EQ pedal does is - on paper - almost the same thing. It copies the signal, then it performs a phase shift on specific frequencies, combines those signals so that the output signal = the net effect of the original plus those phase shifted frequencies.

The sonic maximizer also does that, but it also has a fixed delay added to those phase shifted frequencies. I forgot the exact ranges, but basically what it does is it takes your signal, splits it into three, with the low frequency band I remember is somewhere around 20-100hz, mid about 100 to 2500 or something like that and upper was up to around 9-20k. Basically what it then does, is it adjusts the phase and also adds a very little bit of delay (like 2.5ms) to the specific bands signal so you hear the lows and highs more (i.e. so supposedly you can hear them a bit clearer - SUPPOSEDLY is the operative word). Because of the nature of how it's locked onto those specific bands, in essence what it does is it scoops the mids (or more conversely, it boosts the lows and highs and leaves the mids alone).

I think the controversy is really because a lot of people have tried to replicate this with just a straight EQ and still achieved relatively similar results. Hence the claim that it's just an EQ. It's one of those things that goes through a very complicated process to achieve a result that probably doesn't matter to most guitarists. There are other ways to use it that probably make it worthwhile (at least maybe 30 years ago?)??? But for whatever reason, I think technology has gone past that - and whatever usage it may have been optimal for (i.e. maybe in the final stage of a PA before output to speakers?) it was never marketed for that and somehow guitarists took it and ran with it... and so did BBE.

 

[Raiyn]

somehow guitarists took it and ran with it...

<voice = Nigel Tufnel> It maximizes your sonics. I had them make me a custom one that's one more than that.
</voice>

 

[soulman969]

Because of the nature of how it's locked onto those specific bands, in essence what it does is it scoops the mids (or more conversely, it boosts the lows and highs and leaves the mids alone).

In essence this is the same take on it my bassist buddies had both of whom are very much into studio and pedal effects and their designs. Charlie has been building preamps and bass effects professionally for years and Jim is a former recording engineer/producer.

IIRC the original Sonic Maximizer was a rack mount studio device used to add presence and clarity to a recording. Somewhere along the line it became a pedal effect for guitar but I'm not altogether certain with some experimentation a Blackface Fender amp and a reverb with some pre-delay couldn't produce nearly the same thing.

All I truly know is that there are many for sale on Reverb so it's not as if those who've bought them in the past found them indispensable.

 

[Noodling Guitars]

In essence this is the same take on it my bassist buddies had both of whom are very much into studio and pedal effects and their designs. Charlie has been building preamps and bass effects professionally for years and Jim is a former recording engineer/producer.

IIRC the original Sonic Maximizer was a rack mount studio device used to add presence and clarity to a recording. Somewhere along the line it became a pedal effect for guitar but I'm not altogether certain with some experimentation a Blackface Fender amp and a reverb with some pre-delay couldn't produce nearly the same thing.

All I truly know is that there are many for sale on Reverb so it's not as if those who've bought them in the past found them indispensable.

Yeah, particularly with people going semi or full digital these days, the use case has diminished quite a bit more too. But they do have a sound - so it's not like they do nothing - but hey, most gear released up until the late 90s had the benefit of not being subject to the scrutiny of the internet and people with DAWs running wave form comparisons and EQ analyzers on their products. Vendors got away with all kinds of weird crap to earn those dollars from musicians and audiophiles. For example, I'm sure some may have heard of silly (but expensive) devices/myths such as:

 

[soulman969]

Pretty much as expected media that depends on advertising dollars to even exist isn't about to bite the hand that feeds it.

 

[Töñə ÇH@$əR]

I asked the same question of a couple of guy in a bassist forum I'm on and their opinion which I do respect was, "don't waste your money".

It appears to be an EQ device of sorts that proposes to add more brilliance and detail to the signal. When I have more time later today I'll locate their posts and put them in here for you TC.

ive already had it for like 6 months. i dont think its a useless pedal but its not something youd want with a good amp. i could see it being more as a tone correction thing. Making low end amps and pickups sound more dynamic.

it adds more brilliance but its easy to over do it. i pretty much start both knobs at noon which is usually close to unity with my amp, then just add a little of whatever this mystery box does, and it sounds pretty cool. it was only 50 bucks and its a classic, so i just snagged it up.

 

[Töñə ÇH@$əR]

It's a bit of all of that. It's actually a very specific EQ + delay all mashed into one designed to (supposedly) give you a more hi-fidelity sound. So ... the first thing to note is, when you run an EQ pedal, what an EQ pedal does is - on paper - almost the same thing. It copies the signal, then it performs a phase shift on specific frequencies, combines those signals so that the output signal = the net effect of the original plus those phase shifted frequencies.

The sonic maximizer also does that, but it also has a fixed delay added to those phase shifted frequencies. I forgot the exact ranges, but basically what it does is it takes your signal, splits it into three, with the low frequency band I remember is somewhere around 20-100hz, mid about 100 to 2500 or something like that and upper was up to around 9-20k. Basically what it then does, is it adjusts the phase and also adds a very little bit of delay (like 2.5ms) to the specific bands signal so you hear the lows and highs more (i.e. so supposedly you can hear them a bit clearer - SUPPOSEDLY is the operative word). Because of the nature of how it's locked onto those specific bands, in essence what it does is it scoops the mids (or more conversely, it boosts the lows and highs and leaves the mids alone).

I think the controversy is really because a lot of people have tried to replicate this with just a straight EQ and still achieved relatively similar results. Hence the claim that it's just an EQ. It's one of those things that goes through a very complicated process to achieve a result that probably doesn't matter to most guitarists. There are other ways to use it that probably make it worthwhile (at least maybe 30 years ago?)??? But for whatever reason, I think technology has gone past that - and whatever usage it may have been optimal for (i.e. maybe in the final stage of a PA before output to speakers?) it was never marketed for that and somehow guitarists took it and ran with it... and so did BBE.

thats one hell of a break down. i knew i came to the right place with my inquiry

 

[Noodling Guitars]

ive already had it for like 6 months. i dont think its a useless pedal but its not something youd want with a good amp. i could see it being more as a tone correction thing. Making low end amps and pickups sound more dynamic.

it adds more brilliance but its easy to over do it. i pretty much start both knobs at noon which is usually close to unity with my amp, then just add a little of whatever this mystery box does, and it sounds pretty cool. it was only 50 bucks and its a classic, so i just snagged it up.

That's pretty much the effect that most people hear~! The more beneficial use case that I've seen is people apply this to older recordings (esp. ones that have not been remastered for modern systems yet). So say if you put this after the output in a turntable and/or cassette deck (or maybe like an AM radio lol), that difference might actually be useful!

 

[Töñə ÇH@$əR]

That's pretty much the effect that most people hear~! The more beneficial use case that I've seen is people apply this to older recordings (esp. ones that have not been remastered for modern systems yet). So say if you put this after the output in a turntable and/or cassette deck (or maybe like an AM radio lol), that difference might actually be useful!

u just gave me 1000 ideas. i been digging it with this 8 ohm Orange Cab. it gives you the smooth lows and mids, but the you get more dynamics in the highs as a 16 ohm would. i been running the head on my blackstar ht 40 to it and it sounds phenomenal. especially the natural breakup im getting, by running a 40 watt head into a 20 watt cab (without having to blow my ear drums out)

 

[Diamond Dave]

Make sure yours has the Fasel inductors and germanium transistors or it's complete garbage.

 

[Raiyn]

Make sure yours has the Fasel inductors and germanium transistors or it's complete garbage.

Josh Scott? Is that you?

 

[Diamond Dave]

Josh Scott? Is that you?

No, but I'm hoping this thread is a parody! I may be wrong!

 

[Töñə ÇH@$əR]

Make sure yours has the Fasel inductors and germanium transistors or it's complete garbage.

i bet youre hoping it is, so you can keep doing whatever that is, you're doing. but if you mean parody as in, i knew it was a hated pedal and made the post anyway, then yes...its a parody

 

[Diamond Dave]

i bet youre hoping it is, so you can keep doing whatever that is, you're doing. but if you mean parody as in, i knew it was a hated pedal and made the post anyway, then yes...its a parody

We’re on the same page. I’d honestly never heard of that pedal. You described it so well I might go buy 2: one for the pedal board and one for the background on my YouTube channel.

 

[Töñə ÇH@$əR]

We’re on the same page. I’d honestly never heard of that pedal. You described it so well I might go buy 2: one for the pedal board and one for the background on my YouTube channel.

 

[AJ6stringsting]

I use the Stomp Sonic between my two effects processors .



Before and after my Eq's



In my rack processor's effects loop .



And in the effects loop of my Create Power Blocks with a Noise Reduction unit.



I had people tell me that my use of the BBE Sonic Maximizers, were over kill.
But I noticed, that it made my set up more articulate. The knobs and settings seem to behave like an active circuit and it sounds super pristine.
It is great any where you put it and it will enhance the tone and response.
Sometimes, you could set it to make old strings sound new again .

 

[AJ6stringsting]

It's a bit of all of that. It's actually a very specific EQ + delay all mashed into one designed to (supposedly) give you a more hi-fidelity sound. So ... the first thing to note is, when you run an EQ pedal, what an EQ pedal does is - on paper - almost the same thing. It copies the signal, then it performs a phase shift on specific frequencies, combines those signals so that the output signal = the net effect of the original plus those phase shifted frequencies.

The sonic maximizer also does that, but it also has a fixed delay added to those phase shifted frequencies. I forgot the exact ranges, but basically what it does is it takes your signal, splits it into three, with the low frequency band I remember is somewhere around 20-100hz, mid about 100 to 2500 or something like that and upper was up to around 9-20k. Basically what it then does, is it adjusts the phase and also adds a very little bit of delay (like 2.5ms) to the specific bands signal so you hear the lows and highs more (i.e. so supposedly you can hear them a bit clearer - SUPPOSEDLY is the operative word). Because of the nature of how it's locked onto those specific bands, in essence what it does is it scoops the mids (or more conversely, it boosts the lows and highs and leaves the mids alone).

I think the controversy is really because a lot of people have tried to replicate this with just a straight EQ and still achieved relatively similar results. Hence the claim that it's just an EQ. It's one of those things that goes through a very complicated process to achieve a result that probably doesn't matter to most guitarists. There are other ways to use it that probably make it worthwhile (at least maybe 30 years ago?)??? But for whatever reason, I think technology has gone past that - and whatever usage it may have been optimal for (i.e. maybe in the final stage of a PA before output to speakers?) it was never marketed for that and somehow guitarists took it and ran with it... and so did BBE.

Joe Satriani was the one who started using BBE Sonic Maximizers in his rack in the late 1980's . After he stated that he used one in his rack in a Guitar For The Practicing Musician interview in 1987 , every one started doing the same thing.

It's not weird using devices for unintended purposes.
I started using a Behringer 1124P Feedback Destroyer Pro, as a 12 band parametric Eq to fine tune frequencies my two 31 band Eq's didn't handle.
Most folks use the 1124P for PA 's feedback suppression, but I found another great use for it and it worked marvelously.

 

[Noodling Guitars]

Joe Satriani was the one who started using BBE Sonic Maximizers in his rack in the late 1980's . After he stated that he used one in his rack in a Guitar For The Practicing Musician interview in 1987 , every one started doing the same thing.

It's not weird using devices for unintended purposes.
I started using a Behringer 1124P Feedback Destroyer Pro, as a 12 band parametric Eq to fine tune frequencies my two 31 band Eq's didn't handle.
Most folks use the 1124P for PA 's feedback suppression, but I found another great use for it and it worked marvelously.

Oh I agree there's nothing wrong with mixing and matching gear so long it achieves the artist's sonic purpose. It's just that there are good reasons people view the sonic maximizer as nothing more than a fancy EQ. Even then, as long as it sounds good, why not!

For Satriani, he's actually one of the few that might actually have used it in the way it was advertised. In one of his interviews recently that discussed digital vs analog, he was mentioned that when they were mastering Surfing, he knew that a lot of the low end would need to come out of the recording because of the way vinyl worked back in the day. I think he may have been using the unit to try to maximize (for lack of a better word) the lows and presence of his guitar tone before the final cut. Also, he noted that his music involved a lot more of hearing every instrument separately, as opposed to say a metal band or progressive rock band where things need to be mixed and involved more ensemble playing. So he would have been one of those with an actual use case. Though nowadays I think he's gone full digital and so he's unlikely to need that anymore.