sonic maximizer

BBE Sonic Stomp

March 31st, 2010

The BBE Sound Sonic Stomp

If you are having trouble cutting through your live mix and turning up is just not an option, this is the solution for you. I don’t want to come off like a shill for BBE but I used this pedal the other day and I could not believe how it changed my sound. I played a jumbo acoustic through it and the results were nothing short of amazing. I use chorus to make the guitar sound more full but that does not even compare to the effect this has on the live sound. The BBE Sonic Maximizer has been doing this for years to live sound applications on a system level and now it is available to guitarists and bassists in a convenient stomp box.

Appearance
The pedal has a white and fire engine red glossy finish with the standard BBE knurled knobs and blue LED indicator light. Easy to read lettering finishes off the look of a no nonsense pedal.

Construction
Like all of the other pedals in the BBE family, this pedal is rugged and well made. The metal housing makes it nice and durable for onstage use although once you turn this one on, its going to be hard to turn off. The on-off switch is typical of the BBE family and this one is also made to last. The input and output jacks are on the sides and marked in big letters in a contrasting color the to main paint color. The battery compartment (9 volt) is on the bottom and has a plastic cover that is secured with a tab that can be opened with your fingers. The AC adapter plug is on the front and this pedal comes with an AC adapter.

Operation
This one is easy to use. You have two knobs and their operation is very intuitive. The Lo Contour lets you boost or roll off the low end and the process knob lets you add the “Sonic Maximizer” effect to your signal. I had the Lo Contour turned up to around 7 and the process at about 8 and it sounded perfect. Like any effect, it is all in what the user hears and is very subjective but I found there wasn’t a lot of tweaking involved to get a good sound.

The Sonic Maximizer is hard to describe. Most pedals fit into one category or another like modulation, distortion or delay but the Sonic Maximizer doesn’t. It takes your sound and makes it sound like it is coming from everywhere like a surround sound processor. I would use it at the end of the chain but experimentation is key to developing your own style.

Blurp
This pedal is a 10 out of 10 in every category and it would be applicable to anyone looking for something more. With the list price of $179.00 and an advertised price of $99.99, it is an inexpensive way to take your sound to new places and if you consider the included AC adapter, you can’t beat it.

For more information check them out at their website BBE SONIC MAXIMIZER or you can purchase them at BoutiqueMusic.com.