Thom,
B.B.E. purchased the G&L guitar company (who built my guitars) from Leo Fender's wife in the early '90s, so I've been interested in their products. Although a phenomenal tool, it tends to be used to excess, or in situations where the effects really don't apply. It helps if the underlying principles are examined.
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First, a bit about harmonic distortion...
Adding harmonics to the sound is what vacuum tubes do so very well - hence the popularity of tube guitar amps and tube hi-fi equipment. A vacuum tube (valve, to our British friends) generates mostly
even-order harmonics which, although technically a form of distortion, are very pleasing to the ear. A moderate amount of even-order harmonic distortion will enhance the listening experience, adding that high frequency "sparkle", even if it was not present in the original recording. Even-order harmonics can be generated digitally, as in the Aphex 204.
(
Odd-order harmonic distortion is to be avoided, because it is perceived by the listener as audio interference, and clashes with the frequencies in the music. Typically, solid-state transistor amplifiers will generate mostly odd-order harmonic distortion.)
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Now, back to the Sonic Maximizer...
It can effect audio in two ways:
1. The high frequency portion of the audio spectrum can be dynamically expanded to provide somewhat the same effect as adding even-order harmonic distortion.
2. Single enclosure loudspeakers, by the nature of their design, deliver the low frequency sound to the listener sooner than the higher frequencies. (this is because low frequency sound travels to the listener more quickly) So the listener experiences the music in an "out of phase" condition, and it sounds muffled and indistinct.
The Sonic Maximizer can delay the delivery of the low-frequency component of the music with respect to the delivery of the higher frequencies, so the listener then experiences the complete audio spectrum in its proper phase relationship - clear and distinct.
Speaker systems that deliver the bass spectrum of the music from a separate speaker (woofer or subwoofer) do not have this out-of-phase problem because, normally, the subwoofer is placed farther from the listener than the upper/mid frequency speakers, so the music is delivered in its proper phase relationship. Crisp, punchy, and tonally accurate.
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Care must be taken to use the B.B.E. "bass frequency delay" portion as a
play-back only effect so it can be adjusted individually to the room and the speakers. Some folks record with the sonic maximizer in the audio chain (or as a digital VST effect plug-in), and if the bass frequency timing is altered at this point, the effect will almost certainly confuse the phase relationship during playback, and produce the very opposite effect the Sonic Maximizer is designed for.
As long as loudspeaker design continues to incorporate the single-enclosure (all drivers in the same box) model, your B.B.E. Sonic Maximizer is going to come in
very handy...
Oren.