BBE - holy cow...

  • I finally got around to plugging the Kemper outputs into the BBE unit and then the PA...


    Results were amazing. Amps / profiles sound even "more real", if you can imagine it.


    Wonder how difficult to license the BBE Algorithm and have it built in?

  • I was involved in a debate about BBE not too long ago. I bought into the PR crap about delaying portions of the signal - knew it doesn't make sense, but figured some el.eng wiz managed to get it to work somehow.
    I don't remember who proved it or how, but it would seem the BBE is just a presence/low bass booster, maybe mixed with very slight excitation.
    Nothing the toaster can't do with a studio EQ and one of the wave shapers.

    "But dignity is difficult to maintain
    stamina requires constant upkeep
    repetition is boring
    and you pay for grace."

  • By an accident I also have a BBE 462 in my loop section. (It's a remainder after my ex gear. ADA MP-1 3TM, BBE, Mesa 20/20 G-Force. BBE is hard to sell in my country) So i have it in my present rack. And I don't know what to say... :D Once at rehearsal I turned it on while using a Dual Recto profile and I totally loved it. (On marshall-style profiles it doesn't sound as good.) It made my sound cut through the mix way better than without BBE, but when I came home, profiled new amp (vst btw :D, preety awesome results) and got back to the Recto one with BBE I was like "Wow what a piece of shit" :D After turning the loop off it was fine compared to the new profile. Weird thing... :D I have to check this out at next rehearsal.
    Most recent summary:
    Profiles with BBE in a mix are way more "in the face".
    Alone:.. well... :D I don't like them that much. :D

  • Your ears are playing tricks on you....all those tone sucking machines do is cut midrange, boost highs and lows, making everything sound more hi fi...gross..: these things were all the rage back in the day, until people heard them in a mix.... Non existent white noise..: now on bass, that's a different story.. Just my opinion.

  • I personally think that sounds absolutely horrible. Shrill, thin, blah... But if you like it, more power to you, that bass tone doesn't help either that's for sure, no meshing between the guitar and bass in the least.


    Look if the bbe stuff was so great for guitar tones, everyone would be using one. Think of things people swear by and rave about: sm57s for micing, tubescreamers for boosts, countryman for DI's, mainstay company names like marshall and mesa: equipment that is tried and true, and proven to work, at the very professional of levels. If the BBE stuff was great for guitars, tons would be using it. And some did ( machine head comes to mind) until they got smart(er). Leave the BBE for the live sound rack where it belongs...or in the bass players rack..

    Edited 2 times, last by VESmedic1 ().

  • I used the sonic maximizer to get my amps to open up and remove muddiness in my sound. It was always in my signal chain since no matter how much I tried to adjust my eq it couldn't get or mimic what BBE can do with just its two knobs. There are people who can dial in a good eq that they don't need the help of BBE but I'm not one of them. However when I got my KPA and used it with BBE I found my sound was shrill . Maybe because I'm using QSC K12 which has plenty of highs.From then on I like my KPA without the BBE.

  • Look if the bbe stuff was so great for guitar tones, everyone would be using one. Think of things people swear by and rave about: sm57s for micing, tubescreamers for boosts, countryman for DI's, mainstay company names like marshall and mesa: equipment that is tried and true, and proven to work, at the very professional of levels. If the BBE stuff was great for guitars, tons would be using it. And some did ( machine head comes to mind) until they got smart(er).


    FWIW, these bands/guitarists are using BBE units. Some pretty professional acts.


    Vai, Slipknot, Chimaira, Saliva, Satch, Jennifer Batten, Shadows Fall, Korn, Megadeth, Periphery, Jeff Loomis, Yngwie, Anthrax, Disturbed, Alice In Chains, Def Leppard...


    I agree it's not for everyone, but it's not completely useless.

  • @VESmedic1 I can't agree with You. BBE in a chain with my ADA MP-1 3TM sounded totally KILLER. Also with a Peavey 5150 it's a very good combination but I don't like how BBEs affect the Marshall-style tones. As always.. It depends.. I also don't like sound of a recording provided by deadpan. I'm sorry :) IMO they sound weak. I know that guitar processed by maximizers can sound way more powerful.

  • FWIW, these bands/guitarists are using BBE units. Some pretty professional acts.


    Vai, Slipknot, Chimaira, Saliva, Satch, Jennifer Batten, Shadows Fall, Korn, Megadeth, Periphery, Jeff Loomis, Yngwie, Anthrax, Disturbed, Alice In Chains, Def Leppard...


    I agree it's not for everyone, but it's not completely useless.


    FWIW, these bands/guitarists are using BBE units. Some pretty professional acts.


    Vai, Slipknot, Chimaira, Saliva, Satch, Jennifer Batten, Shadows Fall, Korn, Megadeth, Periphery, Jeff Loomis, Yngwie, Anthrax, Disturbed, Alice In Chains, Def Leppard...


    I agree it's not for everyone, but it's not completely useless.



    Please show me ONE of those bands guitarist using a bbe stomp in their chain, because I know for a fact vai, loomis, and slipknot does not...

  • @VESmedic1 I can't agree with You. BBE in a chain with my ADA MP-1 3TM sounded totally KILLER. Also with a Peavey 5150 it's a very good combination but I don't like how BBEs affect the Marshall-style tones. As always.. It depends.. I also don't like sound of a recording provided by deadpan. I'm sorry :) IMO they sound weak. I know that guitar processed by maximizers can sound way more powerful.


    All comments are appreciated.


    I myself thought the guitars were slightly weak but this isn't due the BBE (note the BBE settings are very conservative.) I use extensive eq to give me the proper tightness, pick attack and allow the transients to shine. I reupped the track with a slight mid bump on the guitars and a small mid cut on the bass track. The original was not mix eq'ed at all. Currently the guitars are single tracked per side, I may double track each with different eq settings so I can keep the transients alive and give the guitars a little more heft.


    https://soundcloud.com/dead-pan/metal-x2

  • Theres no one way to do things and i respect everyones opinion including those who like the bbe. Personally if i see one i run for my life! :D but that may havr been just my experience or gear that i own that may have not been a good match with the unit i dunno.
    The only conclusion i had to derive was that ear hangover and playing outside of a band setting or mix can fool us into finding the tone more impressive with the bbe but ultimately it didnt work for me- just my experience.