Diezel VH4 clips with BBE and without BBE....

[Mailman1971]

Ok,
lot of debate on the use of the BBE Maximizer with amps.
Recorded 2 separate clips.
One with....
One without
Give me your poll.
Ignore the bullshit playing....I was just trying to go thru the different channels on the amp.
All 4 channels are being played.

 

[billm408]

I vote without.

The amp sounds bigger and just all around better IMO. I have a BBE and used to kick it in for leads w/ my Uber. For that amp, it worked to add some articulation, but mostly it makes a good tube amp sound SS.

 

[jmgman69]

From those clips,I say without doubt without

 

[moltenmetalburn]

I vote without but what did you expect.

truly though from the vids the BBE clip sounds thinner and harsher, i think the comment about it making a tube amp sound solid state is on the money.

 

[danhops]

without

 

[MARK1970]

I like it without. The BBE compresses everything and makes it lose that organic sound. I use to use one with my ADA many years ago and it worked. I then used it with my Rectifier. It did not help. I tossed the BBE and the Rectifier right behind it. All it did was give me a very tight compresses solid state tone. It reminided me of DOD American Metal pedal through a Reverb Duluxe.

 

[Mailman1971]

Cool...keep the comments coming!
I didnt change any settings when recording.
Just simply shut the thing off.

 

[glassjaw7]

It's hard for me to tell the difference on laptop speakers, but from my own experience with the BBE, I much prefer it without.
Sometimes in a live mix they can help balance things out and bring the guitar where it should be in the mix, but when I A/B an amp with/without one, it seems like the BBE kills all the "magic" that a tube amp has.

 

[ttosh]

Without.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

but when I A/B an amp with/without one, it seems like the BBE kills all the "magic" that a tube amp has.

I totally agree!

 

[nbarts]

Just do what you like, man. Depending on the part one would be better than the other.

 

[Mailman1971]

Whats weird when playing with one....
you have it on and play for a while.....your ears get used to it.
When you shut it off....it sounds FLAT.
Then.....play with it off for a while....your ears get used to that tone and it seems FULLER.
At first I thought i was losing it....but band mates agreed with me on it.
It does sound fuller with it off.
When on....seems to give it the processed edge.
I am still torn on this....

 

[Mailman1971]

Just do what you like, man. Depending on the part one would be better than the other.

EXACTLY....for the cleaner rock stuff....BBE makes it suffer.
For the heavier tones...I still think it accents it.

 

[Beyond Black]

Hmmmm.... To BBE, or not to BBE- That is the question. Dude, I'd have to say, to not BBE. It ads unnecessary compression, and takes warmth away from the amp. Less organic sounding. A long time ago (90's) I used to play Thrash/Death Metal. I used a Randall RG-100es solid state amp with a BBE, Hush IIb, Alesis rack eq (all through the loop), and slammed the front with a Loco dist. box. For that genre of music and that particular amp, that set-up killed. The BBE was a huge part of my sound. But to put a BBE on a Diezel? That's like putting DUBS on a Lamborghini my man . Your ears might be so use to hearing it that it might sound weak without it. I went through the same thing. It's not as brutal without it but the tone is much better.

 

[amiller]

OT:

This reminds me of a scene from a movie I saw...Romeo is Bleeding. There was this nasty chick, Lena Olin, who lost an arm during the movie. She got a fake arm and strapped it on with a leather harness. In one of the scenes this guy, Gary Oldman, is laying on a bed and she comes in the room and stands at the end of the bed. She's planning on having sex with the guy. She doesn't have a top on and you can see the leather harness holding the artificial arm on. She grabs the artificial arm, looks at the guy and cooly says, "with or without."

 

[VH4_BigRig]

Hey Mailman, welcome to the club

I use a BBE with my VH4 at low bedroom volumes and I find it really helps with the lack of punch from the volume being down....It adds treble and bass and scoops mids, as long as you know that and work around it. When I can turn up the amp or jam with the boys though I either adjust the settings or turn it off. To each their own!

 

[OldSkoolNJ]

I vote without it..
But I would re-tweak the EQ, Presence and whatever else that amp has for that type of sound..

 

[Mailman1971]

I vote without it..
But I would re-tweak the EQ, Presence and whatever else that amp has for that type of sound..

Yeah I still need to play around with it more. Learn to dial it in for what I am looking for.
Thing is a tone machine and I dont get to play too much during the week. So when the wekend comes around I plug in and start jamming with the band. I need some good alone time with it. But when I dial in at lower levels...it changes when I crank it up.
Plus I have the 2 cabs to dial in.
Yeah......I know....Poor me!
will give it some more time and tweaking.
Either way.......I love this damn amp!

 

[overthemountain]

Without. Sounds fuller, thicker, more organic. Peter D. don't need no BBE!

 

[gbsmusic]

I gotta say without also. The only amp I used one of those with that I thought it helped was a Recto.