POLL: Where do you place your sonic maximizer?

[thegreattailz]

so the final vote is 71% to 29% 5 votes to 2 in favor of the eq going in the effects loop.

 

[Mailman1971]

Thats just something I did because it sounded good to my ears. I didnt just open a magazine or overhear a conversation from some noob saying cut my mids

So if you like it....play it!
Everyone know I played one for years even though most people....(well all people)...
told me it was JUNK!!
But I liked it and it stayed in my loop.
Only reason I switched was it was working good with my Recto....so I tried a GE7 Graphic eq pedal and havent looked back.
Sold the Maximizer on Ebay within a few days.
But if you like it play it! We never will hear you play in the same room right?
And if its working for you and your jamming situation and you like it....then its a keeper in my books.

 

[feraledge]

I don't see the harm in using the sonic maximizer. A lot of folks hate and most have their reason, but there's just as much hate from people who feel like any additional EQ is ridiculous. Who cares? Use what you like.
I couldn't play without my SM, but I go for a fairly scooped sound. But I've used it completely differently with my various heads. I don't agree at all that it makes the head more like a solid state, there's no question that you can feel the tubes through the SM. I've tried not using it, but I think it just brings the amp to life and sounds flat without it. And that's just using it pretty minimally.
But if I'm playing at home I use it far more than live.
I have a sonic stomp and MXR 10 band in the effects loop and both belong there, but they don't do the same thing. If you like it, use it or at least have it. If it's not cutting in the mix, just turn it off or down.
BTW, I'd stick with the sonic stomp, I've used the 482 and 382 before, but had some volume issues with an ENGL and 5150 II. The pedal has been flawless for me on numerous heads.

 

[glpg80]

I don't see the harm in using the sonic maximizer. A lot of folks hate and most have their reason, but there's just as much hate from people who feel like any additional EQ is ridiculous. Who cares? Use what you like.
I couldn't play without my SM, but I go for a fairly scooped sound. But I've used it completely differently with my various heads. I don't agree at all that it makes the head more like a solid state, there's no question that you can feel the tubes through the SM. I've tried not using it, but I think it just brings the amp to life and sounds flat without it. And that's just using it pretty minimally.
But if I'm playing at home I use it far more than live.
I have a sonic stomp and MXR 10 band in the effects loop and both belong there, but they don't do the same thing. If you like it, use it or at least have it. If it's not cutting in the mix, just turn it off or down.
BTW, I'd stick with the sonic stomp, I've used the 482 and 382 before, but had some volume issues with an ENGL and 5150 II. The pedal has been flawless for me on numerous heads.

Pretty much summarizes the majority of the posts in the entire topic. Mathematically EQ's make a mess of phase to frequency correlations and most are buffered in order to allow a volume increase, thus making a mess of a impedances. You also introduce noise and on top of all of this EQ'ing before a recording is a big no-no. Most effects and EQ'ing are done post-recording in the studio by the big names. and BBE's have no place on stage what-so-ever. So that leaves your bedroom - the only logical place they belong in the first place we've deduced so far - and that alone is assuming you dislike mids and wonder how you ever got along without the BBE in the first place.

Take the knobs off your amp and dial it in with mids at volume - metal tones with mids sound just as heavy as they do without, only you will have more cut live, more grind in the bedroom, and have much more to work with post-recording in the studio under the SM58's, 57's, and 421's.

I meant what i said originally - BBE's belong in the trash. The only reason they exist is to cater to someone who has no idea their amplifier has a mid knob, or never cares to play in a band setting, or has simply never played an amplifier that is so tight it tracks your train of thought. If they work for you then great but do understand you're in the minority, not the majority. Everyone would not agree if this were true.

 

[Devilinside]

Harmony Central!!!

 

[snakeman1986]

I don't see the harm in using the sonic maximizer. A lot of folks hate and most have their reason, but there's just as much hate from people who feel like any additional EQ is ridiculous. Who cares? Use what you like.
I couldn't play without my SM, but I go for a fairly scooped sound. But I've used it completely differently with my various heads. I don't agree at all that it makes the head more like a solid state, there's no question that you can feel the tubes through the SM. I've tried not using it, but I think it just brings the amp to life and sounds flat without it. And that's just using it pretty minimally.
But if I'm playing at home I use it far more than live.
I have a sonic stomp and MXR 10 band in the effects loop and both belong there, but they don't do the same thing. If you like it, use it or at least have it. If it's not cutting in the mix, just turn it off or down.
BTW, I'd stick with the sonic stomp, I've used the 482 and 382 before, but had some volume issues with an ENGL and 5150 II. The pedal has been flawless for me on numerous heads.

Pretty much summarizes the majority of the posts in the entire topic. Mathematically EQ's make a mess of phase to frequency correlations and most are buffered in order to allow a volume increase, thus making a mess of a impedances. You also introduce noise and on top of all of this EQ'ing before a recording is a big no-no. Most effects and EQ'ing are done post-recording in the studio by the big names. and BBE's have no place on stage what-so-ever. So that leaves your bedroom - the only logical place they belong in the first place we've deduced so far - and that alone is assuming you dislike mids and wonder how you ever got along without the BBE in the first place.

Take the knobs off your amp and dial it in with mids at volume - metal tones with mids sound just as heavy as they do without, only you will have more cut live, more grind in the bedroom, and have much more to work with post-recording in the studio under the SM58's, 57's, and 421's.

I meant what i said originally - BBE's belong in the trash. The only reason they exist is to cater to someone who has no idea their amplifier has a mid knob, or never cares to play in a band setting, or has simply never played an amplifier that is so tight it tracks your train of thought. If they work for you then great but do understand you're in the minority, not the majority. Everyone would not agree if this were true.

yep

 

[thegreattailz]

I don't see the harm in using the sonic maximizer. A lot of folks hate and most have their reason, but there's just as much hate from people who feel like any additional EQ is ridiculous. Who cares? Use what you like.
I couldn't play without my SM, but I go for a fairly scooped sound. But I've used it completely differently with my various heads. I don't agree at all that it makes the head more like a solid state, there's no question that you can feel the tubes through the SM. I've tried not using it, but I think it just brings the amp to life and sounds flat without it. And that's just using it pretty minimally.
But if I'm playing at home I use it far more than live.
I have a sonic stomp and MXR 10 band in the effects loop and both belong there, but they don't do the same thing. If you like it, use it or at least have it. If it's not cutting in the mix, just turn it off or down.
BTW, I'd stick with the sonic stomp, I've used the 482 and 382 before, but had some volume issues with an ENGL and 5150 II. The pedal has been flawless for me on numerous heads.

Here here, Yarrr. We shall see once i get my pedal board under my nose then i can actually play with it in real life after i get the ge and my decimator. If you check out rig rundown on youtube a lot of big name bands use them in their rack or the bbe stomp.

 

[guitarslayer]

In the trash.

Or secretly on the back of the home stereo.

Proper EQ'ing goes a very long way. Mids are your friend, and volume does wonders for tube amplifiers

Couldn't have said it better myself!!