BBE Sonic Stomp

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Category:

EQs/Enhancers/Boosters for Guitar

Brand:

BBE

Distributor:

N/A See all

Public price :

N/A

Average price :

$114.50

Avg used price:

-

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List of user reviews BBE Sonic Stomp

BBE Sonic Stomp By songboy on 11/16/2009 I'd like to make music my profession

Characteristics

This is simply a EQing tool.  There are no other effects
No this cannot be edited through a computer.  It is strictly analog audio.
It is not rackable in the traditional sense.  You can purchase shelves that allow you to rackmount guitar pedals.
This is strictly analog
There is only 1/4" audio jacks (and of course the power supply jack).

Utilization

Yes, the effect editing is easy.  Tow knobs, Lo contour (bass) and process (phase correction).
Yes the manual is clear enough.  Its a short read and tells you exactly what the pedal is doing in order to accomplish its task of cleaning up (de-mudding) your sound.
Yes the setup is very easy, plug it in, dial in the two knobs for your ideal sound, and thats it.

Sound Quality

I use this for my Parker guitar going into a Fender Twin as well as a Rhodes Mark 1 going into a twin.
I have read reviews where people say that the tone is lost.  I somewhat agree.  I would never use this when recording a track.  I would do all the EQing in the post production.  But, when you are playing live, this thing is amazing.  It helps you cut through the mix better which means you don't have to blast the stage with you guitar amp to be heard.  It really helps with the clarity.  It doesn't color the sound so much as it thins it a little. 
I love this little pedal.  It opens up a lot of frequency room for my voice when I am playing live.  I use to feel drowned out by my rhodes when I played and sang, but now there is room

Overall Opinion

What I like most is its use in live situations.  Works great for clarity.
What I don't like about it????  Not really anything, it does what it does and doesn't cost an arm and a leg and is doesn't take up to much pedal board space.
I got mine used for $50, that was a great deal.  I think they go for $100 new, but thats still not to bad for the clarity it delivers.
Again, I only use mine in live applications.  When recording, I want all the frequencies there, then I fine tune in post production.
I had the Boss Equalizer stomp box, but it had a lot more noise and didn't quite cut it for me.
I would definitely buy this guy again, comes in very handy.

BBE Sonic Stomp By moosers on 11/15/2009 Music is my profession

Characteristics

The BBE Sonic Stomp is a simple sonic maximizer, or exciter pedal that can be used with any electronic instrument.  The pedal has a standard 1/4 inch input and output and can be powered by either a nine volt battery or nine volt power supply.  The pedal isn't in rack form as it is a stomp box.

Utilization

Using the BBE Sonic Stomp couldn't be any simpler than it already is.  The pedal simply has two knobs - one for lo contour and process.  If you have any experience using any versions of the Sonic Maximizer, either in rackable form or in a plug-in, you'll understand everything going on here as these are the two parameters that can be found in every version of this signal processor.  The process knob will amp up the high end and 'excite' the sound a bit, and the lo contour is there to counteract and make up for this on the low end of the spectrum.  A manual isn't needed although I haven't seen it so I don't know how helpful it could be.

Sound Quality

The sound of the BBE Sonic Stomp is definitely as advertised, but I wouldn't expect too much more from this pedal.  I've only used this pedal with guitar and have really found it to be of minimal use, even if it does what it says it will do.  It is nice to have a little booster pedal in my chain from time to time, but there is nothing here that I don't think I'd be able to get with an overdrive pedal or simply on my amp.  While this definitley does have a good sound for what it is, it definitely isn't a pedal that is essential by any means.

Overall Opinion

The BBE Sonic Stomp will definitely give you a boost if you are looking for it for your guitar, but this is just about all that this pedal is good for.  The pedal is cheap enough where you could try it at little cost, but for me it isn't a pedal that I need to have in my chain as it doesn't do enough for me.  If you're interested in a booster pedal I would try this pedal out, but be sure to shop around as I believe there are a variety of pedals out there that will do this job and then some.

BBE Sonic Stomp By rarson on 03/25/2008 I'd like to make music my profession

Characteristics

The BBE Sonic Stomp is a "sonic maximizer." I would guess that the circuitry inside this is probably similar to other BBE rack mount sonic maximizers. I might add that I used to own a very expensive Alpine car stereo head unit that included a BBE function, and the effect of the pedal sounds very similar to the sonic massaging that the head unit's BBE function performed.

"Sonic massaging" is probably a good, if vague, way to describe the effect of this pedal. It's not quite an EQ or tone control, but works in almost a similar way, as it sounds like it is altering certain frequency responses. It is simple with only two knobs (Lo Contour and Process), and it's pretty darn hard to find a setting that doesn't improve the signal. Simple is always a good thing in my opinion, and the control setup does a fine job of allowing some good tweaking.

The manual talks a bit about phase and amplitude correction, and this pedal apparently corrects timing of different frequencies to restore the original sound lost by limitations in the loudspeaker setup. Thus, following this, there are two things to take from the explanation: that every setup will likely have a slightly different "optimal" setting, and that this effect will likely be hard if impossible to get from an EQ. So perhaps the apparent result of using the pedal might sound similar to using a certain EQ setting, but what is really going on is quite different, and much more complex.

Configuration is standard for a stomp box, with an input, output, 9V jack, and battery clip. BBE gets brownie points in my book for making the battery easily accessible with a simple door on the underside of the pedal, no disassembly or screw driver necessary. It also came with an adapter, but I am using this pedal with a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus, so I didn't need it. But I do appreciate the fact they included one.

Utilization

Simple: two knobs. Lo Contour "regulates the amount of phase corrected bass frequencies." To my ears, it provides a function similar to a tone knob in that it provides more emphasis on the bass frequencies at high levels, and more emphasis on high frequencies at low levels. I was looking to make my sound fuller, and coincidentally enough, I have mine set to 5 (right in the middle). Seems to provide a very nice, even sound enhancement.

The Process knob regulates the amount of phase correction. And it sounds to me like a mixture of the dry and wet output. Less process equals less of the effect. I like mine set to about 6 1/2. You have to turn it up a bit to enjoy the enhancement that the pedal provides, but turning it up higher seems a bit much to my ears.

The manual provides a nice overview and attempts to explain some background behind the BBE effect. It's interesting stuff, if you can understand what they're saying, and I admit I'm no sound processing master. It makes sense to me, but I'm not totally sure I fully grasp it. Luckily, all you need to utilize this pedal is a good set of ears. Just play with the settings and you'll be able to hear a good improvement to your sound and figure out how to set it best. And since it's not all that complicated, it probably won't even take ten minutes to find the perfect setting.

The manual suggest you place it last in the effects chain just before the amp. I see no reason why anyone would ever do otherwise, because whatever isn't in the chain isn't being processed, obviously. You can also place the BBE in the effects loop, but I haven't tried that yet.

You will never forget that this pedal is on, because the ultra-bright blue LED won't go by unnoticed.

Sound Quality

I had read some reviews prior to owning this pedal where people said they couldn't hear what the pedal was doing, or they couldn't notice a difference until they played for a while with the pedal and then turned it off. I just find that hard to believe, because once you start bringing the settings up a bit, to me the effect is very noticeable. It's not overpowering, and the effect is rather subtle, but I'm just surprised people have said they couldn't hear a difference. I felt it was an immediately noticeable improvement in the sound.

Once you turn it on and dial it in, you won't turn it off. There's no reason. BBE processing pretty much makes everything sound better, as it did with my old head unit. Turning it off will make you realize how flat your sound was, and you'll scramble to get that BBE goodness back as quick as possible. It improves the quality of the sound, without really coloring it. In other words, I would say that it's more for "presence" than "tone."

I will be buying one of the rack mount Sonic Maximizers for recording purposes and to process my synths. They sound great to my ears already, but I'm sure that BBE will make them sound even better. If you're looking for a full, "big budget" sound, you can't go wrong with BBE (and their products AREN'T expensive, which is a big plus for the home musician). This stomp box would likely make any input sound even better, but I want the rack in addition for stereo processing.

Overall Opinion

I review everything as realistically as possible. Realistically, nothing is perfect and I try to avoid giving perfect 10s. But in my opinion, a 10 is deserved for a product in which you can't find fault.

That's just it, I can't find anything wrong with this pedal. The manual is good, the design is cool and feels very sturdy, they include both a power adapter and a battery, and the signal processing is great. Okay, so I paid $100 for it from Musician's Friend, and I probably could've gotten a different brand of sound exciter for less money. And yes, I didn't A/B any other brands for comparison to this. But I can compare it to other BBE processing products, and it's as good as they get. Someone less concerned with the quality of their sound (not the sound itself) might not care about the effect it gives, or might not even notice it, and might think of it as a waste of $100. But I'm striving to get the best sound quality possible, and I think it's worth every penny. It makes the sound a lot fuller and seem more professional.

So sure, maybe it's not for everyone, and because of that, perfect 10's might not fit someone else's taste. But to me, this pedal was everything I was hoping and expecting, plus more. So in my opinion, it actually deserves the 10s. BBE processing in a stomp box, how great is that!

And yeah, if I had to buy it again, I definitely would.

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