Clarity on a Sonic Maximizer

[gerraguitar]

Hey everyone,

So what is the big mystery about sonic maximizers, to my understanding they are a type of EQ that realigns what comes from the amp before it goes out of the speakers. Is it worth it to have an SM pedal for a normal rig, I've heard it's great for scooping mids on gain stuff, and some people love them on clean as well. I'm not about to go out and buy one for my rig, but I just want to learn more about them.

Any light you want to shine on this topic would be great!

[DArmstrong]

I have the Sonic Stomp two-knob version that I got on a trade, as I was curious about these. I *think* it does two things:

First, its eq splits your signal into lows and highs and then delays one or the other (I forget which) a little so that they come out of your speaker back in phase the way they left your guitar. This delay is fixed, and the "low contour" knob just seems to be for eq as far as I can tell.

Second, it applies a some expansion (like opposite of compression) to your highs, so that when your signal is louder, as when playing a big chord, the highs are amplified a little more. This makes chords sound brighter and clearer. I think the "process" knob controls the amount that the highs are expanded.

I like the overall effect best when normal playing sounds almost identical with it on or off. I can't tell if the "frequency alignment" really does anything, and I don't miss the Sonic Stomp if I'm not using it. Overall it does seem to add a little clarity, especially with more distorted tones, due mostly to the treble expansion, I think.

Of course, I may be a little wrong in my concept of what the thing is doing. The manufacturer's web site isn't much help.

[jorgemg1984]

I have it on my Acoustimax and it works great when I plug acousitcs to the PA. It enhances the sound it a very good way although I cannont say exactly what it does... when plugged to an acoustic amp the difference is not so notorious.

I have read several time it's great with full-range instruments like keyboards or acoustic guitars but not so good with electric guitars, also don't know why.

[oldane]

Originally Posted by jorgemg1984

I have it on my Acoustimax and it works great when I plug acousitcs to the PA. It enhances the sound it a very good way although I cannont say exactly what it does... when plugged to an acoustic amp the difference is not so notorious.

I have read several time it's great with full-range instruments like keyboards or acoustic guitars but not so good with electric guitars, also don't know why.

From what I can read, it also scoops the mid somewhat. That can be the reason why it works well with acoustic instruments into a GUITAR amp. Guitar amps very often have a prominent midrange to compensate for the frequency curve of a normal magnetic PU. The maximizer may thereby provide a flattening of the amps frequency curve, thereby approaching it to an amp designed for acoustic instruments. That may also be the reason it doesn't work so well with magnetic PUs. If that is true, it should not work well with amps with flat frequency curves like say AI and especially not well when feeding the signal from magnetic PUs through such amps as a boost of the mids are needed and not a scooping. In that case devices which can boost the mids are called for (insofar if can't be done well enough on the amps own controls).

[Insufferable_Rhythm]

Originally Posted by oldane

Guitar amps very often have a prominent midrange to compensate for the frequency curve of a normal magnetic PU.

Guitar amplifiers very often have a prominent mid-range dip to compensate for the mid-range emphasis of typical magnetic pickups.

[oldane]

Originally Posted by Insufferable_Rhythm

Guitar amplifiers very often have a prominent mid-range dip to compensate for the mid-range emphasis of typical magnetic pickups.

I think I read the opposite somewhere, but I may well remember wrong. I don't know enough to contradict you. However, it has been my experience with more PA like amps like the AI (with a flatter frequency curve), that I need to boost the mids to get a sound like a dedicated guitar amp.

[Insufferable_Rhythm]

Most of the "classic" guitar amplifiers have varying amounts of mid-range attenuation.

Download the "Tone Stack Calculator" for a graphical representation, you'll see it quite clearly.