Musik Indonesia

Normally when I write a hands-on review, I try to come up with some clever and engaging introduction. With Acoustimax, I think it’s more clever to simply come to the point, since there’s a lot to talk about and limited space to do so. Just as the name implies, Acoustimax is a preamp designed to help you make the very most of the sound of your acoustic-electric guitar—and the name BBE is synonymous with getting the most out of sound.

Accoutrements to the max

Looking at the Acoustimax, it’s pretty clear that its design is born of real-world studio and stage experience, and is equally suited to both. The ground-lift and phase-reverse switches alone are indicators, but so are the -12dB pad and the Pre/Post switch that lets you bypass the master volume control. (More about that later.)

As long as we’re talking about back-panel residents, you’ll also find a dedicated 1/4" tuner output, 1/4" line out, and 1/4" TRS EFX loop (you’ll need a TRS-TS/TS cable for EFX). There’s also a balanced XLR DI out, which is where the Pre/Post switch comes in. When using the DI out, “Pre” lets you bypass the main volume control and “Post” lets you use master volume as a level controller if your output signal is too hot. The pad also can be used to tame hot signals from the DI output.

On the top panel, starting from left to right, there’s Gain, EQ with high- and low-shelving and sweepable mids, a notch filter with -12dB cut from 70-250Hz (to prevent feedback), BBE’s Sonic Maximizer with Process and Lo Contour controls, a master volume control, and two LED clip indicators for input and output overload. The Acoustimax also has a 1/4" TS input on the right side panel and a 1/4" TS output on the left, so it can sit nicely in your pedal array. Footswitches include mute (which really came in handy during my tests) and on/off for the Sonic Maximizer.

Maxing it out

I first tested sound quality, putting it up against three other preamps ranging in price from $650 to $2,250. Did the BBE hold its own? Yes. It didn’t sound better than the boutique pre, but considering the under-$200 price tag, coming in second behind a $2,000 preamp and ahead of a $1,000 one is pretty impressive. Of course, what really put it over the top was the Sonic Maximizer. You can’t get that out of any pre except this one. I also used another of my personal analog favorites with the Acoustimax, a BBE Mind Bender chorus/vibrato pedal in the EFX loop, which gave me a beautiful, larger-than-life sound that was further enhanced by a shimmering high register, courtesy of the built-in Sonic Maximizer.

Mixing to the Max

Since the Acoustimax has three outputs, I was curious if you could send signal simultaneously out of all three. Short answer—you can. If you’re a solo acoustic player that wants to fill the club with sound, you can send signal to two amps onstage plus the house PA system. The balanced DI allows long cable runs without noise or signal degradation, and the ground-lift switch should solve any noise or hums from ground loops.

In the studio, I sent the DI into my favorite tube DI, the line out to the aforementioned boutique preamp, and the normal output direct into my audio interface. Using the phase switch to make sure that all three systems were in phase, I recorded the three inputs to one track. Did I get a 10' acoustic guitar? Oh yeah. Now imagine that accompanying a singer-guitarist, or double-tracked and blended with heavy distorted guitars for a positively huge chorus.

Speaking of blending the acoustic with distorted guitars, here’s where the Sonic Maximizer comes in handy. Since the acoustic guitar has such a full-bodied sound, which will fight the distorted guitars for space, we need to find ways to make it fit in the mix. Some engineers filter out the low mids of the guitar, often brutally chopping everything below 350Hz, where the body of the guitar lives. By itself, the guitar sounds awful; however, it does fit better in the mix. Then there’s another way to go. Use an enhancer, which makes more room in a mix than EQ. Enhancers bring out highs without the harshness of EQ; but overused, they can sound awful. The best solution I’ve come across is the AcousticMax’s Sonic Maximizer. The Process control lets you dial in sparkling, phase-aligned highs, and its Lo Contour control can tame those nasty lows without using drastic EQ—perfect for blending an acoustic guitar in a busy mix.

Side note: If you’re not convinced that the Maximizer is, in fact, a secret weapon of platinum producers, I recently sat in on a session run by a producer with 80 million albums sold. (Sorry I can’t mention names.) He had at least $20K worth of gear on his stereo bus, but sitting in the chain, right between a classic EMI EQ used at Abbey Road and another “legendary” EQ (whose name is also three initials, starting with A and ending with PI), sat the BBE Sonic Maximizer. We listened to the mix with the unit bypassed and engaged. The difference was astounding.

Max is, well . . . smart

The Acoustimax represents a great leap forward in amplifying the acoustic-electric guitar. Whether you want your acoustic to sit perfectly in a mix or take center stage with authority, the Acoustimax gives you all the tools to make it happen. I’d say the Sonic Maximizer alone is worth the price of admission, but perhaps the most important reason to own an Acoustimax is to get back the sound quality lost by running acoustic guitars through PA systems and amps. A fingerstyle soloist shouldn’t even consider going onstage without one. And its value as a creative recording tool is also quite clear. In fact, “quite clear” is what your acoustic-electric should be—and will be, with an Acoustimax taking point in your signal chain. Beyond that, it can take an ordinary acoustic sound and make it extraordinary.

Features & Specs

• Built-in Sonic Maximizer
• 3-band EQ with sweepable-mids, LF notch filter
• Phase reversal
• Ground lift
• Line level out
• Dedicated tuner out
• TRS effects loop
• Pre/post switchable DI output with -12dB pad
• Hardwire bypass
• Non-slip rubber bottom
• 12V power supply
• Frequency Response: 50Hz-20kHz
• Treble: ±12dB @ 10kHz
• Mid: ±12dB @ 400Hz-2.5kHz
• Bass: ±12dB @ 60Hz
• Notch: 0 to -12dB @ 70Hz-250kHz

Once you hear what the Acoustimax can do for your guitar, you won’t want to play another note without it. Order yours from Musician's Friend and get the benefit of our 45-Day Double Satisfaction and Lowest Price guarantees.