BBE Mind Bender User Manual

Owner’s Manual

A forward from Will Ray

"For many years I have been searching for the ultimate pedal
that simulates a rotating Leslie speaker. I have tried many dif­ferent brands and models only to be disappointed in the end.
When BBE approached me to help develop a new pedal I
jumped at the chance. The result is the BBE Mind Bender.

This pedal is the real deal! It not only simulates a rotating
speaker, but with its unique vibrato and pitch bending capabili­ties it can create a lot of other sounds too. It's like some kind
of monster chorus unit on acid and I know that you'll feel the
same way when you plug into it.

The Mind Bender: Because you never
know just where your mind will go
when you use it. Enjoy the ride!"

Thank you for your purchase of the Mind Bender!

The Mind Bender is an analog Vibrato/Chorus that utilizes a
BBD (Bucket Brigade Delay) circuit and was patterned after two
rare vintage pedals; the Boss* VB-2 Vibrato (Pitch Vibrato) and
Way Huge Electronics* Blue Hippo™ (Analog Chorus).

Features Include:

• Speed and Depth controls

• On/Off Status L.E.D. pulses rate of Speed control (when effect on)

• Vibrato/Chorus Mode switch

• Vibrato/Chorus Status L.E.D. (always illuminated)

• True Hardwire Bypass

• 5 Year warranty

We recommend reading this manual to familiarize yourself with
all of the features of the Mind Bender before using. Should you
have any questions, please contact BBE at 800-233-8346

*Boss VB-2 is a trademark of Roland Corp.
*Blue Hippo is a trademark of Way Huge Electronics

1

Contents Check List:

•

Mind Bender

•

Mind Bender

• 9volt power adapter (North America Only)

• 9volt battery

If any of these items are found to be damaged or missing,
please contact the dealer from which the unit was purchased.

Owner’s Manual

Installing Battery:

Pull the latch to the left with thumbnail to release the hinged bat­tery compartment cover. Carefully unplug battery without strain­ing cables. Replace with fresh battery in reverse order.

Use a standard 9Volt battery. Battery
life is about 100 hours. Unplugging
the input to the Mind Bender will turn
the unit off and conserve battery life.

2

Getting Started

1. Input

2. Output

3. On/Off (Effect/Speed
Status) L.E.D.

4. On/Off footswitch

5. Vibrato/Chorus
Mode footswitch

6. Vibrato (Green)/
Chorus (Yellow)
Status L.E.D.

7. Speed control

8. Depth control

9. Power Supply Inlet

2

7

3

6

3

5

9

8

1

4

Applications

AAmmpp IInnsstt

We recommend that you place the Mind Bender into an ampli-

fiers Effects Loop or after any overdrive/distortion effect for

the most natural effect, but please feel free to experiment.

* When using a Sonic Stomp we recommend placing it last in

the signal chain and as close to your amp as possible.

Sonic

Stomp

Mind

Bender

4

Green

Screamer

Sample Settings

DEPTHSPEED

Imaging
Vibrato

DEPTHSPEED

Neil
Young
Vibrato

DEPTHSPEED

Will Ray
Space
Vibrato

DEPTHSPEED

Will Ray
Faux
Leslie
Vibrato

DEPTHSPEED

Purple
Rain
Chorus

DEPTHSPEED

Rotary
Chorus
(slow)

DEPTHSPEED

Rotary
Chorus
(fast)

DEPTHSPEED

Will Ray
Faux
Leslie
Chorus

5

Service

There are no user serviceable parts inside. Should the

Mind Bender require service please contact our

Service Department for a Return Authorization at:

BBE Sound, Inc.

800-233-8346

Ext.116

For service outside of North America please

contact your local distributor.

For a listing of BBE Distributors log on to:

http://www.bbesound.com/distributors/dist.asp

6

Technical Specifications

Input Impedance:––––––––––––1Meg Ohms
Output Impedance:
Hardwire Bypass
Power Requirements:

DC inlet:
Battery Life:

Dimensions: ––––––––––––––––3.7"(W) x 4.7"(D) x 1.8"(H)
Shipping Weight:

Note: Due to continuing product improvement, specifications
and design are subject to change without notice.

––––––––––1K Ohm

––––––––––––Yes

––––––––––––+9VDC min. 200ma

––––––––100 hours

––––––––––––1.8 lbs.

7

Warranty registration of the unit to BBE Sound,

Warranty

Inc. is not necessary. It is strongly recommended
that you retain a copy of the bill of sale for future
reference.

IT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE END
USER TO PROVIDE THE BILL OF SALE OR
OTHER MEANS OF PROOF OF PURCHASE TO
VALIDATE THE WARRANTY IF WARRANTY SER­VICE IS REQUESTED.
The BBE Mind Bender is warranted against
defects in material and workmanship for a period
of five (5) years from date of purchase from BBE
Sound Inc. or from an authorized dealer. During
this period, we will repair units free of charge
providing that they are shipped prepaid to:

BBE Sound, Inc.,
5381 Production Drive,
Huntington Beach, CA 92649.

We will pay return UPS shipping charges within
the USA. All charges related to non-UPS ship­ping, including customs clearance, will be billed.
The warranty will be honored for the longer of
either 90 days from the date of any service or the

remainder of the original 5 Year factory warranty.
This warranty will be consider null and void by
BBE Sound, Inc. if any of the following is found:

1. The equipment has been physically damaged.

2. The equipment shows signs of abuse.

3. The equipment has been electrically damaged
by improper connection or attempted repair
by the customer or a third party.

4. The equipment has been modified without
authorization.

5. The bill of sales indicates that the purchase
date of the equipment is not within the war­ranty period.

All non-warranty repairs are warranted for a
period of 90 days from the date of service.

BBE Sound, Inc. is NOT LIABLE FOR CONSE­QUENTIAL DAMAGES. Should the unit fail to
operate for any reason, our sole obligation is to
repair it as described above.

DO NOT RETURN ANY PRODUCT TO THE ABOVE
ADDRESS WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS AND AUTHO­RIZATION ISSUED BY THE ABOVE LOCATION.

8

Important Safeguards

For your protection, please read
these safety instructions com­pletely before operating the
appliance, and keep this manual
for future reference.
Carefully observe all warnings,
precautions and instructions on
the appliance and described in
the operating instructions sup­plied with the appliance.

N

IINNSSTTAALLLLAATTIIOON
WWaatteerr aanndd MMooiissttuurree ­water: for example,near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink,
laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool.
HHeeaatt ­such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appli­ances that produce heat.
VVeennttIIllaattiioonn ­does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For example,
you should not place the product on a bed, sofa, rug,or
similar surface that might block the vent openings, or
placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cab­inet that might impede the flow of air through the ventila­tion openings.
WWaallll oorr CCeeiilliinngg MMoouunnttiinngg ­to a wall or ceiling, mount it only as recommended.
AAcccceessssoorriieess ­cart, stand, tripod,bracket, or table. The product may fall,
causing serious injury to a child or adult, and serious dam­age to the product. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod,
bracket, or table recommended by the manufacturer,or

-

Do not install the appliance near

-

Do not install the appliance near sources of heat

-

Situate the product so its location or position

-

If your appliance can be mounted

-

Do not place this product on an unstable

sold with the product. Any mounting of the product should
follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and should use a
mounting accessory recommended by the manufacturer.

E

UUSSE

-

PPoowweerr SSoouurrccee -

Connect the appliance to a power supply
only of the type described in the operating instructions or
as marked on the appliance.
PPoowweerr--CCoorrdd PPrrootteeccttiioonn ­not likely to be walked on or pinched by having objects
placed on it, paying particular attention to the plugs, recep­tacles, and the point where the cord exits from the appli­ance.
GGrroouunnddiinngg oorr PPoollaarriizzaattiioonn ­polarization feature of the AC power cord. If your AC recep­tacle will not accept the power cord plug, contact your elec­trician to install a proper AC receptacle.
WWhheenn nnoott iinn uussee ­from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time.To
disconnect the cord, pull it out by grasping the plug. Never
pull the plug out by the cord.
AACC RReecceeppttaaccllee -

-

Route the power cord so that it is

-

Do not defeat the grounding or

-

Unplug the power cord of the appliance

-

Check to make sure that the AC recepta-

cle holds the power cord plug firmly and securely. If the
power cord plug is loose, contact your electrician to replace
the defective and unsafe AC

-

FFoorreeiiggnn OObbjjeeccttss -

Be careful that foreign objects and liq-

uids do not enter the enclosure through openings.

-

CClleeaanniinngg -

unplug this product from the wall outlet before
cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners.
Use a damp cloth for cleaning.

E

SSEERRVVIICCE
Unplug the appliance from the wall outlet and consult qual­ified service personnel when:

• the power cord or the plug has been damaged.

• a solid object or liquid has fallen into the cabinet.

• the appliance has been exposed to rain or moisture.

• the appliance does not appear to operate normally or

exhibits a marked change in performance.

• the appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure dam-

aged.
Do not attempt to service the appliance beyond that
described in the operating instructions. For all other serv­icing, refer to qualified service personnel only.

5381 Production Drive

Huntington Beach, CA 92649

714-897-6766 • FAX [phone]

bbesound.com

BBE is the registered trademark of BBE Sound, Inc.

rev.1 10/06