Bbe sound 382I User Manual
382i
Sonic Maximizer
User Guide and Reference Manual
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.
INSTALLATION
Water and Moisture - Do not install the appliance near water: for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement,
or near a swimming pool.
Heat - Do not install the appliance near sources of heat such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliances that produce heat.
Ventilation - Situate the product so its location or position 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.
Wall or Ceiling Mounting - If your appliance can be mounted to a wall or ceiling, mount it only as recommended.
Accessories - Do not place this product on an unstable 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 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.
USE
Power Source - Connect the appliance to a power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the appliance.
Power-Cord Protection - Route the power cord so that it is 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.
Grounding or Polarization - Do not defeat the grounding or 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.
When not in use - Unplug the power cord of the appliance 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.
AC Receptacle - Check to make sure that the AC receptacle 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
Foreign Objects - Be careful that foreign objects and liquids do not enter the enclosure through openings.
Cleaning - unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.
SERVICE
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 damaged.
Do not attempt to service the appliance beyond that described in the operating instructions. For all other servicing, refer to qualified service
personnel only.
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hank you for your purchase of the 382i, and for the trust that you’ve placed
in BBE. We are committed to bringing you the finest products, with useful
T
and unique features to serve your audio needs.
The BBE Sonic Maximizer is a two channel signal processor that will benefit any recording or sound reproduction system. Whether you purchased the Sonic Maximizer
for your home studio, P.A., DJ system, or instrument rack, you will find the Sonic
Maximizer’s rugged construction and careful electronic design a welcome addition
to your sonic arsenal.
The BBE Process — “What it Is”
Loudspeakers have difculty working with the electronic signals supplied by an amplier. These difculties
cause such major phase and amplitude distortion that the sound reproduced by a speaker differs signicantly
from the sound produced by the original source.
In the past, these problems proved unsolvable and were thus delegated to a position of secondary
importance in audio system design. However, phase and amplitude integrity is essential to accurate sound
reproduction. Research shows that the information which the listener translates into the recognizable
characteristics of a live performance are intimately tied into complex time and amplitude relationships
between the fundamental and harmonic components of a given musical note or sound. These relationships
dene a sound’s “sound”.
When these complex relationships pass through a speaker, the proper order is lost. The higher frequencies
are delayed. A lower frequency may reach the listener’s ear rst or perhaps simultaneously with that of a
higher frequency. In some cases, the fundamental components may be so time-shifted that they reach the
listener’s ear ahead of some or all of the harmonic components.
This change in the phase and amplitude relationship on the harmonic and fundamental frequencies is
technically called “envelope distortion.” The listener perceives this loss of sound integrity in the reproduced
sound as “muddy” and “smeared.” In the extreme, it can become difcult to tell the difference between
musical instruments, for example, an oboe and a clarinet.
BBE Sound, Inc. conducted extensive studies of numerous speaker systems over a ten year period. With
this knowledge, it became possible to identify the characteristics of an ideal speaker and to distill the
corrections necessary to return the fundamental and harmonic frequency structures to their correct order.
While there are differences among various speaker designs in the magnitude of their correction, the overall
pattern of correction needed is remarkably consistent.
The BBE Process is so unique that 42 patents have been awarded by the U.S. Patent Ofce.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The BBE 382i is a dual channel, single rack space device for use in -10dBu unbalanced level applications.
There are two separate channels that share the same front panel Lo Contour control and Process controls
for ganged-stereo operation. A single function button switches the BBE process on or off in both channels,
which is useful for comparing the processed sound to the unprocessed sound. An LED next to the function
button glows green when the BBE process is on and red when the process is off. The Lo Contour control is
for adjusting the level of phase corrected low frequencies in the program material. The Process control is
for adjusting the level of phase corrected high frequencies in the program material.
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APPLICATIONS
Music and P.A. Systems
The BBE Sonic Maximizer is a welcome addition to any live sound P.A. system because the BBE circuit
dramatically improves the clarity and intelligibility of vocals and musical instruments. Night club and mobile
DJ systems will also benet greatly from the BBE Process, with more depth, detail and punch over the
entire mix. The BBE Sonic Maximizer can be hooked up to any P.A. or DJ sound system exactly like an
equalizer would. When using in conjunction with an equalizer, the Sonic Maximizer should be added after
the equalizer in the signal chain. In the event that the equalizer is being used for drastic tone alteration,
then insert the Sonic Maximizer before the equalizer in the signal chain. Placement either before or after an
equalizer should have no negative effect on the unit or its processing ability, however most users nd they
prefer more modest use of their equalizers once the BBE Sonic Maximizer has been added to their sound
systems.
Instrument Racks
The BBE Sonic Maximizer will deliver surprisingly good results in guitar, bass and keyboard rack systems.
Electric guitars have added “bite”, “chunk” and improved denition. As Guitar Player magazine said, “BBE
is the most cost effective improvement you can add to your rig”. Acoustic guitars processed with the BBE
Sonic Maximizer have a breathtakingly natural sparkle and presence. Bassists will delight in the BBE Sonic
Maximizer’s ability to bring much more punch to the bottom end without muddying up the midrange. The
BBE Sonic Maximizer is also great for keyboard rigs, with everything from the latest samples to a vintage
Rhodes beneting equally from the patented BBE process.
Recording Systems
The BBE Sonic Maximizer can be used as an effect on individual tracks or applied overall during mixdown.
The BBE process works very well to liven up the nal mix, which is why the BBE 382i model is popular for
use in both project and professional recording studios.
SET-UP
The BBE Sonic Maximizer is connected into the chain in series with the signal path the same way a graphic
equalizer or limiter would be connected. The output of a mixer, pre-amp, or other sound source feeds the
input of the Sonic Maximizer. Setting up the Sonic Maximizer as an echo send device like a digital reverb is
not recommended as the processed effect is not fully realized when summed with the original source audio.
In order to reduce the risk of damage to any equipment, properly connect all cables and power cables
before turning on any components in the system.
Things to Remember
The BBE 382i is designed to work with -l0dBu line levels. This is suitable for professional and semi-pro
mixers, P.A. consoles, recording studios, or D.J. equipment. The 382i drives load impedances down to 1K
Ohm and supplies a maximum output level of +20dBu. Plugging a guitar or other high impedance device
directly into the 382i will not work properly as its input impedance is less than 50K ohms.
WARNING! To prevent possible speaker or amplier damage, always power-up peripheral devices rst, wait 10 seconds, and then turn on the power amplier. Turn off power
amplier rst, then power-down peripheral devices.
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