BBE Sound BMAXT User Manual
User Guide
and
Reference
Manual
®
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Precautions ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………i
Table of Contents/ Product Description …………………………………………………………………………………1
Features ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2
Controls/Connections……………………………………………………………………………………………………3-5
Specifications…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6
General Operation/Applications ………………………………………………………………………………………6-8
Service/Maintenance ………………………………………………………………………………………………………9
Warranty Information………………………………………………………………………………………………………9
Congratulations on your purchase of the BBE BMAX-T Bass Guitar Pre-amp!
The BBE BMAX-T is an extremely versatile pre-amp which is capable of achieving a wide array
of tones while conveniently configuring itself into any application. No extra devices are needed
to get flawless performance out of the BBE BMAX-T.
The BMAX-T is a high quality tube bass pre a m p / p rocessor with applications both in the re c o rding studio and on the road in demanding live applications.
At the heart of the BMAX-T is our class A, DC regulated tube preamp section, the design of
which follows on in the tradition of the classic tube preamp designs of the 50’s and 60’s. It feat u res a high voltage (300V) tube front end, providing all of the pre-amp gain and passive interactive tone control.
The BBE Process—"What it Is"
Loudspeakers have difficulty working with the electronic signals supplied by an amplifier. These difficulties cause such major phase and amplitude distortion that the sound reproduced by speaker differs significantly 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 define 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 first 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 difficult 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. Wi t h
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 Office.
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BMAX-T FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS
• The BMAX-T is perfect anywhere an extremely high-quality, pristine preamplifier is required for the
bass guitar
• It can be used in the recording studio where a bass amplifier is impractical due to space or loudness
considerations
• In performance applications, players will find the BMAX-T’s ergonomics intuitive and easy to use
• All players will find the BMAX-T’s EQ and Dynamics controls, as well as our patented Sonic Maximizer™
Process, afford a wide palette of tonal experiences
• Full Function BBE® Sonic Maximizer™
• All tube Class A front-end with interactive 3 band EQ and interactive "bright" switch
• Hand-selected premium quality Groove Tubes® 12AX7 preamp tube
• Jensen® JT-DB-E transformer balanced DI output
• Optical “soft knee” compressor
• Custom torroidial power supply transformer
• Inputs for both passive pickup and active pickup instruments
• 1meg ohm input impedance (Passive input), 100Kohm (Active input)
• Ground lift switch
• Balanced XLR and 1/4" unbalanced output
• Mil-spec circuit boards
• Extra thick, extra wide circuit board traces for unequaled electron flow
• 1% metal film resistors throughout
• Solid 1/4" thick aluminum extrusion front panel for extreme ruggedness
IMPORTANT
Before you begin, please check the contents within this box to insure that included are:
1. The BBE BMAX-T Bass Guitar Pre-amp.
2. The BBE BMAX-T User's manual.
If either of these items are found to be missing, immediately contact the BBE dealer from whom the unit
was purchased immediately.
WARNING!
To prevent possible speaker or amplifier damage,
always power-up peripheral devices first, wait 10 seconds, and
then turn on the power amplifier. Turn off power amplifier first,
then power-down peripheral devices.
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