BBE Sonic Maximizer BBE 802 - Manual (Page 6)

Movie Theater
The BBE'" process brings film and sound tracks which feature a wide range of special effects to dramatic life. It also
adds sparkle and intelligibility to dull and muddy optical film sound. Both music and dialogue take on a fresh, bright
character when processed through the BBE 802.
Figure 6 shows the BBE 802 in a typical movie theater application inserted after the Dolby Surround Processor® directly
in front of the theater’s speaker power amplifiers. A four channel theater requires two BBE 802s while six channel houses
requires three BBE 802s.The “set and forget” adjustments on the BBE 802 mean the theater operator does not need to rely
on the projectionist for proper BBE'" operation.
Disco/Club
Figure 7 shows the BBE 802 in a disco club application. Usually, the same rules mentioned in live concert systems apply
but on a smaller scale. The ideal place to insert the BBE 802 is between the “main program buss out” and the master
volume control. Not all disco club mixers have this facility, so the next best place is at the power amplifier. The output of the
mixer feeds the BBE 802’s input and the output of the BBE'" feeds the power amplifier. The BBE 802 unit is set to
accommodate the loudest levels used.
The Controls
Operation of the BBE 802 is quite simple due to the sophisticated “smart” circuitry within the unit. Below are the names and
purposes of each control on the BBE 802.
Process Control
LED Stack
The process control regulates the amount of amplitude compensation as indicated by the LED
stack. Advancing the knob clockwise increases the amount of the BBE'" process.
Once set, the
BBE'" process is fully automatic and responds to the program material instantly and quietly.
Each channel is equipped with a set of LED indicators that instantly show the relative amount of
processing. In normal operation, the amber LED flashes alternately with the green LED. The red
LED lights up only on program peaks and indicates maximum processing. The “Clip" LED
indicates that the output of the BBE 802 has reached the maximum level.
Line Gain
Low Frequency
Level
Process In/Out
The Line Gain is a front panel screwdriver adjustment which sets the gain of the unit in process
mode. Fully clockwise is unity. Turning counterclockwise attenuates the output in process mode.
The low frequency level control is a front panel screwdriver adjustment which sets the low
frequency gain in the process mode from 10Hz to 200Hz. Fully counterclockwise setting of the
control is “flat” at 50Hz while Increasing the adjustment clockwise provides up to 6dBu of boost at
SOFIz. In many applications the boost in the low end balances out the processed audio.
The process in/out switch allows a quick comparison of processed with unprocessed sound.
When the switch is in, the green LED lights and indicates “process on”. When the switch is out,
the amber LED lights and indicates “process off”. In the “process off” mode the audio signal goes
through a single piece of wire and a set of sealed relay contacts — no noisy switches or pots.
Set-Up
The BBE 802 is connected into the audio chain in series with the signal path — the same way a graphic equalizer or limiter is
connected. The output of the mixer, pre-amp or tape recorder feeds the input of the BBE 802. The input level should fall within
the nominal range as outlined in the specifications.
Setting-up and using the BBE 802 as an echo send device like a digital reverb is not recommended. The processing effect
is not fully realized when the output of the BBE 802 is summed with the original source audio.