BBE Maxie 401 - Manual (Page 5)

Applications
Various applications of the BBE'“ process include:
Home Recording Studios
The BBE 401 gives a pro-edge to otherwise dull recordings on narrow-track width home recorders. Snare drums and
guitars take on a brighter tonal quality without equalization. Tape tracks recorded without BBE’” can be processed after the
tact by placing the BBE 401 between the tape track output and the mixer channel input. The BBE 401 saves poorly
recorded low-level instruments and brightens them without bringing up tape hiss as equalizers do. The program transients
are greatly improved on just about any sound source, because the BBE 401 reduces mid-range smear and associated
masking effects.
The BBE 401 acts as an active “direct" box so that high impedance microphones, guitars, basses or synthesizers can be
plugged directly into the mixer’s low impedance input. Conversely, the BBE 401 matches a low impedance microphone to a
high impedance input and provides the -t-24 volt phantom-power needed by condenser-type microphones. The BBE 401
is the perfect mic pre-amp for amplifying microphones to drive -lOdBu line levels.
Figures 1 shows the BBE 401 installed between a low-impedance microphone and the low impedance input of the mixing
console.
Figure 2 shows the BBE 401 installed between a line-out of the mixing console and the main program fader input. This
arrangement would apply the BBE’” process to the entire program mix.
Figure 3 shows the BBE 401 used as an active direct-box for matching high impedance musical instruments to low
impedance mixer inputs. The BBE’” process can be applied directly to the recording in this fashion.
Figure 4 shows the BBE 401 used as a mic pre-amp to bring a high impedance microphone up to -lOdBu line level for
direct recording on a home tape recorder.
Music and P.A. Systems
The BBE 401 has become a popular addition to many RA. systems because it can make a drastic improvement to the
clarity of the vocals without the usual excessive brightness associated with equalizers.
The BBE 401 is perfect for the traveling musician who wants to have BBE’” applied to the "house RA." without disrupting
the wiring installation. Figure 5 shows the BBE 401 inserted between the house microphone and the house mixer. This can
be done by the musician quickly and removed after the show just as quickly. The BBE 401 does not harm or alter the
settings on any existing system.
The BBE 401 is also perfect for podium sound systems since it can be added right at the podium itself without any
internal modifications to the podium’s amplifier. The BBE 401 allows better intelligibility with less volume. Figure 6 shows the
BBE 401 in a typical podium installation.
The BBE 401 is the ideal unit for applying the BBE’” process in situations where the sound system has no other insert
points or is permanently wired and cannot be modified. The BBE 401 also provides a universal method of matching any
microphone to any sound system.
Industrial
The BBE 401 greatly improves intelligibility in speech and music by improving the attack of the consonants that the
human ear needs in order to recognize the difference between like sounding words and syllables. This makes the BBE 401
a natural for public address, intercom or wide area dispersion of pre-recorded music or voice announcements over existing
old and dull loudspeaker systems.
Figure 7 shows the BBE 401 inserted between the telephone matching adapter and the auxiliary input to the public
address intercom amplifier. Since the BBE 401 has a microphone pre-amp, the BBE 401 is perfect for installation where the
RA. amplifier is inaccessible or prior installations have not allowed for future modifications to be carried out easily. Figure 8
shows the BBE 401 installed between the RA. microphone and the RA. amplifier.