During its 50 years of evolution, the electric bass guitar has become the soul of modern music styles. Bass is the instrument that gives a band it’s attitude and confidence by setting the musical structure through driving grooves, mellow sounds and hypnotic rhythms. While often overlooked by casual listeners, if the bass track were to be lifted out of your favorite songs, the music would suddenly sound thin and unappealing.

Even before the Leo Fender invented the first popular electric bass guitar in 1951, the upright bass was laying down low pulsing lines that were more felt than heard. Today however, bass guitar has carved a very important role in all styles of music. It is now meant to be heard as well as felt. Because of this, volume and tone play very important roles in defining the bass sounds that drive successful bands forward, either on stage or in the studio. One of the best ways to get great tone is through the use of a bass guitar preamplifier. One of the best bass preamps on the market is BBE Sound's BMAX-t.

The BMAX-T



A good bass preamplifier can make a huge difference in your sound whether you use it with a bass amplifier, or go direct into a mixing board. A good preamplifier will also give you the ability to find your niche in the mix without stepping on other instruments. Fortunately, BBE Sound realized that very few preamplifiers on the market were centered around the needs of the bass guitar, so they set out to built two great units. The culmination of their efforts resulted in the BMAX and the BMAX-t. The BMAX is a solid state preamplifier, while the BMAX-t has a tube driving the front end. Both are great depending on your personal preferences, but for this review we are going to look at the BMAX-t.

The BMAX-t is a tube preamp built specifically for the bass guitar player who is looking for versatility in sound and in output configuration. It is designed around the classic tube sound of the 50’s and 60’s. The BMAX-t comes in a single rack space with a black faceplate. The red abalone knobs round out the great looks of this unit. It also includes several exclusive features that make it stand out from other bass preamps on the market. Lets take a look at some of these features:

Inputs: The BMAX-t gives you the option of two separate inputs. One is for bass guitars with passive electronics while the other is for bass guitars with active electronics. These inputs are individually preconfigured to give you the optimum performance based on your personal bass guitar set up.

Outputs: You get your choice of a balanced XLR DI output for going direct into a mixing board or recording device, as well as an unbalanced ¼" TRS output for going to a power amp or amplifier. You can also run a tuner on the TRS output while at the same time going to the mixer or recording device with the XLR output. The point is, you have plenty of routing options to work with.

EQ Section: The equalizer section on the BMAX-t is divided into two sections. You get the basic section with "bass", "mids", and "treble", with a twist. These controls interact with each other so that each adjustment of one control will affect the others controls to a degree. This is also known as an "interactive EQ". The "bass" and "treble" are mainly boost controls, while the "mids" works more as a cut control.

The BMAX-t also features a separate EQ section called the "Para-mids". This section gives you even more tonal possibilities in the area of 250hz – 1000hz. This is a very important part of your bass guitars frequency range, so more control in this area gives you better ability to control the bass sound in the overall mix.

Compressor: Compression plays a very important role in a bass players rig. Since so much sonic energy comes from percussion and bass, compression tames these frequencies so that the higher frequencies to not get completely overrun. The BMAX-t includes a high quality and easy to use photo optical "soft-knee" compressor. This compressor really evens out the sound levels while giving you an easy roll off once compression kicks in at the threshold. Compression is also a great way to add sustain to a bass guitar. The optical compressor can be turned on or off either by the switch on the front panel or with an optional foot switch.

Sonic Maximizer: The BMAX-t sports a built full featured Sonic Maximizer. Used as an extension of the tone controls, the Sonic Maximizer will give your bass sound more punch and clarity. It does this by time aligning all the frequencies of the bass so they arrive at the ears of the listener at the same time.

If you have never used a Sonic Maximizer, you are in for a real treat. You will for the first time hear the full potential of your bass guitars amplified sound. The Sonic Maximizer can be turned on or off either by the switch on the front panel, or with the optional foot switch. This in and of itself is a huge feature of the BMAX-t since you do not have to pay for an additional Sonic Maximizer device or sacrifice additional rack space.

The controls are fairly straightforward and very smooth. The switches are a little small yet they felt solid and they are partially recessed into the faceplate giving them added protection from accidental bumps.

Other features of the BMAX-t include:

¨ All tube Class A front-end
¨ Hand-selected premium quality Groove Tubes 12AX7
¨ Jensen transformer balanced DI
¨ Custom toroidal transformer
¨ 1meg ohm input impedance
¨ Ground lift switch
¨ Balanced XLR and ¼" TRS outputs
¨ Military-spec circuit boards
¨ Extra thick , extra wide circuit board traces for unequaled electron flow
¨ 1% metal film resistors throughout
¨ Solid ¼" thick aluminum extrusion front panel

The Sound Test

For the sound test I tried running the BMAX-t direct through the Mackie Onyx 1220, and I also tried running through a 100 watt bass combo amplifier.

One of the first things I noticed is how this unit add no noticable noise to the signal. This is very important in the studio, as any external noise can ruin the very best of recordings. This is especially important in todays digital recording arena where noise artifacts can be artificially magnified.

The tube sound was very warm and could go from creamy smooth to downright raunchy and everything in between. Once you have tried a tube sound on the bass guitar, you will be hooked. This is a great way to get the true tube sound without paying for a high dollar bass tube amplifier.

I was extremely impressed by the amount of tonal control I had at my fingertips with the versatile EQ section. I was able to really tweak my sound using the extra "Para-mids" control. When used with the 3-band interactive EQ, this control added more precision than any stand alone bass amplifier or head that I have ever used.

I've used the Sonic Maximizer before so I though I knew what to expect. However, since I've never used on with a bass I was again unprepared! The bass sound seemed so much more clear and vibrant and heavy. It added the definition and punch I needed to cut through the mix without overshadowing the other instruments in the mix. I use the Sonic Maximizer on all instruments I play, so having it added to the BMAX-t is a definite plus in my book. The clarity in sound will absolutely blow you away.

Closing Thoughts

I remember the first time I ever plugged into a BBE product. BBE first earned my respect as a musician with their Sonic Maximizer. Since then we have had the pleasure of reviewing other BBE products, and that earned respect has held true. The BBE BMAX-t is perfect for stage and studio. It is a wonderful option for the bass player working through a PA or mixing board who does not the hassle of lugging around a heavy amp. The BMAX-T has enough tone and control to work by itself directly into a recording console.

Don't just take my word for it, the BMAX is on tour with bass players like Cristian Hernandez (onesidezero), Mark "The Animal" Mendoza (Twisted Sister), and Robertino Pagliairi (OHM). Outside of the bass world, you never have to look far to find BBE products. From small nightclubs to world tours, BBE has been changing the way we listen to music. The BMAX-t finally gives the bass player the chance to have a place in this new music world.

The BMAX-t is now a part of my personal bass rig, and I highly recommend it to any bass player that is looking for a versatile preamp for studio or stage. The BMAX-t is made in the USA and comes with a full 5 year warranty. I would be doing a huge injustice if I did not give this product the "Guitar Gear Heads Approved" award as well as the "Rig Ready" award.



Gary Allen

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Guitar Gear Heads is a division of Allen & Halberg Publishing, Inc.