Sonic Maximizer

[guitarrock04]

I would like to build a sonic maximizer clone. A bass player friend requested it of me, and looking into it, it isn't much more than an integrated circuit and power supply. Of course, the IC is a proprietary piece. I've found a couple examples posted elsewhere on the net of someone who emulated the circuit with simple op amps and components. My depth of knowledge isn't great enough to tell whether these schematics I've found are worthwhile substitutes or not.

The BBE IC, NJM2153, datasheet can be found here:

http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datasheet/newjapanradio/de04020.pdf

It gives a pretty good description of the circuit, but with no component values.

The substitute circuit I came across, intended for pedal use, is as follows:

Does anyone see any obvious hang ups? I would appreciate some expert opinions before I commit to building it. The main thing that's bothering me is the absence of a VCA that's stated in the IC block diagram. Maybe it isn't necessary, but I would like to get as close as possible to a discrete version of the original.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Andy Peters]

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Well, the usual suggestion over on the Live Audio Board about Sonic Maximizers is that you should remove them from your system and use them as wheel chocks.

-a

 

[clintrubber]

Whether you like the BBE-process or not, the given circuit is most likely not equivalent. Since it's realizing a static kind of processing; the 'original' is dynamic in nature (using some kind of gaincontrolling element, yep, the VCA-block in the datasheet you linked), so depending on the incoming signal (at least for the high-band; the low-band may be 'static').

Whether the net result for your situation is much different is obviously hard to say. The circuit you posted might be a nice addition to your signal chain
nevertheless. But 'different from BBE', but FWIW.


About the SM-process itself (as for all types of processing): don't add to much, but a little bit can be good.
I have two BBE-boxes myself, a stereo one for homerecording and it's been years ago that I used it.
But the other one (mono unit, a 411 IIRC) lives in my bass rig and is activated 100% of the time, adding just a modest but nice bit of 'there', 'presence', 'in your face' etc.

Bye,

  Peter     

 

[guitarrock04]

Maybe a THAT 4301 would be all that's necessary to bring it closer? It's a relatively expensive piece, but won't break the bank. If you're not familiar with it, it's an IC that includes both an RMS detector and vca all in one shot.

The njm2153 data sheet shows a peak detector triggering the vca, though. Would it really make that significant of a difference?

 

[clintrubber]

I guess it wouldn't bee to hard to come up with a circuit that does an alike job and
might be 'as good', but just different.

If your friend wants an exact clone though, it might be more cost effective (time, money) to go for an original.

Or who knows has TCDIGAPIC* already done the cloning    You might even be able to buy a box from them just to get the (inspired by) chip from & then continue to DIY ...

Regards,

  Peter



(*: The Company 'Designing' In Germany And Producing In China )

 

[mhelin]

Isn't the NJM2153 available anymore? Wonder which chip this Behringer then uses:
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/SU9920.aspx

Well, that page seems to be broken, it points to SU9920 but tells about SX3040.

Manual is here anyway:
http://www.behringerdownload.de/SU9920/SU9920_EN_Rev_A_web.pdf

 

[tv]

http://www.coolaudio.com/products.html

scroll down to "V2153".

 

[mhelin]

http://www.coolaudio.com/products.html

scroll down to "V2153".

Functionally compatible and RoHS compliant thanks to you!

Too bad they don't supply functionally compatible AD797's. The 2SV888 looks interesting though, isn't it functionally compliant 2SB737? - No, the datasheet mentions 2SA970GR at the end..

 

[guitarrock04]

I've come across Cool Audio already, but they have no distributor in the states. There's a minimum order quantity of 1,000 which is pretty far removed from the one that I need.

Their Japanese distributor was a little internet store that sold kits and components for effects pedals, and I emailed him about some samples, but have yet to hear anything.

 

[clintrubber]

I've come across Cool Audio already, but they have no distributor in the states. There's a minimum order quantity of 1,000 which is pretty far removed from the one that I need.

Getting that rackunit then still the most economic way, but still overpriced for what you want.
As I suggested above, one of their cheap plastic pedals could have been a better way to get such a chip, but
to my surprise they don't have a BBE-kind of clone in their pedal-FX format, and no BOSS EH-2 clone neither.

Lots of other cheap VCAs around though, but as said, you'll have to do some more work. If you're not necessarily needing the solder fumes, then don't let your bass playing friend forget to look for a second hand BBE-unit, that might be the best spending of time & money.

Bye,

  Peter

 

[Dave_B]

I've come across Cool Audio already, but they have no distributor in the states. There's a minimum order quantity of 1,000 which is pretty far removed from the one that I need.

Smallbear is a reseller, but I'm struggling to find any Cool Audio products on his site. 

 

[Steven]

See: http://www.radio-flier.com/PDF%20Files/BBE%20482i.pdf
and http://www.radio-flier.com/bbe_data.htm
and http://www.bbesound.com/pdfs/482i_manual.pdf (contains circuit diagram with 2153)

Steven

 

[clintrubber]

Nice find !  And welcome here, nice first posting!

 

[guitarrock04]

I emailed Steve at SmallBear, and he said that he doesn't normally carry the V2153. However, he offered that he had an order in with Cool Audio right now and was going to ask them to include some samples. We'll see how it pans out.

 

[guitarrock04]

Radio-flier.com's interpretation of the circuit is essentially a redraw of what's in the NJM2153 datasheet. The patent numbers he gives though, were very interesting. There was an alternative circuit built with a vactrol instead of a vca that looked rather interesting.

Though the IC would probably be the easiest and most cost effective means of building this, I'm leaning more towards building a discrete version, so that I can get started on building it, for one, but mainly in the ability to tweak to my liking.

If I see it correctly, the VCA controls the higher freq portion of the processing, correct? So I'm trying to get a grasp on what peak vs. rms detection would do for me. RMS VCA control sounds more natural, so my first inclination would be to use it. The THAT 4301P that I would use also uses rms detection, so that makes it more convenient as well, though it doesn't take much to configure it as a peak detector. The original circuit, however, uses peak.

Any thoughts?

 

[clintrubber]

Hi,

Most likely you want to implement peak-detection anyway, otherwise you'll forever be wondering how peak would sound when only having RMS 

Just based on feelings (& the validity of the existence of boxes like the SPL transient designer),
one would expect that RMS & peak would sound differently.

Bye,

  Peter