BBE Sound D82 Sonic Maximizer

User Manual

Version 2.0
INTRODUCTION 01 - User Manual / Table of Contents.... 02 - End User License Agreement.... 03 - Introduction / The BBE Process.... AUTHORIZATION 04 - Authorization - iLok USB Smart Key... 05 - Authorization - Hard Disk - Challenge/Response... 06 - Authorization - DEMO (Hard Disk only)... SOFTWARE 07 - BBE Sound Presets Format..... 08 - D82 Sonic Maximizer Plug-In... 09 - Usage and Tips.... 10 - System Requirements.... 11 - Known Issues.....
BBE Sound Inc. 5381 Production Drive Huntington Beach CA 92649, USA
Terms of use and License Agreement for BBE Sound Inc. Software END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT ("EULA") FOR BBE Sound Inc. SOFTWARE Please read this document carefully , and accept the following End User License Agreement. By downloading, installing, and/or using BBE Sound Inc.Professional Audio Products, you agree to be bound by this Agreement. 1): DEFINITIONS This License Agreement ("Agreement") is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and BBE Sound Inc. ("BBE Sound Inc.") for the BBE Sound Inc.product accompanying this Agreement, which includes computer software and may include associated media, printed materials, and "online" or electronic materials(collectively the "Software"). By exercising your rights to make and use copies of the Software, you agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement. If you do not agree to the terms of this Agreement, you may not use the Software. The Software is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. The Software is licensed, not sold. 2): LICENSE. You may install and use a copy of the SOFTWARE, or in its place, any prior version for the same operating system, on a single computer. The DEMO VERSION of the SOFTWARE is NOT LICENSED FOR COMMERCIAL USE. 3): COPYRIGHTS: All title and copyrights in and to the SOFTWARE (including but not limited to any images, photographs, animations, video, audio, music, text, and "applets" incorporated into the SOFTWARE), the accompanying printed materials are and shall remain the property of BBE Sound Inc., and BBE Sound Inc.owns any copies of the SOFTWARE. Copyright laws and international treaty provisions protect the SOFTWARE. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of the SOFTWARE or documentation is subject to civil and criminal penalties. 4): RESTRICTIONS: You may not transfer, modify, rent, lease, loan, resell, distribute, network, electronically transmit or merge the SOFTWARE. You may not reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the SOFTWARE, or otherwise attempt to discover the SOFTWARE source code. You are not permitted to copy the SOFTWARE or any of the accompanying documentation. 5): AUTHORIZATION CODE: The "BBE Sound Inc.Products" only functions when you are in the possession of an authorization code. You will receive an authorization code upon completing the authorization code request procedure. Once your authorization code is activated, you may use the product. 6): DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The SOFTWARE is provided "AS IS" and without warranty of any kind. The entire risk arising out of the use or performance of the SOFTWARE and documentation remains with user. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, BBE Sound Inc.further disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and tness for a particular purpose, with regard to the SOFTWARE, and any accompanying hardware. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall BBE Sound Inc.be liable for any consequential, incidental, direct, indirect, special, punitive, or other damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business prots, business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of this EULA or the use of or inability to use the SOFTWARE, even if BBE Sound Inc.has been advised of the possibility of such damages. VIOLATION OF COPYRIGHT. If you violate the copyright of any third party or parties in the process of creating a copyrighted work, you agree that the copyright on your work is invalidated, forfeited, null and void. VIOLATION OF OTHER LICENSE. You may not violate the license agreement, in whole or in part, of this software or any software or software component required for using the Software. You agree to allow BBE Sound Inc.to verify compliance by any means. 7): GENERAL: This Agreement is the complete and exclusive statement of the mutual understanding of the parties and supersedes any other agreement relating to the Software. This Agreement shall be construed pursuant to the laws of the State of California and the United States without regard to the conict of laws provisions thereof and without regard to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. To the extent that US law is applicable, the restriction on reverse engineering is limited to prohibit such activity to the maximum extent without violating the US Directive on the legal protection on computer programs. No waiver of any breach of any provision of this Agreement shall constitute a waiver of any prior, concurrent or subsequent breach of the same or any other provisions hereof, and no waiver shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by an authorized representative of BBE Sound Inc. If any portion hereof is found to be void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. BBE Sound Inc. 5381 Production Drive Huntington Beach CA 92649, USA

Introduction

For years professional musicians and engineers alike have used the Sonic Maximizer to professional sound and extra sparkle that is so difcult to capture. Now you can access BBE processing technology within the digital domain. BBE Sound advanced sonic processing technology and proprietary algorithms have allowed us to create a plugin that boasts the following features: High quality signal processing algorithms Full Automation for all parameters PC and Mac OS X Easy-to-use modern interface. Windows XP / Vista32 and Mac OS X (Intel & PPC) supported VST, AU and RTAS supported 24 bit / 192 kHz supported

The BBE Process

Loudspeakers have difculty working with the electronic signals supplied by an amplier. These difculties cause such major phase and amplitude distortion that the sound reproduced by speaker differs signicantly from the sound produced by the original source. In the past, these problems proved unsolvable and were thus relegated 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 dene 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 rst 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 difcult 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. With 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 Ofce.

Authorization / iLok USB Smart Key
What is an iLok? The iLok smart key enables you to carry all of your software licenses with you wherever you go using a single key. iLok is portable, convenient and hassle free. Use your software at home, at the ofce, at a studio, or at a friend's house.
Here's how it works: 1. Register online with us (Digital ID or Activation code required) 2. We will transfer your authorization to your iLok.com account. (require 24 hours) 3. You'll download your authorization from your iLok account to your iLok smart key. Congratulation!, you can now use the software you bought wherever you go by using your iLok key. Once registered online with us, we will deliver your license authorization electronically to your iLok.com account. Please follow the steps below to request an iLok authorization. 1) Go to http://nomadfactory.com/register/register_ilok.html to register online with us. 2) On the registration page, enter your Digital ID (product activation code or serial number) in the Digital ID eld, enter your iLok User ID in the iLok User ID (your iLok login name) eld and complete all required elds, when ready, click 'Submit' NOTE: Allow us 24 hours to transfer your license authorization to your iLok account. 3) After receiving an email from us saying that your authorization is ready to be downloaded, go to http://ilok.com to download your authorization to your iLok key. SUPPORT via email: http://www.nomadfactory.com/support/index.html
Authorization / Hard Disk - Challenge Response
REGISTRATION Purchasing the license will result in the user receiving a product serial number (Digital ID). This number will enable the user to Register and Authorize the product via our online system accessible from : http://www.nomadfactory.com/register_challenge/index.html. AUTHORIZATION Once registered online with us, this software can be authorized by using the response code to your challenge. The Authorizer application is used for generating the challenge code authorization request. CHALLENGE / RESPONSE: 1) Launch the Authorizer application, when the Authorization window appears, click 'Authorize' 2) Copy the Challenge code. You will need to paste it in the Registration web page.
3) Go to http://www.nomadfactory.com/register_challenge/index.html to register the FULL version online with us. 4) Paste your Challenge code in the Challenge Code eld, enter your digital ID in the Digital ID eld and complete all required elds, when ready, on the registration page click 'Submit' 5) Your Response Code will be displayed immediately on screen and will be additionally sent to your email address. 6) Copy the Response Code and paste it into the Authorizer application. Click Next, and then Finish. Congratulations! Your disk is now authorized. SUPPORT via email: http://www.nomadfactory.com/support/index.html

Authorization / DEMO Hard Disk - Challenge Response
DEMONSTRATION This software will work for a 15 day demo period with full functionality. The demo will only run one time per machine. After the demo has expired, you must fully authorize the product in order to continue using the plug-ins, otherwise, use the Uninstaller.commandto uninstall the software. AUTHORIZATION Once registered online with us, this software can be authorized by using the response code to your challenge. The Authorizer application is used for generating the challenge code authorization request. CHALLENGE / RESPONSE: 1) Launch the Authorizer application, when the Authorization window appears, click 'Authorize' 2) Copy the Challenge code. You will need to paste it in the Registration web page.
3) Go to http://nomadfactory.com/register/demo_reg.html to register the DEMO version online with us. 4) Paste your Challenge code in the Challenge Code field and complete all required fields, when ready, on the registration page click 'Submit' 5) Your Response Code will be displayed immediately on screen and will be additionally sent to your email address. 6) Copy the Response Code and paste it into the Authorizer application. Click Next, and then Finish. Congratulations! Your disk is now authorized. SUPPORT via email: http://www.nomadfactory.com/support/index.html

Universal Presets

Pressing the 'Preset button' menu will open the Plug-In menu:
The D82 plug-in utilizes a Universal Exchange platform, this platform enables the user recall their saved presets in any of the supported hosts: AU, RTAS and VST. For this reason you will not use the standard presets protocol when working in the AU, RTAS and VST environments.
About 'the plug-in name' Will display information about the plug-in as well as the version number. Save Presets: Allows saving presets in the BBE/Nomad Factory le format to the disk for both Mac and PC platforms. - Save New Preset As : - Save Current Preset : Presets will be saved into: Macintosh OS X: /Library/Application Support/BBE Sound/Plug-in Settings/The Plugin Name/00-User Presets : Windows XP/Vista: \Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\BBE Sound\Plug-in Settings\The Plugin Name\00-User Presets: Load Presets: Allows loading factory and 'saved' presets Others: If you are connected to the Internet, using this menu will launch a browser and will navigate to the BBE Nomad Factory website pages. Allows you to type the preset name to be saved. Current preset will be overwritten.

D82 Sonic Maximizer Controls
The interface of the D82 Sonic Maximizer plugin stays true to the analog BBE units in form and functionality with a few minor exceptions to improve usability. The plugin has five controls: BBE FUNCTION: This is a bypass button. This push-button switch allows for quick comparison between processed and unprocessed sound. When the switch is pushed in, the process is on and the indicator LED is green. When the switch is out, the process is off and the indicator LED is yellow. THE KNOBS: Click the mouse pointer on the desired knob, and drag the mouse to modify the knob setting LO CONTOUR: This regulates the amount of phase corrected bass frequencies. PROCESS: This regulates the amount of phase corrected treble frequencies. OUTPUT LEVEL: This control is unique to the plugin version of the D82 Sonic Maximizer. It does not appear on the hardware unit. It is simply available to allow the user to adjust the output level of the processed signal. The knob is needed to allow the user to reduce the signal to avoid clipping in highsignal level situations. LED DISPLAY: The LED display is used to indicate the output signal level of the BBE D82 Sonic Maximizer (i.e. output level of the processed signal.) Each number on the front panel corresponds to the output signal level, measured in decibels. Example: The 0 indicates a 0dBFs signal level, -6 refers to -6dBFs, and so on. Once an input signal level has been established, increasing the BBE PROCESS and LO CONTOUR will increase the output signal and cause more LEDs to illuminate. The Clip LED monitors the output signal level. The Clip LED will illuminate when the signal is greater than 0dBFs.

Plugin Usage and Tips

The BBE D82 Sonic Maximizer plugin is designed to be used as an insert type effect and should be configured into the effects chain in series with the signal path the same way a graphic equalizer or limiter would be connected. In other words, the entire signal should pass through the plugin. Setting up the BBE D82 Sonic Maximizer as an echo send or AUX device like a digital reverb is not recommended, as the processed effect is not fully realized when summed with the original source audio. The plugin can be used as an effect on individual tracks or applied overall during mixdown. The BBE process dramatically improves the clarity and intelligibility of vocals and musical instruments in a track insert situation. As a global effect, the BBE Process will add more depth, detail and punch over the entire mix. When using in conjunction with an equalizer, the D82 Sonic Maximizer should be added after the equalizer in the signal chain. In the event that the equalizer is being used for drastic tone alteration, then insert the Sonic Maximizer before the equalizer in the signal chain. Placement either before or after an equalizer should have no negative effect on its processing ability, however most users find they prefer more modest use of their equalizers once the BBE D82 Sonic Maximizer has been added to their sound systems. Several presets have been provided to get you started using the D82 Sonic Maximizer, however, there is no right way to it. Simply adjust the settings to determine what sounds right to you. We believe that you can never have enough Sonic Maximizing!. The D82 Sonic Maximizer does not generate new harmonic material, as many other types of audio enhancers do. Rather, it corrects the phase shift and distortion that happens naturally when the sound is reproduced by the speakers. Because the BBE process is unique, you can use the plugin with other sonic enhancer products you may have. Even though the plugin was calibrated with several different Sonic Maximizer units, there may be a discrepancy between the levels of an actual BBE unit and the levels of the plugin. Such variations are normal because of the slight differences that exist in the potentiometers and analog nature of the Sonic Maximizer. The plugin LEDs will provide an accurate visual representation of what is happening with the processed signal in most software applications. However, with some applications, or when preview mode is used, the LED levels may not correspond because the applications route audio signals through the plugin before sending the actual result out to the sound card. The meters on the D82 Sonic Maximizer react to the signal that is currently being processed, not the signal that is coming out of the sound card. This works fine in real-time processing situations, because the sound is sent out the sound card immediately after processing. However, when an application buffers up large amounts of audio, and there is latency before it sends the results out the sound card (e.g. for an offline preview), the meters will react out of synch from what is heard. This is not a defect in the design of the D82 Sonic Maximizer plugin, but rather how host applications handle the processing of the data.

Supported Host Applications and System Requirements
Macintosh AU, RTAS, VST - Universal Binaries Macintosh G4, G5 and Intel Macs with Mac OS 10.3.9 or later, 512 MB RAM, 1027 x 768 screen resolution, high quality audio interface with sample rates from 44 kHz to 192 kHz. Windows RTAS, VST Intel Pentium III or Pentium IV system with Windows XP/Vista32, 512 MB RAM, 1024 x 768 screen resolution, high quality audio interface with sample rates from 44 kHz to 192 kHz. Sequencers and sound editors compatible with AU, RTAS, VST plug-ins, such as : - Copyrights and trademarks are held by their respective holders. - Cubase SE/SL/SX - Nuendo - V-STack - Acid Pro - Logic Audio - Digital Performer - Sonar - Sound Forge - Cool Edit Pro - Melodyne - Peak - Live - Pro Tools - Audio Hijack Pro - Rax - Kore - AU Lab - Final Cut Pro - Soundtrack Pro - WaveBurner - Garage Band - n-Track Studio - Adobe Audition - Tracktion - DSP-Quattro - Sagan Metro and any audio application that fully supports one of the above mentioned plug-in standards.

Known Issues

RTAS (Mac and Windows): - Some parameters are not displayed correctly in control surfaces, check the GUI to adjust the parameter correctly, this is reproductable on switch selectors and menus. Audio Units: - Automation is not reliable with menus. It does not write/read the menu selection correctly. VST: (Windows) - Mouse Wheel controls doesn't work.
FOR SUPPORT AND ALL OTHER TECHINICAL QUESTIONS: Please use the following link: http://nomadfactory.com/support/index.html D82 Sonic Maximizer Copyright 2008 BBE Sound Inc. BBE Sound, Inc. 5381 Production Drive Huntington Beach, California 92649 USA

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technology. Developed by inventor Bob Crooks, the technology addressed the phase and amplitude distortion inherent to loud speakers. Crooks' circuit automatically compensated for these problems, allow ing speakers to more faithfully repro duce amplified sound. "I went to hear a demonstration of the circuit, not expect ing much," John recalls, "but the clarity and detail in the sound made the hairs on my neck stand up, As a musician, 1 knew immediately that this was something special." By then the company had already con sumed nearly all of the venture capital funds originally invested, but John took over the company in 1985, renamed it BBE Sound to better distinguish it from the Barcus Berry company, and invested his own money while raising additional outside capital. John's son, Dave, who joined BBE in 1993 and is now execu tive vice president, recalls, "It was a tough period, as the company didn't have a chip small enough for licensing and there was only a home audio proces sor sold through a direct mail campaign with ads in the back of aUdiophile mag azines." John reasoned that the people who would embrace the technology's concept were musicians, so he had the device repackaged into two rack-mount models, With his extensive network of contacts in m.i" he was able to get the products established fairly quickly, By 1987 there was finally a single channel chip ready to be licensed. With dogged persistence John convinced Aiwa, then a part of Sony, to incorporate the BBE High Definition Sound circuit
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IN AUDIO, A FEEDBACK loop is typi cally viewed as a situation to be avoided, but that's precisely the goal at BBE Sound. Located in Huntington Beach, California, BBE Sound has created a unique promotional feedback' loop among its signal processing products for musicians and studios, its G&L electric guitar line, and its audio technologies licensed to consumer electronics manu facturers whereby the company's brand image in each market compounds and fortifies its marketing impact in the other commercial sectors. A music products industry veteran since 1959, BBE Chairman and CEO John McLaren left his native Manchester, England, to work at Steinway Hall in New York before relocating to California to join Yamaha. After rising over the next 16, years to senior executive vice presi dent, in the 1981 he left Yamaha to accept a challenging appointment as president ofthe CBS Musical Instrument Division, which at the time included Steinway, Fender, Rhodes and other illustrious brand~. Among the noted Yamaha executives' who would follow him were Bill Schultz and Ed Rizzuto. But within a few years John grew disiJlu

sioned with the parent company's appar ent lack of passion and dedication to its m.i. businesses, and on his 50th birthday he quit CBS. Following a brief interlude of publishing the McLaren Report, an industry newsletter, John was introduced to Barcus Berry Electronics. A spin-off of the original Barcus Berry transducer manufacturer, the company was formed in 1984 to license sound enhancement
l-iere:~ a tip-~top leaVing money on the tabl
"Sonic Maximizers are great because making the sale is as easy as the pushing a button. "
Clay Bailey, owner Bailey Bros. Music Montgomery, AL
P~ofitabl~ restaurants pump up the average meal tab and fatten margin' Wlth,lu~clous dessert treats. Profitable music dealers do it wi.th SSE Sonic ~axlmlzers. T~eY're irresist!ble to customers once they hear the big Improvement In sound quality that only a Sonic Maximizer can provide.
"I love Sonic Maximizers
because my average sale goes up every time I sell one. "
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It's, easy as pie. Have a Sonic Maximizer on demo in every department: gUitar, bass, keyboards, recording, PA and OJ. Don't let a customer le8v the store without a demo, and make sure you've got good stock of SOil (,
Maximizers, 'cause YOU'll be selling them like hotcakes.

BBE PROFIT FACTS:

Sonic Maximizers are the best "plus sale" item in your store Everybody is a customer for a Sonic Maximizer Easy to demo: Just punch the "SSE Process" button and get ready to ring the register POW~rfUI national advertising and editorial coverage in major musIc and pro audio magazines. ~reat word-of-mouth references from your customers help you
nng up even more sales of SSE Sonic Maximizers

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"It's the only product I sell by turning it off. It's so easy"
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"BBE makes any gear sound better, but more importantly,
every customer who walks through my front door is a potential BBE sale. "
Ryan Clement, Manno r Grandma's MUIlI,: Albuquerque, NM

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5381 Production Drive, Huntington Beach, California 92649, USA

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into its mini-component stereo systems. Per John's advice, Aiwa marketed the feature aggressively in its print and tele vision advertising, stressing that BBE technology, used by musicians and sound professionals around the world, was now available to consumers in home audio. Aiwa's sales, profits, and stock price soared, and its annual report cited BBE High Definition Sound as a major con tributor to the company's turnaround. Consumer electronics companies licens ing BBE sound improvement technology now include Alpine, Clarion, JYC, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sony, Philips, Pioneer, Sanyo, Sharp, and Toshiba. Its semiconductor partners who produce chip devices incorporating BBE tech nologies include Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Toshiba, and Yamaha, among others. "With the launch of the BBE 802 and 402 Sonic Maximizers, the sales effort desperately needed more muscle," John recalls. "In 1988 Rob Rizzuto came on board and put his relentless drive and charisma to work, quickly ramping up sales. Dealers and reps thought of the Sonic Maximizer as a marvelous, but

esoteric, device, but Rob showed them how it could be one of the easiest high margin add-on sales a dealer can make." Rob's success, however, presented chal lenges of another sort. "The technology was still in its infancy," Dave explains, "and the early pro m.i. units had some performance and reliability issues." Fortunately, in 1990 Paul Gagon, who brought engineering experience from CBS and Fender, came on board and dra matically improved the products." Though sales were growing, so were expenses. Faced with the difficulty of supporting the company with just two products, John pushed for expansion. With a wealth of guitar industry experi ence in the company, John had several conversations with Leo Fender about buying G&L Musical Instruments in nearby Fullerton. "Each time we got close to doing a deal," recalls John, "Leo backed off, confiding, 'This is what keeps me alive.'" Following Leo's death in 1991, his wife, Phyllis, sold G&L to BBE because she believed BBE would help G&L achieve the level of success Leo had dreamed of. Today, Phyllis
remains honorary chair of G&L. "For years Leo had been injecting cash to keep G&L going," Dave recalls. "Though we were thrilled at the opportu nity, it was a daunting challenge because we couldn't continue to absorb the loss es as Leo had. We had to move fast." But with diligence and marketing savvy, G&L became a success for BBE Sound on many levels. BBE gained sales vol ume and strength with reps and dealers because G&L guitars were sold largely through the same distribution channels as BBE's m.i. products. Economies of scale were realized in everything from electronic components to advertising space. Also, having a glamorous guitar company helped accel erate the popularity of BBE Sonic Maximizers among artists. Dave explains, "G&L's fine instruments natu rally attract artist endorsements, which provides opportunities to introduce more artists to the BBE products. This further enhances the reputation of our brand and the technologies we license to the con sumer electronic industry. Today, mil lions of musicians and sound profession
als around the world love what BBE does for their sound, and these people have wide spheres of influence. Undoubtedly, the synergy with G&L has played an important role." Dave adds, "Managers at consumer electronics companies appreciate that BBE is immersed in the music commu nity, building beautiful instruments that inspire musicians, making equipment that heightens the thrill of live perform ances and captures more nuance and detail in recorded works. By the nature of our activities, the message heard by the licensees is, 'Who would know more about sound than these people?''' This "validation by association" is reciprocal. As many of the world's lead ing consumer electronics manufacturers have licensed BBE technology, BBE's credibility is strengthened in pro audio and m.i. markets. Recognizing the huge potential in this "feedback loop," BBE's goal is to achieve a level of brand recog nition comparable to what Ray Dolby accomplished with his noise reduction technology. "The difference," John adds, "is that BBE technologies can be used

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anywhere there is amplified sound. The market potential is limitless." BBE has also begun seeing its develop ment of products for consumer electron ics lead to promising products for the m.i. market. Recently it began licensing a new technology designed to improve the quality of compressed MP3 audio. "MP3 compression removes 'pixels' from the audio picture," Dave explains. "We've developed BBE MP technology that examines what's left after MP3 com pression and generates additional infor mation to replace the missing material,
making the sound richer and fuller. This technology will be of particular interest to the growing number of mobile and nightclub DJs who are working with MP3." He adds that today's car Ilidio market is influenced by hip-hop 'ulllll , " so the DJs and remix artists wh< II l BBE sound enhancement processors w; II be significant to the brand's car audit, licensees. Several years ago BBE's managemenl team resolved to grow the BBE brand in the m.i. market by venturing into areal'; that, in Dave's words, "are a significant departure from BBE's high-tech prod ucts. For example, an analog guitar pedal is very old technology. We've got this team with so much personal experience with pedals that once we came to terms with our high-tech brand doing low-tech products, a torrent of creativity was unleashed." Having solved technological challenges that hampered an effort in the early '90s to produce a Sonic Maximizer pedal, BBE introduced a successful foot pedal version called the Sonic Stomp in 2005, opening the door for the company to develop a full range of effects pedals.

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The line now includes 15 products, and more are nearly ready for market. Meanwhile, BBE's range of high-tech products continues to grow. In response to the substantial migration of recording industry from hardware to software, BBE recently introduced the D82 Sonic Maximizer, the company's latest plug-in
version of its signature 482i. And the company is close to launching a suite of sound enhancement plug-ins employing some of the DSP codes developed for the licensing program. "Without revealing too much," says Dave, "BBE will soon be introducing "a proliferation of plug ins."
As has been the case since John McLaren took BBE's helm in 1985, the dynamic "feedback loop" among the company's multifaceted interests contin ues to fuel growth and innovation.

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B.G. FRANCK BICHON
Building a recession-proof business around high-fashion accessories
QUITE POSSIBLY THE ONLY manu facturer to elevate musical accessories to a fashion statement, BO Franck Bichon occupies prime territory in one of the industry's most recession-proof segments. In the weeks leading up to Musikmesse 2009, the Lyon, France based company was looking to main tain its advantage with a number of new products and an aggressive game plan. "Our answer to the global reces sion is to stay on the attack: more shows, more advertisement, action on FaceBook, new packaging, and new products for now and 201Q," says founder and President Franck Bichon. Nearly 25 years since launching its stylish small goods line, BG is carrying over its artistic concept into new pack aging to be showcased in Frankfurt. "You buy with your eyes," says Franck. "Just as you can be attracted to a person before knowing him or her, the same is true of packaging. You aim to be the most eye-catching and the best-looking." With a space-saving design, BG's new packaging allows dealers to stock, for instance, twice as many of its instrument swabs in a given footprint. All packaging can be opened and reclosed without damaging it, allowing customers to examine the product for quality before they buy. Supplementary dealer materials have also been updated and distilled, with product information expressed in easy to-understand charts and bullet points. "Simplicity is actually the hardest thing to do in design and marketing," says Franck. "There is always so much to show, to say! But with this 'less is more' approach, dealers don't need to waste time sifting through longwinded explanations to find the model they including a "Best Of' collection for each version-each of which repre sents a 15% discount on the individual purchase of the products it contains. "BO is always full of new projects, but we must also focus on existing lines," says Franck. "In these economic times, accessories are what dealers turn to." Plans for a wave of products to be released for BO's 25th anniversary in 2010 have been kept close to the vest, although the company has prean nounced a new classical sax mouth piece design-to be pre-introduced at the World Saxophone Congress in Bangkok this July-and new "DIVA" hybrid. reeds. Both products were developed by Franck's father, wood wind expert Serge Bichon. "DIVA is a unique concept, mixing natural fiber (no cane) and synthetic material," says Franck. "We are offering an alternative between natural cane and synthetic reeds." This year marks the start of a mer chandising campaign highlighting the company's distinctive interlocking "BO" logo. Where other companies propagate their names and logos with complimentary pens and keychains, BG features musically relevant give aways including sample pad driers and glass cleaners made from the microfi bre used in BO's instrument swabs and care cloths. In a particularly luxurious offering, the company will hand out branded scarves in the designer-quality silk used in its swabs, key covers, and instrument cushions. "Why should we offer pens when we don't sell pens?" says Franck. "The only things we offer as giveaways are products that musicians can buy later in shops. When musicians carry our

Franck Bichon

want to stock." Among the BG products slated to appear at Musikmesse are new microfi bre "cozies" used to protect instru ments from dust-either for musicians who leave their instruments on a stand between sets or practice sessions, or for dealers who want to ward off dust collection on the merchandise when they close their stores at night or over weekends. New instrument warmers in silk and polar fleece insulate instru ments from extreme temperatures and shocks. Also new this year are BO Propacks, kits containing a bundle of related BO accessories. Fifteen different Propack concepts have been introducedMUSIC TRADES APRIL 2009