Aphex 204 Aural Exciter and Big Bottom User Reviews at zZounds

"Great unit!" submitted September 29, 2006

By a customer from yahoo.com

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

Quality

Value

Musical Background: Active musician

Music Style: Rock, Blues, County, etc.

Back to Product Information

SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

VERIFIED BUYER

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

Sound: I kept hearing about this thing and wanted to try it out. I found a used one and picked it up. I ran it through a simple PA rig (Peavey 684 Mixer-amp and 2 Yamaha CM12V's) and was amazed. I hooked up my MiniDisk player and got what I thought was a decent sound with the 204 bypassed. When I kicked it in I had the levels turned down to gradually bring in the effect. I started to think I wasted my money because the effect was so subtle. When I went back to A/B the effect I was totally blown away! When I went back to the sound I thought was good before the 204, it sounded like I had cotton stuffed in my ears! The unit makes even the smallest PA sound HUGE! And it is ever so subtle. Once it is gone, though, you know it's missing! I will be buying another one of these to put in my larger PA rack and one more for my bass rig! Great unit!! Feature: This unit is well made and features pro connectivity. Ease of Use: This is a good unit, but like most good processors, experimentation is the key. Invest some time to learn all that this thing can do. Quality: Well built and is all pro. Value: This is the single best way to improve your sound. Try it! Manufacturer Support: Never had to deal with them.

7 of 7 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?

Thanks for your opinion!

close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"If you're considering an aphex 204, you need to read this review." submitted January 26, 2004

Overall

Sound

Value

The Wow Factor

Music Style: rock, fusion, acoustic

Back to Product Information

Sound: I use in a home studio between a dbx DDP and a tascam cr-rw700, this is a must have device for home studio owners. Generally in lieu of a tube EQ in the final signal chain, it works equally well as a mastering tool or in individual track recording. Essential for giving life to acoustic rythems and synth based horn solos. If you could have only one tool, this would be it. I purchased it to replace my older model 104. Feature: with both xlr and 1/4 I/O's in conjunction with -10/+4db selectivity, the only thing missing would be optical & digital I/O's - HOWEVER - this is the device that one could argue makes digital realm recording obsolete. Quality: I had my previous 104 for several years without any problems. My favorite collaborator has one that we used in a band 20 years ago. No problems.....This device does everything the manufacturer says it will. Value: Get a deal on one of these, they're out there, and it'll be the best investment in your music that you ever made. Manufacturer Support: i've never required any support of any kind, the manuals are more than excellent.

11 of 11 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?

Thanks for your opinion!

close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"Room-filling, spacious sound."

By a customer from 4horsemen.net

Overall

Sound

Features

Quality

Value

Manufacturer Support

The Wow Factor

Music Style: Theater, Rock

Back to Product Information

VERIFIED BUYER

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

Sound: This processor fills out my sound like nothing else. I'm using it to process my main outs, and my sound becomes dynamic and expressive. I can hear subtleties that just weren't there before. The bass is 'rounder' the midrance crystal clear and the treble crisp and sharp, without being annoying at all. Quality: I'm very picky. The chassis is solid, the circuitry well designed. The only fault is that the rotary controls on the front aren't as smooth as they could be in places.

4 of 5 people (80%) found this review helpful. Did you?

Thanks for your opinion!

close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"Very good...BUT..." submitted September 26, 2009

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

Quality

Value

Manufacturer Support

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Active Musician, Recording Engineer

Back to Product Information

Sound: I give it a 10, The Best. Yes, it is the best of all these kind of processors available. BUT...read on..... Feature: Well, there is the "Big Bottom" with this you can enhance (or destroy) the deep frequencies of your recording. And there is the Ecxiter with which you can enhance (or destroy) the middle and high frequencies of your recording. You can actually enhance or destroy your whole recording with this machine. When you use the Aphex 204, besides having good monitors, you need to know what you are doing. Ease of Use: This unit is not easy to use. You need to be experienced to use the Aphex 204. It gets a 10 anyway, because if you know what you are doing, this machine is great, If you dont, thats your problem Quality: I think a company like Aphex does not produce bad quality. Value: Good value for money if you are know how to use it. Manufacturer Support: I do not know, never needed them, therefore a 5 The Wow Factor: I have got it Overall: Well, as I already explained, when using this unit you need to know what you are doing. This is not a miracle-machine. Just while writing this I am listening to an officially re-released Hendrix CD. It really seems this CD was remastered using the Aphex 204. And I am sure that the people who remastered this CD did not know how to use the 204. They made the mistakes that every beginner, or everyone who uses the 204 for the first time, would make. The Aphex 204 has power, but only in the right hands. So the Aphex in this case gets a rating of 10, but the people who used it on this CD get a 1. Because using the Aphex, and it seems they did, they seriously destroyed Hendrix´s sound in a very bad way.

2 of 3 people (66.67%) found this review helpful. Did you?

Thanks for your opinion!

close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"biggest bang for your buck and best bought buddy!" submitted March 11, 2005

By a customer from sbcglobal.net

Overall

Sound

Features

Quality

Value

Manufacturer Support

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: musician/engineer

Music Style: many styles

Back to Product Information

Sound: Will have your bass booming without clowding up,and making sounds you don't want to sound bassy,bassy (it's intelligent}.Will lift your vocals and other highs out of mix without effecting lows.Read and understand manufacturers discription.This item can compete with even the most expensive ones in it's field. Feature: it has what you need. Quality: I've had no problems with it, plus it's under warranty. Value: it's worth more than it's sold for. Manufacturer Support: The manufacturers have a phone number you can call, for them to answer your questions. The Wow Factor: It looks plain but it's such a fantastic product that it should be rated 10 all around. The job it does makes up for its average appearance. Overall: As long as i make music i will have one of these in my studio.If something happened to the one i have, i'd buy another. Read this again. Will have your bass booming without clowding up,and making sounds you don't want to sound bassy,bassy (it's intelligent}.Will lift your vocals and other highs out of mix without effecting lows.Read and understand manufacturers discription.This item can compete with even the most expensive ones in it's field.

1 of 2 people (50%) found this review helpful. Did you?

Thanks for your opinion!

close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"DO NOT BUY, read on" submitted July 4, 2004

By a customer from Hotmail.com

Overall

Sound

Features

Quality

Manufacturer Support

Music Style: breakbeat, trip hop, house, electronica

Back to Product Information

VERIFIED BUYER

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

Sound: the sound is amazing, but READ ON Feature: there is NO STEREO LINK SWITCH and it will throw off one side of your mixes, I swear the knobs move if bass hits them, they are constantly moving on their own, no joke Quality: said it once, say it again... no link switch Overall: do not buy, shell out for something that won't inherently ruin your mixes

2 of 10 people (20%) found this review helpful. Did you?

Thanks for your opinion!

close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?