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BBE MaxCom Dual Channel Compressor Limiter Gate

The BBE MaxCom is a highly sophisticated dual-channel compressor and limiter with gate; housed in a compact and easy-to-use package. It provides a live or recorded mix with all the clean, clear punch that only a truly professional dynamics controller can. However, the MaxCom is much more than a high-quality, superbly engineered compressor/limiter. Learn More...

    • New $199.95
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Overall User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * . . . . . 5 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * . . . . 6 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * . . . . . 5 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * . . . . 6 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * . . . . 6 out of 10

Individual User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
For the money you cannot get even close to these features.

Quality:
I rate the quality at at ten because for one thing it never comes out of the rack so im not beating it up everytime I have a gig. mine is two years old and is in new condition still. All the lights and dials still function as when new.

Sound:
I use my unit strictly for microphone use and has not dissapointed. There is no hum or any noise related to this piece. If you don't know haow to operate it and just use old nasty cords you will have issues. I spent a couple of hours trying out all of my microphones and it does seem to like EV mics the best, I can get a lot out of them while still maintaining very low feedback. I am buying another one today and will get rid of my tube composer and open up a spot for my new audio technica atw-3141 handheld microphone reciever. Hint; if you want this unit to perform well for you take the time to adjust it by itself while bypassing all other rack components first and use high quality low z cables, I have seen a buch of idiots using high z and wonder why there is noise!

Support:
never needed it.

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Overall:
* * * * . . . . . . 4 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * . . . . . 5 out of 10
Quality:
* * * . . . . . . . 3 out of 10
Value:
* * * * . . . . . . 4 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * . . . . . . . 3 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * . . . . . . 4 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * . . . . . . 4 out of 10
Support:
* * . . . . . . . . 2 out of 10

Sound:
makes pa hum plus there is a highend swishing noise when used?

Overall:
would like too add one more to my set up but i dont think i will just to noise !

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Overall:
* * * * . . . . . . 4 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * . . . . 6 out of 10
Quality:
* * . . . . . . . . 2 out of 10
Value:
* * * * . . . . . . 4 out of 10
I Want It:
* . . . . . . . . . 1 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * . . . . . . 4 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * . . . . 6 out of 10

Feature:
There is no individual limiter, but the compressor can be set to limit. There is no individual bypass per channel: if you want the Sonic maximizer, you have to also have the compressor in line, but you can turn the sonic maximizer off. I/O is 1/4" unbal and XLR plus sidechain TRS loop. The metering has ladders for both input level and gain reduction, but oddly, the gain reduction ladder is all ON by default and the lights turn OFF as gain is reduced. The knobs and build quality is poor, but the chassis is very solid and a pretty shade of red.

Quality:
What finally got the thing sent back is the 60 and 120 cycle hum it generates internally! Putting the hamonic generation of the sonic maximizer on this hum makes it far, far worse. It hummed with any powercord, in any position, with any set of inputs and outputs I tried. The hum would get louder or softer based on the output (makeup gain) setting and whether the sonic maxmimizer was on. I bought a blemish unit, which I understand to be cosmetic flaws, but perhaps it was a bad one. In which case BBE has to get that unit off the market because I read similar reports on harmony-central. Apparently the wiring is substandard, but I didn't open it up to see. Since these units go for less than the 882i ($200 street vs. $250), but BBE claims it's the same circuit (and it has balanced i/o), they must have cut corners somewhere to also stick a compressor and gate in it.

Desirability:
I sent it back.

Sound:
The promise of this box is that you get a free 882i Sonic Maximizer along with a dbx166-style compressor/gate. Unfortunately, it fails in its promise because of miserable implementation. The compressor actually works OK on program material, and the Sonic Maximizer can help a dull track, but only up to a setting of 4 or so before it gets too harsh. Running the sonic maximizer in the effects loop of a guitar amp or after some ribbon microphones may be more beneficial. The compressor was fairly dismal on most individual instruments, including voice. Whether auto mode or hand-set attack and release, it wasn't very pleasant to listen to. Both the RNC and the Drawmer MX-30 (what I have on hand to compare it to) worked far better for those purposes. Even worse is the gate. It has a very severe release curve, and this means that it pops in and out loudly when it's set to the area of the noise threshold. The gate on the Drawmer MX-30 is vastly better.

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