The latest evolution of the Sonic Maximizer and a versatile new take on the Tube Screamer circuit unveiled
(Image credit: BBE Sound)
In one of the final new gear releases of 2022, BBE Sound has unveiled a pair of new pedals, the Sonic Stomp Pro and Green Screamer v2.
The Sonic Stomp Pro is being branded as the “next generation” of BBE’s Sonic Maximizer technology, which aims to increase clarity and improve note definition.
(Image credit: BBE Sound)
It seeks to achieve this by correcting the ways in which fundamental and harmonic frequencies are emitted from speakers – ie, the time taken for low and high frequencies to reach listeners – resulting in a clearer overall tone.
The company issued this technology in a pedal for the first time in 2004 as the Sonic Stomp, which was later followed by the Sonic Stomp Mini.
However, this latest version, which boasts fourth-generation Sonic Maximizer tech, looks to be handy as an overall tone shaper as well as a clarity booster, thanks to the addition of a Focus knob, which adjusts the midrange content of your signal.
Returning controls from the original Sonic Stomp include Process and Lo Contour, which shape the amount of Maximizer effect and low-end response, respectively.
Other features include 14dB of extended dynamic range, a lower noise floor and true bypass switching.
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(Image credit: BBE Sound)
The Green Screamer v2, meanwhile, is the latest incarnation of BBE’s modified take on the Tube Screamer, now in a downsized enclosure.
According to BBE, the new overdrive pedal has been “completely redesigned and built from the ground up” for greater transparency and versatility over the 2004 original, which itself aimed to provide improved dynamic response over the traditional TS.
This latest version uses the 4558 op amp found in many classic TS-derived designs, but adds a three-position Deep switch to enhance the low-end that can be lacking in those circuits.
Other features include a switchable input buffer, true bypass switching and top-mounted jacks.
The Sonic Stomp Pro and Green Screamer v2 are available now for $159 and $149, respectively.
Head over to the company’s new BBE Pedals website for more info.
Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.
