Sonic Sweet

USER MANUAL

v 4.6.0

Sonic Sweet

Welcome

Welcome to Sonic Sweet v4, a collection of 4 authentic and meticulously designed plug-ins (Sonic Maximizer, Harmonic Maximizer, and Loudness Maximizer, and Mach 3 Bass) for dynamic and audio enhancement, carefully respecting the original BBE signature sound. Each plug-in has now been ported through a new framework, given a spring clean and fresh new look for 2017, with added features in our newly designed preset manager and preferences sections. These plug-ins are the tried and true stalwarts of industry professionals around the world, utilized to enhance and control frequencies in mix and mastering sessions alike. Boost your low-end with Mach 3 Bass, sweeten stringed instruments with Sonic and Harmonic flavour (for example), and control your mastered tracks with Loudness precision.

"Breath added life into your music, today!"

Sonic Maximizer

Introduction

Professional musicians and studio engineers have known for years, the Sonic Maximizer is the best way to get that professional sound and extra sparkle that is so difficult to capture.Now you can access BBE processing technology within the digital domain. Sonic Maximizer plug-in is identical to the physical unit in terms of utility features and processing. BBE’s advanced sonic processing technology and proprietary algorithms have allowed us to create a plug-in that boasts the following features:

Controls

Control image

Input

Gain applied to the input signal. The resulting level is shown on the meter display.

Lo Contour

Bass frequencies amount.

Process

Treble frequencies amount.

iSet

Center frequency.

BBE Process

Bypass control.

Output

Gain applied to the output signal. The resulting level is shown on the meter display.

Specifications

Sample rates

44.1 kHz ▸ 384 kHz

Channel layouts

Mono ▸ Mono

Stereo ▸ Stereo

Latency

None

Harmonic Maximizer

Introduction

Harmonic Maximizer increases presence and clarity, restores natural brightness and adds deeper and extended low frequencies. Harmonic Maximizer can be used in the studio on individual tracks or an entire mix, or live to enhance the sound of a P.A. system for example. BBE’s advanced sonic processing technology and proprietary algorithms have allowed us to create the Harmonic Maximizer plug-in that includes the following features:

Controls

Control image

Input

Gain applied to the input signal. The resulting level is shown on the meter display.

Lo Tune

Bass enhancement frequency.

Lo Mix

Bass enhancement and subharmonics amount.

Hi Tune

High frequency.

Hi Mix

High frequency and stereo enhancement amount.

Output

Gain applied to the output signal. The resulting level is shown on the meter display.

Specifications

Sample rates

44.1 kHz ▸ 384 kHz

Channel layouts

Mono ▸ Mono

Mono ▸ Stereo

Stereo ▸ Stereo

Latency

None

Loudness Maximizer

Introduction

Loudness Maximizer is a mixing and mastering multi-band limiter plug-in. Its ultimate transparency allows Loudness Maximizer to "dramatically" increase the overall level of your mix without audible pumping effects. Loudness Maximizer uses simple controls, turning the Sensitivity up will increase the level of your overall mix without clipping or overloading.

Controls

Control image

Input

Gain applied to the input signal. The resulting level is shown on the meter display.

Reduction meter

Amount of gain reduction.

Sensitivity

Amount of limiting.

Release

Limiter release time.

Enhancer

Amount of stereo image broadening.

Output

Gain applied to the output signal. The resulting level is shown on the meter display.

Specifications

Sample rates

44.1 kHz ▸ 384 kHz

Channel layouts

Mono ▸ Stereo

Stereo ▸ Stereo

Latency

None

Mach 3 Bass

Introduction

As a new addition to the Sonic Sweet lineup, Mach 3 Bass will take your low end to new sonic depths. Insert this plug-in on any type of bass instrument or signal where you need a big boost on the low end. Mach 3 Bass allows you to easily dial in the frequency you want to accentuate and "bump the bass".

Controls

Control image

Input

Gain applied to the input signal. The resulting level is shown on the meter display.

Mach 3 Bass

Low end amount.

Freq Set

Center bass frequency.

Response

Bass frequency bandwidth.

Output

Gain applied to the output signal. The resulting level is shown on the meter display.

Specifications

Sample rates

44.1 kHz ▸ 384 kHz

Channel layouts

Mono ▸ Mono

Stereo ▸ Stereo

Latency

None

System Requirements

Common Plugivery Features

Interface basics

The following commands can be used on all controls:

Fine tune

⇧ Shift + drag

Reset

⌥ alt + click

Edit

Double click

Top bar

Top bar

Main menu

Display the main menu: access to plug-in preferences, support, updates, etc.

An orange dot notifies you when something requires your attention (updates, etc), click the menu to view.

Beta menu

Only visible on beta versions.

Quick access to the beta testing forum and build number.

Demo menu

Only visible in demo mode.

Quick access to product authorization and online store.

Preset manager

Displays the current preset name. The text will appear dimmed if the preset was modified.

Click on the name to display the preset manager.

Click on the arrows to navigate to the previous or next preset.

Workspace manager

Not available on all plug-ins.

Switch to a workspace (A/B) by clicking on the letter.

Right click on a workspace to copy or swap between workspaces.

Oversampling

Not available on all plug-ins.

Oversample the plug-in by the choosen factor. When set to "1x", no oversampling is applied.

The oversampling algorithm is not linear phase and only adds a few samples of latency.

BPM

Only available in standalone.

Sets the BPM to synchronize with when using BPM-synced parameters (LFO rates, delay times, etc).

Power switch

Click to power the plug-in on or off.

The bypass has the following characteristics:

Soft bypass: The plug-in is still processing when powered off but will just return the input audio ;

Smooth bypass: Powering on and off doesn't produce clicks and can be safely automated ;

Latency compensated: The output has the same latency wheither it's bypassed or not.

Preset manager

The preset manager can be open from the center top of the plug-in. It gives you access to the plug-in's factory presets and your own saved presets.

Preset Manager

Save

Not available for factory presets.

Overwrite the loaded preset with the current plug-in state.

Only enabled if the current preset was modified since load.

Save As

Not available in demo mode.

Save the current plug-in state as new a preset file.

The preset must be saved in user data's "Presets" subdirectory to be recognized by the plug-in.

Refresh

Rescans the user presets folder. Use this button to refresh the menu in order to see changes made in the presets folder from the Finder/Explorer.

Reveal

Reveal the user presets folder in Finder/Explorer, or the current user preset if one is loaded.

Organize your own presets as you see fit in the Finder/Explorer. You can easily create subfolders, move, rename or delete presets.

When you are done, use the refresh button to display the changes in the menu.

Reset

Reset the plug-in to its initial state, setting each parameter back to its default value.

Factory Presets

The factory presets bundled with the plug-in. These cannot be overwritten.

User Presets

The presets that were saved in the user preset directory.

Audio Settings

The audio settings panel is available from the main menu, on standalone applications only. It allows to configure the input/output devices, sample rate and buffer size.

Audio settings

Feedback Loop

Mute audio input to avoid feedback loop.

Output

Select the desired device for output.

Click the "Test" button to play a test sound through the selected device.

Input

Select the desired device for input.

The meter next to it displays the signal level through the selected device.

Active output channels

Select the channel(s) to use on the output device.

Active inputs channels

Select the channel(s) to use on the input device.

Sample rate

Select the desired sample rate.

Please note that this menu shows all sample rates supported by the device, the might differ from what the plug-in supports. Refer to the plug-in specifications about supported sample rates.

Audio buffer size

Select the desired buffer size.

The resulting latency is show in parentheses.

Preferences

The settings apply to all plug-ins from the same bundle.

General

General Preferences

Control Value Tooltips

Change the position of the tooltip displaying the value of a control, relative to this control, or choose "None" to hide the tooltips.

Editing the value of a control using keyboard is not available when tooltips are disabled.

Show Help Tooltips

Display dynamic help on controls when the mouse is over them.

Metering

Metering

Meter Speed

Not available in all plug-ins

Changes the response time of the bar graph (LED) level meters.

Slow: Gives an average level over a long period, useful for observing overall loudness. May miss short, loud peaks.

Normal: (default) A balanced setting that provides a good general view of both average and peak levels. Suitable for most recording or mixing tasks.

Fast: Responds quickly to level changes, great for detecting short, loud peaks to prevent clipping.

VU Meter Behavior

Not available in all plug-ins

Change the behavior of mechanical (VU-like) level meters.

Digital: (default) Shows peak level in dBFS.

Analog: Shows level in Volume Units with real VU meter ballistics, for a true vintage experience.

0 VU Calibration

Not available in all plug-ins

Only available when VU meter behavior is set to "Analog". Set the 0 VU calibration in dBFS. Default value is -18 dBFS.

Licenses

Licenses

Authorization Status

Display the current status of the plug-in.

Product

Only visible when authorized

The product authorized by the current license.

Email

Only visible when authorized

The email address associated with the current license.

Expiration

Only visible when authorized

The expiration date of the current license, if applies.

Authorize/Deauthorize

Authorize: Open the Authorization panel.

Deauthorize: Deauthorize the current license and free the seat.

Updates

Updates

Update Channel

Select which channel to use when checking for updates.

Release: Stable versions. Not available when running a beta version.

Public Beta: Includes stable version and Beta versions available to anyone. Use the Beta Forum link from the Beta menu to provide feedback when using Beta versions.

Check for Updates

Check online if any update is available for the current product.

Authorization

Demo limitations

The plug-in will run in demo mode until a valid serial number is entered. You can use the plug-in in demo mode without any time limit.

The demo mode has the following limitations:

  • Presets cannot be saved. You can still use the factory presets or another user's presets.

  • Session recall is disabled. If you saved a session with the plug-in in demo mode, it can still be recalled once the plug-in is authorized.

    Authorization process

    An internet connection is required to authorize the plug-in.

    Authorization

    1. Insert an instance of the plug-in in a DAW.

    2. Choose “Authorize” on the plug-in launch screen.

    Authorization

    1. Enter the serial number provided in your order confirmation email, then click “Authorize”.

      Some old serial numbers will require a (free) upgrade to authorize the newest versions of the product. Follow the instructions provided from the plug-in to proceed. A PV Connect account will be required (documented from the landing web page).

    2. Once the authorization is successful, close the window and the plug-in will now be fully authorized.
      If you experience any authorization issues, please contact support.

    Deauthorization process

    An internet connection is required to deauthorize the plug-in.

    Your serial number comes with a limited number of 3 seats. To deauthorize a seat:

    1. Insert an instance of the plug-in in a DAW.

    2. Open the Preferences window from the main menu.

    3. Go to the Licenses panel and click “Deauthorize”.


    If you are not able to access the computer you want to deauthorize, please contact support.

    Installation paths

    Data

    User data

    Contains all user specific data: user presets, user plug-in settings, etc.

    ~/Documents/BBE Sound/Sonic Sweet/

    %UserProfile%\Documents\BBE Sound\Sonic Sweet\

    Factory data

    Contains factory data: factory presets, manual, etc.

    /Library/Application Support/BBE Sound/Sonic Sweet/

    %ProgramData%\BBE Sound\Sonic Sweet\

    Plugivery data

    Contains data common to all Plugivery powered plug-ins.

    /Users/Shared/Plugivery/

    %Public%\Documents\Plugivery\

    Plug-ins

    AU

    /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components

    VST

    On Windows, custom VST directory can be set during installation. This is the default directory.

    /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/BBE Sound

    %ProgramFiles%\VstPlugins\BBE Sound

    VST3

    /Users/Shared/Plugivery/

    %Public%\Documents\Plugivery\

    AAX

    /Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins/BBE Sound

    %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins\BBE Sound

    Uninstaller

    On Windows, you can uninstall from the "Apps & features" page in Windows settings.

    On Mac, run the following application to uninstall the product.

    /Applications/BBE Sound/Sonic Sweet/Uninstall


    If you choose to remove your preferences and presets, the uninstaller will delete user data for current system user only. If you have other system user accounts, you will have to delete their data manually.

    Uninstalling the product doesn't deauthorize the machine that still counts as a used license seat. See deauthorization process to deauthorize the machine and free the license seat before uninstall.

    Acknowledgements

    Portions of this software may utilize the following copyrighted material, the use of which is hereby acknowledged.

    JSON for Modern C++
    Homepage
    License
    Botan
    Homepage
    License
    expected
    Homepage
    License
    Catch2
    Homepage
    License
    Eigen
    Homepage
    License
    farbot
    Homepage
    License
    libsoxr
    Homepage
    License
    NSIS
    Homepage
    License
    libpng
    Homepage
    License
    zlib
    Homepage
    License
    Roboto
    Homepage
    License
    FontAwesome
    Homepage
    License

    Apple, the Apple logo, macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.

    Copyright © 2023 Plugivery. All Rights Reserved