Aphex Aural Exciter 104

This effect is extremely easy to figure out. Just set any knob at any variation to help determine what kind of quality sound your looking for.

The sound quality really amazes me. I use it with a Boss ME 50 and a Tube Works 911 overdrive. I would compare it to live and studio quality. Whereas, without the effect my set up has a raw live sound to it, which is OK but not really desireable. When I utilize the Aphex, it sounds polished as if it were in the studio. I am a tone fanatic and this effect, although not exactly cheap, is well worth the money.

I don't like how the wal wart attachment falls out rather easially. I have to double check to make sure that the unit is very stabalized after I plug it in. Other than that it seems relatively solid in manufacturing.

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I play electronic classic blues, Led Zep, Gary Moore, Pink Floyd, etc. I've played for now about 24 years. I would definitely invest in this product again. This little gem is the "holy grail" of tone. I don't know how to compare it to other effects, but I've read that studios used to charge $100 per production minute for the use of the exciter.

I don't really own one of these but I use it in a friend's studio.

It an AMAZING machine. Very simple and does MAGIC to you guitar sound.

Only 3 controls per any of the two channels.

I use a conservative setting, placing all 3 at the middle spot (12 o'clock)

If you want to know what exactly it sound like, listen to Dire Straits early recordings ("Sultans of Swing" , "Communique")

It's a bit hard to explain in word what this effect actually do,
I'll try by saying that it warms the sound up a bit and adding a little nice presence, yet improves my start tone by very much.

I play a AM Strat with modified Texas Special pickups through a Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer into a 77 Silverface Twin Reverb 135.

The unit does magic to the overall sound

You should try it to understand !

I don't own it so I don't know, but my friend's 20+ years old unit works fine !

AMAZING !! Can't wait to own one.

Four knobs, with amusing labelling is fairly easy to handle.

Used carefully, the enhancer can add some extra sparkle to the top end, although it can bring a little hiss with it. However, it's easy to overegg, and can bring some nasty distortion with it if pushed hard. Similarly, the big bottom if used VERY gently has a psyco acoustic effect that seems to make your speakers sound bigger. However, if pushed further it just becomes uncomfortably boomy. So it has a quite narrow useable range in my opinion.

looks a simple, solid unit. The knobs seem very well bolted on. My only concern is the bloody PSU which is a bizarre proprietary voltage and has a spindly lead. I'm only willing to put up with it as it's permanently in the rack.

Once emailed Aphex about the distorsion in case it was a fault. Never got a reply.

It's a handy unit for giving an extra boost to your sound. But it will not work miracles! It wont make a rubbish sound good, or make a budget amp sound like a Hi-Fi.

Two channels that are incredibly easy to use. I use it with a very high end bass rig. SWR Goliath III Cabinet and a 1000 watt head with compressor, parametrics and graphic EQ..This is the latest version the Aphex 104 C2 with "Big Bottom". The only thing that I could say is "Hard to use" is the wall wart...Hate them....

I own six amps and twenty basses.....Lots of top of the line gear as well as vintage. THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!.....I've played 33 years and never quite had the sound...This did it! It fattens the low end without adding boominess...Kinda like adding a couple of 18s to your rig with another 2000 watts....Adds harmonics, not EQ and the apparent volume is raised. The Big Bottom circuit runs from 120hz down and the other side runs from 800 to 6,000hz....All thresholds and mix are adjustable....I WILL NEVER RUN WITHOUT THIS EXCITER. This is a major inprovement not a 3% deal. Take it our of the loop and everything sounds dull. Made for all audio applications, I can't say how it would do in recording or sound reinforcement...For electric bass....ABSOLUTELY A MUST!

I have no idea.....but it appears well built and has a one year warantee....I say these guys invented this technology in 75 and are still around today....They have to be doing something right. I'll bet on the come and give them a 10

I just can't coment here.... A complete unknown..

I give this an "11"...just like Spinal Tap. This puts you over the top...It isn't an effect, it isn't EQ...I tried a variety of side by side comparisons using my amps EQ and my studio Eq to try to boost the bass some 40 db in the under 100hz frequencys. The over Eqed sounded Horrible. Boomy & Distorted....This is the ULTIMATE Bass Players product....Bass...Bass & Mo' Bass....Clean and powerful....then add the 800 to 6,000hz selectable and you've got it...I guess you can tell I like this....You play for 33 years and you think you've seen it all...WOW! A steal at Musician's Friend for $99.00

too easy to explain.
2 channel unit that allows for stereo rigs.
there is a bass bottom setting (a meaty but smooth bass enhancement) and the common Aural Exciter. both are tunable and mixable.

I get no noise what so ever. HOWEVER...i use primarily active electronic basses that can be too hot for the input stage. this sometimes causes some distortion in the rest of my chain, if i don't back off a little. Passive instruments show no problems at all...and really adds depth to a flat sound.

I'm only using one channel of the unit and the "active" button tends to go on and off at will (a short in the switch. a wiggle of it will bring it back to life).

Never dealt with em

I generally play a funk sound (aural exciter helps "snap") and some times long slow groovy simple lines. ("big bottom" helps fatten overall tone)
I absolutely will never remove it from my very simple chain.
I play a 1986 4 string active PRS bass, 1988 5 string active PRS bass, 1978 Fender Precision (hack and whittle) active bass, a 5 string Samick fretless active bass and an off brand passive 4 string.

Just a couple knobs...yipee!

EEEEWWWWWW!! Adds A LOT of noise...hiss and basically the same fakeness that the BBE's add. If you have crappy equipment this may make the recordings sound a little better to the untrained ear, to a trained ear they sound phasey and artificial. If you have good equip, DO NOT BUY THIS! Learn how to use your stuff better, this is not a fixall. I tried it for a few days and I returned it because it made my otherwise decent mixes sound harsh and unnatural, I thought maybe it was better than a BBE and that maybe it would give my mixes that extra something...NOPE!

Easy to use? Well, you turn it on and immediately hear a substantial improvement in your sound quality! Is that easy enough for you?... Actually you will have to invest some time, initially, dialing it in to peak perfection, but I wouldn't call it difficult. The only time you may encounter a problem, perhaps, is if you resort to extreme settings.

The first time I tried it I noticed a remarkable improvement in my sound. I use it as the final output of my sound system before the power amp (ALESISmixer >> BEHRINGERcompressor >> APHEXexciter).

The manual describes how it works: basically it replaces the natural harmonics lost through your sound system, plus there is a "Big Bottom" feature which adds excellent bottom end WITHOUT actually increasing your total output levels. The results are dazzling; vivid, transparent highs and clear, pronounced lows.

Apparently Aphex pioneered this technology in the mid 70's, but since then other companies like BBE have come out with their own versions (read about BBE's 462 Sonic Maximizer, which I hear does about the same sort of thing).

All I know is that it works! I currently play at a cathedral, plugging my setup into their main house system, which is rather poor. Add the fact that the house speakers are small (lacking good bass response) and the hall exhibits a lot of reflections, well, the overall sound quality was disappointing. But with the introduction of the Aural Exciter, the lackluster sound has now come alive and there is plenty of OOMPH! It actually "seems" louder without overdriving the puny speakers or causing feedback (a big problem before). If you feel your sound is lacking something, it's probably lacking an Aphex!

So far so good!

Haven't needed their services as of this time.

If you read the reviews on the BBE "Sonic Maximizer", you will hear the same ecstatic comments on it, that I'm about to make on the Aphex "Aural Exciter": I REALLY love this thing man! I suggest you give this technology a try... it just makes everything sound better. Personally I chose the Aphex over the BBE since it has more professional features (balanced inputs/outputs, +4/-10 switch) for about the same price. I highly recommend getting one and guarantee you will flip out!