Active Gas

[oldslapper]

I have active gas. Just thought you’d like to know.

But on another note, I don’t know why but I’m gassing for an active bass, don’t even have a type/model in mind. Haven’t had an active bass for at least 10 years and I think that was a status 6’er that was for noodling. 
I’m a “stick in the mud” P man, but I’m being attacked by thoughts of an unnatural nature telling me that “active” is where it’s at. 
Please tell me this will pass and fizzle out like a 9volt preamp at the end of a nights’ set. 🫣

Anyone else had the same recently? Is it a new pan demic? 

[Grahambythesea]

Nah! It’s the thought of that battery going down mid set 👎

[Doctor J]

...and knowing that you ignored the signs of the battery going flat for a long, long time and only have yourself to blame.

Don't let the Project Fear mob get to you. If active tickles your fancy, go for it. There are millions of bassists around the world enjoying the flexibility of active instruments for a very good reason.

[greentext]

I have pretty much used active basses exclusively for the last 10 years and never had one go down on me. I am very aware of there being a battery in there and keep a surplus in my gig bag and swap out more frequently then i probably need to. My Sandberg P has an active/passive pull pot so I can quickly jump between the 2 just cos I can haha 

[Waddo Soqable]

I've never in decades had an active bass die on a gig or rehearsal.

Easy enough to keep a fresh 9v battery in your pocket / kit too. 

[oldslapper]

Not particularly worried about batteries flat lining, not had that happen since mid 80’s with my first active bass (Thunder 3a) having left the jack plugged in all day for a week when I first bought it. 🤦🏻‍♂️

It’s just weird (to me). I’ll be considering a compressor next. 🫣

[ezbass]

Get yourself a preamp pedal, instant active for any number of passive basses. I have a Sadowsky SBP2.

[fretmeister]

47 minutes ago, Grahambythesea said:

Nah! It’s the thought of that battery going down mid set 👎

 

Put an East preamp in with a Passive / Active switch. Job done.

[Reggaebass]

I don’t have many active basses because i like the sound of my passive jazzes and P’s  , and I bought the jazz elite expecting to play it the same, but much to my surprise it’s amazing in active mode, it took me a while to get used to but now i never use passive, being able to boost where I want is great, overall I’d say it’s a better sound, (it’s a magical switch 😁)

[TheGreek]

I can't remember the last passive bass I had. 

[greentext]

1 hour ago, oldslapper said:

I’ll be considering a compressor next.

Come over to the darkside, active bass into a compressor mwahahahha 

[neepheid]

I'm heading in the opposite way, all passive these days, with my final active bass in the process of being made passive once more.

[Lfalex v1.1]

I got the lot.

 

Active pickups and EQ

Passive pickups and Active EQ

Passive with Passive tone

Passive with no tone

 

My current preference is for the last of these- in the form of a G&L SB-2 Tribute. 

That said,  I love the Bongo 6 and Ibanez EDC 715.

 

Common factor? Epic pickups. 

[itu]

The answer is hydrogen!

 

What?

 

If you are really interested in "active" bass (should be low impedance, lo-Z), it might be feasible to understand the signal path:

 

pickups - blend - vol - tone stack - output

 

Many, not all, of these "active" basses have only battery powered tone stack (two band shelving, three band, semiparametric...). Simple and cheap. The parts of that stack cost a few pounds, minimum.

 

An interesting point is that people talk about "active pickups". What's that?

 

An ordinary pickup consists of a coil (copper wire) and a magnet, or few. The steel string induces more voltage in the coil, if the magnet is powerful and there are lots of wire in the coil. When there is much wire, the output is high - and the frequency response is narrow.

 

EMG produces similar pickups, but they save copper. They can also use magnets which are weaker. But this equals less output - and wider frequency response = more high end. Low end is easy, high end isn't.

 

Because EMG produces less output, they have built a buffer inside the pickup. That buffer amplifies the signal to the same level as with high impedance (hi-Z, "passive") pickups, but keeps the signal impedance low, and response wide. 

 

Many of us know, that any pot (vol, blend, tone) in the signal path affects the response of the signal. G-word players have used treble bleeders for ages, because even vol pot reduces high end. Remove all pots from the signal path, and get some more sizzle.

 

If you change pot-based adjustments from the signal path, you can keep the signal as it is. True active circuitry adjusts amplification (done with similar pots, but affecting elsewhere) instead of turning the signal partially to the ground, and losing high end.

 

Are you still with me?

There are very few mixers out there, like some EMGs (not all), and John East. There are also many basses with a simple tone stack and high impedance adjustments (vol, blend). This means that the signal from the pickups is degraded before the tone stack.

 

If you want an "active" bass, you need to decide, what does it mean for you:

 

lo-Z pickups - active mixing - active tone stack

OR

hi-Z pickups - blend - vol - active tone stack

 

...or something in between?

[Chaddy]

I only use Post Amp for "active" if the sound drops or battery goes its not as bad as having your trousers dropped on stage for everyone to see. 

Just to add what ever flavour of the evening, but mostly run it flat so its only a 10%? sound difference i.e on my Glock post amp. The warwick's Either I want to increase the low end for personal preference but this is usually set to normal or if its a slappy bit can slam the treble up for extra zing.  Many ways to do stuff I guess

[neepheid]

I rarely remember to flick a switch to change pickups during a gig, never mind tweaking an active EQ. Added to the fact that I'd say that the majority of the audience don't care as long as they hear the songs they expect and it isn't egregiously wrong sounding is the reasoning behind my movement away from active basses. Even recording with passive doesn't bother me - just run it with the tone wide open and all the EQ and even the effects can be done in post these days.

[yorks5stringer]

9 volt? Get with it Grandaddio, we're onto 18 volts now!

[LeftyJ]

I've been playing active basses for many years and still do, and I have long liked to have many controls because to me "many knobs" was synonymous with "versatile". But I have come to appreciate simpler controls, and varying my tone with my plucking position and style. I also tend to keep tweaking whenever I'm playing an instrument that has many tonal options. I have found that for me, the perfect bass has two pickups, master volume, pickup pan, bass boost and treble cut (I'll happily take a passive tone control and an active bass control). I never touch the mids on my basses that have a mid control, and I don’t get along with filter preamps. I like my controls to have a "neutral" setting either at 0, 10 or a center click so I can always easily go back without having to search for it. And I like having a bypass switch for the controls so I can use them as a sort of preset that I can always go back to. 

 

I have found only one downside to active basses: when you play with pedals a lot (especially overdrives and fuzzes) the output impedance seems to matter a lot. Passive basses seem to get a better response from some pedals than actives. 

[itu]

26 minutes ago, LeftyJ said:

I have found only one downside to active basses: when you play with pedals a lot (especially overdrives and fuzzes) the output impedance seems to matter a lot. Passive basses seem to get a better response from some pedals than actives. 

This is one very good point, although I would write this:

"Hi-Z basses have different response from some pedals than lo-Z."

 

The pedals I have also seen the biggest difference with response are OD/fuzz/dist, and compressors. For some reason the signal level doesn't seem to be the issue but the bass' output impedance.

[oldslapper]

Thanks for all your suggestions and insight, very helpful.

However, the gas has passed without incident. 

[EMG456]

Phew. 😀

[itu]

1 hour ago, oldslapper said:

However, the gas has passed without incident. 

...except brown noise. And funny smell, like jazz.

(Stolen from Frank Z.)