Okay, so iv spent more time with it now. It works better with passive basses than active, although I would say it was more usable with actives than most. With sub modes on you can get some good gated fuzz tones without losing low end, however because the pedal is so loud you find yourself turning the volume right down, so it sounds like you do lose low end. I personally wouldn't use this pedal without a blend but I can imagine some would be fine with it, particularly in a synth setup. It isn't for me so I'm selling it, but I reckon I would have kept it had it had a blend, as I prefer the gated fuzz to the Iron Ether Oxide.