Active/passive preferences

[dincz]

I'm a bit confused by the sometimes strong opinions I read here favouring either active or passive basses. Admittedly I haven't played many basses and this is based on my Cort C4H which is switchable active/passive - true passive as it works without a battery. With the EQ controls centred, there is absolutely no detectable difference in tone when switching between the two. Is my bass unique/faulty/weird?

[Thunderbird]

Do you not even get a volume peak when you switch to active? my basses that are active/passive sound very different between the two modes

[dincz]

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1409128209' post='2536509']
Do you not even get a volume peak when you switch to active? my basses that are active/passive sound very different between the two modes
[/quote]
No, provided the EQ is set flat, the levels are perfectly matched.

[Lw.]

It's strange that you can't hear the difference; my Warwick sounds good passive (no EQ, true passive) but when you click it into active it become noticeably clearer in sound with no gain in volume. Might just be different for different brands.

I wouldn't say either active or passive is better, I think you need different tools for different jobs.

[Ghost_Bass]

Glockenklang preamps are the best (IMO), they work just as the OP mentioned, on flat position there's absolutely no loss in volume when switching to passive. Maybe that Cort you have is fitted with a Glock (see if the pots are red) or something licenced by glock.

[Dazed]

Some Warwicks ( and I would hazard a guess other brands) have a trim pot on the pre to adjust the output allowing you to balance the active /passive outputs.

[Dood]

You'd expect that if the preamp in a bass was supposed to be completely transparent that you *shouldn't* hear any difference when it is switched in or completely bypassed. The difference being only when you boost or cut the EQ controls. There *is* often a difference between passive and 'flat settings' active and that can usually be attributed to the preamp having some sort of natural colouring aside from the usual cut and boost settings available.

What is inside the Cort I do not know, but it seems to me that it could actually be doing a good job. (Unless of course you particular want something that adds additional colour that is!)

[chris_b]

+1

I believe when the controls are in the centre position the preamp is working (drawing from the battery) but isn't in operation tonaly, so it's possible active and passive should sound the same at that point.

[HowieBass]

My Cort B4FL is the same, you can switch off the EQ completely so only the volume and blend control are in play; switch the active EQ on and with the pots centred there's no noticeable difference in tone. There's no difference in volume either. I haven't tried it without a battery in there yet.

[JTUK]

I prefer passive but my basses have an active option which I use to make the sound a bit more peaky but not fundementally different.
This is because I don't get the set-up time on some gigs to get the passive option right all the time...so it is a short-cut fix.
If I had a better gig, I'd be passive but then I'd also have the production time to sort it and the whole rig.

Having said that.... my sound is good, IMO and people comment on it as do some bass players so I am not doing a lot wrong.

[uncle psychosis]

I have no real preference either way and just judge each bass on its own merits. I think this may make me a bit odd round these parts...

[Lozz196]

I prefer passive basses as I`ve more experience with them. Plus being a little simplistic I prefer to set one good tone and leave it, whereas with actives there`s too much choice to fiddle about with. This of course is an issue with me, and not active basses.

[TheSiberian]

There are good basses and entry level basses.
I believe that the good basses sound well with or without active preamp and the entry level basses rather need an active EQ as the overall quality, wood and pickups are...well entry level.
I always prefered the actve basses and always bought the best bass I could afford in order to keep the bass and the good sound for a long time. ( with or without EQ )

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1409260714' post='2538170']
I have no real preference either way and just judge each bass on its own merits....
[/quote]

You can't do that! That's not in the BC spirit at all.... You have to chose a brand of bass (preferably one you've never played) and declare at every opportunity that it's so much better than everything else if you don't own one you might as well give up playing...

Edited August 29, 2014 by CamdenRob

[neepheid]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1409301471' post='2538395']


You can't do that! That's not in the BC spirit at all.... You have to chose a brand of bass (preferably one you've never played) and declare at every opportunity that it's so much better than everything else if you don't own one you might as well give up playing...
[/quote]

Ha, I played a Fender Power Jazz Special at the weekend. It was a nice bass, it wasn't corrosive to the touch or anything Would play one again. I am pretty omnivorous when it comes to basses. Just don't care for too thin necks. A bass is either good or it isn't, I get to decide for myself and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

Pick up the bass, play it. Do YOU like it? That's the only question which requires an answer and I've doggedly stuck to that philosophy. God knows none of my basses will ever be flavour of the month around here

[M@23]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1409301471' post='2538395']
You can't do that! That's not in the BC spirit at all.... You have to chose a brand of bass (preferably one you've never played) and declare at every opportunity that it's so much better than everything else if you don't own one you might as well give up playing...
[/quote]

Bahaha

[kyboo]

[quote name='dincz' timestamp='1409127249' post='2536494']
I'm a bit confused by the sometimes strong opinions I read here favouring either active or passive basses. Admittedly I haven't played many basses and this is based on my Cort C4H which is switchable active/passive - true passive as it works without a battery. With the EQ controls centred, there is absolutely no detectable difference in tone when switching between the two. Is my bass unique/faulty/weird?
[/quote]

It also depends where the cable from the bass goes, and how long it goes. Active preamps buffer pickups from the chain, meaning there is no interaction between a cable, the first pedal and pickups. That is not the case with passive basses. Try to use a quite long cable, you might hear the difference then. High frequencies will be very likely attenuated.

Edited August 29, 2014 by kyboo

[dincz]

[quote name='kyboo' timestamp='1409314700' post='2538564']
It also depends where the cable from the bass goes, and how long it goes. Active preamps buffer pickups from the chain, meaning there is no interaction between a cable, the first pedal and pickups. That is not the case with passive basses. Try to use a quite long cable, you might hear the difference then. High frequencies will be very likely attenuated.
[/quote]

It's definitely affected by impedance. Running into a mixer's line in (20Kohm) there's a distinct loss of top end in passive mode - as you'd expect.

[cocco]

I've had a few active basses in my time but none of them lasted that long. Simplicity is the spice of life

[Wilco]

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1409478877' post='2539975']
I've had a few active basses in my time but none of them lasted that long. Simplicity is the spice of life
[/quote]

+1 to this.

[Telebass]

I think everyone tends to forget that the primary reason Alembic went active was to overcome the limitations of poor instrument cables. Tone controls were secondaty to drving the cable at low impedance to minimise treble roll off caused by cable capacitance. Better cables today negate a lot of that need. On-board EQ? Never seen the point, but that's a personal view.
The other way to eliminate cable problems is, of course, to eleiminate the cable...

[paul_5]

I've opted for passive, purely on the grounds that the FX pedals I uses the most (OC2, Bass Fuzz, and the occasional filter) all play better with passive pickups.

If I didn't use those pedals quite so often then I'd be all over an East pre!

[stingrayPete1977]

I always wonder how many die hard passive bass only users connect directly (or via a wireless ) into an active preamp EQ section? If I put a stock Encore P bass into my Shuttlemax9.2 head I can boost all sorts of stuff and make it sound mega, get that bass home and plug it into a 15 watt combo and it sounds poop!

Edited September 6, 2014 by stingrayPete1977

[Black Coffee]

Does it not all depend on what you like/need/want etc.

I personally prefer to play a passive bass because I find the active sound too clean.
It doesn't make me wrong or any body else wrong for that matter. I had two spectors and they were both active, it rendered my tech 21 sansamp deluxe toothless because too much juice was running into it. Both being active I had to crank the tonepump down lower to open up the possibilities for the pedal. Plug in my MIM p bass and it was sweeter than honey.

I just prefer passive, my new ACG J custom bass was passive planned until I settled for an east p-retro with passive only option. It arrived yesterday and the active is loud and clear and might be perfect for someone else, the passive is perfect for me.

[Telebass]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1410009834' post='2545357']
I always wonder how many die hard passive bass only users connect directly (or via a wireless ) into an active preamp EQ section? If I put a stock Encore P bass into my Shuttlemax9.2 head I can boost all sorts of stuff and make it sound mega, get that bass home and plug it into a 15 watt combo and it sounds poop!
[/quote]
Precisely. The amp is for the major settings. Not relevant whether the amp's tone stack is active or passive.