___---___ Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hi guys. I'm looking to get a compressor, and I'm damn sure that I'll go for a Keeley. I use active AND passive basses - would I be right in saying that I should go for the 4-knob version? Also, I have noticed that my effects (Moog MF-101, Red Witch Deluxe Moon Phaser) sound SO much better with my passive bass. Is there anything I can do to improve the sound of my effects whilst using my active bass? Thanks in advance. X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 isnt the 4 knob identical to the 2 knob, but the 2 extra knobs found on the 4 knob one are inside the pedal on the 2 knob one?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 The active vs. passive pedal sound thing could be an impedance issue, fixed by using some form of buffer. Its not something I ever really understood, but I read it here a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 [quote name='___---___' post='380455' date='Jan 14 2009, 05:14 PM']I'm looking to get a compressor, and I'm damn sure that I'll go for a Keeley. I use active AND passive basses - would I be right in saying that I should go for the 4-knob version?[/quote] If so, there's one going used [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=36503"]right now[/url] in the for sale forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
___---___ Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Thanks guys. I'd be interested to read some responses to Kev's statement...... X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wren and Cuff Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Someone on t-bass had a similar problem, here's what I came up with. Very, very EZ. Buy a clean boost. My recommendation would be a zvex "hard on" ($240) or a "super hard on". ($320.00) All money in USA $$$ BTW But, I know those are more money than you'd probably want to spend, so: [list] [*]Fulltone "fat boost" $140 I think?? [*]BBE Boosta grande $60 Bargain [*]Seymore Duncan Pickup Booster $80 [*]Keeley Katana $199. Just to name a few... [/list] Anyways, here's what you do: Set the Clean boost with your ACTIVE bass to match your PASSIVE bass. You're basically using the Clean boost as a "cut". If it's a good boost, even though it's not boosting, it'll still add a nice "sheen" to your tone. Put the CB pedal first in your chain. use your passive bass with the CB pedal OFF. Your active with the pedal cutting the signal. Most clean boosts are basically a buffer with a knob, so you can lower the volume but keep your tone. Some may suggest putting a 250K-500K pot in a box and cutting the volume that way. It's a totally different thing, basically the same as turning your bass' volume knob down. Now, IN THEORY this should help your active to hit your pedals more like your passive. It won't be exactly the same, and since everyone's setup is different, it may sound amazing, or it may sound like crap, but I pretty sure it would be a good bet. I just haven't done it myself. I would say just call keeley up and ask them, but they just had a fire at the factory and I heard he's down for at least 8-weeks. best, matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katri Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Would the EHX signal pad not do the same thing and cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Yeh it would. The difference in tone could be down to impedence though couldn't it? Rather than volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voxpop Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I had a 4 knob Keeley that was used with both passive and active basses. I thought there was no difference in the 'Tone' or 'Quality'what ever bass was used. My ownly concern was that like most compressors it took away a lot of the bottom end and enhanced the top, this sounded great for Slap but poor on any other types of groove. Hope this helps. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wren and Cuff Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 [quote name='katri' post='385685' date='Jan 20 2009, 01:07 AM']Would the EHX signal pad not do the same thing and cheaper.[/quote] Nope, that's the thing I referred to earlier. The EHX SP is passive. The reason it's so cheap is that it's a potentiometer in a box. So if you roll it back, it's going to rub your signal in the same way your vol knob would. If you like that sound, great. But if you want to cut your signal, and retain the same tone, you gotta stick a buffer in there. It's similar to taking a distortion pedal, say a DS-1 to use a generic example. You can turn the volume up and the distortion to 10 and hear it sounding nice and fuzzy. Now if you turn the vol. down on the pedal what happens? Nothing, it just gets quieter. The distortion doesn't lessen, the tone doesn't change, only the volume. Why, because its active and buffered for one. I'm oversimplifying here, but you get the idea. [quote name='cheddatom' post='385701' date='Jan 20 2009, 01:54 AM']Yeh it would. The difference in tone could be down to impedance though couldn't it? Rather than volume.[/quote] you could say impedance, but thats a big discussion. I'd say impedance is a big factor, so is the wood in the bass, so is the volume, so is the difference in strings, in the pickup type, on and on... again you get the idea. breaking it down to real basics, the active has more output, plain and simple. the passive is a .22 rifle, the active is a 12 gauge. Why do some not like actives? because a .22 can kill your dinner, but a 12 gauge will kill it and shred it into little pieces. in short, if we are only referring to my suggestion above, than no, the ehx won't work. For some other application you have? sure... I'm not claiming my way is the only "right" way. hope this helps someone! matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I didn't know the EHX signal pad was passive. That's a bit crap. Anyway, following on from what you're saying, his active bass will have a buffer built into the pre-amp, surely? So he can use the volume knob on his active bass to sort out his problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wren and Cuff Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 [quote name='cheddatom' post='386149' date='Jan 20 2009, 07:32 AM']I didn't know the EHX signal pad was passive. That's a bit crap. Anyway, following on from what you're saying, his active bass will have a buffer built into the pre-amp, surely? So he can use the volume knob on his active bass to sort out his problem?[/quote] Damn, that's a really good and obvious point that hadn't crossed my mind at 2am last night (here in the states). I love simple solutions, and that's a good one. I don't have an active here to try it (just a J Bass). Maybe someone else (or the OP) can try to match the output of another passive via the volume knob and see if it hits their pedals similarly?? Just like the clean boost Idea, it's not the same thing, but it may work fine... matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 [quote name='cheddatom' post='386149' date='Jan 20 2009, 02:32 PM']I didn't know the EHX signal pad was passive. That's a bit crap.[/quote] It's a lot crap! You'll get passive tone roll off, and also it'll futz with the impedance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Heh, what's the point of that pedal?!?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 If they called it a "guitar volume control," I think that would have been OK. Calling it a signal pad is wrong IMO, and it's definitely NOT a signal pad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Yeh, I suppose, a switchable gain reduction for a guitarist who wants a setting rather than the sweep of a volume pedal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 That's the only reason that I can think to use it for. I mean, I don't understand what's so hard about reaching down to your guitar volume knob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 [quote name='Toasted' post='389354' date='Jan 23 2009, 10:13 AM']That's the only reason that I can think to use it for. I mean, I don't understand what's so hard about reaching down to your guitar volume knob.[/quote] In the band i'm recording at the moment there's a guitarist who has a volume cut pedal and has had it for years. He bought it to "make the guitar quieter for some bits". He uses a boss multi-fx for his distortion sounds. In the 2 or 3 years he'd owned it, he had never realised the difference between putting it before or after his distortion, and this isn't a thick guy, it's just a guitarist. This is what we're dealing with! No wonder EH figure they can sell anything. To be fair though, I don't like playing with my knobs while i'm playing. Mainly because the kind of stuff i'm playing required constant attention from my right hand. Obviously the other reason is that it's at a set level instead of having to set it right with your hand each time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.