Which Hole to Stick it in? (Active/Passive Inputs)

[Infrasonik B.]

Hey TBers,

Quick question, on an amp with both Active and Passive inputs, which would you plug your Active/Passive bass into?!

My guess is the what ever one you play more but I never gave it much thought till now...

Did the usuall search before you ask thing.


Cheers & Keep on Groovin'

[bongomania]

The input labeled "active" justs cuts the level of your instrument signal, to reduce clipping at the input if you have a very high-output bass. It doesn't actually have anything to do with active or passive.

[BurningSkies]

If you stick it in the hole in back, I hear it gets louder.

[tdub0199]

Take into consideration that some passive basses have a hotter signal than a active bass..... I would just try both inputs and see which one produces the sound you like.....

[DeathFromBelow]

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

If you stick it in the hole in back, I hear it gets louder.

[greencow]

Well it really depends. Most of the time the input for an active bass just attenuates the signal. Meaning that if you have a passive bass with strong pickups verry close to the strings and you play agressivly it may also be a good idea to use the active input.

For instance when using my passive bass with a Marshall MB4210 I find it is better to use the -10dB pad, otherwise I get some mild distortion as I dig in harder.

If you have an active bass I'd recomend using an input for active basses, otherwise you may overload the preamp input.

[Infrasonik B.]

Thanks gents,

guess I should dust off that old manual and give her a read sometime

[JTE]

MOST active inputs, as note above, only attenuate the signal before the first gain stage. I always suggest using the passive input as first choice. IFF ("if and only if") you find you can't get a clean signal using the passive input, then try the active one. You won't damage anything using the passive input.

I recall that some early Trace-Elliot amps had a different input impedance for their active inputs which would alter the high end response if you used them with a passive bass.

John

[rydin4lifebass]

I have an active ibanez but find that the active input cuts the sound too much. I'm able to get some back by tweaking the eq and settings on the bass but even with those settings, when I plug back into the passive...it just booms..sounds much better!

[BurningSkies]

Active inputs used to be effective back before people designed bass preamps to have unity gain when engaged. Some may not remember, but there was a time when most active electronics meant that you were getting a serious boost in output.

[rockstarbassist]

why not just try them both?
its not like there's a ton of options here.
also most all amps tread their padded or "active" inputs differently so it's impossible to say across the board how they react to every kind of bass.

[PSPookie]

That choice is a matter of personal preference and, possibly, alcohol consumption.

[seamonkey]

The passive input is usually high impedance, the active low.
They also attenuate the active because in most cases it will be hotter than the passive.
Low impedance source to a low impedance input will get you the best signal to noise, and best frequency response. My bases have level adjustment pots inside so I can turn down the signal if it's too hot. I wish they had the same adjustments for amps just another little pot next to the active input.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by seamonkey

The passive input is usually high impedance, the active low.

That's usually just a side effect of using a series resistor to pad the input--it's not a design feature.

Low impedance source to a low impedance input will get you the best signal to noise, and best frequency response.

Uh, no. The relevant issue is having HIGH-enough input impedance relative to the source impedance. You almost never want a low input impedance, except insofar as a relatively low z is "sufficient" with a buffered source.

[JimmyM]

Active inputs suck. Blech. Tone killers.

[Immigrant]

So, if I run my bass into a Sansamp to a Big Muff, do I want to go into active? That's the way I used to plug in to an Acoustic SS, and it sounded fine.

What about my SVT? Is it unsafe to plug in to the -0 input?

[bongomania]

Dude. Read the posts in this thead.

[runmikeyrun]

my ex gf never really cared. Gosh, I miss her.