Possible Amp Problem..

Ibanez Bassist · #1 03-06-2011, 05:54 AM

I have an Ampeg BA-112 Bass Amp and it has an separate input for Passive and Active Bass.. Does anybody know ( Not guess or Speculate ) what would happen to the amp if an Active Bass was plugged into the Passive input and played like that for quite some time.. Thanks for your feed back..

wcriley · #2 03-06-2011, 06:28 AM

Absolutely nothing.

Floyd Eye · #3 03-06-2011, 06:43 AM

The difference is merely output if I'm not mistaken. The passive input should be hotter. I don't think you can damage it plugging an active bass into it.

delta7fred · #4 03-06-2011, 07:01 AM

The passive input is (usually) higher input impedance and higher gain, the active lower input impedance and gain.

The only problem you might have running an active bass into a passive input is over-driving the input stage if you turn the gain up too high. If you have a clip light then this will tell you if you are.

craig.p · #5 03-06-2011, 07:20 AM

What are your amp's problem symptoms?

Ibanez Bassist · #6 03-06-2011, 07:28 AM

Thanks Guys, I was just worried about the amp but If nothing can happen then everything should be cool.. I let a friend take it for a while and then after found out he had an Active bass plugged into the Passive input.. The amp is fine and shows no symptoms of harm but I needed to make sure internally before I let this guy off the hook.. LOL Thanks Again.. Scott

delta7fred · #7 03-06-2011, 10:15 AM

Lending amps out is always a dodgy business. Years ago I lent a keys player a PA, I thought he knew what he was doing. It came back with every input stage blown. He swore blind that it was working fine when he packed it up at the end of the night.

Weeks later he let slip that they were trying to slave it to another amp that didn't have a line out so they ran a speaker output straight into it. After trying (and blowing) every channel they gave up.

I was asked last week by a good friend ( a non musician) if I had a PA he could borrow to do sound for a neighbour. I told him yes I had a PA but no he could not borrow it unless I was there. Had it been for him I would have done it gladly. If the neighbour was prepared to pay my fuel or better still come and pick me and it up then I would do the sound. My friend was a bit surprised that I would not just lend him it. I pointed out that it was our only PA and we used it regularly for rehearsals and gigs, and he had never set a PA up before and I didn't want him learning on mine without me there.

Ibanez Bassist · #8 03-06-2011, 10:32 AM

I just assumed ( a real bad thing to do ) that if you play an instrument that you know a little about it and all that goes along with it.. Bad Idea.. Most people dont.. as long as it cant really be harmed then I guess its no big deal.. Im always very particular with stuff like that because I have a Passive and an Active Bass so I check what goes where when I do it.. but according to everyone here so far its not a big deal to plug an Active Bass into a Passive input.. so I guess no harm done..