Question RE: Connecting an iPod to Bass Amp Combo

[kkawachi]

Hello, a total noob question here.

I play through a acoustic B450 2x10 combo. It has a passive and active input. The other day I was rehearsing with my group and found an adapter to allow my 1/4" audio cable to plug into my iPod and then into the 3/4" instrument input (i think these are the right sizes) to help us along since the drummer was MIA.

It ran most of the day through the active input, with my bass in the passive with no problems (even though it is an active Ibanez SR500 from the early 90's I like the sound through the passive pickup).

Now, after disconnecting the bass and while cleaning up that evening, the amp/iPod made a terrible noise so I turned everything off (though I must admit I don't remember if it was in the passive or active input at this point). The 1/4" cable no longer seems to transmit a good audio signal through to the amp with this setup today. The amp itself seems fine, and the iPod seems fine playing through my normal speakers.

So finally my question: Is this something I should ever consider again, or will I end up destroying a) my amp, b) my iPod, and/or c) countless audio cables. Would a set up with a instrument cable and an adapter to 1/4" be a better choice? Should I always keep this setup in passive or active? And on a related note it IS alright to play an active instrument through a passive or active input depending on the tone you want correct?

Thanks in advance,
Kyle

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by kkawachi

...after disconnecting the bass and while cleaning up that evening, the amp/iPod made a terrible noise so I turned everything off...

Did you disconnect the bass chord from the amp or the bass from the chord?

[seamonkey]

Depends on how the inputs are wired. If the Active versus passive are hooked up so they are isolated from each other internally, then no problem. If, it's like most cheap amps, it's the same input, but just a pad is on the active input, then a signal sent in one input can feed out to the other. Could be a problem for the Bass, or iPod

Best to use a small mixer, or an iPod interface designed to take your bass as an input to the iPod and feed this with the mixed sound to the amp.
AmpliTube iRig
Or the Peavey, or Alesis equivalent.

[kkawachi]

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Did you disconnect the bass chord from the amp or the bass from the chord?

I want to say the cord was out of the amp as well as the bass but I'm not sure.

Originally Posted by seamonkey

Depends on how the inputs are wired. If the Active versus passive are hooked up so they are isolated from each other internally, then no problem. If, it's like most cheap amps, it's the same input, but just a pad is on the active input, then a signal sent in one input can feed out to the other. Could be a problem for the Bass, or iPod

Looking at my diagram here

http://www.acousticamplification.com...450-Manual.pdf

it looks like the inputs are wired together with that -10db pad so I will probably just avoid this setup as long as I can.

In related questions: what caused the audio cord to die? And its also fine to play the active bass in either input correct?