Total N00B - need your advice TBer's

sevenyearsdown · #1 04-18-2008, 06:56 AM

Well, I'm not really a n00b - just with the effects.

Here's my situation. I've never played with any effects pedals at all, always been a P-bass straight thru to the head. I recently starting messing with a few pedals (compressor, distortion). So my question is should I be using the active or passive input on my head when I've the pedals hooked up? My basses are all passive, but with the pedals hooked up I wasn't sure if that now meant I had an active signal. Thanks in advance!

dannybuoy · #2 04-18-2008, 07:16 AM

I was pondering the same problem recently.

As well as attenuating the volume, active inputs usually have a lower input impedance. This can be a bad thing, it can roll off the highs and make some pedals behave strangely in my experience.

I always go for the passive input first, and only if the signal coming out the pedals is too high and creating undesirable clipping do I move to the active input.

sevenyearsdown · #3 04-18-2008, 08:40 AM

bump...anyone else?

MakiSupaStar · #4 04-18-2008, 08:57 AM

Does your head have an fx loop? What kind of head is it? Is your bass passive/active?

sevenyearsdown · #5 04-18-2008, 09:03 AM

Hartke 3500, yes there's and effects loop, basses are all passive

MakiSupaStar · #6 04-18-2008, 09:10 AM

Personally, I would run your pedals through your fx loop. There are few pedals that I would run direct into your input, for instance, you mentioned that you're playing a compressor, that might be best running from your bass. All your other pedals should be put in your loop that are activated with a footswitch. Ideally, you will want to have three go to sounds that you can step on. The advantage of a fx loop is that you can completely bypass your effects, because not all effects are true bypass (which means that they influence your sound even if they are switched off). Another advantage is that you can turn effects on and off while your bypassed so that when you step on it you're ready to go. As far as your active or passive deal goes, I would just listen to which one sounds best to you, and make your choice that way.

nad · #7 04-18-2008, 09:17 AM

Effects loops can suck it. Active inputs can suck it. I'd recommend against using either one.

Try your pedals and bass in both situations (err, all four scenarios I suppose), whatever sounds best to you is best.

JustOpenYourMind · #8 04-18-2008, 09:20 AM

The only difference between the active and passive input on an amplifier is that the active has a lower gain. A lot of people pug their active basses in the passive input, in the end you only need to use the active input if you are overdriving the input, if not keep using the passive.

dannybuoy · #9 04-18-2008, 09:23 AM

Most have a different impedance as well... or at least, mine does! Using the active input just sounds bad with my setup.

JustOpenYourMind · #10 04-18-2008, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Personally, I would run your pedals through your fx loop. There are few pedals that I would run direct into your input, for instance, you mentioned that you're playing a compressor, that might be best running from your bass. All your other pedals should be put in your loop that are activated with a footswitch. Ideally, you will want to have three go to sounds that you can step on. The advantage of a fx loop is that you can completely bypass your effects, because not all effects are true bypass (which means that they influence your sound even if they are switched off). Another advantage is that you can turn effects on and off while your bypassed so that when you step on it you're ready to go. As far as your active or passive deal goes, I would just listen to which one sounds best to you, and make your choice that way.

This may not be a very good idea since the effect loop runs at line level and most pedals are meant to be used at instrument level. You can seriously overdrive the input of a pedal if you run a line level signal through it.

JanusZarate · #11 04-18-2008, 11:03 AM

-1 to Maki's suggestion (Sorry, Maki

).

Keep them OUT of the effects loop. Use your passive input unless you experience unwanted distortion.

Mark Olson · #12 04-18-2008, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sevenyearsdown

Well, I'm not really a n00b - just with the effects.

Here's my situation. I've never played with any effects pedals at all, always been a P-bass straight thru to the head. I recently starting messing with a few pedals (compressor, distortion). So my question is should I be using the active or passive input on my head when I've the pedals hooked up? My basses are all passive, but with the pedals hooked up I wasn't sure if that now meant I had an active signal. Thanks in advance!

If you're using a passive bass, you'll still probably want to go into the passive input on your amp, even with effects. I've used effects for a long time with a lot of different amps and I don't recall a single instance where I've had to plug a passive guitar through effects into the active input.

And most effect pedals aren't designed to be run in an fx loop, but between your guitar and your amp, so that's where you'll want to run them. Now if you're going to use rack effects, that could be a different story.

Sean S · #13 04-18-2008, 08:47 PM

Maki has it completely backwards (as usual)

KarateKid25 · #14 04-19-2008, 12:36 AM

Always go with the passive input unless your overdriving it.
I run a couple of active basses into my passive input. I think the only one I don't, is my Stingray. I find it farts out a bit.

Definately run effects into the passive input. Your signal has had enough to go through by the time it gets to your amp. Running into the active is just another way to take a bit more away from your sound. IMO

As mentioned earlier, the FX loop is more for rackmount gear