Active Bass Guitar Cable Question

[dabbler]

This doesn't have to be complicated; passive or active, just unplug after the practice / reharsal / gig is over and you'll be good to go.

If you feel you must routinely plug & unplug your active bass in the middle of a set for whatever reason, IME the Neutrik "silent" plug usually helps avoid the THUMP. (I still wouldn't recommend it for battery saving - I like it sometimes as a quick solution for instrument swapping.)

The THUMP isn't always a huge deal. The more my amp is cranked or run thru the PA, the more careful I am to avoid it.

That or a planet waves cable with the switch

Circuit Breaker Instrument Cable | Accessories | D'Addario

I have 3 of them (with the older silver plug housings) that I LOVE. They work like a charm!

 

[Jxff]

How would throwing a switch be easier to remember than unplugging?

My late aunt, if she played bass (rocked the organ) would say tie a piece of yarn around your wrist when you pick up your active bass and only your active bass till you remember to unplug only your active bass. In three days you will always unplug your active bass. I laughed till I tried till I tried it for not turning off my sprinklers.

 

[skycruiser]

Why do you want to leave it plugged in? How long does it take to plug in a cable?

Recently had an Ibanez SR305 for a short time. It looked like it would be very easy to chip the paint around that recessed plug. Only had it for a couple of weeks but I had to be very careful to slowly remove it with controlled movement. I'm glad I was careful since I ended up sending it back (for other reasons). It really was annoying.

 

[DWBass]

Bro, at the end of the night, just unplug your bass. Leaving it in during gigs is fine. Me, I turn down my amp and unplug between sets. I also change my batteries every quarter.

 

[Thumpin6string]

Put the bass in its case or bag after playing. That way you will never have to remember to unplug it. I keep my basses in their cases other than my cheap acoustic. Keeps them cleaner and less likely to get damaged.

 

[fourstringburn]

Purchased my first active bass recently and it does not have an a/p switch. Will this cable with a kill switch allow me to keep the cable plugged in without draining the batteries?

Circuit Breaker Instrument Cable | Accessories | D'Addario

Thanks in advance.

People already gave the answer you were looking for, but I will say this.

Use one of those cables anyway because they eliminate the loud buzz and pops when plugging in (our out) if your amp is turned on.

I prefer the cables that have a spring loaded sleeve so there is no button to push so the signal is automatically disconnected until fully inserted into the input jack.

However, some of those types may not fully interrupt the signal with active Basses so in your case the one you linked with a kill switch would be the way to go.

 

[rojo412]

So glad this topic is joining the ranks of "best bass for metal" and "torts and flats" discussions that keep needlessly happening.


Unplug active basses. It's not hard to do.
Unplug passive basses. It's ultimately safer for them.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

Alot of the gigs we play I will double on other percussion instruments, sometimes in the middle or before a tune but cannot do it while holding my bass. I want to keep the amp on and have to do the least amount of fidgeting with cables as I sometimes have a few seconds to put the bass back on and start the bass line in the middle of a tune.

Think about it... If you played that bass all night, would you worry about the battery dying? The battery drain is the same if you're playing it or not. Simply leave it plugged in and forget about it.

If you or a friend has a VOM, check the voltage on a regular basis and I think you'll be surprised how long decent 9V's will last. I change mine once a year when I do my fall smoke detector battery changes. I've never found one that didn't have plenty of life left. I'm more concerned about them leaking than dying at an inopportune time.

 

[Bulky Bass]

I just want to say thank you to all who chimed in with your thoughts (and humor). I did not imagine in a million years this thread would get this big. I’ve learned a few more things than what I originally asked, and have gotten some good suggestions. Happy belated Thanksgiving, you all are awesome!

 

[Jerry Catanescu]

Not all active onboard electronics will last a year on a battery. Some higher performance EQs will drain it in a week or two if you forget to unplug (such as when you leave the bass on a stand with the cable still in). A 9V alkaline battery has a typical capacity of 450 mAh. An EQ that draws 2mA (which is not that much) will flatten it in less than 10 days if left on.

I install a dedicated on/off switch on all my active instruments. If using a 3PDT, it can do double duty and switch to passive when powered off. I never forget to switch off after playing because I use a power-on indicator LED.

 

[Wood and Wire]

I would check that 3-band preamp for problems. I’ve owned both 2-band and 3-band MMs. I observed no difference in the battery draw of the 2 basses.

I don't own a 3 band, but the increased draw is a fact.

EBMM make a point of spelling it out on their FAQ.

 

[mikeswals]

As mentioned, keeping the bass plugged in the entire gig is correct. What is that 4 hours? its totally fine, that is expected. Your battery will typically last about a year.

Its the unused storage of a bass that's bad. If you leave it pugged in all day and night, you'll come back to a dead battery. Might take 3-4 days. You'll learn.

I too don't see how a remembering a switch is any different than remembering to just unplug the cable.

 

[mikeswals]

I have an active bass that seemed to drain the battery after just one week of it being installed and with the cord unplugged.
I started to just habitually turn down the volume control after playing The battery now lasts a very long time.

Then your output jack is stuck in the "on" position. Its the jack that turns on the preamp. Usually this is a bent tab, or a wire shorting the switch to on.

 

[PWolverine]

Just unplug your bass. It is not that hard. But this irrational fear of it losing power mid gig generally is just a myth of sorts. You will hear your bass getting low well before your battery completely dies. You will be turning the volume up louder than normal, and you will get distortion or crackling. Fender claims their active Bass's last about 600 hours, for both the 9v and 18v systems, so you will get a lot of playing hours if you unplug it after using it. IMHO if you are worried about your guitar battery that much and can't seem to unplug it, i'd be more concerned that you will forget to turn your lights off on your car at night and regularly have to call someone to get a jump start - it really isn't a hard habit to get into.