Active or Passive Reamping box?

[sloppy_phil]

Is there a significant difference between the two? I've got some tracks I'd like to re-amp for a project I'm involved in, as you can't really go wrong running bass through an old Ampeg B-18. So far, I've read that old tube amps *can* be fussier about the impedance level of signal they receive. But I'm not really clear if that's something the active unit is better equipped for? When looking at the Radial products, for example, the only real distinguishing factor I can see b/w their active and passive boxes is that the active box will allow you to run multiple amps/signals simultaneously. Maybe I'm missing something?

My instincts are telling me that, for this particular task, a passive box will probably be sufficient, because its basic function is for exactly what I'm planning to do; send a bass signal from a DAW to my amp via this reamping box. But I'm also aware of the fact that I am far from an expert when it comes to this sort of recording know-how.

Any input appreciated. Thanks!

 

[silky smoove]

I spoke to Radial about this when purchasing reamp boxes a couple years ago. Their advice was basically that a passive reamp box like their JCR behaves like the volume control on a guitar (or bass). The impedance will change depending on where the knob is set on the output from the reamp box before it heads to the amp. The practical effect of this was that there was more high frequency loss the lower the output volume. By comparison the impedance of their active X-Amp stays the same regardless of where you have the output volume set. The practical effect being that high frequency content was maintained and you could use it for level optimization without fear of muddying up your tone.

For your situation either would work just fine if you take some extra care to optimize the level of the signal as it leaves the DAW and as it leaves the reamp box. The active would be more foolproof than the passive, but I suspect the differences would be subtle.

 

[sloppy_phil]

Awesome, thanks a lot for the info!

 

[Frank Tuesday]

You could always put a passive emulator in between the active reamp and your amp. Depending upon how accurate you want to get, you could match the inductance, resistance and capacitance of your favorite bass. You could even build it with passive tone and volume controls if you wanted to go crazy. Then your reamped signal would interact with the input stage similarly to your bass. Would anyone but you notice? Probably not.

DIY Recording doesn't sell them anymore, but it can be a fun tool. I don't have one, but a guitarist friend does, and he insists that his fuzz pedal sounds terrible with active electronics, but if he puts this between the guitar and fuzz, it is perfect. Passive Pickup Emulator (PPE) Assembly Guide

 

[silky smoove]

he insists that his fuzz pedal sounds terrible with active electronics

This type of thing is well-documented with the ZVex Wooly Mammoth and all of its clones, so it sounds like he's onto something.