Active Pickups - Is it just me, or these pickups?

[Ritter667]

All of these things are subjective. There are some objective differences between the designs but how you interpret those is what matters.

My MTD has low impedance Barts and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that it’s extremely responsive. Almost too responsive haha. That bass recreates exactly what my hands and strings sound like.

Yes, I suppose it is subjective, but that doesn't mean it isn't real, and obvious a real issue for me, otherwise I wouldn't have made this thread.

This thread was not meant to bash active pickups, I have no issue with people liking active pickup wahtsoever, why would I?

It was however meant as to toe the water whether I am imagining things or this in fact is a real phenomena, subjective, or really rather perhaps relative, or not.

Telling me I don't have an issue is really not helpful.

 

[iiipopes]

One overlooked item about compression: Unless you are in a garage/bar band that your amp carries the house, remember that every sound man who either DI's or mikes a bass amp is adding compression at the board for the PA or broadcast. I have been thanked by more than one sound man at my evenness in technique and that only the minimal compression has to be added to my playing. The above posts make it sound like compression is a bad thing. It is not. It is simply one more tool to use to get the best sound possible for the gig.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Yes, I suppose it is subjective, but that doesn't mean it isn't real, and obvious a real issue for me, otherwise I wouldn't have made this thread.

This thread was not meant to bash active pickups, I have no issue with people liking active pickup wahtsoever, why would I?

It was however meant as to toe the water whether I am imagining things or this in fact is a real phenomena, subjective, or really rather perhaps relative, or not.

Telling me I don't have an issue is really not helpful.

No one said that. I guess I don’t understand the issue here. You have a clear and strong opinion about it already so I’m guessing you weren’t actually looking for information just looking for affirmation of your opinion?

 

[VeryTallBassist]

Someone here already mentioned it, but pickup height really matters with the EMGs. Try to get them as close to the strings as possible without having the strings hit them when you dig in or slap. You're able to do that because the pickups have a preamp built in, thus eliminating the need for strong magnets.

 

[DanAdams]

My experience with Low Z pickups is limited, and has nothing to do with EMG, but it seems similar to yours
I had two Ibanez Roadstar RB850 basses from different years. (they switched to low Z at some point)
To me, the passive model was alive, versatile, dynamic. The LowZ model was... boring.

 

[FightMilk]

You probably would have preferred the LJVX pickup if you want a more vintage passive inspired tone

 

[Ritter667]

And I don't like compression pre production, for me that is something that is added in the mixing and mastering process.

One overlooked item about compression: Unless you are in a garage/bar band that your amp carries the house, remember that every sound man who either DI's or mikes a bass amp is adding compression at the board for the PA or broadcast. I have been thanked by more than one sound man at my evenness in technique and that only the minimal compression has to be added to my playing. The above posts make it sound like compression is a bad thing. It is not. It is simply one more tool to use to get the best sound possible for the gig.

How do you conclude compression is a bad thing from this?

Yes, in the context I explained why it was bad for me pre production, I never said it was bad in general, and I think the last part of the sentence emphasis it is an important aspect of the mixing and mastering process, that is when you have everything in the mix in context with each other.

Slapping effects on blindly, or out of your control, on individual instruments pre production without context I would say is a bad thing in general.

 

[Ritter667]

And seem like I need to remind people of the OP:

So I installed a bridge EMG JX active pickup in one of my basses, but while it is very well defined and articulate, I feel that it is at the expense of some dynamic details.

The tone doesn't seem to change character dynamically, as it did with my passive J pickup, it simply sounds too smooth, somewhat similar to as if you had run it through a compressor.

I suppose there is nothing wrong with the tone as such, but it is like it is too perfect, It feels uninspiring to play and bland to me.

Is this common with active pickups, or is it just these particular ones, or me?

Would the passive EMG JHZ had been a better choice you think?

It seems pretty straight forward to me.

 

[Jefenator]

In all these years, I still haven't tried an active EMG set yet. (I'd like to – just never had the right occasion.)
I do have a Yamaha BB5000AF with active pickups that I really like. (The baseline setting is already "perfect" – and adjustments for the sake of variety are very intuitive.) So I at least know the technology can work for me when the implementation is right.
Sometimes I get restless & try a few different pickups in an instrument. The relative scarcity of choices for active designs might turn me away.
I've also found that the passive Lollar & Aero J pickups deliver all the "hi-fi" I could ever want. (Probably another reason I haven't tried EMGs yet: my search is over, at least for that pickup shape...)

 

[REV]

I have a Yamaha Attitude II bass that's probably a little better than a MIM P bass. I've used it for years and it records really well. A few years ago I replaced the stock P bass type pickups with EMG's and a BTC preamp. This completely changed the character of this bass. Now this bass is a tone monster. Before the change the bass was like a basic P bass but now it is incredible.

 

[Ritter667]

Don't get me wrong they do sound great (or well not bad at least, in their own regard, at least until compared to my passive bass, equipped a bridge EMG passive J from the P/J Geezer set (so definitely not bashing EMG)), very uniform and pretty, but they feel all wrong, dead, character and life -less, and it feels like I might as well play keyboard/synth (nothing wrong with that, but there is a reason why bass is my main instrument of choice and not keyboard) and not bass the way they respond, or rather doesn't respond, to my playing.

Not compressed really, but giving an effect similar to overuse of compression.

And I do understand the appeal, and can imagine contexts where it would work great, it is just not for me.

A corpse in a suit...

Perhaps that is why they are treasured by many metal players.

And yes, I am frustrated by my new purchase that I have looked forward to not working out as I had hoped for, but at least I got some confirmation in this thread that it is not just me.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Why not just go back to the old pickups? Was there something wrong that you were trying to resolve?

 

[logdrum]

Based on what you are experiencing, and your tone goals why not get the ceramic steel EMGs

The JCS Set features pickups that utilize ceramic and steel magnets with our original J preamp. This twist on jazz bass tone, gives players a much warmer sound and a smoother attack with less high end presence. The JCS Set is less bright than most traditional sounding J pickups and is a great choice for someone looking for a deep, rich sound. These pickups offer smooth jazz bass tone with the benefits of EMG's quiet, low impedance preamp, with a sleek look.

 

[scuzzy]

Read through most, didn't see all mentioned. 18 volt operation will likely lead to a less compressed sound out of the X series. Additionally, as stated by others, the pickups should be nearly touching the strings.

I'm an emg fan boy. I hear the same knocks from those that don't like them. I find them to be the most articulate, even sounding pickups. But it's only one piece of the puzzle. Play what inspires you!

 

[JimmyM]

Yes, I suppose it is subjective, but that doesn't mean it isn't real, and obvious a real issue for me, otherwise I wouldn't have made this thread.

This thread was not meant to bash active pickups, I have no issue with people liking active pickup wahtsoever, why would I?

It was however meant as to toe the water whether I am imagining things or this in fact is a real phenomena, subjective, or really rather perhaps relative, or not.

Telling me I don't have an issue is really not helpful.

I agree, but I haven’t seen anything of the sort in this thread. Instead, they’re telling you why they like them, which is by and large why you don’t like them and maybe not especially helpful, but I don’t think anyone is insulting your tastes or saying you don’t have an issue. However, giving you things you may want to try before bagging them IS being helpful, although I’ve been playing EMG actives off and on for decades and I’m pretty convinced you won’t like them anyway. And honestly, I mostly use Geezers now as I’ve gotten away from the sound of actives.

Someone here already mentioned it, but pickup height really matters with the EMGs. Try to get them as close to the strings as possible without having the strings hit them when you dig in or slap. You're able to do that because the pickups have a preamp built in, thus eliminating the need for strong magnets.

It doesn’t change the overall experience of them, though. They still sound like they do, just maybe with a little more output.

 

[LiptonJigglers]

So I installed a bridge EMG JX active pickup in one of my basses, but while it is very well defined and articulate, I feel that it is at the expense of some dynamic details.

The tone doesn't seem to change character dynamically, as it did with my passive J pickup, it simply sounds too smooth, somewhat similar to as if you had run it through a compressor.

I suppose there is nothing wrong with the tone as such, but it is like it is too perfect, It feels uninspiring to play and bland to me.

Is this common with active pickups, or is it just these particular ones, or me?

Would the passive EMG JHZ had been a better choice you think?

I'm a bit confused by what pickups and eq/preamp you actually have in your bass.
The message I'm getting is a mixed system of both active and passive pickups, through active preamp..


Googled: Can you mix active pickups with passive pickups and an EMG preamp system?

Response;
Yes, it is possible to mix active and passive pickups with an EMG preamp, but it's not ideal and requires careful consideration of impedance matching and potentially additional components. While you can wire them together, the best practice is to consult with a technician or refer to detailed wiring diagrams to avoid potential issues with tone and output.
Here's why it's complicated and what you need to consider:
Impedance Mismatch:
Active pickups, like those from EMG, have a low output impedance and require a low-impedance (25k) potentiometer.
Passive pickups typically use a higher impedance (250k or 500k).
Mixing these can lead to reduced gain, altered frequency response, and potentially weaker output from the passive pickup.

Hope this helps.

 

[VeryTallBassist]

It doesn’t change the overall experience of them, though. They still sound like they do, just maybe with a little more output.

Respectfully I'm going to disagree. I find that keeping them in their sweet spot maximizes the nuance they deliver with varying attacks. I've heard them when they're adjusted low like passive pickups, and the magnetic field is so dispersed by then, they do sound kind of flat. They're not at all flat when they're set up right.

 

[JimmyM]

Respectfully I'm going to disagree. I find that keeping them in their sweet spot maximizes the nuance they deliver with varying attacks. I've heard them when they're adjusted low like passive pickups, and the magnetic field is so dispersed by then, they do sound kind of flat. They're not at all flat when they're set up right.

Ok, I buy into that. You can definitely go too far away.

 

[sunbeast]

I agree that EMG actives seem to work better for me when set closer to the strings than passive pickups as others have mentioned. Higher voltage definitely helps with dynamics (though I've only used the non-X versions personally). They are generally more compressed than typical vintage-wound passive J pickups though.

I put EMGs into my first-ever bass, a cheap Fender MIM Jazz, as my first-ever mod and that compression was a benefit (alongside the noiseless operation) but as I became a better player I preferred the more dynamic character of other passive instruments I had picked up in the meantime. I have flirted with EMGs again a few times over the years and enjoy their soloed tones, but in a mix they just don't work as well for me most of the time.

 

[Parzival]

I've got EMG classic Js in my jazz bass with just VVT controls and I think it sounds great. Maybe getting high quality passive pickups would have sounded great too, but these were a huge upgrade over the stock pickups (90s MIM)

As for compression, they do sound different but I wouldn't call them "compressed" per se. I think it's just a matter of taste. I'm surprised you have that complaint about the X series because I thought they were supposed to respond more like passive pickups. I haven't tried them so you might be totally right. Just not what I expected to hear.

I have the classic Js in my just finished up parts Jazz I've been working on. They came with the control plate and everything. So simple even I was able to install them. Brought it to my gig Saturday night and took it out for the last set. They sounded really cool. Different from any other J pickups, but in a good way. I know they are supposed to be high output, but I was surprised that I was getting more output than my Ultra Jazz with its 18v preamp. And that output is something to consider. It may do well to look at the settings on compressors and preamps if you are using them. Maybe dial the inputs back just a tad.