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Active vs. Passive Pros and cons
- Thread starter Taxt
- Start date
Active electronics usually have anywhere from a 2-4 band EQ and a pre amp. This allows you to cut and boost bass,mids,and treble on the bass. They usually have a much higher output and require either 1 or 2 9v batteries. Some people think that it takes away from the the natural and organic sound of a bass,but they definately have their place,especially for someone looking for more tweaking ability and versatility.
Passives are just the opposite. They don't need batteries,usually have basic volume and tone knobs.
Downsides to passives? Really I can only think of output.
Downsides to active? Batteries
Passives are just the opposite. They don't need batteries,usually have basic volume and tone knobs.
Downsides to passives? Really I can only think of output.
Downsides to active? Batteries
+1 to what 5string5fingers said.
I think sometimes the pre-amp (usually cheaper ones) can color the sound of your pups a little. Also, you can have passive pups with an active pre-amp...which is what I look for in a bass because then you can do an active/passive switch or push/pull knob and get the best of both. Plus it gives you a fail safe incase your batteries die in the middle of a song, just kick the bass to passive and go on with your playing.
I think sometimes the pre-amp (usually cheaper ones) can color the sound of your pups a little. Also, you can have passive pups with an active pre-amp...which is what I look for in a bass because then you can do an active/passive switch or push/pull knob and get the best of both. Plus it gives you a fail safe incase your batteries die in the middle of a song, just kick the bass to passive and go on with your playing.
IF playing live and going DI.. an active is a bit easier..
Passive sound more "thumpy"
Actives sound a bit "Zingy and hi fi" or "Modern"
I play passives for pre material rock-n-roll and classic country ----------Actives for everything else (if this helps or you care)... in church sessions it's only actives.. in many recordings it's passives only.
Passive sound more "thumpy"
Actives sound a bit "Zingy and hi fi" or "Modern"
I play passives for pre material rock-n-roll and classic country ----------Actives for everything else (if this helps or you care)... in church sessions it's only actives.. in many recordings it's passives only.
OPINION - Correct.. this would be my suggestion.. best of both worlds (until you learn the symptoms of a dying battery OR if you decide you need full active)
I pretty much feel like active compresses the signal a bit - I'm not a fan because I feel like it makes things "too smooth". OTOH, active will ensure (without EQing) that your high end will make it to the amp because it works at a different impedance and doesn't suffer as much from capacitance loading from the cable as much.
The EQ most preamps provide can be handy to those who tweak their sound a lot, but I like to get a fairly pure tone to the amp and do my tone shaping there.
Many preamps have a bit of a built in mid-scoop.
I'm planning on changing the preamp in my Skyline 55-01 to a simple buffering preamp with no EQ. I plan to have passive shelving cuts on the bass and treble ala the G&L L-1000 after the signal has been through the preamp.
I agree with pretty much everything written above, but personally, I prefer passive. I'm not totally opposed to the concept.
KO
The EQ most preamps provide can be handy to those who tweak their sound a lot, but I like to get a fairly pure tone to the amp and do my tone shaping there.
Many preamps have a bit of a built in mid-scoop.
I'm planning on changing the preamp in my Skyline 55-01 to a simple buffering preamp with no EQ. I plan to have passive shelving cuts on the bass and treble ala the G&L L-1000 after the signal has been through the preamp.
I agree with pretty much everything written above, but personally, I prefer passive. I'm not totally opposed to the concept.
KO
Let's kill this incorrect assumption that active preamps have more output than passive systems. They MIGHT, if you use all the EQ boosted. But that's not common. My experience playing active and passive instruments since I got my first StingRay back around 1979 is that the bass with the most output I've ever played was a passive one- a G&L L-1000.
Active offers you a different range of control of the EQ, and it can buffer you signal from impedance differences down the chain. The primary disadvantage I find with active is that I have to put new batteris in them once a year. I don't even consider active/passive when I buy basses. All that matters is that it sound good. A crappy active system is never as good as a good passive system. But a good active is as good. Better? That's pretty subjective and to me a moot point now. I just judge the bass by how it sounds.
John
Active offers you a different range of control of the EQ, and it can buffer you signal from impedance differences down the chain. The primary disadvantage I find with active is that I have to put new batteris in them once a year. I don't even consider active/passive when I buy basses. All that matters is that it sound good. A crappy active system is never as good as a good passive system. But a good active is as good. Better? That's pretty subjective and to me a moot point now. I just judge the bass by how it sounds.
John
There are some passives that have a hefty output and allow for a wide palette of tones to choose from: Villex pickups
www.villex.com
The OP's Question was about Active / Passive Pickups not electronics and yes there are active and passive pickups The two actives that come to mind are EMG and Seymour Duncan. The differences in tone are what I notice. Most Active Pickups I have had Were just not as deep and thumpy as the old school passives like the Fender P And J pickups they tend to be more Hollow sounding (IME IMHO). So
bongomania
Commercial User
Weeellll... The way the OP worded his post, he did say active vs. passive pickups, but the fact is a lot of people are confused about active electronics and think that an "active bass" is the same thing as saying "a bass with active pickups". Further, active pickups are just passive pickups with a preamp built in. Sure, the coil winding and design is changed from a typical all-passive design, to best interface with the inbuilt preamp, but again the basic concept is exactly the same either way. Passive coils feeding a powered preamp.
Not to hi-jack the thread, but in my other post I'm wondering about MM pups (SD Basslines MM in paticular) not sounding so good in passive, is it b/c that the coil winding in MM pups are designed for an onboard active EQ?
US Masters has come up with a pretty neat design for passive circuitry in a bass. I believe it's called Multi Voice Passive (MVP). Check them out- Invalid Link Removed
+1. EMG pickups are an example of what people think of when they're talking about active pickups, but the only substantial non-audible difference between EMGs and other active systems is that EMG pickups have the preamp built directly into the pickup itself. Most systems place the active preamp in the control cavity.
However, it's still helpful to maintain a distinction for reasons outside of the active vs. passive debate.
As far as passive versus active goes - here are the generalizations:
Passive pickups:
As far as battery life goes... I've yet to run into an active bass which was a true battery hog. Most can last months on a single 9V battery, even with frequent use.
When using an active bass that features an onboard EQ, remember to try cutting as well as boosting. After all, passive systems are cut only, so if you want to get tones closer to a passive bass, then cut!
So... take the "tone" generalizations with a grain of salt, and don't be afraid to explore both passive AND active basses!
However, it's still helpful to maintain a distinction for reasons outside of the active vs. passive debate.
As far as passive versus active goes - here are the generalizations:
Passive pickups:
- Simpler controls - typically Volume and Tone, occasionally Pickup Balance
- No batteries
- More "traditional" tones
- More complex controls - usually an onboard EQ of some kind
- Requires battery power to function
- Potential for higher output
- Lower impedance (can be a problem with certain effects pedals)
- More "modern" tones
As far as battery life goes... I've yet to run into an active bass which was a true battery hog. Most can last months on a single 9V battery, even with frequent use.
When using an active bass that features an onboard EQ, remember to try cutting as well as boosting. After all, passive systems are cut only, so if you want to get tones closer to a passive bass, then cut!
So... take the "tone" generalizations with a grain of salt, and don't be afraid to explore both passive AND active basses!
Please note that while MysticBoo's post is very informative, it still perpetuates the confusion of active pickups versus active controls. EMG PUPs into a good passive control arrangement work very very well. The Guild Pilots (not the Pilot Pro, but the regular Pilots) are some very under-rated basses with EMG active PUPs going into a passive V/V/T arrangement. So, they have at least one of the characteristics listed just above for passive PUPs (simpler controls).
And most active basses have PASSIVE PICKUPS. Music Man, Fender, Lakland, G&L, and most Peavey basses that are active are passive PUPs going to an active circuit aftewards.
There's enough confusion about "active" versus "passive" here without compounding it!
John
And most active basses have PASSIVE PICKUPS. Music Man, Fender, Lakland, G&L, and most Peavey basses that are active are passive PUPs going to an active circuit aftewards.
There's enough confusion about "active" versus "passive" here without compounding it!
John
It is true that I didn't touch upon active pickups with passive controls. I was mainly addressing the preamp's location. Also, my lists were, as I already stated, generalizations - there are plenty of uncommon exceptions to these.
I used to have a P/J bass with EMG pickups and passive controls. One of my later basses had EMG-HZ pickups (which are purely passive) and an active EMG control system. That bass was later modified with active EMG pickups. My current bass, an EBMM Stingray, has a passive humbucker wired to an active preamp with a 3-band EQ.
I've messed around with a little bit of everything.
One thing's for certain: if it uses a battery, it's an active bass, and we can expect it to be different.
I used to have a P/J bass with EMG pickups and passive controls. One of my later basses had EMG-HZ pickups (which are purely passive) and an active EMG control system. That bass was later modified with active EMG pickups. My current bass, an EBMM Stingray, has a passive humbucker wired to an active preamp with a 3-band EQ.
I've messed around with a little bit of everything.
One thing's for certain: if it uses a battery, it's an active bass, and we can expect it to be different.
Hey, I'm just trying to get the terminology clear. "Active pickup" means the preamp is in the pickup housing. "Active bass" can mean the preamp is anywhere in the bass, or even have two pre's. I think it's critical that people understand the distinction between an active PUP and an active EQ. It's also criticala that they understand that an active bass can have passive PUPs (BTW, most of them do).
John
John
