He basically leans passive and I can’t argue with his logic. I say active with a passive bypass and passive tone pot is foolproof.
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Deadbeat Studios: Active vs. Passive Basses
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
He basically leans passive and I can’t argue with his logic. I say active with a passive bypass and passive tone pot is foolproof.
Really enjoy his reviews/channel. Amazing playing and practical insights.
Yawn. Battery dying mid song strawman. Never happened to me in nearly 40y because I'm prepared.
Choose passive in the studio because you're mic-ing? What if my preferred bass has EMGs? Or is an Alembic?
If you hadn't posted I probably wouldn't have watched it, even though it was in my YT feed because I find him irritating a good percentage of the time. I wish I had his chops though.
Choose passive in the studio because you're mic-ing? What if my preferred bass has EMGs? Or is an Alembic?
Clearly, and his arguments are shaped heavily that way.
If you hadn't posted I probably wouldn't have watched it, even though it was in my YT feed because I find him irritating a good percentage of the time. I wish I had his chops though.
I own passive only, active only and active/passive. If I could keep one it would be passive/active.
I’m an active, guy. I much prefer having the ability to sculpt my tone at the bass. And I agree - I’m coming up on 20 years of playing (not sure where the time went) and have never had a battery die on me mid gig. Even if it did, quick access battery compartments make it an extremely fast fix. It’s a non-issue.
I've always preferred EMG, and the Alembic electronics were tremendous.
But, there's still great passive setups (humbucking and properly installed/shielded, I HATE noise), and I'm always mindful that Anthony Jackson exhaustively tried many pickups, only to go passive, remarking there simply were no onboard 9 or 18v preamps that could approach an AC powered preamp or channel strip.
But, there's still great passive setups (humbucking and properly installed/shielded, I HATE noise), and I'm always mindful that Anthony Jackson exhaustively tried many pickups, only to go passive, remarking there simply were no onboard 9 or 18v preamps that could approach an AC powered preamp or channel strip.
Well, out of 2 dozen plus basses currently cluttering up my house? Only 3 are active, and only one of those (the G&L ASAT Bass) has a passive function. My Alembic? Oh, puh-leeze... And, my EBMM 4HH Stingray Special can't do it, either. And, TBH? I can see the passive function on the ASAT saving my bacon on stage - assuming I was... well, let's just say that it ain't gonna happen ever again, and move on... But, deliberately playing it that way? No way... Weak and anemic doesn't even begin to describe it...
I only had one "Active Bass" spot in my herd; why I wound up with three, is a complicated story - which I'm sure nobody wants to hear. I spent most of the last 55 years happily playing 4-string passive basses, and the only time I ever reach for one of the active basses, is when it comes up for rotation up to the living room, to have the snot played out of it for a month. After that? It gets cleaned up, and back to it's case in the basement it goes - to make room for 2 or 3 others to get played...
As for which is better in the studio? I've never been in a studio, so... you guys can argue over the relative merits of active vs. passive for that situation. Personally? I'm a very mercenary kind of guy; if I have a bass that you want me to play in your studio - for $$$? Your wish is my command...
So, which is "better"? I don't know, really; "horses for courses", is all I got...
I only had one "Active Bass" spot in my herd; why I wound up with three, is a complicated story - which I'm sure nobody wants to hear. I spent most of the last 55 years happily playing 4-string passive basses, and the only time I ever reach for one of the active basses, is when it comes up for rotation up to the living room, to have the snot played out of it for a month. After that? It gets cleaned up, and back to it's case in the basement it goes - to make room for 2 or 3 others to get played...
As for which is better in the studio? I've never been in a studio, so... you guys can argue over the relative merits of active vs. passive for that situation. Personally? I'm a very mercenary kind of guy; if I have a bass that you want me to play in your studio - for $$$? Your wish is my command...
So, which is "better"? I don't know, really; "horses for courses", is all I got...
Active w/passive switch and a tone control.
There are too many basses out there with passive option but no tone control. Boo! .... I have one. I guess Joe Dart would approve.
There are too many basses out there with passive option but no tone control. Boo! .... I have one. I guess Joe Dart would approve.
Why does one thing always have to be better than the other?
I have both. They both sound great. They do different things. Sometimes I want active, sometimes I want passive. I don't feel like either is better. They're just different.
If you can't be bothered to replace a battery like once a year (if that), I don't know what to tell you. It's not difficult.
I have both. They both sound great. They do different things. Sometimes I want active, sometimes I want passive. I don't feel like either is better. They're just different.
If you can't be bothered to replace a battery like once a year (if that), I don't know what to tell you. It's not difficult.
edwinhurwitz
Supporting Member
Interesting points. I don't think either is better or worse. And no one can say that the bass in my profile picture is sterile. Having an Alembic filter setup gives a lot more options than simply turning up and down the treble and bass. It can get a very old school tone. It can also get a pretty bright tone, as well.
I think flats vs round wounds are really the defining thing about basses for me. That makes a way bigger difference in tone and how I play it than whether it's active or not.
At the end of the day, I play my Starfire most of the time and then really enjoy my new to me Wilkins P bass equally as much. As well, Modulus basses, a David King fretless 5, a modified EB-3, and others. Really, the best bass is the one in your hands.
I think flats vs round wounds are really the defining thing about basses for me. That makes a way bigger difference in tone and how I play it than whether it's active or not.
At the end of the day, I play my Starfire most of the time and then really enjoy my new to me Wilkins P bass equally as much. As well, Modulus basses, a David King fretless 5, a modified EB-3, and others. Really, the best bass is the one in your hands.
I like what EMG active pickups do ( allow me to quite noiselessly play without a string ground, very useful for nylon tapewounds). But I don't really find their preamps useful, still too much hiss added if you crank them. I liked my Alembic filters, but they were really the only onboard preamps I had any use for. And I have been building/buying them for bass guitars since the 1970s!
I got super spoiled in the 90s when I got hold of a small rack of Neve V-series parametric EQ modules in a studio in Vancouver. Imagine that, transparent EQ with zero noise added. They were all-discrete and running on 48volts if I recall correctly... Still waiting for someone to miniaturize that kind of performance into an onboard bass preamp! Till then, I am quite happy with passive basses.
** I do an awful lot of tracking these days with a Line6 variax, so it's not like I have any aversion to technology... I just have never found an onboard preamp yet that performs nearly as well as a good outboard one! YMMV &etc...
I got super spoiled in the 90s when I got hold of a small rack of Neve V-series parametric EQ modules in a studio in Vancouver. Imagine that, transparent EQ with zero noise added. They were all-discrete and running on 48volts if I recall correctly... Still waiting for someone to miniaturize that kind of performance into an onboard bass preamp! Till then, I am quite happy with passive basses.
** I do an awful lot of tracking these days with a Line6 variax, so it's not like I have any aversion to technology... I just have never found an onboard preamp yet that performs nearly as well as a good outboard one! YMMV &etc...
OK Everyone... burn your Stingrays, and Precision's... 
[edit] This should (hopefully), FINALLY deem 49% of the silly posts/questions on TB moot.
Peace,
Marc
[edit] This should (hopefully), FINALLY deem 49% of the silly posts/questions on TB moot.
Peace,
Marc
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I've played passive Jazz Basses (1965 and 1982) since 1966 and I prefer their sound. I also have a 5-string though that is an active bass with push-pull active/passive select volume knob. It's not a great sounding bass like my 4-string Jazz is, but it is good sounding bass and can go a fourth lower than my 4 string and I use it when I need that lowest register. When it's in passive mode the bass and treble knobs don't do anything, they are not in the circuit in passive mode. However it is a two pickup bass and the blend knob still works in passive mode. I find that I can get a sound I like just using the pickup blend knob AND I don't have to make any gain adjustments at the amp when I use it. In Active mode, I do have to either adjust the gain way down or use the pad button to cut it by 12db and then adjust it.
I'm not sure you can really say one is better than they other. They are different approaches to getting the sound the designer wants and it all depends on how successful that design is in achieving the sound that you as the end-user want. For me, it's been passive Jazz basses.
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My current lineup (6 basses) are all active execpt one. It's a custom from the '70s and has so great single coil pickups. I used to love DiMarzzio pickups but once I made the change to active pickups in the 90's, I've never looked back. Great to leave the head mostly flat and adjust on the fly.
I hated active basses most of my life. My first active electric bass was a Fender Mexican Urge. Terrible electronics!
A few years ago I kinda gave up. If I dig the bass I dig the bass. I have 5 actives out of 11.
Out of all my actives, the EBMM Bongo 5 HH is the most powerful. EBMM seems to build the bass AROUND the preamp.
Finally, when I slap and pop...
I sound exactly like an 80s Fuisak record.
Sometimes we just want to sound like Fuisak...
A few years ago I kinda gave up. If I dig the bass I dig the bass. I have 5 actives out of 11.
Out of all my actives, the EBMM Bongo 5 HH is the most powerful. EBMM seems to build the bass AROUND the preamp.
Finally, when I slap and pop...
I sound exactly like an 80s Fuisak record.
Sometimes we just want to sound like Fuisak...
Here we go again.
Next week thread titles: "Passive without tort vs Active with tort." "Passive with rounds vs Active with flats." "Roasted necks with tort passive vs stock necks without tort active." "Sound of your bass in the case vs sound of your bass hanging on the wall."
Next week thread titles: "Passive without tort vs Active with tort." "Passive with rounds vs Active with flats." "Roasted necks with tort passive vs stock necks without tort active." "Sound of your bass in the case vs sound of your bass hanging on the wall."
