I play active and passive basses, and prefer. . . . both.
Depends on the bass.
Depends on the bass.
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Deadbeat Studios: Active vs. Passive Basses
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
Seriously. Has anyone ever picked a bass and played it and thought it played and sounded wonderful…..
….but put it down because “I’ll not have a bass with (insert my electronics preference here) in there!!”…?
I’ll play along and say “probably several of us have”…
(Actually, that should be “several of ya’ll”….
)
….but put it down because “I’ll not have a bass with (insert my electronics preference here) in there!!”…?
I’ll play along and say “probably several of us have”…
(Actually, that should be “several of ya’ll”….
)
I have both and play mine 99% of the time in active. The active circuit, if quiet, will add a little extra when needed. Rarely do I boost a lot. A quality circuit should yield very little difference when active is set flat and then switched to passive. That is how mine are set and the results I get.
All clickbait is the same. Pose a question when the answer is already obvious.
P.S. How come he goes off message into miking amps vs. DI? And who was that Dolly Parton impersonator?
P.S. How come he goes off message into miking amps vs. DI? And who was that Dolly Parton impersonator?
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Well if anyone has ~45 mins to spare (unless you want to skip around the chapters), here's the other end of the argument...
Great chops, props on career and all that.
He is a career pro and he does what works for him. I am a weekend warrior and I do what works for me, especially since I do not like to mess with my amp live. There is no 'better', there is only a preference for what is needed. I like active basses in general, I never ever slap, I disagree that they are sterile, I get great old-school tone from mine when needed, and having a battery die is 100% neglect of basic maintenance/prep on the part of the player. I would never advise anyone against an active bass just because it is active nor advise against passive because it is not active. YMMV. This whole topic is silly, IMHO. Play what you like and what works for you.
He is a career pro and he does what works for him. I am a weekend warrior and I do what works for me, especially since I do not like to mess with my amp live. There is no 'better', there is only a preference for what is needed. I like active basses in general, I never ever slap, I disagree that they are sterile, I get great old-school tone from mine when needed, and having a battery die is 100% neglect of basic maintenance/prep on the part of the player. I would never advise anyone against an active bass just because it is active nor advise against passive because it is not active. YMMV. This whole topic is silly, IMHO. Play what you like and what works for you.
As much as I’ve been an active/passive fan over the years, I prefer an instrument that offers the least amount of noise for recording and that’s either passive or passive mode from an active/passive onboard preamp, most of the time
I know of a few onboard preamps from high brands that are actually very noisy, which I found surprising. Since I rarely ever use additional eq from an onboard, I really need an active bass. I do own just one full active bass currently that is very quiet in the studio, which is why it’s stayed with me.
I know of a few onboard preamps from high brands that are actually very noisy, which I found surprising. Since I rarely ever use additional eq from an onboard, I really need an active bass. I do own just one full active bass currently that is very quiet in the studio, which is why it’s stayed with me.
...paints a subjective decision based on simple personal preference as a logical debate....because ""conflict" sells, just as in "reality" TV. I prefer passive basses because actives offer me no advantage, and a battery unused is a gift of omission to my kids/grandkids and the planet they'll be stuck with.
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Same here, I dont quite understand a big pedal board for a bass! Granted, I want a 3 band EQ pedal for my passive Fender p. Otherwise I cant get the sound from my p bass. It usually stays home because of that.
My P basses are passive (one was active for a while) and I prefer them that way.
The rest are all active and I like them that way too. I love the Sadowsky preamp with VTC, it just works so well. Part of me wants to try a (fully) passive J again, but I think I have a 5 string Jazz itch that will get scratched someday and it will probably be active.
The rest are all active and I like them that way too. I love the Sadowsky preamp with VTC, it just works so well. Part of me wants to try a (fully) passive J again, but I think I have a 5 string Jazz itch that will get scratched someday and it will probably be active.
I found this video to be very informative regarding the benefits of active pickups. The delve into the benefita of subtractive EQ which makes a ton of sense in the studio. You should watch the whole thing to get what they are saying.
I understand why these types of videos "need" to be posted, but...yawn.
People just want to hear what they want to hear in order to justify their polarizing view of whatever type of bass they prefer. Play what you want to play, and who cares? Passive, active, passive/active, use the right bass for the job.
People just want to hear what they want to hear in order to justify their polarizing view of whatever type of bass they prefer. Play what you want to play, and who cares? Passive, active, passive/active, use the right bass for the job.
I am a fan of Sadowsky's preamps. They have the ability to make some really warm sounds without sounding as brittle as so many preamps I have played. I think the "vintage tone control" along with the F.E.T. amp design makes the magic happen on that. Of course I am a jazz guy so ..... ymmv. Aside from the Sadowsky I prefer passive, but I haven't played that many active basses, just enough to know I didn't like many of them.
The part about the tradeoffs with magnets and coils is well worth listening to.
The infamous Gibson mudbuckers of the original EB series are a great example. No high end, slow note attack…but very high output and massive lows.
One thing I love about EMG pickups is that it’s possible to roll the passive tone knob full CCW to reduce the high end but the notes are still clearly defined.
