I can't be alone in having multiple basses, some active and some passive. Is there a pedal device that you'd put at the beginning of your chain that takes the input signal, regardless of strength, and outputs a consistent level/strength signal?
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Does a pedal like this exist?
- Thread starter jeff62
- Start date
Compressor is an option. You could also use some form of boost/preamp depending on how consistent your active and passive basses are with the other basses in the same category. Just set it to boost your passives to the same level as the actives and turn it off for actives and on for passives. Gets more complex if you have a wider variety of levels.
I think your best bet would be to get a programmable EQ pedal like the source audio EQ2 or a preamp pedal with multiple presets. You would have to set up each bass but once that's done it would work fine.
I think to set up a unit that would automatically do what you're describing it would have to sample a certain amount of your playing be able to calculate the right output, and I don't think anybody's made that yet.
A compressor is kind of a dirty way to do it but it introduces a whole bunch of dynamics issues, and I don't think that is what you are asking for.
I think to set up a unit that would automatically do what you're describing it would have to sample a certain amount of your playing be able to calculate the right output, and I don't think anybody's made that yet.
A compressor is kind of a dirty way to do it but it introduces a whole bunch of dynamics issues, and I don't think that is what you are asking for.
Radial Bigshot I/O will do this nicely. BigShot i/o - Radial Engineering
EHX Switchblade Pro, Boss LS2, OBNE split mixer, etc. can let you set a level on most inputs and be used as line selectors.
- Apr 18, 2008
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I'm really ready for the "active is louder than passive" myth to die.
Anyway, if you're unhappy with the output levels of your bass, you can either use the volume knob, or add a trim pot inside the cavity to adjust the maximum output level.
Anyway, if you're unhappy with the output levels of your bass, you can either use the volume knob, or add a trim pot inside the cavity to adjust the maximum output level.
My actives are louder than my passive, because I boost mids and treble with the on board preamp. Which is kind of why you would get an active in the first place. Hardly a myth.
- Apr 18, 2008
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It is frequently true that active is louder. It is also frequently true that passive is louder. As with all things in life, the full truth is more complex, with more factors involved. One cannot generalize that "active is always louder".
For the specific purpose of easy switching during a gig, check to see if your active basses already have a trim pot on the preamp circuit that lets you adjust the overall output, which is quite common. I usually bring two basses to a gig, and typically at least one of them is an active bass with a trim pot. Therefore, before a gig I always check to make sure the trim pot on that bass is adjusted so that it exactly matches the output of the other bass I am going to bring.
I have also previously used a clean boost to account for the difference between a particularly hot passive bass and another bass, as has already been suggested, although that was in part because the passive bass did not have a volume knob.
I have also previously used a clean boost to account for the difference between a particularly hot passive bass and another bass, as has already been suggested, although that was in part because the passive bass did not have a volume knob.
I'm with this guy. Forget about active vs. passive, and just use your volume control (on either bass or amp) to adjust for loudness differences between basses as necessary.
TC Mini Spark Booster... It's clean and clear. You could boost a low output bass and toggle it off for a bass with hot pickups, or you can use it to lower the volume
.. Lots of headroom
They are fairly inexpensive.
.. Lots of headroom
They are fairly inexpensive.
- Oct 29, 2012
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- Mesa, Darkglass, EQD, Mantic, Source Audio, Yamaha, Delano, Hamstead Soundworks, Jad Freer Audio
Source Audio EQ has always be my go to for this sort of thing - presets per bass if needed to level things out, as well as a bit of EQ shaping if needed as well.
Having toured with up to 8 instruments at a time, with all in use it was very much necessary to help bring things to a middle ground. This was all with passive instruments too BTW - definitely not something to pay attention to re: active vs passive.
I find that often percieved level disparity is as much an EQ thing as output level. Whilst this is some of the point of having different basses, it can often be helpful to tame some the extremities of these differences to enable them all to play nicely with the same pedal board/signal chain...etc.
Having toured with up to 8 instruments at a time, with all in use it was very much necessary to help bring things to a middle ground. This was all with passive instruments too BTW - definitely not something to pay attention to re: active vs passive.
I find that often percieved level disparity is as much an EQ thing as output level. Whilst this is some of the point of having different basses, it can often be helpful to tame some the extremities of these differences to enable them all to play nicely with the same pedal board/signal chain...etc.
Yup. What I use for switching between my passive Jazz-style 4 string and active Stingray-style 5. Input one is always for the weaker signal, so that's the passive bass 100%. The gain knob is a cut-only on input 2, so there goes the active bass at 75-80%. Input level (tracking on my recording software) is identical. Job done.
I'd disagree with the compressor idea: that will alter the tone of both instruments across the spectrum, not just merely put them to the same level. You'd need some pretty extreme settings to do that, and both basses would end up sounding squashed.
EHX do make a signal pad pedal (the opposite of a boost), also worth considering. Turn it on when you use the hotter instrument.
Just my 2 more valuable European cents
Peace,
SoundSupport.
You can also boost your gain, treble, and mids on the amp. That’s what those controls were put there for.
You can also boost your gain, treble, and mids on the amp. That’s what those controls were put there for.
