I like on boards for two reasons - 1 - reduced noise due to a higher output from the bass. 2 - pinpointing a specific sound. While I have on boards on both basses, I found that I have, outside of pickup blend, maybe three very similar EQ settings - like a little more low end, or a bit more mid. Once I find the sound I like, I leave the EQs on the bass pretty much alone. I would go passive otherwise.
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Does anybody not like onboard EQs?
- Thread starter FatboyJ115
- Start date
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I love my jazz bass with a 4 band Audere preamp in it. I also like 3 band preamps, and I also like passive basses. What I don't like is a 2 band preamp. There is a certain simple beauty to a passive bass and there is a nice organic tone to it, but sometimes the ability to boost and cut bass, treble and mids is a huge option.
I like my 3 band EQ for small adjustments on stage. Much easier then messing with the amp settings on a dark stage and doesnt give the FOH guy a heart attack when he sees you reaching for your amp.
All depends on the personal taste and the bass.
My Gecko 6's are both passive and powerful
fretted: Delano quad coils- 3 way switches per pup and vol/vol/tone/tone
(with a .22 cap on the bridge pup for serious Jaco-fart)
fretless: villex humbucking soaps w vol/vol/mid cut/treble cut
I'd rather invest in hardware and outboard effects that can be used in different basses than build a bass w a pre amp.
My all time favorite bass was a Ken Smith that had a great 2 band setup that really just boosted the existing tone.
If I suddenly had to endorse an on board preamp- I'd go with the Glockenklang in that it's rumored to be purely transparent.
My Gecko 6's are both passive and powerful
fretted: Delano quad coils- 3 way switches per pup and vol/vol/tone/tone
(with a .22 cap on the bridge pup for serious Jaco-fart)
fretless: villex humbucking soaps w vol/vol/mid cut/treble cut
I'd rather invest in hardware and outboard effects that can be used in different basses than build a bass w a pre amp.
My all time favorite bass was a Ken Smith that had a great 2 band setup that really just boosted the existing tone.
If I suddenly had to endorse an on board preamp- I'd go with the Glockenklang in that it's rumored to be purely transparent.
There's really no advantage to "hot" bass pickups. That's a guitar concept, which as is often the case means that the opposite's true for bass. Hotter (higher DC resistance) pickups will only add distortion and lose some highs.
Re the EQ on the bass, as some others have said the amp's got EQ, why have it on the bass? Some active basses sound great but I find that in a band setting they can be overbearing. Which maybe some want.
I like a mix of active and passive basses, and I also like to have an outboard preamp (3Leaf Audio The Enabler) as an option for those occasions where I want to add a little something to the passive signal. Active/Passive - Onboard/Outboard... ALL have their places (IMHO of course)
Right here.
I went through an active electronics phase briefly in the 90s.
Hate them. Never again.
Sucks because I really like everything else about MMs, for instance.
I very much enjoy the sounds that other people get from active basses, but I don't like them myself. Whenever I play through them, the sound I get (to me) seems sterile and somehow unreal.
I always liken it to Dolby Noise Reduction (DNR) in the 80s. Yeah, it removed a little hiss and grit, but it also made recordings sound muffled and cut off a lot of high end.
It's not that I think this is what happens to my sound through actives; it's just the closest correlation I can think of.
I went through an active electronics phase briefly in the 90s.
Hate them. Never again.
Sucks because I really like everything else about MMs, for instance.
I very much enjoy the sounds that other people get from active basses, but I don't like them myself. Whenever I play through them, the sound I get (to me) seems sterile and somehow unreal.
I always liken it to Dolby Noise Reduction (DNR) in the 80s. Yeah, it removed a little hiss and grit, but it also made recordings sound muffled and cut off a lot of high end.
It's not that I think this is what happens to my sound through actives; it's just the closest correlation I can think of.
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Most of my gigs are ampless, so I rely on the onboard EQ to shape my tone more than anything else. However, depending on the instrument and the brand of EQ, I'll swap them out for one I prefer.
Currently i have both passive and onboard eq functions available on each of my 3 main gigging basses
-to suit accoustics of the different venues/rooms
-or countering eq levels that might not satisfy my/our band's need when an external sound board operator handles the mix
My first go to setting will be passive and I will switch to active only if deemed necessary.
For recording, it's passive mode that I've been using so far.
-to suit accoustics of the different venues/rooms
-or countering eq levels that might not satisfy my/our band's need when an external sound board operator handles the mix
My first go to setting will be passive and I will switch to active only if deemed necessary.
For recording, it's passive mode that I've been using so far.
I prefer passive. I like the sound better and it's just one less thing to go wrong. Like Pet Sounds said,plug and play.
Depends on the bass for me. If it's a P bass, Gibson EB-0 or Thunderbird, keep yer filthy EQ away from me. If it's a MusicMan, it better damn well have an onboard EQ or I don't even wanna look at it. If it's a Jazz bass, I could go either way but feel like a quality preamp can really compliment it.
I love having my first gain stage onboard my bass. It doesn't mean that I always use any of the EQ controls - and if/when I do, it is always subtle shifts. I have both classic boost/cut active preamps, as well as a filter based one, and I like them both.
I am not a big fan of on board pre amps.I prefer high output pickups with a decent pedal preamp.My last 2 custom basses came with a duncan 2 band on board and I yanked them and wired up a passive set up.
I'm not a fan, but I see their use. If I didn't invest so much time and energy into my board, I'd probably like them more. Then again, I don't know of one that can do what my board can...
I like my Nordstrand 3-band eq with switchable mid frequency. It also has a passive/active switch and a passive tone. Best of all worlds.
But I also like my passive P and Dingwall PJ5.
I don't care for hot pickups. Whenever possible, I always adjust my preamps to sound the same level as the passive mode.
But I also like my passive P and Dingwall PJ5.
I don't care for hot pickups. Whenever possible, I always adjust my preamps to sound the same level as the passive mode.
I'm a little lost as to where this discussion could possibly lead. This is one of those topics where there are more ways to disagree than one could imagine. There are plenty of great active, passive and active/passive models to suit every preference. What works best for you might depend on the kind of music and type of bass you play (number of strings being one factor). That's why IMO it's more productive to couch these discussions in a particular context, for example, "Do you prefer active or passive for 70's funk music"?
Passive here, too. I usually have a preamp pedal on - used to be an MXR M-80, now it's a Tech21 VT Bass Deluxe. It seems redundant to me to have two preamps - one on the bass, one on the pedal - each with their own EQ before the signal even gets to the amp. With the VT bass, I have a few different presets I can switch out with a single stomp if I want something warmer or with more bite or whatever.
