JazznFunk
Supporting Member
Right... and my point was that using rechargeable batteries as a way to avoid replacing alkalines isn't a solution either.... it's another manifestation of some fear about replacing 9v's in active basses!
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Gig nightmare - bass drops out
- Thread starter c-ba55
- Start date
Right... and my point was that using rechargeable batteries as a way to avoid replacing alkalines isn't a solution either.... it's another manifestation of some fear about replacing 9v's in active basses!
I've been favoring one of my active basses this past year and usually remember to check the battery before a gig. My bass was fine last weekend and tested at 8 volts. Any suggestions of what voltage is best to consider replacement? All I remember is having to turn the volume up on a battery going years ago, but if anyone knows what voltage is the best indicator that would be helpful. I'm not going to replace batteries before every gig and def don't want rechargeable. Glad the OP was able to switch over to passive, but I don't have that option and would rather not rewire my bass.
That all depends on the circuit and its voltage requirements. A lot of stuff can run at much lower than 9v.
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
I write the date on the battery before I put it in the bass. I check it every 6 months with a standard voltage tester. If the battery has been in the bass more than a year and I'm playing it regularly, I will replace it just as preventive maintenance. I have lithium 9V batteries in a couple of basses that I don't use as often which have been in there for close to 2 years. As long as there's nothing shorting out to drain a battery, and assuming you don't leave the bass plugged in when not in use, it shouldn't be dropping voltage too quickly. Oh, and if you're storing a bass for any length of time, take the battery out. The last thing you want is for a battery to burst/leak in storage while in the bass.
For me it's I'm too lazy to remember to unplug my cable every time I'm done playing.
Yeah, not just 9 volt but every rechargeable standard battery (AAA, AA, 9V, etc) I have touched was very bad. I have had brand new Energizer rechargeable batteries explode after 12 hours and destroy my non-instrument stuff. I've had another battery completely drain and one stay full (like OP) and the empty one was then useless, never held a charge again. I've taken others out of a charger, put them work, and then suddenly die.
Nope dawg. That tech ain't ready for an instrument. I'll argue that it still ain't ready for prime time at all. Great idea but nope. I have to use Earth-melting alkaline in my basses because they haven't come up with a real-world alternative yet, despite marketing.
Ah! Vintage Alembic basses could use an XLR-like cable for power and audio. This would be a cool hack on a modern bass:
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Yeah, I have a stock of used batteries that I can plug in for routine playing, but I always put in a fresh battery before a major gig.
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
But is it really practical? It's cool and unique, but Alembic's preamp system needed that kind of setup.... it's a bit overkill for the average working bassist's setup. That means the amplifier would have to be specifically wired with an XLR input jack to power the bass and extract audio from it, and no amp that I know of does that out of the box. Didn't the Alembic have a separate box it had to plug into before heading to an amp, like it's own power supply (i.e. like many tube mics require)? I'm asking out of genuine curiosity, because I don't know how that works with Alembics. Seems like a 'breakout box' like that would be the only practical way to make it work, and I can't see bass makers switching to that design by default.
Alembics had (have?) a separate power supply for the bass. That XLR-looking port on the Alembic basses is actually a 5-pin DIN port for the power. There were a number of different power boxen made for the basses. There was a rackmount, a 2-port, and a single.
That jack is for a proprietary cable that carried both power from the power supply and audio out to the power supply. There were two 1/4” outputs. A switch selects stereo or mono, sort of like the Ric-o-Sound. It’s AC powered (uses a standard IEC connector for the power cord) and the factory cable apparently is 20 feet, although I have seen used supplies for sale with 15 and 30 foot cables. Not cheap, either!!! Do Series I and II basses come with one? At $35K and up, they should!!!
| DS-5 | Power Supply for Series I/II | 745 |
| 5-pin cable | 20 foot cable for Series I/II | 595 |
That happened to me the first time I had a active bass.
Did not watch level. Batt-O-Meter saves me now.
Did not watch level. Batt-O-Meter saves me now.
Right, because the minor inconvenience of your remote battery dying mid channel change is totally the same as losing your bass signal mid-gig.
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
If you change your batteries regularly, before they fail, it isn't an issue at all.
devnulljp
Supporting Member
ES-918
The ES-918 is an external 18 Volt power supply for EMG Pickups. If you have an instrument that doesn’t fit a battery or you don’t want to install a battery in your guitar, the ES-918 is perfect for you. You can easily power your EMG pickups with 9 or 18 volts using a stereo cable. In addition...
Whoa! That’s very close to what I imagined. A TRS cable to send both power and sound. Thanks.ES-918
The ES-918 is an external 18 Volt power supply for EMG Pickups. If you have an instrument that doesn’t fit a battery or you don’t want to install a battery in your guitar, the ES-918 is perfect for you. You can easily power your EMG pickups with 9 or 18 volts using a stereo cable. In addition...www.emgpickups.com
