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how do you remember to turn off/unplug your active bass?

#61
topo morto said:
For the first time I have an active bass - I keep leaving it plugged in and switched on all night and day! ...
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I don't like this aspect of active basses either -- although I love having the on-board EQ.

I'm not a very deliberate, structured person; I pick up my bass to play impulsively -- when it's the easiest. Life is already cluttered enough with digital housework, like keeping a cell charged, backing up computer files, decoding service plans.
When it comes to music, I want no delays at all to simply playing instantly!

Plugging and unplugging a cord is obviously no big hardship; but otoh, I find that if I have a passive bass sitting on a stand, and already plugged into an amp, I'm more likely to grab it and start playing.

When I find _the_ active bass that I'm sure I'm going to hang onto indefinitely, I'm going to get someone to install a battery defeat switch.
Meanwhile I keep a passive bass always plugged in at home.
 
#67
Munjibunga said:
Don't worry. After four or five dead batteries, you'll remember.
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Exactly. In the psychology Biz they call that reinforcement feedback! I know it worked for me.

But the battery problem is bigger than simply "unplugging".

I own quite a few active basses and some of them don't get played much and although I try to remember to install new batteries in all of them at least once a year (I try to use a holiday like New Years as the time to do it). Of course those that get played a lot may need more batteries. And with a lot of basses it's a lot of yearly batteries. It seems that 9 volt batteries don't have the ooze problems that flashlight batteries in the various sizes do (I've lost LOTS of nice gear due to flashlight battery leakage...not just flashlights!), but still I worry about loosing bass electronics. THAT would NOT be cheap!

My answer was to get rid of the batteries and run the active basses on "phantom power" over a TRS cable. (It's not true phantom power like a microphone as power comes over its own wire, but the name kind of fits) I've wired my amps to provide 9 volts over a TRS cable. And if you turn the power switch off it grounds the "ring" connection so active basses with batteries still work too. There is a thread discussing this system in the electronics forum a while back.

Solves everything but the tripping over the bass cord and dragging the bass outside by the cable thing...
 
#71
Hmmm....when I'm done playing I unplug the bass. Why would you leave it plugged in - active or not? The accident potential is greatly increased.

It's not like you're trying to travel through time. Figure it out.
 
#73
gnjpowell said:
Simple: Always unplug BEFORE you turn your amp off. Make it a habit.

Repeat after me: Underwear BEFORE pants... Underwear BEFORE pants... Underwear BEFORE pants...
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Actually its better to turn the amp off first then unplug. I know this mainly applies to tube amps. But is still good practice to allways be in. Turning stuff off you go backwards. Amp 1st then processer, then guitar. Turning on you go reverse of that. Plug in guitar, turn on processor, turn on amp.

From survival tips for tube amps, rules one also reads:

13. Don`t unplug your guitar from the guitar end of the input cable while the amp is powered up. The loud hum you will hear could be the death knell of some component or speaker if the sun is not shining well on you that day. Some otherwise well informed people think this is an old wives tale, but if you have several hundred watts available, the results could be catastrophic. If you believe in trial by fire, then this one`s for you.
------

If nothing else, its allways a good reason to unplug to prevent trip hazard from cord strewn across the floor. If one has a puppy dog it may come bounding after you for a a petting when see's your done playing. And not much notice the cord. Which could cause guitar and its stand to fall over. Plus it just looks neater to not have cords strewn across the floor. Its also much easier to wind up cord in nice circle layers near processor with it unplugged. Otherwise you got tangles and cord twisting at guitar. Lol.
 
#74
I've always kept my bass stowed away in its case when I'm not playing it.
This is a pretty good way to make sure that there aren't any instrument cables attached to your bass.
My ritual also includes removing the strap, thoroughly wiping down the neck & strings and opening the case in which the bass will be resting.
It's really pretty crazy how much time I take out of my day to take decent care of my instrument. Sometimes I'll even put my phone on its charger before I sit down to practice. :D
 

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