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Is there anything onboard electronics (e.g. active preamp) can do that cannot be done offboard?

#23
Yes, basses equipped with dual filter preamps would be pretty difficult to change with outboard equipment.
Thinking things like Wal, ACG/East eq01 (maybe DFM as well), possibly some Alembic basses too.
Also, i think some basses equipped with piezos the typical EQ is for the mag pickups, and the piezo gets a tone knob. Think that would be hard to replicate outboard also.
 
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#24
Yes - The active preamp keeps the impedances of the pickups from loading each other. In a J bass, that is why you get that tonal shift when one pot goes from 90% to full ON. My engineer friend always suggests putting a series resistor of 10-50K with each pickup to reduce this effect in passive systems.
 
#26
Jefenator said:
I got one of those Sadowsky preamp pedals, which basically puts their standard onboard active bass & treble boost in a stomp box. In theory, I shouldn't need to have any active basses - just run them all through that.
In practice, it's not quite the same overall experience (as having an active bass with the active tone controls right at your fingertips). For me it's about access and not having to worry about cable loading when I really want that treble.
I have kind of a love/hate relationship with onboard preamps. A good passive bass can be a thing of real beauty and most active EQs don't quite nail that vibe IME. But when I'm going to be doing a lot of stuff with that crisper "modern" sound, at the end of the day I prefer to have the preamp onboard. YMMV
Click to expand...
Agreed. The Sadowsky Outboard preamp is great for a vintage Fender Jazz Bass, which you wouldn’t otherwise want to modify. The popularity of the active Sadowsky Jazz Bass with the onboard preamp speaks for itself. The two are not the same.

It is just seems a bit unfortunate to me that so many TB’ers feel the need to disparage certain tech, which they may not use. This “active v passive” discussion has been litigated to death. Just because some players don’t use active basses does not mean that all active basses are evil, and that players using them are a lesser form of human being. For crying out loud. That is just a pointless argument.

If a player thinks that their passive bass is every bit the equivalent of an Alembic Series Bass, then great. I have found ZERO signal chains which replicate the Alembic Series Bass tone with a passive Fender. Of course, some may feel that the Alembic tone is worse than a mid 90’s MIM Fender Jazz Bass; but, everyone has a navel. I guess.

The Fender Precision Bass has had a huge resurgence since about 2005; and it’s great that P players are a loyal and enthusiastic bunch. The P is a great bass, AND it does NOT benefit much, if at all, from an onboard preamp. Yay. But, that doesn’t mean other basses are the same. They aren’t.

For many players, the Jazz Bass benefits from an active circuit. The outboard preamps help a lot; but the onboard implementations tend to produce a preferable instrument. Again, I refer to instruments produced by Sadowsky and many other builders as evidence. Generally, you get what you pay for. If you think you can assemble a $500 passive bass that outperforms an Alembic; then, hey, I’m all for it.

Meanwhile, to the OP, I’d suggest you use your ears and try a few things. Every bass is different. There is no one size fits all solution to bass tone. Even if the Fender P devotees tell you otherwise.;)
 
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#27
Neither of those things is related to an onboard preamp. Volume controls, pickup switching, and most blend controls are passive.

Kragnorak said:
#1) Pickup selection and blending. There's a reason that happens onboard. Offboard would involve looping back into the electronics on your bass, which would just be weird and overly-complicated.

#2) Volume swells. These are quite different depending upon whether you are using your knob(s) or a volume pedal. Generally speaking, a volume pedal is taking the full signal of your bass + prior signal chain and lowering it. So the sound tends to remain static except for the volume. In contrast, the volume knob on your bass reduces the strength of your signal, so the actual tone will change as well as the volume. This is especially noticeable when you are using certain effect pedals or the gain stage on your amp. Musicality and context will determine which type of volume control you employ.
Click to expand...
 
#32
DEA5E1E7-7825-4DAE-B184-3D9634F9F03A.jpeg
Cutter8 said:
I had never thought of doing that before, but it sounds pretty cool. How many control knobs do you wind up with when you do that?
Click to expand...

It’s a really simple layout the two lower knobs are stacked
 
#33
Bassamatic said:
The active preamp keeps the impedances of the pickups from loading each other.
Click to expand...

Most active basses are using the normal passive method to blend or control volumes & then passing that signal along to the pre-amp, so the issue you described would remain.
However, there are instances where the blend is controlled AT the pre-amp, like some Ibanez BTB models.

Here is an example of the blend controlled on the pre-amp board:

http://www2.ibanez.com/supportResources/wiring/2008/MK2_B.pdf

Soundgear Ibanez are quite different, and the controls of blend & volume are passive:

http://www2.ibanez.com/supportResources/wiring/2008/EQB_3B.pdf
 
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#35
Cutter8 said:
That is sweet! I have been on the lookout for a good deal on a used USA Sterling5 or a Stingray5 Special. When I find the right one, would you mind if I hit you up with some questions about how to add the 2-preamp setup?
Click to expand...

The preamps are Audere Classic, the guys at Audere got on the phone personally with my tech on how to wire it. The pickup is Nordstrand 4 coil ... the idea came from the 90s Warwick Pro M series of basses. The arrangement allows you to separate the pickups “electronically” push the treble on the bridge side push up he bass on the neck side.

I bought the bass cheap, seems a previous owner tried to use a Ray pickup and then botched the original EBMM preamp with a DIY mod gone wrong.
 
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#36
Jefenator said:
I got one of those Sadowsky preamp pedals, which basically puts their standard onboard active bass & treble boost in a stomp box. In theory, I shouldn't need to have any active basses - just run them all through that.
In practice, it's not quite the same overall experience (as having an active bass with the active tone controls right at your fingertips). For me it's about access and not having to worry about cable loading when I really want that treble.
I have kind of a love/hate relationship with onboard preamps. A good passive bass can be a thing of real beauty and most active EQs don't quite nail that vibe IME. But when I'm going to be doing a lot of stuff with that crisper "modern" sound, at the end of the day I prefer to have the preamp onboard. YMMV
Click to expand...

Late 80's-mid 90's those almost paid for themselves bc you didn't need to pay anyone to carve up your passive bass. Bartolini had a Japan market onboard preamp in a floor box people still like. Seymour Duncan had one that you can Google for it's "flatness" and "transparency" when zeroed.

I like the idea of not rebuying the same onboard preamp for a merrygoround of basses.
 

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