Managing Active/Passive Rigs while gigging

[Phlipper]

May have already been suggested, but ...

I have an all Ibanez fleet with the old CAP pups in a fretless with flats, BH2 pups in a five-string fretted with rounds, and the VERY LOUD Power Span pups in a four-string fretless with rounds. I set up a Tech 21 Programmable BBDI to the lowest common demominator.

And there's also the volume knob.

 

[DaveParker39]

but good lord I'd never bring 4 basses to a gig in the first place.

I've never been able to change basses during a set. There just isn't enough time between songs for me so I just use the same bass and change the EQ and pup configuration to suite the song. (jmho)

I would never use four. I can get away with no less than two due to alternate tunings and the requirements of the setlist, which is pretty huge and varies quite a bit. I know the obvious answer is "just use one 5 string" but I simply don't have the time to convert everything, and it would leave me with a ton of unusable notes (personally, I don't find anything lower than a C# sounds good on bass and I already have a bass set up for a drop Eb to C# option)

To be honest, my question is really "Can I get away with having one active bass and one passive bass and switching between them mid set".

 

[Wasnex]

To be honest, my question is really "Can I get away with having one active bass and one passive bass and switching between them mid set".

The answer is yes, but it may involve various compromises. So the question is can you live with the compromises? Also what are you willing to spend or do to mitigate the compromises.

In one band I primary played my only bass in standard tuning. There was one or two songs where I needed drop D since it was a 4-string. Of course there wasn't always time right before and after these songs to stop and retune the bass. So I wound having to learn some songs in multiple tunings. To be honest, nobody cared if I played the low D but me. However I felt it was worth the extra effort. Years later I transitioned to 6-string bass guitar, so this is no longer an issue for me.

As I mentioned earlier I have also switched between upright and bass guitar using an ABY and adjusting the volume and tone as needed on the amp. Years later I assembled a rig with a mixer that allowed me tailor the volume and tone for each of three basses.

 

[el murdoque]

Imagine having a live rig that consists of a couple passive basses, a couple with active preamps, a tuner and a compressor on the board, and then an amp. Let's assume the amp has a button for active/passive padding.

Do you guys tend to use the pad button on the amp? Compensate with a boost pedal with the passives? Change the gain on the Compressor? Something else?

All it takes for me is a mirror. I stand in front of it, look myself in the eye and ask "Do you need a live rig with multiple basses? Do you REALLY need a live rig with multiple basses? Do you?"

Usually I come up with a no. I have a 6 string. That covers songs in Eb and everything else, too.

I have build a rig for that once, though. My approach was a booster pedal that went first in chain. Mine was an Earthquaker Black Eye - because that can do both positive and negative gain in an absurd amount (IIRC +30dB)
I've carefully mapped out the signal strength of my main bass (booster off) and then set the booster with my other basses to match that signal strength, marking the spots on the booster.

 

[pepj]

Gain/master for me.
I've set up the basses to run same eq.
Minimal on the gig messing.
Thats the reason I use active. Not for tone shaping so much as adjusting for mix on board.

 

[InhumanResource]

I would never use four. I can get away with no less than two due to alternate tunings and the requirements of the setlist, which is pretty huge and varies quite a bit. I know the obvious answer is "just use one 5 string" but I simply don't have the time to convert everything, and it would leave me with a ton of unusable notes (personally, I don't find anything lower than a C# sounds good on bass and I already have a bass set up for a drop Eb to C# option)

To be honest, my question is really "Can I get away with having one active bass and one passive bass and switching between them mid set".

Yes, you'll just have to dial down the volume (on the bass) of whichever one is hotter. If you aren't adjusting your stage monitor/amp volume then that should be pretty consistent.

 

[Rich Fiscus]

I only bring a second bass (other than as a backup) if I need a significantly different sound for certain songs. I happen to have a Behringer BDI21 I bought a few years ago to try out. It works nicely for basic level and tone adjustments on a second bass. I keep thinking I should get something more flexible, eq-wise, or even just smaller, but I don't actually need it, so I probably won't.

Actually that BDI21 is one of the best purchases I ever made. My intention was to buy a nicer/sturdier BDDI clone for my board if I liked the tone, but I went a different direction. Since then, it's been my emergency backup for gigs and primary tone shaper for quiet practice through a headphone amp or small powered speaker. It's not my most important pedal, but it doesn't owe me anything. It's also a lot tougher than it looks or feels.

 

[Geri O]

I would never use four. I can get away with no less than two due to alternate tunings and the requirements of the setlist, which is pretty huge and varies quite a bit. I know the obvious answer is "just use one 5 string" but I simply don't have the time to convert everything, and it would leave me with a ton of unusable notes (personally, I don't find anything lower than a C# sounds good on bass and I already have a bass set up for a drop Eb to C# option)

To be honest, my question is really "Can I get away with having one active bass and one passive bass and switching between them mid set".

Yes, to your question. None of this needs to be that complicated.

I think I mentioned this earlier.

I use a TC Mini-Spark and engage it with a little bit of boost when I'm playing the passive bass. Off when I use the active bass. Easy.

 

[Jefenator]

IME two instruments is a lot easier to switch & gain match than four. I have a simple passive switching unit (Radial BigShot I/O) with a variable pad that works great for that.
I have in the past tried to use a mixer. It was a good make, with supposedly good preamps and a high impedance 1/4" but for whatever reason it really didn't work well with my P-bass at all. So: test before you trust.
I've used a bunch of different amps and tried the padded inputs with an open mind & ears. Sometimes I just prefer the "passive" input, even when an active signal should theoretically be fully compatible with the "active" input (or setting).
A pad can be handy of course to prevent clipping or keep later gain controls from being too touchy.

 

[DaveParker39]

I use a TC Mini-Spark and engage it with a little bit of boost when I'm playing the passive bass. Off when I use the active bass. Easy.

I have a BYOC clean boost I could do this with as well.

 

[bigtone23]

I try to have my basses as close to the same output as possible.
Basses with passive/active switching get's the active preamp adjusted to the same output as passive mode.
At the gig, I just set everything up for the passive bass and make small gain or volume knob adjustments (if necessary) for the active bass. It's often not a thing.