Passive to active bass with external gear

[brianrost]

Not really the same, since having the preamp at the other end of the cable means the cable remains part of the passive circuit formed by the pickups and the pots, adding its capacitance, which means high frequency loss (the longer the cable the worst).
This also means that your tone is in part due to the cable you use, type, length, etc.
An onboard preamp will buffer your signal and prevent that from happening.

The way to minimize that is to have as short a cable as possible to the pedal. If you're anal, spend the money on a boutique cable that has low resistance and capacitance.

You still get the buffering benefit but it’s true that a long, lossy cable is doing you no favors.

 

[zelig.audio]

Thanks everyone who chimed in. I also appreciate all the preamp recommendations.

Let me clarify some things, just for the sake of continuing the conversation (which I'm finding very useful and interesting). I already have the Colour Box, which I use as a DI box/EQ for the acoustic guitar gigs I do, so that's the main thing: since I already have it, this would be one less expense. My budget is very limited at the moment, so I'm really trying to make the most of what I have. In second place, as I said, I've been playing bass for a long time, but never active basses, which means - you all guessed it - that I don't really like the tone of active basses. That said, I think they have their place and also some of the gigs I've been looking at kind of ask for a modern, active bass tone.

All this is to say that being able to get in the ball park of such tone with what I already have would be ideal in my current situation. The only bass I currently own is a Precision (strung with flats just to make things even harder) and - surprise - I'm having a hard time making it sound modern, even with all processing I have within reach. So I'm thinking that swapping it for a jazz would be the best compromise at this point, as I'll be able to get close to the vintage-y P-bass tone I use most of the time and also get this more modern tone using the Colour Box.

I know full well that the Jazz won't give me the Precision tone, that there is no real best of both worlds in such a situation, and also that I'll probably have to ditch the flats, but it is what it is. If I were significantly attached to this Precision I currently own, I'd be more uncertain about going this route, but even though I always gravitate towards P-basses, this one specifically is nothing special and for a while I had already decided I'd sell it and get one that I bond with more when my finances improve. Also, I don't really see myself going full in on active basses. It's just that I want to get an acceptable tone for some gigs in a genre that isn't really my thing but that, at the end of the day, is paid work after all. The reason I'm saying all this is to ask one last question: perhaps if I simply swap the TI flats I currently have in my P-bass for a set of rounds and spend some time tinkering with the Colour Box, do you all think I can already get enough of a modern tone or is a jazz that much better suited for this (I'm not really interested in going, say, the Stingray route at the moment)?

In case anyone wants to get a better idea, here's an example of the tone I'm talking about:

 

[DownLowJoe13]

There are basically four options :
1. passive pickups with passive electronics (like most fenders ).
2. Passive pickups with active electronics (Tobias , Ken smith etc ..)
3. Active pickups with active electronics (Spector , Warwick)
4. Active pickups with passive electronics (used by Steinberger in most of his early xl-2 basses ). Rare combo .

If you want a Super modern tone Option 3 is the way to go , but some people find it a bit cold and sterile sounding . Not me! Here if your battery dies in the middle of the gig you will have a problem!

A common and flexible solution is option TWO. Here you usually can bypass the preamp , and Also can continue playing if your battery dies. Not as modern as option 3 but a great compromise.

Using your passive bass with an external preamp or pedal is a good option but I don’t really like it (unless you have a vintage bass). I prefer on-board preamps because it’s easier to adjust your tone in the middle of the gig (or even in the middle of the song !).

From my experience Glockenklang 3 band preamps , Lusithand preamps and Demeter make the best electronics. Also the Mike Pope Flexcore . There are of course other great options like Bartolini preamps , Aguilar and dark glass for example .

I hope this helps . I have a huge of collection of basses and my recommendations are based on my experience! There are of course other valid opinions out there .
GOOD LUCK!

Yep, Sire V5 and P5 are active pickups on a passive circuit… hence the 920D concentric knob jack plate and Lindy Fralin pickups later this year….

 

[DownLowJoe13]

Thanks everyone who chimed in. I also appreciate all the preamp recommendations.

Let me clarify some things, just for the sake of continuing the conversation (which I'm finding very useful and interesting). I already have the Colour Box, which I use as a DI box/EQ for the acoustic guitar gigs I do, so that's the main thing: since I already have it, this would be one less expense. My budget is very limited at the moment, so I'm really trying to make the most of what I have. In second place, as I said, I've been playing bass for a long time, but never active basses, which means - you all guessed it - that I don't really like the tone of active basses. That said, I think they have their place and also some of the gigs I've been looking at kind of ask for a modern, active bass tone.

All this is to say that being able to get in the ball park of such tone with what I already have would be ideal in my current situation. The only bass I currently own is a Precision (strung with flats just to make things even harder) and - surprise - I'm having a hard time making it sound modern, even with all processing I have within reach. So I'm thinking that swapping it for a jazz would be the best compromise at this point, as I'll be able to get close to the vintage-y P-bass tone I use most of the time and also get this more modern tone using the Colour Box.

I know full well that the Jazz won't give me the Precision tone, that there is no real best of both worlds in such a situation, and also that I'll probably have to ditch the flats, but it is what it is. If I were significantly attached to this Precision I currently own, I'd be more uncertain about going this route, but even though I always gravitate towards P-basses, this one specifically is nothing special and for a while I had already decided I'd sell it and get one that I bond with more when my finances improve. Also, I don't really see myself going full in on active basses. It's just that I want to get an acceptable tone for some gigs in a genre that isn't really my thing but that, at the end of the day, is paid work after all. The reason I'm saying all this is to ask one last question: perhaps if I simply swap the TI flats I currently have in my P-bass for a set of rounds and spend some time tinkering with the Colour Box, do you all think I can already get enough of a modern tone or is a jazz that much better suited for this (I'm not really interested in going, say, the Stingray route at the moment)?

In case anyone wants to get a better idea, here's an example of the tone I'm talking about:

You won’t get a modern active sound out of a P-bass. Marcus Miller needed a Sadowski preamp in his Jazz Bass to get his modern, scooped sound. Flea ended up with a Wal during RHCPs BSSM sessions, and has been active ever since. A Sire V3 or one of the brand new Squire Affinity Active Jazz Basses will be your lowest cost of entry in a FSO (Fender Shaped Object)…. But I would point you in the direction of Ibanez, something with hummbuckers to go with the active circuit.

I threw an active Les Claypool Pachyderm Gold pickup in a P-bass and now it neither sounds like a P-bass, nor an active bass… a whole lot of both at the same time, lol….

 

[lalo_garcia-maynez]

Start by getting the brightest round wound strings you can ! DR hi beams are my suggestion! You can also try adding a bridge pickup to the P bass. (Cheaper than buying a new bass !). The famous song “Forget me nots” by Patrice Rushen was recorded by Freddie Washington on a passive P bass with round wound strings and a Badass bridge ; so it’s possible to get a semi modern tone out of a P bass ! Try it out … listen to that song …and tell us if that’s good enough for your needs . Good Luck!
Check the bass line here

 

[burgerdj]

Don’t modify the bass - just grab an external preamp. So many great options. If you’re looking for a modern jazz tone, the Sadowsky two-band is great and dead simple.