Tech help/advice needed please!

[attackbass]

Not surewhere to post this.. thought this was the most relevant place.

Basically I am currently using two basses live right now with my band. These are a passive Fender Jazz 75 reissue with Seymour Duncan QTR Pounders and an active Musicman 5 string.

I'm concerned that the musicman is louder going through my ampeg rig than the passive fender. I know that the Seymour Duncan pickups provide a hotter output than standard passive pickups but do they match an active musicman?

Has anyone come across this problem and has any ideas on how to test/compare the outputs of each bass.

How could you go about matching up the outputs so they are level in a live setting. The only way I can think right now is using my programmable sansamp di with a dedicated channel for each bass!?

Any help would be appareciated!

Thanks

 

[Shindig]

I use a Raven labs MDB-1 to balance the inputs when I use more than 1 instrument. Works great. They're out of production but you might find one in music stores (I did!). Try Gard's Music. I think they had one left.
Or you can use a small PA mixer like the Mackie 1202. Good luck!

 

[Bass Kahuna]

First, there is no such thing as an "Active pickup". What there is is a passive pickup with a preamp circuit added between the pickup and the output jack. The EMG "active" pickups still have a small preamp circuit in them, it is just inside the pickup cover and not external. The batteries are then used to provide power to the preamp circuit.

The active circuit or onboard preamp will typically be a good bit hotter or louder if you plug it into the same input on your amp as a passive bass. Most newer amps will have an active and a passive input (one may say -6 db input or something to that effect, that is the active input), with the "Active" input having somewhere around a -6 dB "pad" on it.

If you don't have the active and passive inputs on the amp but you still want the two basses to have about the same volume when switching between them without adjusting the amplifier, you are going to need something between the basses and the amplifiers. Maybe a small rackmount keyboard type mixer with no EQ or something similar....

 

[HeavyDuty]

Hmmm... more about amp setup, I think. Let's try over there.

 

[greenboy]

Any head or rack preamp with a [pre]gain knob can accomodate basses with two different average output levels, though some might prefer to spend a little on a grease pencil or something ; }

 

[attackbass]

hi thanks for your input so far.

It's not really an option for me to simply turn up the volume on my amp or change inputs during a set.

I need the signal between the two basses to be the same level before the DI - to send the signal to the FOH pa.

Having the amp turned up or down to accomodate wont affect the sound out front, only my amp level as a monitor.

My rig is

bass
ebsmulticomp
splitter/loopbox EHX synth in the loop and signal sent to rack tuner
MXR octaver
Sansamp PBDDI
Ampeg Svt PRO
1X15
4X10

Could you suggest more channel mixers that would be more likely available in the uk. would a boost pedal do the job?

Cheers

 

[Jazzman]

I use a Raven labs MDB-1 to balance the inputs when I use more than 1 instrument. Works great. They're out of production but you might find one in music stores (I did!).

+1. This is probably the most useful little box I have ever purchased. It has three inputs, mute button, high quality DI, and an effects loop with blend control. A priceless piece of gear IMO - would be lost without it (have been using it since they first came out). Just what you need.

 

[billfitzmaurice]

How could you go about matching up the outputs so they are level in a live setting.

Turn down the volume control on the MusicMan.

 

[Shindig]

hi thanks for your input so far.
Could you suggest more channel mixers that would be more likely available in the uk. would a boost pedal do the job?
Cheers

I used a Fulltone pedal to boost the lower signal of 1 bass before I got the MDB-1. It does work.
When I added an elec upright (3rd bass) I had to get the MDB-1.
BTW, the MDB-1 runs on 9v batteries, so it will work fine in the UK. It's about the same size as a paperback book so would ship cheaply. It really is a very nice unit.
Good luck!

 

[greenboy]

Turn down the volume control on the MusicMan.

Ah, but like my suggestion, that wouldn't involve purchases and extra weight and space.

 

[Dave W]

First, there is no such thing as an "Active pickup".

Tell that to Warwick or MEC...they make full passive basses, active preamp basses, and active pre/pickup basses.

 

[Fretlessboy]

When needed I use an MXR 4-1 line mixer. No batteries just 4 passive volume controls with 1 output. Can be found on ebay for about $10