Sean, Thanks for chiming in! 1) Active Pickups and Active Instruments (bass or guitar) have been collapsed to mean the same thing. These terms are interchangeable and have been this way for some time, pre-dating the three of us in all likelihood. The key difference, for an EMG as an example, is that the active circuitry is built into the pickup housing and not feeding a separate preamp PCB before the output jack of the instrument. In both cases, these are active instruments and the way they should be treated, as as consequence, is exactly the same. 2) Is that refuted in the video? I think we name some different options as speak on DI generally, sometimes it can be a passive DI up front or an active one, but I think it would be assumed that any amp in a box would have the same treatment as a guitar rig would in terms of signal path. I didn't think this was unclear in our conversation, but if there was a particular part you though wasn't clarified, I'd be happy to get your feedback on it so we can make it more clear in future conversations. 3) Thanks for this correction! Thanks again for watching and the feedback.

@@VertexEffectsInc …you guys did great, Mason! I mainly clarified the passive pickup / active preamp thing because I had to explain to somebody who wanted to upgrade the pickups on his active fender jazz bass just last week that he didn’t need active pickups…he needed to buy passive ones, the active part of the bass was the preamp in line between the pickups and the output jack, this is a great example of where the clarification makes a difference. He had no idea and it’s a point of confusion for more bass players than you might think. I know you wouldn’t want to add to that confusion. You guys were most definitely spot on in explaining how active instruments, regardless of configuration, behave going into a pedalboard / amp / etc. and don’t require a buffer. An active signal is an active signal for sure! That was my only addition to that part of the convo…it matters when somebody thinks they need active pickups when they don’t. 😇 And for the Sansamp BDDI thing, there was just a point where one of you guys suggested putting a drive or fuzz AFTER the Sansamp and while that could work, it would be missing the point of what a Sansamp was historically designed to be…it’s more than just a drive / preamp pedal. I was merely pointing out that for beginners who aren’t as familiar with the Sansamp, it helps to think of it as “the amp” (like the purpose a Strymon Iridium serves in an amp-less guitar rig)…hence the name “Sans” which means “without”, so “without amp”. If used this way, then putting drive pedals before it will allow them to behave like they would if they were placed in front of an actual amp as intended. Merely a suggestion based on why the Sansamp was designed in the first place, which is also how it’s best utilized in most cases. I realize most guitar directed “amp in a box” pedals are meant to just go in front of an actual amp & order doesn’t matter as much since they don’t typically include speaker emulation to sound like a mic’d cabinet at the output like an Iridum or a BDDI does. But again, wherever sounds best to the user’s ear shall ultimately prevail! There’s nothing keeping somebody from putting anything wherever they want, only suggested starting places as you guys have covered in depth in earlier episodes. 😉 Again, not being nit-picky or a “know it all” in any way, you guys are the pros! I’m just contributing to the conversation as a hobbyist. You guys rock! Cheers to all! 🤗

ngl i didn't read the entirety of your reply, but i read the first comment haha. On the sans amp issue, the quarter inch out is dry and would make sense to go out to more pedals. XLR out has the cab sim so it goes to FOH. So its not like putting an amp before pedals. I get your concern there though!

@@Aio-Project yes, good point if you use the unaffected / parallel 1/4” out on the right side of the pedal that would totally make sense! But the other main 1/4” out on the left matches the XLR with the speaker emulation. It’s all in how you use it & all of the features weren’t really addressed…it can be confusing for newbies that might have been listening. 😇

Also, I’m currently running a 11 pedal board. Im splitting my signal in the beginning with the Walrus Audio Stereo Canvas. I’m also running a cab sim before my wet effects (it’s the Mooer Radar). Since the Radar doesn’t have an effects loop send and return, the wet effects are followed directly from the 1/4” output of the Radar and back into Walrus Audio canvas. My question is, in your opinion what’s the ideal placement for a cab sim for a bass rig?

Thanks for watching! Cab Sim and Amp sims usually before wet processing like delay and reverb but after dry effects live overdrives and compression.

Glad it was helpful!

No doubt! I'm glad there's finally a good conversation about bass rigs. I'll give you a pass on being a scum fan because you're a bass player. Leeds Leeds Leeds!!

+1 on the C4. I was able to replace my Micro Pog and my MXR Envelope filter just by adding the C4. The C4 is a chameleon and can probably moonlight as the next pedal most people are considering on purchasing next. My signal chain: Korg Pitchblack X, MXR Comp, SA C4, SA Collider, Darkglass Infinity (most of my presets mimick Ampeg warmth, but I like the ability to drop a wildly diff preset in whenever I want), SA EQ2, AEROS Looper. I will be adding a SDRUM to my board for my solo bass show and/or practice tool. I also plan on implimenting MIDI (MC6 Pro) at some point. I keep wanting to ignore midi but with 90% of my pedals having MIDI it's harder and harder to ignore. Cheers Legend.

Get well Brian! We miss you!

Thanks for sharing this!

Great to hear!

Yes, indeed!

Nice!

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks for sharing!

True, Sansamp should be the last in the chain as it colours and affects the pedals when it's before them. Especially when you go ampless - you have everything before your preamp as you got the D.I. out :) Cheers

Thanks for sharing!

Yes, great pedal!

Nice! Thanks for watching and sharing this!

Nice!

I'd love to see/hear your rig - I've been considering the Simplifier. It looks rad!!!

Great! Thanks for sharing!

Easy enough to try for sure! I would think that as long as you don't get too aggressive & muddy things up too much, should work. it sounds like a simple but effective idea. I'm sure parallel line would give you more control and a cleaner tone overall but definitely worth a shot if you have an eq after the effect. Why not? Thank you Peter. I'll definitely try your trick!

@@rjjabjiniak8848 Let me know what you think, definitely need to be careful and not go to far in the other direction towards muddy. The parallel mix is probably easier, and allows FOH to decide, but trusting your FOH is not always an option. Hehe

Good tip!

Nice!

If you only have a single amp or source, inverting pedals won't be a big deal.

If you look at our DIY buffer video, you're just going to insert a toggle switch for R1 and you can change resistance from there based on the value you choose.

@@VertexEffectsInc I am not sure I follow. Could you provide “an easy diagram” and “all the information” as mentioned in the video (min 17ish)?

Good tip!

Great! Thanks for adding this!

If you're using the DI only, I'd try to match 10M, but if you're using the amp I'd go 1M. You can also experiment if you end up getting a buffer that's got a variable input impedance.

It's always a compromise...wont' do it exactly the same as the direct instrument will. There are also some fuzzes that are desinged to be used with wireless or buffers that seem to sound OK.

@@VertexEffectsInc would love more content on finding fuzzes and wahs that work well with active instruments/buffers/wireless. Thanks for the great vids as always!

Ps - Mason you've mentioned a good bass preamp means you don't need an output buffer.. what if there's 10 time based pedals and looper after the preamp? (Still no output buffer) .. I loop bass , then push bass up octaves and do ambient pads.

Well...the Euna is more of an EQ than a Buffer to me, but you may like the color of it nonetheless. I think having an input buffer and output buffer is still the move as you're going to have pedals on in between the buffers to offset them. I think the next big thing is good high quality soldered cables for all your interconnections.

@@jessetoews2446 For the preamp situation, you'd want an output buffer if your last pedal doesn't already have a low output impedance, like 100 ohms or so.

Thanks for listening nontheless!

You can do all of the above for both.

Sorry for typos but phone acting up. Saying the signal chain goes Peterson, to effectrode leveling amp, to ES-5. Then MXR chorus in effect loop and the output goes to a sansamp(soon to be noble). The HX stomp is only hooked up on midi. Not sure how to hook this up with patch cables. Thanks

If it's controlled by MIDI you cant put it after the ES-5 output and use the MIDI commands to tell the HX what to do.

@@VertexEffectsInc I can put in the output after the ES-5? Don’t run it into the effects loop? I was wondering if I can put in the effects loop since I have 5 channels and only using 1 analog pedal. Really bought the ES-5 to utilize the stomp.

@@VertexEffectsInc was confused cause this said can’t

Also really dig the boost pedal into my optical comp I can add or take away saturation without getting louder necessarily And I also run amp/cab in parallel into a bass amp I’m running fairly neutral in my bassmann500 so the amp/cab aren’t overbearing But I hear ppl talk like this is a no no But I’m thinking that’s mostly guitarists

I personally love my tone with it all on

Not sure how those pedals after it would solve any issues unless the buffering was so poor you were getting a lot of loss, but I don't see that a too bad of an issue. Wonder if you have some sub-optimal settings on your HX?

Yea idk honestly I changed nothing but order and I like it much better this way I run hpf/lpf last in chain I run amp sim in series but parallel the cab sim and use mic/placement to eq to taste Then my effects in front of that My signal chain Wah>subnup >bassmuff>qtron>hxstomp>mxrmicroamp>optivalve>nemisis

Any time!

Thanks for adding this!

Never say never!

I love the plate on the Bass VI on dangermouse's 'Rome' record for instance

I suppose it depends on the genre.

You’d never get to engineer anything I’d be involved with, ever. 🙂

@@regortex3364 Anytime I have used reverb on bass, its high passed super super high so that the low fundamntal frequencies aren't getting muddy. But some verb on the high end can definitely help a bass blend into the mix a bit better sometimes.

Yes!!!

Thanks for watching!!!