Members kylef Posted August 11, 2011 Members Share Posted August 11, 2011 Looking into these pickups, but not sure on how much of a difference the active will be to the passive? What is the difference, and what extra will i get out of the extra money for the active? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fastblueheeler Posted August 11, 2011 Members Share Posted August 11, 2011 Volume control at the pickup, a handy thing to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members herbie d Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 The active one takes a Battery, the passive does not. If you use the passive one, its best to have a pre-amp of some sort. (I use a LR Baggs Para DI) the active ones usually have a pre-amp built in. Thats what the battery is for.I use both. My resonator has a passive because there was no place easy to put the battery. I have one acoustic with the m-1 and its passive, the rest of my guitars have an active pick-up of some sort.For me its more of a, "do I want to deal with a battery in this guitar?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DunedinDoug Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 I struggle with the active one. The little volume dial in the soundhole isn't working very well for me--particularly if I want to adjust mid-song. I have a Fishman Prefix Blender on my Taylor that gives me some VISUAL feedback. I can go SEE the adjustments I'm making. I believe a better, yet more expensive, approach would be to have a fullfeatured preamp (Para DI) within reach--attached to a mic stand, for instance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Howie22 Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 I use both. My resonator has a passive because there was no place easy to put the battery. I have one acoustic with the m-1 and its passive, the rest of my guitars have an active pick-up of some sort.For me its more of a, "do I want to deal with a battery in this guitar?" Doesn't the M1 active just have a small battery right in the pickup?? I don't think it's the typical 9v mounted inside the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kylef Posted August 12, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 Is it essential to have a pre-amp when using the passive? I have a fishman rare earth in one acoustic, is this going to be more comparable to the active or passive? The rare earth doesn't have a volume control, but it does have a tiny batteries. Sorry, I'm new to these things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 Very happy with my passive....have two of them....very good results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members herbie d Posted August 13, 2011 Members Share Posted August 13, 2011 Yes, your right. It has a battery that looks like it goes in a watch. Mine is the passive one though. I have a volume knod mounted on the guitar for it, end pin jack, and I use an external pre-amp. Doesn't the M1 active just have a small battery right in the pickup?? I don't think it's the typical 9v mounted inside the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Louis Schwartz Posted August 13, 2011 Members Share Posted August 13, 2011 Is it essential to have a pre-amp when using the passive?I have a fishman rare earth in one acoustic, is this going to be more comparable to the active or passive? The rare earth doesn't have a volume control, but it does have a tiny batteries.Sorry, I'm new to these things. Don't know about the Rare Earth, but the answer to your question about the M1 (passive) and preamps is that it depends on what you're plugging into. The signal on my M1 is rather weak and I find that I have to turn the gain up on some amps and mixer imputs quite high (often creating more noise than I'd like). Sometimes, however, the preamps on the amp or mixer can boost the signal well enough. It just depends. The fact is, however, that the gain and the EQ on my PADI help a great deal, giving me the gain I need not to have to max-out the gain on my amp or mixers, and the sweepable mid EQ on the unit allows me to make a steep cut at around 1.2-1.5 k that gives the pickup a much more natural sound. Sound is fuller, too, and the effects loop provides a convenient place for the EQ pedal that I use as a boost for soloing. So the short answer is, no you don't necessarily need a preamp, but it can help. Louis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members amazingrace Posted April 11, 2012 Members Share Posted April 11, 2012 Combination of the M1 active, an LRBaggs Venue pedal and the MArshall AS100D is a match made in heaven.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted April 11, 2012 Members Share Posted April 11, 2012 Another advantage of the active(I own it) is it sounds good and has a strong signal whatever you plug it into, and altho I have a PADI, I never really need use it unless Im gonna play my mando or some other inst with no preamp. You CAN use it tho, the PADI improves on the active, but its not really needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bransonb Posted April 11, 2012 Members Share Posted April 11, 2012 and the sweepable mid EQ on the unit allows me to make a steep cut at around 1.2-1.5 k that gives the pickup a much more natural sound. Louis Good post from Louis. And I think this comment is pretty important. To get the most natural acoustic sound out of the M1, or any magnetic sound hole pickup, ( as opposed to a more magnetic/electric sound) you want to scoop the mid-range. You need an EQ to do that. If you're not using an acoustic amp with tone controls then a pre-amp/EQ like the Para-DI is the solution. And if you're going to be using a pre-amp anyway, you can save a few bucks by going with the passive M1. I have a friend who used the Para-DI with his active M1 because he prefers the on-stage control that a pre-amp like the Para-DI affords. He's now moved on to the Anthem and continues to use the Para-DI with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted April 12, 2012 Members Share Posted April 12, 2012 I have owned two passive M1's....love the sound...if you can afford it, pop for the ParaD-1...nice unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted April 12, 2012 Members Share Posted April 12, 2012 If you just run a passive pup you'll lose high end with a long cable run, plus it generally won't sound as nice unless you plug it straight into a preamp before the signal gets too far from the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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