I’m looking to buy recording equipment, and I read I need a DI if my bass is passive. The thing is, I got this bass second-hand without a manual. I do know what model it is, but since it was made in Japan, it’s hard for me to find any thorough documentation on it, aside from a japanese magazine.
The model was said to be an Ibanez SR1000e, made in Japan in I believe 1989. The only difference I see between pictures I find online and the bass I have, is that the pickups in mine are “flat”, and in online pictures the metal dots in the pickups are visible. The bass has 3 knobs and a switch with 3 modes.
Does anyone maybe have an idea if this might be an active or passive bass? Or how I can find out? I’d very much prefer not to open it, as I’ve already broken my other bass by opening it up… and this one is far more expensive than the one I broke.
There is a Wiki out there if you search that covers Ibanez models, and another site that had PDF copies of Ibanez catalogs. Both good sources of information on older Ibanez bass.
If you search for Ibanez serial number lookup, there is a site where you input the sn on the back of the headstock, and it will tell you the year, model and where it was built. That’s where I would start
If you have a battery it’s active, though some models of older Ibanez don’t have a battery door, it’s in the cavity with everything else. You may need to open the cavity to see, but the cover isn’t attached to anything (if it’s on the back of the bass) so it’s low risk.
You don’t need a DI to record. You need an audio interface (DAI). DI’s can also be used in recording as well, but even if you have a DI, you still need an audio interface.
And you’ll need an audio interface whether your bass is active or passive.
The easiest way is to just take a picture of your bass and post it.
There are several models, the pick-ups are passive, but some versions have an active eq
I would pull the cover off. In my experience, the information in the Wiki is accurate as far as it goes, but it can be incomplete, as I discovered with my 1993 Sr500 (which is not in the Wiki)
This is 100% accurate.
I have a Digital Audio Interface, and for 99% of my recording at home I plug all basses - active and passive both - directly into the DAI, into whatever software I’m using.
The DAI acts as a DI for digital recording purposes.
If you’re out and playing live or recording in a studio, then you would need a DI.
I have played both active and passive basses and have NEVER had any professional audio engineer ask what type of bass (active or passive) I had. They just drop their best DI in front of you, and you plug in.