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different preamps have different flavours and the EQ centres will be different too. Some are guilt to be very clean, others to give a warmth to the tone.
Some manufacturer’s make pedal and onboard versions of the same thing, like Sadowsky’s preamp pedal is the same as the onboard.
on board can be easier depending on the stage set up, but can also be limiting to just that. But onboards can still be plugged into another one.
I have some actives and some passive basses. They are all different.
https://speakerimpedance.co.uk/?act=two_parallel&page=calculator
The main advantage to outboard EQ is that it can be applied to all of one's instruments. If it fails on stage, outboard EQ can be bypassed or a changed to a substitute device between songs.
An outboard device might have a balanced Line Out socket to feed the P.A. Handy if your backline lacks this feature.
Indeed. Signal processing electronics can be helpful some times. Other times, one pickup, two pots and four flatwound strings really is all that is required.
If I had to name one essential feature of active EQ for bass guitar, it would be the ability to sweep the mid range cut/boost frequency.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson
Also, if you decide you want a different tone, or more flexible gain/compression options etc, you can sell/buy/upgrade outboard units far easier. You can also use modelling-based outboards (such as an HX Stomp).
[1] You can set a bright percussive sound with the active electronics and then trim it off nicely to an old-school thump with the passive tone control, if you were filtering treble off with a passive tone pot and then trying to boost it back with an active treble control I don’t think that would work anything like as well as the setup in the MM does...
The only instruments on which I think the powered EQ circuitry is integral to the sound are the bespoke Alembic stuff and the Musicman Stingray/Sabre.
The original Ibanez Musician and Aria SB certainly benefitted from onboard active EQ but I am not certain that it was essential.