Brown Basses come with Anniversary electronics, which are said to be the closest thing to Series electronics there is. They do function that way, so if you can get used to dialing in a tone you like using two separate volumes, filters, and Q's, plus using a pickup selector switch to get where you need to be, then there's really not much of a sound you can't dial in with one. It takes a while to become proficient with these controls, but you get instant feedback from the instrument telling you what to do.
To me, the simpler Activator circuits are easier to manage in live situations than my Series bass is, but only because I am more used to them and there are fewer choices to be made. Honestly, I can't imagine a gig on Planet Earth where my Persuader 5-string equipped with Volume/Pan/Filter/Q-3 wouldn't be enough. That being said, playing my old Series I on a gig is an absolute treat. It took a while, but instinctively, as if the bass was teaching me how to play it, I still sound like me playing an Alembic.
There's probably somebody out there who couldn't make a Brown Bass work in a band, for whatever reason, but it's like anything here... you either get these things or you don't. And that's okay.
