Avalon U5 fragile?

Son of Bovril · #1 12-22-2010, 12:12 AM

I've heard one or two comments regarding the U5 saying that it is a bit fragile for road touring, I know it is a studio piece of gear but it seems to be built pretty damn sturdy... does anyone have experience with touring with one in a rack or had their U5 fail on them while on tour?

MysticMichael · #2 12-22-2010, 12:42 AM

I don't know if it's "fragile". But I personally see no reason to take a U5 on tour - not when there are so many other simpler, perhaps sturdier, and less expensive designs on the market that will serve the same purpose, just about as well.

I recently acquired a U5 - strictly for recording. I will never gig with it. To me, that would be a little like gigging with a $5,000 Neumann studio mike: Sure, it's a wonderful piece of gear. But is the added sonic benefit you achieve from it really that audible in the noisy environment of a live performance venue? And worth the increased risk of subjecting it to potential damage, loss or theft?

MM

Son of Bovril · #3 12-22-2010, 12:58 AM

Thanx MysticMichael

True, there are many simpler and cheaper options, of which I am aware, but I don't want to argue the merits of the U5 as a live/recording DI or as a DI/preamp as there are many other threads dedicated to that... I'm more concerned about it's reliability in a gigging situation.

rbbrchkn · #4 12-22-2010, 01:44 AM

The U5s are a very stoutly built piece of kit, so by all means take it on tour with you. Just rack it in a shockmount rack or have a quality case built for it.

The people who say that you can't tell a sound difference between a great DI and a lesser DI in a live mix are really missing out. I'll break it down for you:

Bad PA + Engineer Situation with:
Cheap DI = Bad Sound
Good DI = Bad Sound
Great DI = Bad Sound

No way 'round that.

Good PA + Engineer with:
Cheap DI = Bad Sound
Good DI = Good Sound
Great DI = Good Sound

Acceptable situation.

Great PA + Engineer with:
Cheap DI = Blah Sound
Good DI = Good Sound
Great DI = Happier than you thought you could be while playing bass onstage

This can be the difference between "It was a good show..." and "I can't shut up about it!"

The U5 is a good deal less fragile than the amps most people use on tour (probably cheaper too!). But if you're playing small rooms with bad sound, don't bother with it. If you're playing rooms where they've made an investment in the PA and small, really good sounds are turned into huge, really good sounds at the FOH, your amp will be irrelevant to the audience and your DI will be everything. Horses for courses, and if you're concerned about it failing, get a cheap $40 passive DI to keep on top of it in case it goes down.

Munjibunga · #5 12-22-2010, 01:47 AM

I've gigged my U5, and it's not any less fragile than other equipment its size. Rack it up and it'll be just fine. Mine is not racked and it's fine, too, but I'm careful with my gear.

BadJazz · #6 12-22-2010, 02:26 AM

Avalon makes as well-built and engineered gear as anyone. I've owned a U5, and used many other bits of Avalon stuff, and the quality is superb.

I think Mystic Micheal is overstating the issue. I agree that touring with uber-expensive condenser mics offers a bad risk vs. reward equation, but a new U5 is well under $600. Used is quite a bit less than that. I wouldn't hesitate to tour with one.

Emibass · #7 12-22-2010, 02:59 AM

Just gig with it and enjoy the superb sound of your bass trough a very good DI/pre

JimmyM · #8 12-22-2010, 03:56 AM

ya, why not? if you have to use a di, make it a good one

cripula · #9 12-22-2010, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbbrchkn

The U5s are a very stoutly built piece of kit, so by all means take it on tour with you. Just rack it in a shockmount rack or have a quality case built for it.

That about sums it up. If you don't mind carrying it (or have someone to do it for you) it's a fantastic DI.

Want to make a FOH guy happy? Send him a feed from a U5.

TheNightLife · #10 12-22-2010, 08:38 AM

i use mine with my svt cl and ive never had a problem with it. its pretty sturdy

Son of Bovril · #11 12-22-2010, 09:50 AM

Thanx guys, some very helpful information, I'll rack my U5 up with my poweramp etc and take it on my next tour and see how it works out

I must say, I really notice the difference in sound when I am using the U5 and if that is all the difference it makes then I will still be happy

I have been using my eden nav on tour recently that I run completely flat and that has served me very well, dunno if I'll hear much difference between that and the U5 but the test will be fun none the less...

I do have an ebs microbass II that goes everywhere with me anyways so that will serve as a good backup or in a situation where there is global phantom power on the desk

JacksonsMen · #12 12-22-2010, 02:07 PM

For the signal quality it puts out and the ability to actually DI the same sound coming out of my amp, I'd say it would be tough for me to gig without my U5. If i used a less colorful amp maybe i'd not worry too much about how my signal went FOH, but i want the tubey crunchy sound of my SVT-CL to be what gets heard in the mix

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheNightLife

i use mine with my svt cl and ive never had a problem with it. its pretty sturdy

Do you run yours before or after your SVT? (i'm trying to gage the safety of running the output of the amp into the Speaker In on the Avalon

JimmyM · #13 12-22-2010, 02:11 PM

dude, i used to do that with my vintage svt and a countryman type 85 and never once had a problem. perfectly safe and sounds much better in the house if you use an svt than taking a plain vanilla di, although at this point i've given up completely on the di and just mic.

JacksonsMen · #14 12-22-2010, 02:19 PM

you can put an 85 in the output line off an amp? I've never seen that trick before

steve_rolfeca · #15 12-22-2010, 02:23 PM

Question:

Guys I knew who owned early-model U5's, found that they didn't "play nice" with phantom power. From what I heard at the time, this wasn't because the designers had cheaped out. It was because that design gave better fidelity in a studio environment, and that was their first priority.

Might not be a problem on a concert stage, but it sure would be in the dives that many of us work in.

Has Avalon revised the output stage since then?

Craig_S · #16 12-22-2010, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacksonsMen

you can put an 85 in the output line off an amp? I've never seen that trick before

No trick. Two speaker cables and the flip of a switch.

JacksonsMen · #17 12-22-2010, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig_S

No trick. Two speaker cables and the flip of a switch.

Well heck, you learn something new every day

bradn104 · #18 12-22-2010, 02:34 PM

well it looks like Geddy lee uses two u5's on tour.

SteveC · #19 12-22-2010, 02:39 PM

Plenty of people use them on tour. I tend to agree that the sonic gains are probably lost live for us weekend warriors, but they are probably lost live for the big guys like Geddy, too, but there must be a reason they use them. I would but I can't justify hauling one around for the minimal gains I would get for MY gigs.

JimmyM · #20 12-22-2010, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveC

Plenty of people use them on tour. I tend to agree that the sonic gains are probably lost live for us weekend warriors, but they are probably lost live for the big guys like Geddy, too, but there must be a reason they use them. I would but I can't justify hauling one around for the minimal gains I would get for MY gigs.

meanwhile you complain about your rig once a month. i don't hear geddy complaining