Avalon U5 with Genz Benz Streamliner 900?

[ThickSounD]

Hey All,
I play mostly roots reggae.

I love my Avalon U5 in the studio and live. I have an F Bass BN5 and a Bossa OBJ-6 which both have really diverse EQ.

I read that there was a way to bypass the Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 EQ to use it as a power amp, does the Streamliner 900 do that too?

Can I get the same effect if I just run my Avalon through my Streamliner input and just keep the Streamliner's EQ flat?

I would just use the streamliner by itself, but the D.I. isn't as juicy as the Avalon. To my ear they are worlds apart through a sound system. Both still good, but I love my U5, especially on the 2nd EQ setting .

[JimmyM]

Plug it into the effects return of your amp and it bypasses the amp's pre in both the Shuttle and Streamliner. I don't know that it'll work since I've only used a U5 once, but that's how you do it.

Don't know that I'd use the Streamliner's EQ flat, though. It can do mids if you tweak the knobs but its flat voicing is quite scooped.

[lowfreq33]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Plug it into the effects return of your amp and it bypasses the amp's pre in both the Shuttle and Streamliner. I don't know that it'll work since I've only used a U5 once, but that's how you do it.

Don't know that I'd use the Streamliner's EQ flat, though. It can do mids if you tweak the knobs but its flat voicing is quite scooped.

That voicing is really more a function of the preamp and eq sections though. The power section is the same as the Shuttle 9,and shouldn't impart any drastic coloration.

[JimmyM]

Right, but I was addressing the thought about running the U5 into the front end of the Streamliner. Wasn't too clear about that, though, I spose.

[ThickSounD]

Thanks Jimmy! I tried that and it sounds good, I do hear a little hum with the treble up that wasn't there before, but the sound is more clear so I don't necessarily need the treble up. I'll have to try it at a show and see if I can completely let go of the using the Streamliner EQ. Guess I can be power amp + Avalon now.

If I like the way it works out, I wonder if using a Peavey IPR Power Amp would sound better...

[KJung]

Originally Posted by ThickSounD

Hey All,
I play mostly roots reggae.

I love my Avalon U5 in the studio and live. I have an F Bass BN5 and a Bossa OBJ-6 which both have really diverse EQ.

I read that there was a way to bypass the Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 EQ to use it as a power amp, does the Streamliner 900 do that too?

Can I get the same effect if I just run my Avalon through my Streamliner input and just keep the Streamliner's EQ flat?

I would just use the streamliner by itself, but the D.I. isn't as juicy as the Avalon. To my ear they are worlds apart through a sound system. Both still good, but I love my U5, especially on the 2nd EQ setting .

If you are using the massive EQ that those presets pump into your signal with the U5, my guess is you would be just as happy using the post EQ setting on the Streamliner, which will pump that multiple tube preamp tone and big low end into the board. For most purposes, that would be a disaster for a front of house guy (versus the very nice neutral signal of the pre EQ DI setting), but if you are 'dubbing' then pumping that big low end out to the board is obviously OK if they are OK with that super processed U5 signal at that setting.

[ThickSounD]

Just running the Avalon through the effects loop return (using Genz Benz as a power amp) sounds good for my purposes. I'm thinking about just selling my Genz and just getting a power amp. Has anyone used an Avalon U5 alone with a poweramp? Do different power amps sound different? QSR, Peavey?

[jerry]

I use a U5 without its presets before my Streamliner before almost every gig, I had the pre on the 900 go out right before the start of a gig and used the U5 into the effects return for the gig, saved my ass and worked great!

[ThickSounD]

NiCE!

[vgbob]

I have a rig with one or two U5s into a QSC PLX1804.
If I use two cabs, I can have a completely separate channel for each one, to let me adjust the volume independently. Works really well. I think the combination of the U5 and a power amp is the best way to hear the sound of my bass.
I personally don't think the tone settings on the U5 are very drastic, so any adjustment is at the bass itself. One U5 with a patch cable to run the input signal to the second channel is OK too, if you want to run it that way. The amp has several
input connector styles, so I run a XLR cable from the U5 to the amp, then just a 1/4 inch patch cable between the two 1/4 inch amp inputs to give me a signal for both channels.
This is both clean and high powered.

[vgbob]

Forgot to mention if you need the U5 as a DI for FOH, you can use the XLR out on the back for that and use the 1/4 out on the front for the connection to your amp. I have a few different short cables I keep to connect things up depending on the situation.