Avalon U5.. now what?

[BoomSTICK]

Hello my bass bretheren,

As of late i have been recording a significant amount of bass from the comforts of my home studio.
I purchased the Avalon U5 for a slight tonal variation. This signal is fed into an original Motu 828 via line in. Overall i'm satisfied with the results I get out of the unit but I would like to upgrade from the Motu to something more current. So I am curious, what are you bass players using for your audio interface? Is there a noticeable improvement in sound to warrant a new device?

 

[M Sterling]

I'm really liking the apogee duet. I have no idea how it compares to your motu, but I had an ultralite traveler and it is definitely an upgrade over that.

 

[Gideon352]

+1. Love the converters on the Apogee Duet 2. The preamps are ok, but I use externals.

 

[Frenchy-Lefty]

I use a Focusrite Forte. Incredible AD converters and great preamp although I use a tube Summit Audio preamp and a DBX 160XT compressor into the line in.

 

[BoomSTICK]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I'll be looking into these more closely.

 

[crguti]

You want a professional home studio?

Now that you got the Avalon U5, use it with no tone enhancement. Then connect the balance line level output to the Apogee duet XLR line -10dBV input. Then, use the other XLR mic input connected to your preferred bass mic. So, you have 2 recording tracks, the direct DI and the mic.
This is what my band is doing right now to record our album.

 

[BoomSTICK]

You want a professional home studio?

Now that you got the Avalon U5, use it with no tone enhancement. Then connect the balance line level output to the Apogee duet XLR line -10dBV input. Then, use the other XLR mic input connected to your preferred bass mic. So, you have 2 recording tracks, the direct DI and the mic.
This is what my band is doing right now to record our album.

Good suggestion! Yes, I suppose I'm trying to get a semi-professional home recording. I understand that Apogee has really great AD/DA, but I failed to mention that I'm on a PC so the Apogee duet is out for me. What I would like to achieve is a neutral bass sound that is workable for others to use in a studio.

 

[Gideon352]

Ah, my suggestion would be to check out the RME Babyface then.
It sounds just as good (if not better) than the Apogee and it has works with Windows.

 

[BoomSTICK]

Ah, my suggestion would be to check out the RME Babyface then.
It sounds just as good (if not better) than the Apogee and it has works with Windows.

Yes, after a bit of research I have the RME babyface. It, along with the Avalon U5 sounds amazing. The clarity alone is stunning to me compared to the Motu 828. Problem solved!

 

[Gideon352]

That's awesome!!! Great choice!

 

[davause]

Avalon U5 is the best preamp for bass I ever tried. Great choice! I also use the EBS Classic 1v2, but just when I need to improve the sound of a bass hahah. The Avalon U5 is for basses that already sound good.

Sorry for my English.

 

[bass12]

Avalon U5 is the best preamp for bass I ever tried. Great choice! I also use the EBS Classic 1v2, but just when I need to improve the sound of a bass hahah. The Avalon U5 is for basses that already sound good.

Sorry for my English.

Your English is better than much of the English spoken here on Talkbass!

I do miss my U5. Never should have sold it.

 

[BoomSTICK]

Your English is better than much of the English spoken here on Talkbass!

I do miss my U5. Never should have sold it.

Update: the U5 is totally killing it! RME and Avalon U5 are a nice fit for my needs. Thanks to all for the input!