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Avalon U5 question

jaeman111

jaeman111

Feb 25, 2004
57
27
Indianapolis, IN
www.aninnocentband.com
#1
In my search for a simplistic rig that will deliver to FOH what I am hearing through my onstage amp, I bought a Sansamp RBI and am pretty pleased with it. But then I start reading about this Avalon U5 (my wife hates Talkbass), and am thinking about trying one out.
I was wondering if anyone uses one in conjunction with another pre-amp, or will it have to be one or the other? I was thinking of running out of the RBI into the U5, with that signal D.I.'d to the board as well as sent to my power amp. It sounds like the U5 could be a standalone pre, even with just 6 eq presets, using the active eq on my Lakland 55-02 for further enancement if necessary. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with that kind of a set-up.
This is a great site. I have been a long time lurker, this is my first real post, so break me in gently...

Jay
 
#2
i've been using my U5 as a preamp for the past year or so, and cant complain one bit. i LOVE the way my Sadowsky sounds DI'ed, and the U5 lets every bit of my sadowsky's onboard pre shine thru. along with my flat as a pancake Acme cabs, my stage sound is pretty much what people out there are hearing.
 
#3
I run mine in front of a Eden traveler ( the old 300) and just use the eden EQ for room adjustments. There are a few guys on the board running U5's as stand alone pre-amps that will probably be my next upgrade. They do sound GREAT!
 
#4
I run mine a couple of different ways depending on the gig and my mood....Lately, I have run my Sadowsky into the U5 straight into the amp and out to the Snake (splitter) using the U5 as my preamp which is great and I highly recommend it....the other way I run it is to go from the Sadowsky to the U5 out of the U5 to my Demeter HBP-1 (for that oooey, gooey tube of love thing on stage) out of the Demeter into my amps and use the U5 strictly as DI to send the cleanest possible signal to the Splitter...For Big money jobs this is how I run it...I hardly EVER use the EQ presets on the U5 (although they are quite good and useful), instead I use the Preamp on my bass to get the tones I want no matter which way I go...I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE U5 as one of the best DI (with the added bonus of being a GREAT preamp) you can get at any price!!

PEace,

T
 
#5
Count me as another "Avalon Only" user! I usually play a MM SR5 straight into a U5, which then simultaneously drives both my Stewart/Acme stage rig (line output) and the FOH board (mic output).

The sound contractor we deal with most of the time LOVES my Avalon... he usually uses those big Behringer copies of the BSS DI's... the ones with the big rubber bumpers at the corners...
 
#6
I also use an Avalon U5 as my preamp. That goes into my QSC PLX 1202 and then to my Bergantino HT112. Most of my playing is "clean" so it works great. When I want to have that "SVT" tone, I add the SansAmp BDDI.

I pretty much leave the "Tone" on preset 1. My basses are active so I have control there, but passive basses sound great, too. Of course, you could plug a piece of crap into an Avalon and it would sound great!

I got mine used, like new, for $400.
 
#8
Well, I picked one up today, and it sounds incredible. Very smooth and articulate, picking up small nuances in my playing I wasn't even aware of. The eq presets are very subtle but effective, with tone that seems to "carry". I don't know how else to describe it. I will be gigging with it this weekend, I can't wait to see how it cuts through the mix. The money used to purchase it was supposed to be used for a new dishwasher, so now I will be washing all the dishes by hand. So far it is a very good tradeoff... I never knew what GAS was until I started checking out this site. I now know... Hmm, I wonder how the Avalon would sound like through an El Whappo... who needs a dishwasher... :D
 
#9
joker....go on you only live once....I know you have had Demeter stuff before...I really dig my HBP-1....ooey,gooey,chewy, tube o love thing, you know?

jaeman....not to throw any fuel on the fire but I recently heard my Sadowsky NYC Vintage 4 through my U5 into a Crest CA-9 into an Accugroove Whappo, Jr and it was one of the most satisfying experiences out of a piece of gear I have EVER had....I am SERIOUSLY GASsing for a Whappo, JR and a Thunderfunk, it is only a matter of time before I put that fire out.....

BTW - Before you ask....I prefer the 2 12's in the Whappo Jr instead of the 15 in the Whappo, (yes I have heard both) the 15 is definitely ballsier, and heavier sounding, but to my ear is not as clean and articulate as the 12's (the response only shows 4hz difference but I feel it more than hear it...I prefer the articulation instead of the deeper tone...I play down to a 5 string so I don't think I would miss a thing by going with the Jr......7 strings or more and I may feel differently however......


Peace and Chicken Grease,

T
 
#10
jaeman111 said:
Well, I picked one up today, and it sounds incredible. Very smooth and articulate, picking up small nuances in my playing I wasn't even aware of. The eq presets are very subtle but effective, with tone that seems to "carry". I don't know how else to describe it. I will be gigging with it this weekend, I can't wait to see how it cuts through the mix. The money used to purchase it was supposed to be used for a new dishwasher, so now I will be washing all the dishes by hand. So far it is a very good tradeoff... I never knew what GAS was until I started checking out this site. I now know... Hmm, I wonder how the Avalon would sound like through an El Whappo... who needs a dishwasher... :D
Click to expand...

Nice work! You've got the spirit man :bassist: Our dryer is pau (it's rusted to hell) - but our fence makes for a nice clothes line...and I'd like a new preamp much better anyway ;)
 

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