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Avalon U5 Question

GrooveWarrior

GrooveWarrior

Oct 21, 2003
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Oxford, Ohio (Near Cincy)
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#1
I had this posted in Recording Gear, but it didn't get any hits.

It is my understanding that if you want to run a head (tube for example) into the speaker in jack on an Avalon U5, you have to run it out to a cabinet. Is that right?

I ask, because it seems like that would defeat the purpose. I want to record my old tube head without running it into a cabinet and micing it. Could the line be run into a THD Hotplate to eat up the signal? Is there some other way of getting rid of that powered signal so I can record my tube head without having any sound come out.

Any suggestions?
 
#2
GrooveWarrior said:
I had this posted in Recording Gear, but it didn't get any hits.

It is my understanding that if you want to run a head (tube for example) into the speaker in jack on an Avalon U5, you have to run it out to a cabinet. Is that right?

I ask, because it seems like that would defeat the purpose. I want to record my old tube head without running it into a cabinet and micing it. Could the line be run into a THD Hotplate to eat up the signal? Is there some other way of getting rid of that powered signal so I can record my tube head without having any sound come out.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Short answer, NO! If you do not have a cabinet hooked up to the tube head you will damage the head. The avalon is designed to be used as a replacement for a microphone, not a replacement for a cabinet. It does not present a proper load to the head and if this is a tube head you will damage the head without a load connected.

The hot plates also will not function correctly without a load present on them as well. They are nothing more than an attenuator. The avalon has a built in attenuator so thats not the issue and it would be redundant/un-needed.
 
#3
GrooveWarrior said:
It is my understanding that if you want to run a head (tube for example) into the speaker in jack on an Avalon U5, you have to run it out to a cabinet. Is that right?
Click to expand...

Yes - or more precisely some kind of speaker load.

GrooveWarrior said:
Could the line be run into a THD Hotplate to eat up the signal?
Click to expand...

Yes, assuming the power rating is suitable. EDIT - I mistakenly thought the Hotplate was a true load, a big resistor with heatsink. I was wrong, ignore me.

Alex
 
#6
joelb79 said:
Why not just get a Low End True Voice. That would accomplish the same thing, and sound better for a tube sound. The Truevoice also is noise free, something your tube head probably is not.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking about multiple applications. If I could use the U5 as a bass DI, and run a gui**r head into it (with no sound leaking) that would be great. It seems, however, that I WILL need to have a cabinet on hand accepting the load.
 
#7
GrooveWarrior said:
I'm thinking about multiple applications. If I could use the U5 as a bass DI, and run a gui**r head into it (with no sound leaking) that would be great. It seems, however, that I WILL need to have a cabinet on hand accepting the load.
Click to expand...

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
The manual for the U5 is at the bottom.
 
#11
joelb79 said:
Why not just get a Low End True Voice. That would accomplish the same thing, and sound better for a tube sound.
Click to expand...

What a weird statement. The True Voice is a one-tube device designed to sound transparent. The point of running an old all-tube head into a DI is to get all of the coloration and artifacts of the old tube head- the exact opposite of the purpose of the True Voice. It would not at all "accomplish the same thing", not even close.

"Sound better for a tube sound" = :confused::confused::confused:
 
#12
You can wire a power resistor across the output of the tube head, then take that signal into the U5. But, depending upon the size of the head, it may need to be large and well heatsinked.
 

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