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Avalon U5!!!!!!
- Thread starter caesarbass
- Start date
it was odd..........some of the cats in the store seemed to be hip to what i was doing, but the rest seemed to be shaking their heads. Who knows? maybe they came from it from the idea that if i heard it alone i would think it was awesome and buy it, but if i compared it directly to my stuff, there was a possibility that i would decide that i was ok with what i had (which was the casejokerjkny said:
)but i think that's reading too much into it, i think it was seen as more of a pita to let me go ahead and bring my stuff in. actually, i was left alone to try it out so i cost them exactly ZERO sales time.
metron said:Im the same. I liked the U5 sound a lot (below gain of 5) but the Demeter pre I had could do everything and more. They are so cool looking though!
Headroom, my man I can't turn my U5 above three without flapping my pants legs and I'm only running 300 watts for power (back end of old Eden Traveler). Power amp never gets above 4 and my bass rarely gets above 7. Use gear thats balenced, If your using ineffecient speakers get a BIG power amp, or get the right Cabs. And I can't wait till I add an AI focus to the rig, headroom in spades!! If your constantly running your stuff at 7-10 ecspecialy pre and power amps, you are running an underpowered rig!! And I'm not knockin the Demeter, it's a very good pre.
Got the U5 last night and used it at my gig and I'm keeping it. My big rig now consists of Avalon U5>QSC PLX 2402> Avatar 212 8 ohm. I love the way the Avalon sounds, and its minimalist approach. I didn't have to use the gain boost or the tone settings, just plug and play!!!!! It's very clean and smooth sounding, that's the best way that I can describe the tone. Not "clacky" at all on the top end, and my B string sounded super punchy. The room I played in last night is very bright and brittle, wood floors, lots of windows, and the bass sounded very warm. I'll keep reporting, this could be new gear infatuation, but the U5 has exceeded my expectations. 
that's what I find--no eq, just plug and play and eg with my fingers. The sound is smooth, deep, with no clanky top end
IvanMike said:
true,
but if i was working there, and i saw a guy bringing in all this sweet gear, i'd be hand over foot helping out!
John, I'm curious about which preamp you use most of the time on the STT-1 and TD-1, the SS or the Tube?prockenklang said:
If you use the Tube side, what tube(s) are in yours?
[I compared the STT-1 clips on BassTasters to everything else on there and either side (IMO) smokes everything else, but I especially like the SS side.]
Ok, ok, so the U5 isn't all it crapped up to be for some. I was seriously considering getting one until now. But what I want to know it, how does the PreSonus Eureka shape up to the U5?
I think at this level with preamps you're comparing apples to apples. You need to try a bunch of pre's on gig's, out in the real world, and see which one fits...hey if you need to, buy a couple of different preamps. The U5 fits all of my needs, at the moment, and maybe I'll want a different pre someday but for right now this is "the tone" I was looking for. I must give massive praise to the Alembic F2B, that thing was awesome sounding, it was a loaner from a good friend.
See that's not really feasible. I don't have the money to buy all these preamps and try them all. Worse still, I live in Australia...
James Hayes said:
the U5 has this sort of magic dust quality to it. adds this airyness. the Eureka is on the other hand a tad darker. just a tad, and yet still very hifi compared to most other bass preamps.
also, with the parametric EQ allows you do dial in whatever sound you want. really bums me out that no other basscentric pre allows you a full 3 band fully parametric EQ section. also, the compressor is really nice to have. and being able to switch the order from EQ into compressor or vice versa is great, too.
my only real niggle is Presonus' overall build. my Eureka was actually built very well, but my Firepod was a tad flimsy feeling. YMMV, so be sure to give the unit a nice inspection before purchasing. also, there's no effects loop, so that might be an issue for some.
but again, if anyone wants a super hifi yet flexible sound, the Eureka is a great way to go.
lo-freq said:
I have been using both of them live! I use the TD-1 just as a DI,and the STT-1 as my main pre-amp.I also prefer using mine in the solid state mode,but I have Telefunken tubes in it,that do sound great.I am not sure what is in my TD-1,but lately for practicing by myself,I have been using my TD-1 in the tube mode and it does sound pretty amazing.I just got a pair of Ultrasone headphones and was using my TD-1 to compare them with my Sennheiser HD-280's,and I have to say that I really used to love the Sennheisers until I tried the Ultrasones,now I can't even listen to the Sennheisers!!
John
Thanks for the feedback.prockenklang said:
I was amazed by how good both sides sounded in the clips.
The SS side just seemed to be a smidgen quicker & more dynamic to my ears.
I have an Avalon U5. I love it for recording. It really sounds good in the mix. We use it on one track and my Ampeg fliptop mic'ed on another. I use an Alembic F-1X live. It's as close to the sound of my 68 Bassman at low volume. That's my favorite bass sound!
Hey joker thanks. One (well, 2) reasons i'm considering the eureka is for the compressor and eq. And I'm thinking of pairing it up with a JDI. But no effects loop you say? I could have sworn it had an insert before the compressor = effects loop...jokerjkny said:
What's that? Is it the cord that powers the U5??? By the way the WT-800 is on ebay...no turning back now. I probably will regret selling it in the future, but for now the U5 is the S%#T!!!!Munjibunga said:
