I’m looking at something like an Avalon U5 or a Focusrite ISA. Don’t really need EQ type of preamp. Really looking at more of a mic preamp setup.
What are your recommendations?
What are your recommendations?
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Best Preamp/DI in the $500 Range?
- Thread starter GrooveWarrior
- Start date
A U5 is an EQ type of preamp, just not a typical one. It’s pretty colorful. The ISA doesn’t provide a ton of color. Since you’ve specified two very different preamps it’s hard to know what to recommend.
What is the rest of the signal chain?
What type of color are you trying to get from this preamp?
What is the rest of the signal chain?
What type of color are you trying to get from this preamp?
I’m not opposed to color. I’m primarily looking for something that will give me a great sound when recording. My basses are a Warrior and a USA EBMM Sterling. I use Euphonic Audio amps, so my sound is pretty clean. I have an extended recording project coming up and want something that will provide a really great and clean signal.
I’ve even looked at things like the RNDI, and a Universal Audio Solo 610 (or maybe the LA-610, if I go way over budget). Maybe even a 1073 style preamp if I could find one in the $500 range.
The U5 is an instrument only DI/Pre. No mic pre. And it is reliably ‘not colored’ and a good choice if you want clean. It consistently provides a solid clean (albeit boring to many) signal. It is still an exceptional DI for many uses. For bass it can be very uneventful at best, even with the presets. But that can be exactly what works with some pickups and on-board preamps.
The V5 is the equivalent DI with added reamp/mic pre feature and the M5 is a primary mic pre in that series. The U5 has no power switch. A power sequencer switcher or similar helps to avoid speaker damage.
If it was all I had, I’d be 100% cool with it, but always looking for something else. I have bought it twice and sold it twice over the past decade, it just doesn’t stack up against other DIs for bass alone.
A lot of mic preamps include some sort of EQ or filter at least. I wouldn’t be put off by that – it will usually only be a plus. The ISA is an entry-level mic pre nowadays. It was ‘average’ at best even when it was released and I too find it uncolored and relatively bland.
If I only had a $500 budget - I would look into a used Summit Audio 2BA-221 or True Systems Solo, both clean. Or ART MPA2 a cool cheap pre. It can be colored in a good way or clean, variable impedances and tube swaps can actually be heard. New, I might explore the Warm Audio offerings. Neve style color is very musical on bass and vocals, just not always 'clean' when driven. Warm has some high-voltage options with more headroom.
Personally, the RNDI is exceptional. There is no mic pre. It's an easy choice for me. Add another $500 and alot more options are available as you can get into the desktop portico series.The SOLO 610 is going to be colored. No way around that. It can get wooly and can get noisy when pushed. At mid levels volumes it's great. Might work great with your Euphonic.
You can easily find 1073 style pres in that range. Golden Age has been doing it for years and Warm Audio has alot of quality professional level bang for the buck options..
I just finished a session with a P-bass into a Radial J48. …nothing else but light compression. Very happy with it.
What are you recording into? How are you interfacing with the computer or tape machine used to capture the performance?
I love the U5. Love, love, love it!
Out of curiosity I checked their site. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
The first two, and other, comments are raving about bass sound, and Avalon’s sales pitch states in part: “The U5 direct box is loaded with sonic character”.
I concur. Wish it came in different physical formats.
Looks like they’re about $1000 new though.
Can’t recall using the Focusrite.
Out of curiosity I checked their site. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
The first two, and other, comments are raving about bass sound, and Avalon’s sales pitch states in part: “The U5 direct box is loaded with sonic character”.
I concur. Wish it came in different physical formats.
Looks like they’re about $1000 new though.
Can’t recall using the Focusrite.
I’ll be recording at two different places. Not totally sure on the setup. Both will be into a DAW of some type.
Southampton ictineos are great preamps for almost anything but no DI included.
Another good option is an acme motown DI
Another good option is an acme motown DI
Maybe keep the Shift Line Olympic MKIII in mind? That was a consideration for me before I landed on a Noble.
Warm Audio Tone Beast TB12
TB12 Black - Tone Beast | Warm Audio
This thing is fabulous. API style pre with clarity and punch. But you can saturate and go full vintage too.
TB12 Black - Tone Beast | Warm Audio
This thing is fabulous. API style pre with clarity and punch. But you can saturate and go full vintage too.
Classic ad copy.
After 25 years, the U5 is well established for what it does or doesn't provide on record. It's a great DI and has a solid but not overly emphasized low end and nice clean signal which is perfect for bringing out the character of an instruments pickups or supporting line-level instruments, sometimes. It ‘adds’ very little color to your signal as it just wasn't designed to. It was designed to be clean and pristine.
The tone control is a passive filter, basically a series of cuts, similar to a varitone. That passive EQ curve can add 'sonic character' sort of. 25 years ago was a different environment in pro audio. The U5 was a new class. Not so much today.
Today, if you are looking for true colorization or ‘sonic character’ there are genuine alternatives if you really wanted a specific flavor. As noted by a few recomendation on this thread. And the quality for some of these are very impressive.
BTW - Avalon isn't too great about updating the site. The U5 page you linked to hasn't changed since 1999. The 'raving comments' 'my acoustic never sounded better' etc are over 20 years old. The 'my HDPOD sounds great' comment is over a decade old. Personally I take it all in stride.
With my brother we almost only using WA preamp. Except two ISA one we have One TB like this, 5x73eq pre and 2x4 channel WA412 what's essentially a tone beast without the tonal options.
Their quality is so good that we won't look further. But if you like to experiment, you can easily switch the op-amps to something else.
But if you like the Neve style, the Warm 73 pre only (without eq) has a pretty good used price.
I have a Golden Age pre 73 that I use to record things mic'ed up (vocals, acoustic guitar, hand percussion, etc) that also does a great job for bass.
There is some character at higher gain settings but I never turn it up much to get a clean, detailed sound.
Edit: it also has a 1/4 input on the fron panel and both 1/4 and xlr at the back, convenient in the OP's context.
There is some character at higher gain settings but I never turn it up much to get a clean, detailed sound.
Edit: it also has a 1/4 input on the fron panel and both 1/4 and xlr at the back, convenient in the OP's context.
I love my RNDI, it definitely puts out what I give into it. No color, no noise, no fuss, just a clean great sounding DI.
