Poll: Getting a better DI tone live (without IEMs)

[Pacodelivery]

Yeah I hear you about the sound engineers. Pretty much every time I’ve had them give me two lines with a cab mic I feel like I’ve been happy, which is good because those are generally the bigger more important shows.

It’s funny that I’m here talking about dropping half a grand on new gear primarily to make the smaller less important gigs sound better. I guess investing in a nice new DI will probably make the sound crew happy on the big stages too tho huh.

Might be worth while trying some of your patches; specifically the ones you've found issue with sound engineers potentially causing to be too mid heavy etc... and seeing if a HP/LPF will actually do anything at all for you. As others have stated too; engineers are going to tweak frequencies to a room; and I'd expect that most engineers know roughly where the low end needs to be cut and where mid/high frequencies need to be tweaked for the room they're mixing. It might truly be out of your hands. If the FOH likes your signal; what they do with it is at their discretion.

 

[chiphaleonbass]

A nice DI; and anything you can do to tame your signal, especially considering the amount of efx you're using, will only make the FOH folks have to work less to get you sounding right; and thus helping the whole group you're performing with. Small stages; large stages it's all beneficial

Yeah I hear you about the sound engineers. Pretty much every time I’ve had them give me two lines with a cab mic I feel like I’ve been happy, which is good because those are generally the bigger more important shows.

It’s funny that I’m here talking about dropping half a grand on new gear primarily to make the smaller less important gigs sound better. I guess investing in a nice new DI will probably make the sound crew happy on the big stages too tho huh.

 

[Pacodelivery]

Just purchased an Avalon u5, will report back

 

[Wasnex]

Just purchased an Avalon u5, will report back

Something to be aware of: The Avalon U5 is not designed to work on phantom power. From what I have read, phantom degrades the U5's performance and will eventually damage it.

Here's a relevant post: Avalon U5 and phantom power?

 

[Pacodelivery]

Yeah I read that thread! I think I can keep it safe on the road, I doubt I’ll be seeing any boards with global phantom and I’ll make a habit of telling the sound person. Honestly considering putting a big piece of tape above the xlr jack “No Phantom” or something like that as a fail safe.

Also if it works out for the first couple shows I’ll have it added to our tech rider

Thanks for the heads up!

Something to be aware of: The Avalon U5 is not designed to work on phantom power. From what I have read, phantom degrades the U5's performance and will eventually damage it.

Here's a relevant post: Avalon U5 and phantom power?

 

[Jack]

I have to keep my Helix safe from Phantom too. I ended up with a DI (which would be a waste in your situation) but there are dedicated phantom power blockers if you end up keeping the Avalon.

 

[chiphaleonbass]

Just purchased an Avalon u5, will report back

Good luck!!

 

[Pacodelivery]

Hey all, just wanted to report back that I bought and received an avalon u5 a little over a month ago and it's a great piece of kit!

I've been doing some home recording stuff with it and the u5 mic level into my Focusrite isa one into the channel return of my audient id44 (to bypass the audient's internal pre in favor of the focusrite) is fan-freaking-tastic, about as good as some of the best sound I've gotten in high end studios and better by a long shot than what some engineers have gotten in lower end studios from my bass. Being that the focusrite was designed by Rupert Neve it's verrrry close to my favorite bass sound I've gotten in a studio, which was an Avalon u5 into a genuine neve pre into a vintage 1176 and then into the converter.

Setting 3 is my favorite, though 1 is also really good. 2 is neat but specific, haven't recorded bass on a song that needed that much scoop yet but I could see it coming up, and 4 I also haven't used yet but I could see using it as well.

BUT, more on topic, I think it will also work for live applications well, and more or less solve the problems that I brought up in this thread. The avalon with the hi cut engaged on setting 3 sounds really amp like - big, gently scooped but still with enough mids to still be balanced, and a nicely darkened high end that didn't entirely rob me of presence. It was especially noticeable with od & fuzz (with my cog knightfall 66), but also really helped place my pad sounds nicely, as well as synth sounds with my octabvre. The difference really was huge. I was worried the hi cut wouldn't be drastic enough for cab simulation (because it starts at 8k hz and I've seen a lot of people talk about lower freqs like 5k) but honestly it's almost a little too dark, but from where I'm sitting that's better than the alternative, my sense is that the better sound people at the higher end clubs take a good bit of high end out of my signal so I'd rather err on the side of giving them what they want.

ALSO, huge added bonus, I have a little mini pedaltrain with a hardcase I use for small gigs or sometimes g**tar, and the avalon fits PERFECTLY in that, so I won't need to get an extra case for it.

Overall, really happy about the purchase, and appreciative of all the advice y'all gave me.

 

[SteveC]

Get a nice DI for FOH. I use a REDDI. The Avalon U5 is awesome as well. If you like your amp/cab on stage then keep it. The REDDI gives me great IEM (I don't use a stage amp any ore for 98% of my gigs) and FOH sound. I don't use any other effects. Bass ---> Tuner --> FOH/IEM. My IEM tone is fantastic. FOH is whatever it is, but at least with the REDDI there's a good start. It's up to the sound guy to use it or f it up.

 

[Pacodelivery]

Yeah that's what the Avalon is for, it'll be my live DI (though for reasons explained earlier in thread, my group is not on IEMs and good chance we'll stay that way for the time being, and so I'm also keeping my amp & cab so myself and my band mates can still here me.)

Get a nice DI for FOH. I use a REDDI. The Avalon U5 is awesome as well. If you like your amp/cab on stage then keep it. The REDDI gives me great IEM (I don't use a stage amp any ore for 98% of my gigs) and FOH sound. I don't use any other effects. Bas ---> Tuner --> FOH/IEM. My IEM tone is fantastic. FOH is whatever it is, but at least with the REDDI there's a good start. It's up to the sound guy to use it or f it up.

 

[SteveC]

Get a nice DI for FOH. I use a REDDI. The Avalon U5 is awesome as well. If you like your amp/cab on stage then keep it. The REDDI gives me great IEM (I don't use a stage amp any ore for 98% of my gigs) and FOH sound. I don't use any other effects. Bass ---> Tuner --> FOH/IEM. My IEM tone is fantastic. FOH is whatever it is, but at least with the REDDI there's a good start. It's up to the sound guy to use it or f it up.

Oops. Didn't read that close enough. The Avalon is amazing. I debated getting one again but decided to go a little different direction. I used a U5 live for a while. It's big but worth it. Just like the REDDI. My rig fits in a nice little case.