Tube amp into Avalon U5 speaker input

[Bobbylon]

Gigging tonight, gonna run my Ampeg V4B > 115 cab and a line from the cab into an Avalon U5 speaker input for DI to the soundboard.

Curious if anybody has experience doing this, and your thoughts. I usually try to keep things simple and often use just a Sansamp or small markbass combo, very happy with those easy setups. Just thought I'd try to run those Ampeg power tubes into the PA tonight and see how it sounds.

 

[Bobbylon]

Mainly wondering, from those of you who have done this set up, is it worth it? Like I'm pretty content with just bringing a sansamp or small combo with a decent DI out to the house. Have you found that running your tube amp into an Avalon, bringing that extra gear, sounds considerably better in the mix than a sansamp or whatever

 

[Jefenator]

I don't have experience with the Avalon, but I've used my Radial JDI in that capacity once or twice with an older tube head. Also, my current go-to tube amp (Valvetrain Brandywine) has a "DI" output that taps after the power section.
The main drawback is that you can't simply adjust your stage volume without also affecting your send to the PA. (Maybe you could compensate with a knob on your Avalon, but that would be more complicated – and approximate.)
I appreciate the value of having my PA feed isolated from the stage volume. Ideally a sound crew should be constantly monitoring all levels, then catching & adjusting for any changes I might make. Sadly, more often than not I wouldn't count on that. For that reason, I definitely like having the pre-master DI on a solid state amp.
OTOH, one of the things I like about a good tube amp is that it seems to be more friendly to mix. (I feel this "latitude", where it's not that big of a deal if I'm a tad soft or hot.) I can't recall ever needing to change my level in the middle of a big show with that Valvetrain.
Hopefully that post-power signal contains some of the extra tube & transformer "mojo" I'm enjoying in my own zone. It seems to sound great in my own PA & I haven't had any complaints thus far in various other venues.
It's kind of like the next best thing to mic-ing the cab, which still happens fairly often. (Sometimes even for bass!)
If there's a fast turnaround and/or I think the sound crew is going to be swamped, I'll keep things simple & just use my class D head w/ pre-master DI.
HTH

 

[Bobbylon]

Cool thanks! Yeah for this gig tonight the sound guy generally doesn't mic the Bass rig, there's an XLR waiting for me when I get there. So I'm not trying to make his job any different. Gonna try this setup tonight and see how it goes. I am hoping there isn't any additional noise with this set up, as the DI will be after all the tubes and guts of the Ampeg. I am going to bring a sansamp and compare them during Soundcheck, that will be interesting

 

[J Wilson]

The U5, like most Avalon Design gear, is not a widely used standard for nothing. You may be very pleasantly surprised

 

[TomB]

Is the Avalon widely used in this speaker DI application? I’ve only used it as a preamp with an instrument input, and it’s great. Let us know how this goes.

 

[MojoPin]

You can also use a smaller RNDI-1 like that which is pretty cool if you like having all your sound coming through the amp but don't like the amps DI which can happen to some people I've read. I think you'll like it, the U5 has a almost legendary rep. Hell, Clapton snagged a U5 for EVERY instrument in his band for his Unplugged tour way back when, plus Jeff Ament and alot of players swore by the for years but it has been out a while so lots of musicians change gear through out the years. Pino's signal was piped through one for John Mayer's Continuum and that tone just SPEAKS for itself. Not gonna lie, I keep an eye out for a U5 every now and again. /pinofanboi

 

[GreyBeard]

Gigging tonight, gonna run my Ampeg V4B > 115 cab and a line from the cab into an Avalon U5 speaker input for DI to the soundboard.

Curious if anybody has experience doing this, and your thoughts. I usually try to keep things simple and often use just a Sansamp or small markbass combo, very happy with those easy setups. Just thought I'd try to run those Ampeg power tubes into the PA tonight and see how it sounds.

This is just my old farts opinion but, if you want your stage sound sent to the board, best to mic your cab. Same reason guitar players mic their cabs.

 

[NRedman]

Curious about the signal chain. Why not run slave out to the U5?

 

[Wasnex]

A couple of comments.

1. The U5 is not designed to be used with phantom power. If phantom is applied, it may work for a while, but it degrades performance and can result in damage to the U5.
2. For speaker level, make sure the amp is plugged into the speaker input on the back of the U5. Do not use speaker level for any solid state amp that is operating in bridge mode. Most if not all class D amps operate in bridge mode.

The U5 has it's own mild voicing and tone shaping. Consider plugging the bass into the front of the U5 and running the Thru to the input of your amp.

 

[Bobbylon]

Curious about the signal chain. Why not run slave out to the U5?

Signal chain is P bass > ampeg v4b > ampeg 115 cab > avalon > PA

I have it run like this so that the soundboard signal is post power tubes. The ampeg actually has a DI out but it's pre power tubes and sounds OK but I'm just curious how it sounds after all the tubes. Soundchecking now so far so good! The avalon is hiding behind the ampeg

 

[Bobbylon]

This is just my old farts opinion but, if you want your stage sound sent to the board, best to mic your cab. Same reason guitar players mic their cabs.

Yeah I hear ya, the sound guy at this gig just seems to prefer to run DI so I don't wanna mess with his system. Been playing this gig every Wednesday for 15 years so I don't wanna start changing things up on him now lol

 

[Bobbylon]

A couple of comments.

1. The U5 is not designed to be used with phantom power. If phantom is applied, it may work for a while, but it degrades performance and can result in damage to the U5.
2. For speaker level, make sure the amp is plugged into the speaker input on the back of the U5. Do not use speaker level for any solid state amp that is operating in bridge mode. Most if not all class D amps operate in bridge mode.

The U5 has it's own mild voicing and tone shaping. Consider plugging the bass into the front of the U5 and running the Thru to the input of your amp.

Yeah I've run my Bass straight into the Avalon in the past, along with upright bass and acoustic guitar. All sounds great. Just try this tonight try to get those tubes in the mix

 

[Billsals]

Yeah I've run my Bass straight into the Avalon in the past, along with upright bass and acoustic guitar. All sounds great. Just try this tonight try to get those tubes in the mix

I’ve thought about trying this , I’m interested in hearing how it went.

 

[SpiderBass1965]

I do use a U5 all the time with my All Tube amps. Sounds great through the mains(FOH).

 

[Lo-E]

You can also use a smaller RNDI-1 like that which is pretty cool if you like having all your sound coming through the amp but don't like the amps DI

Or the venerable Countryman Type 85 which has offered that feature for over 40 years (and I can’t remember ever using it! )

Unless I’m mistaken, the OP isn’t looking for a solution to a problem, he’s looking to try something he hasn’t tried before just to see how he likes it. He already has everything he needs with which to do it. He’s just wondering if anyone here has already done it.

I haven’t, but I’m curious to know how it works out. The U5 is a fine piece of gadgetry!

 

[CryingBass]

I do use a U5 all the time with my All Tube amps. Sounds great through the mains(FOH).View attachment 7243916

But are you running your ( what looks like an 8:88, got hat too ) into the Amp-in on the A5, or from a line-out on the amp into the line-in on the A5? Just asking, probably a dumb question.

 

[SpiderBass1965]

But are you running your ( what looks like an 8:88, got hat too ) into the Amp-in on the A5, or from a line-out on the amp into the line-in on the A5? Just asking, probably a dumb question.

Good catch. I do run through Speaker In on the U5. At that moment we were experminting with just running the U5 as a direct D.I. only. I had plenty of stage volume for the venue and we just needed a bit more out the mains for the show. Ended up going back too Speaker In shortly after that picture as it was more of what we wanted in the first place.

 

[6thplanet]

Yeah I hear ya, the sound guy at this gig just seems to prefer to run DI so I don't wanna mess with his system. Been playing this gig every Wednesday for 15 years so I don't wanna start changing things up on him now lol

Bummer.

Maybe at another gig where someone is more apt to try it out.

 

[Bobbylon]

So it sounded great! Very warm and tubey. I was using in ears and the notes bounced off the neck with a fat squishy gooeyness that i dont quite get with my other rigs. I got a soundboard + room mics recording too which sounds good. Will def be using this setup again!