All user reviews of 5/5 for the Avalon U5

This is professional equipment. No doubt about it.

UTILIZATION

Usage is very simple.
When you have a little experience to handle the studio equipment it is a snap.

One criticism: you can select 6 tones (or bypass) with a knob. It would have been nice to see the silkscreen on the front what each correction. Instead we have a number and we'll see the doc in the correction curve. But that's really nit-picking.

A second criticism finally: an on / off button that does not eat bread that mess! Well there are none.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound is 10/10.
For those who find it a bit "hifi" it is a compliment when we finally know what it means. You then color it as you wish. The contrary is impossible for cons.
In summary, zero wind and super clear.

(For those that capture the FM, check your weight. Also, my passive Jazz Bass captures lots of crap when not in position "noise canceling" (both knobs in the same position). If you change pickups with humbuckers, and voila.)

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for over a year.
I compared it with the high input of my preamp Z SSL, it is also good. However, I prefer the U5.
The +: transparency and neutrality of its
The -: I put higher on the on / off and corrections.
The ratio Q / P is a little kind of expensive, but worth it.

The Avalon U5 is a high quality, single channel direct input box. It is an analog unit and just has two 1/4 inch connections - one is an input to plug your instrument or signal into and the other is a through output to send your signal someplace else if you so desire. The Avalon U5 is not in rack form and is a box that can sit on top of your rack space.

UTILIZATION

The configuration of the Avalon U5 is quite easy to follow as it just has a limited amount of parameters and options. It has two knobs - one for boost and one for tone, as well as buttons for high cut, and for choosing either speaker signal or active to input, and also has a button to put the tone in and out. It also has two LED meters for monitoring your signal and for power. I don't have a manual for the Avalon U5, but it is easy to use and you really don't need it if you don't already have one.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound quality of the Avalon U5 is really top notch as far as direct input boxes go. It has way more parameters available to control your tone than most DI boxes which adds to its versatility. The Avalon U5 is great for anything that you would want to capture with a direct input signal, but I use it most for bass guitar and keyboards. It definitely presents and accurate picture of the sound that you trying to capture and won't color your tone at all. The Avalon U5 is just about as good as it gets for a DI box.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Avalon U5 for about two years and it is probably the best direct input box that I've used. It gives you a lot of options over your tone and I always find that I get great sounding results with it. The price isn't cheap, but it is really designed for professionals and for this reason I really wouldn't recommend it for home studio owners. Overall, the Avalon U5 is truly a great sounding direct input box.

This is an analog direct box. I got this a while ago mostly just to use for DI bass recording. It is pretty pricey so you probably don't want to take it out on the road. Apart from just serving up a signal to your sound card of the appropriate level, there is also an optional tone shape control, which is basically a simplified EQ. You also get a high cut if you want it, and then of course level adjustment. There are standard audio connections, including your HiZ input for guitar/bass input. This is half-rack size, so you can't mount it traditionally. I believe Avalon sells a kit to make it rack mountable though.

UTILIZATION

The configuration and setup is extremely easy. You pretty much just plug it in, turn it on, and plug in your instrument and you should be good to go. You'll probably want to do some experimenting with the tone shaper option. You can definitely sometimes improve your bass sound with the right setting on this tone shaper knob. The manual is very thorough and can give you some good starting points on using this unit well.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound quality of this direct box is totally pristine. This is the best box that I've used. Your instrument is going to come in crystal clear assuming you've got good cables. It is definitely more of a transparent sounding box on its own, but you can color it some if you want to using the tone shaper control on the front panel. Definitely A+ in the sound category.

OVERALL OPINION

I have been using this for a few years. I love the great sound quality and the dependability of this box. I am just about never disappointed with the sound I get out of it, and if I am it's usually the bass that's to blame. I have tried a lot of other direct boxes, and this one's quality takes the prize. They are expensive, but you get what you pay for - in this case a great direct box. I would get it again - I need it for my bass tracks.