It's a good DI, but I'm not sure I understand the extreme hype around it. It's very clean, a bit on the brighter side of things. Personally I prefer DI's with more coloration, but YMMV.

It's a very good sounding DI.

It has 6 different tone settings to choose from so you can get a lot of different sounds out of it.

I actually like it more on clean electric guitar than anything else.

The only thing I don't like about the U5 is it's noisy when being run active, or at least mine is.

It sounds much better passive IMO.

How about for keys? Right now I run my Motif ES8 through a GRMP2NV and I think it sounds pretty good

im sorry but i have to ask what does YMMV mean?

I doubt the U5 would sound any better than your Great River unit. Maybe just different.

YMMV-Your mileage may vary.

Why are you considering the U5? Is there something about the Great River that you don't like?

No, it's amazing I have just been thinking about getting a dedicated DI for bass

but how does it sound on other stuff like electric and electric/acoustic guitars?
it sounds clean :lol:

One of THE best concerts I've ever heard was Eric Clapton the first time he came to the arena I work at I believe in 2001.
He used the U5 and many others do as well..if you look to the center and to the left slightly tilted back you'll see it on top of a black amp.
I took a few shot with a cheap dig camera, the resolution isnt the best but hey I couldnt help it.
BTW..Billy Preston on the B3, Nathan East on Bass, David Sancious on keys, Steve Gadd on drums, and of course Eric. I cant remember
the other player...Tom Dowd was also in the audience,
what a night!

Dean

I'm convinced that anyone that spends that kind of money on a DI is smoking some better weed than I can get!

What really does it for you? The sound, or the pretty colors and lights?

I don't mean to sound condescending (though I know I am), but seriously, If I were to line up 50 DIs in a row, play through them and then mix them in, how many people could tell me which one was the Avalon and which one was the Behringer (ouch, I know...)?

Don't get me wrong, I understand the value of good equipment and I know how much easier it can be to make a guitar or keys sit in the mix if the sound is right, but the fact is, you can get the right sound out of so many boxes and at the end of the day, if your clients couldn't tell the difference, why should it matter.

My personal favorite DIs come from Radial Engineering. Why is that you ask? Is it better sound? Is it the groovy coloration or tone shaping?

Nah. Simply put - they sound VERY good, they're priced just right and they look nifty. What else could I ask for?

Now, I will say that if you have a killer pre and it happens to have a DI, then you truly are the winner. For example, I think the Brick makes an excellent DI - wow, look at that value. You get a pre that, IMO sounds better than an Avalon AND a killer DI to boot. Sounds like a winning combination! (Oh, but it's ugly - sorry bout that!)

J. 8-)

Jeremy-

You need to get out from the classical stuff and do more rock... :lol:

Anyways, DI's make just as much of a difference in the sound as mic pres or any other aspect of the chain. I own a basic countryman DI (similar to the Radial) because it is reasonably priced and doesn't really change the sound. (I use them for keyboads pretty often) I also own 2 tube directs as well- a demeter mono direct and an ADL 200 DI (which is stereo).

--Ben

Cucco wrote: I don't mean to sound condescending (though I know I am), but seriously, If I were to line up 50 DIs in a row, play through them and then mix them in, how many people could tell me which one was the Avalon and which one was the Behringer (ouch, I know...)?

Don't get me wrong, I understand the value of good equipment and I know how much easier it can be to make a guitar or keys sit in the mix if the sound is right, but the fact is, you can get the right sound out of so many boxes and at the end of the day, if your clients couldn't tell the difference, why should it matter.
8-)

I noticed that the better quality DI's will take EQ better than the less quality ones. Noise is a factor too (I don't do passive DI'ing). For bass and synth DI I prefer the Vintech 473's DI, and the OSA MP1-L3 DI (I do mostly guitar driven rock). If I did more jazz or pop I'd probably do the GR 1NV, because it sounds very smooth. They all have a lot of color, and all require EQ'ing in the mix stage from what I have found, regardless of bass used or player skill....usually a cut in the lows mids, and a bump in the high mids.

FifthCircle wrote: Jeremy-

You need to get out from the classical stuff and do more rock... :lol:

Anyways, DI's make just as much of a difference in the sound as mic pres or any other aspect of the chain. I own a basic countryman DI (similar to the Radial) because it is reasonably priced and doesn't really change the sound. (I use them for keyboads pretty often) I also own 2 tube directs as well- a demeter mono direct and an ADL 200 DI (which is stereo).

--Ben

I disagree pretty vehemently about the above.

First, I don't think that DI's have near the impact on sound as a preamp. There are less complicated signals travelling over a higher impedence line. The amplifier just doesn't have to work as hard.

Second, I don't think that preamps deserve all the attention they get. Don't get me wrong, I like a good preamp like the rest of them. I just think it's gotten out of hand.

There are some seriously excellent pres on the market and for that matter DIs too (and of course the wonder boxes that do them both well), it just frustrates me to see people charge out the ass for these products when much of their pricing is based on marketing and hype more than build.

I know better and I know how much the components cost. I think 100% markup from cost is perfectly reasonable considering the company has to make a profit and actually pay people to make their stuff. That being said, there are some damn fine manufacturers that turn out damn fine products at a damn fine value.

To name a few:
Hardy
Millennia
Grace
I would love to lump Sebatron in based on their love on this site, but I just haven't used one to be able to comment on it. So, I'll go on blind faith and the fact that the pricing is actually reasonable.
Summit
GT
Brent Averill
OSA
API
Tubetech
and the list goes on and on and on and on.

Now, there is of course a category encompassing "crappy" pres too, but that's usually pretty easy to tell.

Then there are those companies that make Pres and DIs that are just stupidly priced.
Such as:
Avalon
DBX Blue
and at the risk of pissing some manufacturers and friends off, I'll stop here. But you know who you are :wink:

The fact is - many people who are purchasing these things go by the recommendations of others are truly don't know what they're buying - they just know it's cool.

As an instrumentalist, I was always taught, in regards to purchasing my professional instrument (or even mouthpiece for that matter), use a simple, basic but quality product to start. Make sure it's pretty "middle of the road." Once you've learned the instrument to a T, then you will know what shortcomings your equipment possesses.

I don't believe that many of the people spending their hard earned money on such extravagences as a $600 DI really know what the deficiency is in a $29 DI. I would go as far as to say that 85 percent or more of the people who have purchased the Avalon DI or similar products don't know the deficiency as a matter of fact.

I would similarly say the same about pres. Many people drop some serious hard earned cash on pres that are in their own right quite amazing, but do they know what makes them amazing? Can they really take advantage of it without knowing what to take advantage of.

My point is - if you have to come here to ask how it sounds, you shouldn't even consider dropping the dough on it. I don't know of a vendor who won't let you buy it and return it if you don't like it.

[qoute]I noticed that the better quality DI's will take EQ better than the less quality ones. Noise is a factor too (I don't do passive DI'ing). For bass and synth DI I prefer the Vintech 473's DI, and the OSA MP1-L3 DI (I do mostly guitar driven rock). If I did more jazz or pop I'd probably do the GR 1NV, because it sounds very smooth. They all have a lot of color, and all require EQ'ing in the mix stage from what I have found, regardless of bass used or player skill....usually a cut in the lows mids, and a bump in the high mids.

Now these are good examples of "bang for the buck"

Awesome pres and awesome DIs in one, reasonably priced package. (Yes, I consider $2500 for 4 pres/DIs and 4 channels of halfway decent eq's a pretty darned good value. And while I've never used OSAs pres and DIs, they are modeled after the APIs and their price is a rather fair $500 give or take per channel. That's pre and DI included - that's a fair deal.)

Now, Nathan, I'm giving OSA a lot of credit regarding their quality especially considering I've never used one. If I use one (and I plan on buying a rack pack soon) and I think it sucks - you owe me BIG!!! :wink:

J.

PS - I do lots of Jazz and Rock - just not under my label. That is until I get the lease on my new studio worked out --- Here's hoping. (y)