Avalon Preamps... Do they live up to their hype

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PushinKeys

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Ive never recorded with an avalon, but Ive been hearing alot of good things about them. I know a preamp is real important in getting warm clear vocals along with mixing but are they worth price tag they have on them them???
 
They're not my "go to" preamps, but they're certainly of fine quality. For the price, they're quite good. But there are certainly a lot of options in that range that might be considered... nicer?

API, Great River, Neve, Amek, Langevin... The list would go on.

But there's nothing wrong with Avalon - And besides the vocalist, the preamp is pretty much the most important thing in the chain (the microphone being a distant third by any measure).
 
yes and no

I own a 737 and I like the sound and its worth it to me, now by the same token will it blow the average person away? Maybe not. At the same time I like the universal audio la610 just as much and its cheaper. You'll find people that love em and people that hate em. They are a high quality product and the new ones are built like tanks. It all comes down to your ears.
 
thanks guys, I was just gettin opinions my partner is going to get one for our studio, so we can start recording a professional cd quality sound... and he is buying it so I want him to make the smartest best investment.

So you guys think a good preamp with a ok microphone is better then a good mic phone with an ok preamp

The reason I ask that is if he doesnt get the preamp hes goin to get a new mic.. Right now he has an AKG condensor mic (dont know exact model) with a cheap PreSonuc Tube pre amp...
 
I don't like avalon as brand in general (you can find mostly much better for rather the same price, and their sound is rather muffy instead of warm), but their preamps are probally the best thing they make. Their eq is so so and their compression sucks straight for me. But much ppl, especially in urban music, like them very much.
 
I LOVE MY M5!!!

Probably one of my best(although also one of my most expensive)purchases. Also keep in mind I was going from an M-box and a Presonus Blue Tube Pre. I've also notice(IMO)it gives richer sound to Dynamic mics, I still occasionally prefer the Blue Tube for Dynamic mics, on the wrong vocal with the wrong mic the M5 can be "too warm?" But the best sounds chain for me right now is my avalon and my SM58. I'm planning to get an RE20 next, wanna rent one 1st to see how well the M5 meshes with it.
 
MASSIVE Mastering said:
They're not my "go to" preamps, but they're certainly of fine quality. For the price, they're quite good. But there are certainly a lot of options in that range that might be considered... nicer?

API, Great River, Neve, Amek, Langevin... The list would go on.

But there's nothing wrong with Avalon - And besides the vocalist, the preamp is pretty much the most important thing in the chain (the microphone being a distant third by any measure).
Click to expand...

Oooooh, Neve. Neve's are pure sex. Avalon is a respected brand, but I've never used it, so I can't comment. However I did have a chance to use some Neve gear in a good local studio and booya, they make some nice stuff.
 
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I absolutely love my Avalon 737! I think it is worth every penny.

To me everything i put through it becomes "usable". I can then do anything i want to it afterwords ind the computer, but i just love the starting signal it gives me on just about anything. i use it for bass, keys and ofcourse vocals. Often i use it without working with the EQ. i just give it a little compression to "manage" the signal. There may be studiochannels that are even nicer or as nice - but i can say that i am not gonna get another for a very long time :)
 
Avalons are great, very common in the Ubran world, Beyonce, Jay Z, Rick Ross all tracked or still do on a 737. I love mine, sold the 610 i had, didn't like it on aggressive hip hop vocals or rnb/pop stuff, just wasn't for me (could of been my mic at the time also).

The compressor on the Avalon is discrete and does it's job (unless it's an older model which is pretty slow on the attack), if you are looking for color from the compressor on the 737, look elsewhere, it's a very clean sound just like the pre.

It's very crisp and clean or you can get a warm sound, whoever says you can't doesn't know how to work with an Avalon, it's capable of putting out thousands of different tones you just have to play with them.

With that said, there is a bunch of options now, do you want tubes? solidstate? ect ect ect.. You can pick up used Avalons all the time, i wouldn't pay for one new as id be looking at something else for that price but used? Yeah no brainer, $1,200 to $1,500? SOLD!
 
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