Avalon V5

A professional heritage: the spirit of the U5 and M5 combined in a single V5

The V5 continues the legacy of two references beloved by sound engineers and musicians: the famous U5 direct box and the M5 microphone preamplifier, both renowned for their high-end sound in studio and on stage. Where multiple devices were previously combined to cover mic, DI, and routing uses, the V5 combines these functions into a single chassis, while delivering a performance upgrade and adding new processing and ergonomic possibilities.

For whom and for what uses in studio or live?

With its 1-channel format and "quality first" philosophy, the V5 targets setups where every take counts: lead vocals, acoustic guitar recording, double bass, electric bass DI, keyboards, demanding mic captures (including ribbon), or instrument capture with maximum finesse. In home studios as well as professional environments, it becomes a reliable gain center: Class A preamplification for microphones, a very high-impedance DI to preserve instrument pickups, and a re-amplification function designed to cleanly re-inject a track into an amp or pedal chain.

Key features: headroom, impedance matching, and musical shaping

Pure Class A Microphone Preamp and High-Voltage Design

The heart of the V5 is based on a Pure Class A architecture combined with a high-voltage design. The goal is clear: to provide stable, detailed, and spacious reproduction, with comfortable headroom to handle dynamic sources and transients (string attacks, consonants on vocals, light percussion) without compression sensation. This approach also facilitates clean gain staging, useful when capturing a signal ready for mixing, whether in an audio interface, console, or external conversion chain.

Dual Impedance: True Versatility for Ribbon and Condenser Mics

The V5 features a dual impedance to adapt the mic input behavior depending on the transducer type, especially for ribbon and condenser microphones. This setting optimizes response, perceived level, and feel of the recording according to the mic used, while maintaining a preamp signature focused on precision and musicality.

10 Mega Ohm Instrument DI, Re-amplification, and Shaping Tools

For instruments, the DI input offers a 10 mega Ohm impedance, an important point to preserve tonal balance and dynamics of passive pickups (bass, guitar, some piezos), limiting the loading effect that can dull the high end. The V5 also adds practical controls to shape and secure the signal: a tone selector to steer character, a high-pass filter to clean unwanted lows and vibrations, and an " Air-lift " button useful for improving usability in certain contexts (notably when trying to reduce issues related to electrical environment or certain interconnections). The presence of a re-amplification function makes it a complete tool for modern workflow: you record a clean DI, then send the track back to an amp or effects chain at mix time, without multiplying boxes.

Large VU Meter: Immediate Level Reading

The large VU meter provides a clear visualization of the level, particularly useful for setting input gain and avoiding downstream clipping. In sessions as well as live, this quick reading helps maintain consistency from take to take and exploit the full dynamics allowed by the high-voltage design.

Technical specifications