Line 6 Regal Bass DI - Underrated?

[Ricoco]

So I’ve had a Noble for coming on a year now. I’ve been cautious to take it out on gigs, because they’re so hard to come by (especially in Australia!). I’m not usually precious about gear, but this thing here has got me on edge (theft, damage etc).

My good friend and guitarist for one of my projects was giving me a hard time about having such a great bit of gear and only using/enjoying it in the occasional studio session. The majority of my work is live gigs. So he encouraged me to put it on a board and use it.

So off I go and get a second board, I already had a second comp and tuner, but decided to also treat myself to a HX One, as other than comp and OD, I have hardly dabbled in bass fx. The looper was a selling point too!

Little did I know (as the HX One doesn’t include amp models and cabs) the noble model “regal bass DI” going to be hiding in the DIST/OD models…

All I can say is WOW... I tried this when it initially came out on the helix native demo and was a bit underwhelmed. But with the latest firmware, this thing is killer!

I must admit. It shines most with my Union LAB in front of it. The LAB seems to do something to the high end of the bass signal (in a roll-off kind of way) that makes the model a lot more faithful to the real thing. With just the hx one by itself, versus the noble, the top end seems to be less accurate. But it’s still good. I’m also running a JDI which could have something to do with it too.

Basically the point of this post is just I am surprised more people aren’t talking about the line 6 model as a great alternative to the noble. As noted, it could just be the combination with my Union LAB compressor and JDI. For example without and with my cali76 in front, I’d be less inclined to use it. But at present, it’s now on the main gigging board (replaced my 3leaf enabler) and the noble is back in the studio!



PS. A shoutout to my colleague who 3D printed an overlay for my union LAB to give it the “LA3a” treatment.

 

[BaltBass5]

I use Line 6 for 2 reasons:

I run the Retro Reel at the front of my signal chain (Which adds a nice warm wooliness and slopes off the harsh high end) and then the Regal Bass DI at the end of my signal chain. regardless of what's in between those 2 things are just perfect and can't be replicated. (I've tried)

I was using the HX Stomp but the only thing in it I was using was those 2 blocks so I ended up just using (2) HX One boxes. Signal chain:

Shure GLXD16+ >> Origin Effects Cali '76 >> HX One (Retro Reel) >> Darkglass B3K (Mild) >> Darkglass B3K (Mid Gain) >> Henretta Black Hole Chorus >> HX One (Regal Bass DI) >> Mesa Subway TT800 >> Mesa Subway 212.

I run the Post DI into my Soundcraft UI 24 rig for my IEM's and it just KILLS.

 

[LpPT20]

Funnily enough, I had the exact opposite reaction when I tried the "Regal" model in the HX One: it felt to me like a very subtle EQ profile with basic low-high boost controls (I imagine same EQ curves as the Noble), but with no tube-like response.
After reading all of the raving about the "Regal" here on Talkbass, I expected a lot more I guess, so I would say it came off as an overrated thing.

Of course if you are running a nice optical compressor along with it as you did, I imagine that you get some of what's lacking (in my view) in the "Regal" model.

TBH I've had this same impression of every model of tube amp/gear in the Helix: the saturation and EQ are great, but the dynamic response feels way too flat to me when I compare it to actual tube gear or even to the ToneX (which feels miles ahead to me).

 

[silky smoove]

There was a lot of discussion regarding the Regal when that particular update dropped in the larger HX Stomp thread. I've since sold my Stomp, but in Helix Native it's pretty easy to see what it's doing on the current version. The circuit adds a very subtle amount of harmonic content which is easily viewable by doing a sine sweep through it and monitoring the output using Voxengo Span or other competent frequency spectrum analyzer. Helix won't load into Plugin Doctor or I'd look at it there to see how non-linear it can get. The EQ is just an EQ. Nothing really special there aside from it being boost-only. The low cut is a very gentle high pass filter set up around 200hz and looks to be less than 6db/oct. It's a pretty subtle effect outside of the EQ and low cut functions, but admittedly one that I usually had in the signal path when I was using a Stomp.

 

[Parzival]

I use the Regal every now and again if there is a song where I want a really big extra bass boost. It does that well. I had the Sushi Neptunium for a minute and they sound similar, just the Neptunium is more open and 3D sounding. It is a decent effect to have, but I would not run it all the time.

 

[Shoreline Gold]

I have it on my POD GO. It's interesting that they classify it as a distortion effect--it can certainly add some hair to the signal path, but the way I use it just adds some real body and kick to the signal. I've never tried a real Noble DI (I've drooled over demo videos) but I have to say the Regal is now an absolute must on both my live "pedalboard" straight into the front of the amp as well as my recording/headphone practice presets. Love it.

 

[Ricoco]

I haven’t tried the retro reel, I’ll have to have a play around with that too.

I’ve probably been a bit overly enthusiastic in my post too haha. The Noble is definitely still “superior” for responsiveness, tube-sponginess, etc. For me in a live context, by the time all of the variables of a venue/gig are at play, the gap is bridged fairly close!

I love hearing everyone’s opinion, hence the post. I’ve heard great things about the neptunium also, similarly as hard to find as a Noble now. Haha. At least without the price tag.

 

[silky smoove]

It's interesting that they classify it as a distortion effect

The Line 6 rep here on TB (can't remember their name) stated that they put it in the distortion section so that it could be used with the various Line 6 models that don't have amp and cab simulations. Since they don't have a section for DIs and it does add a low level of saturation (i.e. distortion), the placement made sense.

 

[Lucienduv]

It’s definitely surprising how it doesn’t get as much attention as other options like the Noble, given how well it performs when combined with your Union LAB compressor and JDI. People tend to overlook it, but it's a great, affordable alternative to more expensive gear

 

[Ben Clarke]

I can relate. I bought a new Noble about 4 years ago and have had a really similar concern around risk.

At some point, I mostly got over it. Anything can happen any time, but I bought the best so I can use the best. A significant amount of time, I can't hear the nuance that justifies the risk. But often, I can hear the difference. Sometimes I don't yet know how great a place sounds, and I would hate to miss the opportunity to use it.

My only remaining concern is theft. I think if a beer got spilled on it, it would be fine, and I would probably lose the ensuing fist fight anyway, so I wouldn't go to jail.

That said, I think I heard that Line 6 model of it in a Scott's Bass Lessons video - @IanAllison uses it. It sounded annnooooyyyingly good. Like, so good that the sonic difference wasn't really relevant in what I was hearing. And I've spent a ton of time with the real thing in the studio as well as live.

One aspect of it that might be at play is that people aren't hearing enough saturation from the model, and think that falls short. The Noble doesn't really saturate. It adds some juice/harmonics but is not going to get drivey or hairy in any normal situation.

I think if I were headed out on a sketchballs tour or something a bit more wild than my life, I'd probably leave the Noble and take the imitation.

If something happens to mine on the next gig, I blame you, though.

 

[Ricoco]

If anyone is keen to hear a quick A/B of the noble versus my “gigging board” here it is. And I do mean quick, it’s just a couple bars of nonsense with my j bass, pardon the sub-par playing haha. These demos are not my forte

A blind test for now and feel free to weigh in on which you think the Noble is! I will reveal which is which soon!

So the noble chain is simply J bass > noble > UAD interface (no unison modelling). The pedalboard chain is polytune 2, union LAB (set as per photo: In 9 o’clock and out 10 o’clock), HX One regal bass 3.0 Treble 2.3 into the JDI. Again, UAD with no modelling.

 

[javi_bassist]

When I first started using that block in my presets I was not that impressed. I thought it was ok. Then, I created some new presets to A/B with and without it and when it was off, I really missed it. It is subtle, but it does great job.

If anyone is keen to hear a quick A/B of the noble versus my "gigging board" here it is. And I do mean quick, it's just a couple bars of nonsense with my j bass, pardon the sub-par playing haha. These demos are not my forte

A blind test for now and feel free to weigh in on which you think the Noble is! I will reveal which is which soon!

So the noble chain is simply J bass > noble > UAD interface (no unison modelling). The pedalboard chain is polytune 2, union LAB (set as per photo: In 9 o'clock and out 10 o'clock), HX One regal bass 3.0 Treble 2.3 into the JDI. Again, UAD with no modelling.

I'd say the Noble is the first one, but I have no idea. Both sounded really good, but I prefered the first one.

 

[Ricoco]

And the results are;

A = Union LAB > HX One > JDI
B = Noble

I'm sure more people will weigh in now and suggest they knew B was the noble haha always the way it goes with these things.

Acknowledging the most fair comparison would be to run the LAB in front of the noble too, but that's not really what the post is about - more just to share my experience of how the LAB "lifted" the regal DI simulation to that next level for me.

Hopefully some other people after hearing this can consider the HX One (or stomp) as a great alternative to the many others suggested - often before the line 6 simulation is mentioned!

 

[javi_bassist]

And the results are;

A = Union LAB > HX One > JDI
B = Noble

I'm sure more people will weigh in now and suggest they knew B was the noble haha always the way it goes with these things.

Acknowledging the most fair comparison would be to run the LAB in front of the noble too, but that's not really what the post is about - more just to share my experience of how the LAB "lifted" the regal DI simulation to that next level for me.

Hopefully some other people after hearing this can consider the HX One (or stomp) as a great alternative to the many others suggested - often before the line 6 simulation is mentioned!

Most of us would fail in a lot of blind tests. IMO both sounded really good and I even prefer A. If I hadn't the HX Stomp, I'd get an HX Effects just for the Regal

 

[brianrost]

Any modeling pedal that claims to nail any other amp, speaker cab or effect unit seems silly to me. I have yet to hear one that I thought sounded very close. Guess I need to get out more

 

[Bassguy87]

Is it strange to use the Regal before an amp or preamp?

I'm basically going...

LA Comp > Octave > Filter > Chorus > Regal di > Agula Sledge >

I don't care for IRS and prefer to bypass them.

 

[el murdoque]

I've never had a problem bringing my Noble to a gig. It's mounted on a rather large pedalboard. You won't run when you carry it.

When I found the Regal in the HX-Stomp I tried it out and my personal experience was the other way round. I thought that while the EQ does more or less the same thing, the Regal does not capture the tube magic thing people rave about when they play a Noble. This subtle enhancement, that makes the sound more 3D, almost like you can touch it, is completely absent.

 

[wolffire99]

I think the Regal DI + the Deluxe comp @ 2:1 is a much better comparison. The Regal DI to me is just the eq of the Nobel but you also need the compression it provides.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I'm not too worried about taking more expensive gear to a gig. At least it's going to be inside with you while your vehicle and what's the average? $35k or something like that? Is going to be out in the parking lot.