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Noble Amps Preamp

#2,821
RobertAuCoin said:
What are your impressions of the differences between going into the FX return versus the front of the amp?
Click to expand...

Well, when you go into the front of an amp you're going to get some form of coloration from the amp even if it's set "flat". You may or may not care for that. Going into the return of most amps will be a "purer" form of the Noble. Some poweramps will impart a bit of coloration but not nearly as much as a preamp.

RobertAuCoin said:
When do you choose one, over the other?
Click to expand...

Pretty much it's how the mood hits me. If I want "All Noble All The Time" I go into the return. If I want the coloration and potentially more eq options I go into the preamp (front). And if I want to change from front to back or back to front it's no more difficult than moving the cable.
 
#2,822
Hey Noble users, my NOS GE 12AU7's (actually labeled as RCA 5963's) seem to have gotten microphonic. I had some JJ 12AU7's to replace them, and they sound fine to my ears, but I was wondering what other tubes, particularly NOS tubes, you all might be using ... and if you feel they make a noticeable difference in the Noble's overall sound.

I'm going to tag @Jack Roan on this to see if he still has NOS tubes on offer
 
#2,823
pfschim said:
Hey Noble users, my NOS GE 12AU7's (actually labeled as RCA 5963's) seem to have gotten microphonic. I had some JJ 12AU7's to replace them, and they sound fine to my ears, but I was wondering what other tubes, particularly NOS tubes, you all might be using ... and if you feel they make a noticeable difference in the Noble's overall sound.

I'm going to tag @Jack Roan on this to see if he still has NOS tubes on offer
Click to expand...

I've never heard any discernable difference in tubes for the Noble. I tried a set of NOS Mullards and they sounded the same as the stock glass.
 
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#2,824
Levin Hannaford said:
I've never heard any discernable difference in tubes for the Noble. I tried a set of NOS Mullards and they sounded the same as the stock glass.
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yeah, probably true. Like I said, when I put the JJ's in there after removing the microphonic NOS RCA's that came with the unit, I did not hear a ton of difference ... even tracking, which I did right after I swapped the tubes.

so, maybe this is a good example of not listening with my eyes ;) ... and I should just stick with the JJ's

OTOH, it seems NOS RCA 5963's are pretty easy to come by and the price for a matched pair is $40 or so, so its not a big deal financially.
 
#2,826
Hello Gents, I'm late to the party. I ordered a Noble on mid September. Should be here around February! Lol...
I've been using the HX Stomp for awhile now, it's fine but I feel like somethings missing. Not sure if I'll use the Stomp with the Noble or not. Kinda want sweet & simple. My plan is -> Smoothy Comp -> Broughton SV-PRE-> (maybe) Broughton hpf/lpf -> Noble.... Any thoughts?
Not sure if the Smoothy will copy the Cali76 or if I need hpf/lpf or what the Stomp will add other than fx toys.
 
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#2,827
Had a learning experience with the Noble this past week. I’m using mine for DB amplification, just Noble with HPF engaged through the FX return of a PJB Super Flightcase. The revelation is that I should always keep the bass knob rolled off completely if I want to sound acoustic.

This was confirmed by my grad TA, a bass student, who was running the recording equipment at a recent concert. I was asking him about how “amplified” the bass sounded using different settings while I twisted knobs during soundcheck in the hall. When I turned the bass off completely, he said “whatever you just did, that’s the best sound”. It felt a little lacking in bottom on stage, but the recordings bare out that the sound was sitting just right out front. Live and learn!
 
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#2,828
MMStingRay said:
Hello Gents, I'm late to the party. I ordered a Noble on mid September. Should be here around February! Lol...
I've been using the HX Stomp for awhile now, it's fine but I feel like somethings missing. Not sure if I'll use the Stomp with the Noble or not. Kinda want sweet & simple. My plan is -> Smoothy Comp -> Broughton SV-PRE-> (maybe) Broughton hpf/lpf -> Noble.... Any thoughts?
Not sure if the Smoothy will copy the Cali76 or if I need hpf/lpf or what the Stomp will add other than fx toys.
Click to expand...

I run a very similar setup. Smoothie-Genzler 4otF (light breakup), Broughton Messenger (HPF/LPF, EQ tweaks), Noble. It’s the best setup I’ve ever run. Always sounds good to me.
A32D8CF1-4752-4119-A544-2AD4FF0B3D27.jpeg


I had the Stomp for a while. I didn’t get along with it but I’ve found I don’t get along with ANY multi-fx. Give it a whirl and see where you land.
 
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#2,829
MMStingRay said:
Hello Gents, I'm late to the party. I ordered a Noble on mid September. Should be here around February! Lol...
I've been using the HX Stomp for awhile now, it's fine but I feel like somethings missing. Not sure if I'll use the Stomp with the Noble or not. Kinda want sweet & simple. My plan is -> Smoothy Comp -> Broughton SV-PRE-> (maybe) Broughton hpf/lpf -> Noble.... Any thoughts?
Not sure if the Smoothy will copy the Cali76 or if I need hpf/lpf or what the Stomp will add other than fx toys.
Click to expand...

I use my effects in a similar order:
Bass -> compressor -> hpf/lpf -> Noble.

Works great. For use with a hx stomp (which I don’t own but I plan on buying) I would probably put the compressor in the loop and then keep the hpf/lpf in between the hx stomp and the noble. This way you can choose where you want the compression in any given preset and turn on/off the hpf/lpf depending on what that particular preset calls for. Of course this is just guess work so you will have to try it for yourself, but no matter what I always have the Noble last in line. :)
 
#2,830
upload_2021-10-29_9-55-38.png upload_2021-10-29_9-57-35.png upload_2021-10-29_9-58-59.png upload_2021-10-29_9-55-38.png upload_2021-10-29_9-57-35.png upload_2021-10-29_9-58-59.png upload_2021-10-29_9-55-38.png upload_2021-10-29_9-55-38.png upload_2021-10-29_9-57-35.png upload_2021-10-29_9-58-59.png upload_2021-10-29_9-57-35.png
Chris Fitzgerald said:
Had a learning experience with the Noble this past week. I’m using mine for DB amplification, just Noble with HPF engaged through the FX return of a PJB Super Flightcase. The revelation is that I should always keep the bass knob rolled off completely if I want to sound acoustic.

This was confirmed by my grad TA, a bass student, who was running the recording equipment at a recent concert. I was asking him about how “amplified” the bass sounded using different settings while I twisted knobs during soundcheck in the hall. When I turned the bass off completely, he said “whatever you just did, that’s the best sound”. It felt a little lacking in bottom on stage, but the recordings bare out that the sound was sitting just right out front. Live and learn!
Click to expand...
doing that means you're probably getting something close to flat in the low end. anything above 1 is boosting bass in this type of tone stack. i made the same mistake when i got an all tube fender clone head. its like the noble, fender tone stack with no mid control. there is a mid control in there, there's just not a knob for it. its as if the mid knob is permanently on 5 (kinda). i was disappointed when i got the amp because it sounded muddy, but i had the controls at 5. which makes it look like this
upload_2021-10-29_9-55-38.png

i have since decided to cranck up my HPF a lot and keep the bass at 3 and treble down aroud 4 which looks like this
upload_2021-10-29_9-57-35.png

a little bit of a mid scoop in the quacky area of a piezo.
upload_2021-10-29_9-55-38.png
upload_2021-10-29_9-57-35.png
upload_2021-10-29_9-55-38.png
upload_2021-10-29_9-57-35.png


and as we all know flat is with the bass and treble all the way off
upload_2021-10-29_9-58-59.png
 
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#2,835
Blue Swede said:
He absolutely could, does that use up one of the 8 slots or is the hpf/lpf available on top of those? Honest question :).
Click to expand...
Don't want to turn this into a HX Stomp thread, but I'll answer this one. The Stomp has a global EQ available which is a HPF, LPF, and three band parametric. If turned on, it applies to all patches and snapshots. It can be used to do room adjustments, for example.

If you want different HPFs/LPFs for each patch, yes, it will take a slot. However, several of the EQ blocks include the HPF/LPF so it's not necessarily a block just for HPF/LPF.
 
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#2,836
JKos said:
@Chris Fitzgerald ,
Where did your Treble end up?
Click to expand...

In that hall, with that drummer/ride cymbal, about 10-11 o’clock. I can set it lower if the drummer plays a flat ride. The Noble is a completely different animal with electric bass in terms of settings. But with a piezo, cutting the lows makes it sound more natural.
 
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#2,839
I posted this in an obscure thread on the double bass side, but it may be interesting to the EB side on using Noble for more than an EB.

The pedalboard idea originally was for blending a double bass mic'd and pickup signals and routing that through Noble. So I tried the EDB-2 H.E and decided to take a simpler route and avoid the challenges of blending pickup and mic. My Ehrlund EAP pickup provides excellent "my bass only louder" (MBOL) amplified sound -- especially when routed through a Noble tube preamp/DI. I've played the Noble almost every day for five years and can't imagine not using it for EB and DB. The Noble adds just 6dB of gain without EQ applied, so another preamp is mandatory for the pickup. I got the Ehrlund preamp from Gollihur Music a few days ago.

I've potentially got a project getting back together that would call for doubling but for now, almost 100% of my playing is creating EB tracks for an independent producer and I can't stand two preamps in the EB chain. So here's what I came up with for a simple, effective solution for optimal sound. A bit bizarre, but it's working out the gate with zero issues.

There are 3 potential chains for this board. Each entails plugging or unplugging a connector or two. The pedal board also lets me avoid hanging anything unnecessary on the double bass. (a quarter inch female jack does hang on the afterlengths to receive a standard mic cable jack)

Double Bass - EAP plus Tube (similar to a mic'd signal)
DB --> Ehrlund EAP --> Ehrlund Preamp --> Radial SB-48UB (48v phantom for the Ehrlund pre; converts signal to balanced AND unbalanced; balanced is available for a clean signal but I don't need it) --> unbalanced signal to Turbo Tuner SB-300 (also a mute switch) --> Noble preamp --> XLR out to Focusrite interface/Zoom F8 recorder/FOH and/or unbalanced out to powered cab/FOH

bass into Ehrlund 2 sm.JPG

Electric Bass plus Tube (for practice or gigs)
EB --> Turbo Tuner SB-300 (also a mute switch) --> Noble preamp --> XLR out to Focusrite interface/Zoom F8 recorder/FOH and/or unbalanced out to powered cab/FOH

EB into tuner 2 s.JPG


Electric Bass plus Tube for Tracking (hence the open space in the middle)
EB --> Noble preamp --> XLR out to Focusrite interface/Zoom F8 recorder

EB into Noble 2 sm.JPG
 
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