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Noble Amps Preamp
- Thread starter IanMartinAllison
- Start date
Ya know.
I own like 5 preamp pedals. Yes including the topic of this tread.
I have grown to dislike them very much.
I play passive instruments exclusively.
I had my time with active.
The preamps in todays amps have (to me) heralded the deaths of all of em. Between the Mesa Subway heads and the Epifani heads, preamp pedals are a thing of the past. Don’t even need em in the studio anymore. Just run direct from the amp.
I feel I’ve wasted a lot of money. But preamps, especially tube ones, are just not my thing.
I own like 5 preamp pedals. Yes including the topic of this tread.
I have grown to dislike them very much.
I play passive instruments exclusively.
I had my time with active.
The preamps in todays amps have (to me) heralded the deaths of all of em. Between the Mesa Subway heads and the Epifani heads, preamp pedals are a thing of the past. Don’t even need em in the studio anymore. Just run direct from the amp.
I feel I’ve wasted a lot of money. But preamps, especially tube ones, are just not my thing.
Taste changes with time, maybe one day you’ll like them again… then again maybe not.
If you have a Noble preamp you wont have a hard time selling it in this thread!
Taste changes with time, maybe one day you’ll like them again… then again maybe not.
If you have a Noble preamp you wont have a hard time selling it in this thread!
Yeah, I recently got a "cold call" email from a guy wondering if I'd sell him my Noble. How often does THAT happen with other gear you own? Random opinions about how "awful" preamp pedals are may have some weight ... but not with Noble!
Recently I thought I was hearing some mild “breakup” sounds with this new rig setup:
Jazz Bass => PJB BG-400 (instrument input) => Cali76-TXL (via the FX loop of the BG-400), with gain setting on “low” => Noble (instrument output) => back into the FX loop of the BG-400.
Wondering, is anyone else getting similar sounds? I’m not sure whether it’s a “good” sound per se (which is really a matter of the context, I guess). But I’m accustomed to hearing only very clean sounds with the Noble, so this is new for me. The setup itself is also new, still experimenting after all this time.
Jazz Bass => PJB BG-400 (instrument input) => Cali76-TXL (via the FX loop of the BG-400), with gain setting on “low” => Noble (instrument output) => back into the FX loop of the BG-400.
Wondering, is anyone else getting similar sounds? I’m not sure whether it’s a “good” sound per se (which is really a matter of the context, I guess). But I’m accustomed to hearing only very clean sounds with the Noble, so this is new for me. The setup itself is also new, still experimenting after all this time.
How old are the tubes, and are they original “matched” tubes from Jack or have they been replaced?
You say it’s a new rig, so may be just finding the range on the components. Do you get the same sound without the compressor?
Possibly, the Cali76’s preamp with the preamp on the BG-400 — both stacked, feeding into the Noble — are gently overdriving the Noble. Or maybe just the BG-400 is overdriving the Cali76 itself.
If so, then adjusting one or more of the preamp levels ought to increase or decrease the breakup sound that I’ve been hearing. Just wondering if others have similar sounds. Thanks!
I doubt Jack uses pairs of tubes that are literally "matched" ... mainly because there's no need. He told me each tube governs separate circuits. The manual states: "The preamp can be operated with the second (middle) tube missing, but the 1/4" output will not function (XLR only)."
If you need to replace a tube (and I have once, during the six years I've owned the Noble), just make sure it's the same model Jack uses. The manual specifies 12AU7 / ECC82 tubes. "Other tube types should not be used."
I deliberately overdrive the Noble for extra tube-y live goodness. All it takes is a TC Electronic Spark Boost pedal. Works like a champ!
I did have a tube go bad once in my six-year old Noble. Might have been a year or so after getting it. No big deal -- tubes go bad for lots of reasons. A crackling noise was immediately apparent. The swap took just a few minutes.
I believe your point about “matched tubes” is correct. I went back to verify and his description is “hand selected.” They wouldn’t have to necessarily be “matched,” but I don’t think Jack would knowingly let a Noble leave his shop without double checking the tubes for quality…just my take.
Even if all the tubes were perfectly matched and inspected etc., a sudden bump by the user or other event can immediately transform perfect into imperfect. Tubes are sensitive, and if one goes, it has no reflection on the builder (unless the builder built the problem into the device!). Might not even reflect on the user. Love how tubes sound but if you're going for the good stuff, sometimes you have to deal with an imperfect world and pull out your wallet!
Psa for Canadians: a dude in Calgary is selling a noble for $1500 CDN on Kijiji.
i have other addictions to support so I can’t make it happen. Someone should jump on that tho, smoking deal.
i have other addictions to support so I can’t make it happen. Someone should jump on that tho, smoking deal.
Thanks very much for this. Wondering, have you ever had a chance to compare the TC Spark Boost with Aguilar's DB 925 Preamp boost pedal? They both seem to have similar form-factor on the pedal board. Specifically, in conjunction with your Noble.
The Benson germanium boost plays nice with the Noble as well. Reminiscent of an old Ampeg V-4 being pushed.
No I have not tried Aguilar. I went with TC Spark because it was small, simple to use, popular and cheap. I'm not a big user of this effect and mainly wanted the faux tube amp sound for occasional live use. Most of my playing is for studio tracking and I send everything clean to the board. The mixer handles it from there.
the DB925 is not a boost pedal although it does have a volume jump if the treble and bass are up.
It will overdrive my Audio Kitchen big trees more on the dirty channel.
Think of it as a sadowsky SPB1 with no volume control!
Not to rub it in, but pausing from a practice session, I look across my home studio and see three of my favorite things: Dog, bass, Noble. Now back to playing!
