Def !
FYI, with import duties, shipping, and conversion fees, ordering one TODAY from Europe is costing me about $1600 ..
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Noble Amps Preamp
- Thread starter IanMartinAllison
- Start date
FYI, with import duties, shipping, and conversion fees, ordering one TODAY from Europe is costing me about $1600 ..
Mine should be here but the end of next week. I'm looking forward to trying it!
that’s exactly how I do it. I haven’t been using pedals much lately, so I just pop the noble up on my amp. If I’m going ampless, I have it behind me. Safe and sound. Don’t be afraid to use that thing in the wild. It’s a beast.
That’s exactly how I roll with my Noble on gigs, and have been doing it since I got the thing 4 years ago!
Noble AND Jule AND AC bass? Someone likes to live dangerously. Bravo.
Not new (pushing two years) but these comments from fellow bassists are why it doesn’t leave my board. Oh, plus my own ears.
So, I have been playing my Noble against my 2 Notes Revolt Bass pre-amp today.
I have a few bassists here and we are recording without really knowing which DI we're playing through, then listening back and trying to decide which is which. We're trying to get a real unbiased option of the Noble, because the recordings can't quite explain what's going on.
We are recording using the RCF M 20X Mixer as the interface.
Monitors: Adam A77X and Genelec 8010s
Recoding into Logic Pro X
Cables: Mogami Platinum
ART AB/Y Pedal
Basses Used:
I have a few bassists here and we are recording without really knowing which DI we're playing through, then listening back and trying to decide which is which. We're trying to get a real unbiased option of the Noble, because the recordings can't quite explain what's going on.
We are recording using the RCF M 20X Mixer as the interface.
Monitors: Adam A77X and Genelec 8010s
Recoding into Logic Pro X
Cables: Mogami Platinum
ART AB/Y Pedal
Basses Used:
- Deluxe Fodera PJ
- F Bass (in both dual coil and single coil)
- Marleaux Consat Custom
- MTD Saratoga with B-Axis PJ pickups
- 1969 Fender P bass
- Playback
- To be honest, playback is really close. It's hard to distinguish one from the other in the mix. When you solo there is a little something different. Depending on the song/genre, we'll pick one over the other.
- Tracking and Playing
- Across the board, there is something about playing the Noble that is where the difference is I guess in the response?
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I think I can finally describe what makes the Noble different than every other pedal that I have...
- Response to dynamic range
Signal path:
Fender Adam Clayton Precision -> Mogami Platinum cable -> Peterson Tuner - Atlas Compressor - Noble DI
It took a moment to find a setting that was transparent. With the tube compression, I don't really need the compressor, it's there if I need make up gain.
AirTurn midi pedal. I use it to flip through the set list on my iPad.
“You have a package coming from Noble Amplifier Company!”
Email came today. BOOM!!!
Email came today. BOOM!!!
To all those in this thread who are timid about your Noble:
Mine has been on a pedalboard for about five years now, playing roughly 150ish dates a year plus tons of other rehearsals. In soft cases. Thrown into cars, subjected to extreme temperatures on both ends of the spectrum, accidentally bumped, dropped, and kicked, covered in rain, dirt, and dust at festivals.
It's still fine and barely has a scratch on it. Never had a tube fail.
It's worth a lot of money, and I understand wanting to baby it. I have a friend who keeps his in a pelican case and practically uses white gloves to put it on a velvet pillow on top of his amp when he uses it. If that's your vibe, rock on my dude.
But if you need it, you have my every assurance that it is an absolute tank.
Mine has been on a pedalboard for about five years now, playing roughly 150ish dates a year plus tons of other rehearsals. In soft cases. Thrown into cars, subjected to extreme temperatures on both ends of the spectrum, accidentally bumped, dropped, and kicked, covered in rain, dirt, and dust at festivals.
It's still fine and barely has a scratch on it. Never had a tube fail.
It's worth a lot of money, and I understand wanting to baby it. I have a friend who keeps his in a pelican case and practically uses white gloves to put it on a velvet pillow on top of his amp when he uses it. If that's your vibe, rock on my dude.
But if you need it, you have my every assurance that it is an absolute tank.
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There are so many great DIs out there I can see how the Noble may or may not make some people's short list as a go to recording tool. But it's not a just DI it's also an instrument preamp.
DIs and instrument preamps can have overlapping philosophies of use but in actual live use they're really two different tools. To have something that combines both functions in a way that one doesn't compromise the other is what makes the Noble so appealing to a lot of people who use it. It's not necessarily the "best" DI or the "best" preamp but it's an incredibly effective combination of the two that's simple to use successfully in front of a bass amp on stage while sending the same signal to FOH. This is easier said than done and not much out there has found this balance as well as a Noble. (BTW after more than 400 nights with one I also completely agree with @Verticos that it is incredibly robust and well suited to live use.)
Two preamp/DIs I've used that do find this balance are the Monique and the Tonecraft. Both cost more than the Noble and are significantly larger. The Oracle is the only one I've tried that's close to being in this league and costs less. By no means have I tried every inexpensive preamp/DI out there but I have used a few. Not much suggested so far as "just as good for a lot less" convinces me at all.
DIs and instrument preamps can have overlapping philosophies of use but in actual live use they're really two different tools. To have something that combines both functions in a way that one doesn't compromise the other is what makes the Noble so appealing to a lot of people who use it. It's not necessarily the "best" DI or the "best" preamp but it's an incredibly effective combination of the two that's simple to use successfully in front of a bass amp on stage while sending the same signal to FOH. This is easier said than done and not much out there has found this balance as well as a Noble. (BTW after more than 400 nights with one I also completely agree with @Verticos that it is incredibly robust and well suited to live use.)
Two preamp/DIs I've used that do find this balance are the Monique and the Tonecraft. Both cost more than the Noble and are significantly larger. The Oracle is the only one I've tried that's close to being in this league and costs less. By no means have I tried every inexpensive preamp/DI out there but I have used a few. Not much suggested so far as "just as good for a lot less" convinces me at all.
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I think one of the issues is that Noble (unpopular opinion) doesn't work well in every situation. It's kind of dependent on the power amps that you're using to support your world.
Here's what I mean. I have a Wayne Jones rig (Passive pre-amp, powered 110). I HATE the way the Noble sounds through this amp. It loses all the dynamics that you get with that I love.
I love the way it responds to the power amp section of the Laney Digbeth DB500H.
I love the way it sounds through my Adam A77X studio monitors, but through some less expensive monitors, it doesn't respond the same.
If you're not using decent Audio to Digital converters or bad power certain types of power amps, it just may not respond as people expect.
For some people that get it and are trying to use it with "sub-par" gear - may not be able to hear/feel the benefit of using this pre.
(I guess someone had to say it....)
Here's what I mean. I have a Wayne Jones rig (Passive pre-amp, powered 110). I HATE the way the Noble sounds through this amp. It loses all the dynamics that you get with that I love.
I love the way it responds to the power amp section of the Laney Digbeth DB500H.
I love the way it sounds through my Adam A77X studio monitors, but through some less expensive monitors, it doesn't respond the same.
If you're not using decent Audio to Digital converters or bad power certain types of power amps, it just may not respond as people expect.
For some people that get it and are trying to use it with "sub-par" gear - may not be able to hear/feel the benefit of using this pre.
(I guess someone had to say it....)
I bought my Noble in Dec. 2016 and use it everyday. Previously, I owned and gigged a Monique. Monique colored the tone and not in a way I found helpful. Sounded dark and too heavy. Noble is far cleaner in tone unless you dial in EQ.
