Noble Amps Preamp

[AngelCrusher]

After more time, I'm starting to think this is the best tone I have had probably ever had in studio. I highly value a warm tone that can still be heard in a mix. My first attempt when I upgraded gear a few years back was to get a ToneHammer, which is awesome, but kind of a poor man's tube preamp to me. It just didn't do what I wanted, so I was searching for a while to basically EQ my Jazz basses and have good presence in the low mids. One thing that fixed it pretty fast was to get a Moollon J, since they nail that PreCBS Fender tone which has a lot of mids for a Jazz bas. But, when I added in this Noble, it just took it to another level. If you are looking for thickness, depth and a richer tone, this is what you want. Another bonus is it really takes the edge off of your bass if you run the tone wide open. I usually roll the tone knob back a bit to warm things up, but I am finding that I don't always need to do that anymore. The tube takes high end that can come out brittle on lesser pres and makes it warmer and musical.


So far I have slowly been working on a two of my own tunes. One has the kick mic'd so it's focused a bit more in the mid range and the other track has the kick really hitting the lows. For the latter, I did the 150hz cut and I'm really liking it a lot. I didnt boost the bass much more. I think it is at 10 o'clock but I instantly was able to write a more punchy bassline that matched the kick pattern, but didn't clash with it. So the Noble is even benefitting me from a creative perspective. It is funny how a change in tone or an added affect can inspire ideas.

 

[lowerclef]

After more time, I'm starting to think this is the best tone I have had probably ever had in studio. I highly value a warm tone that can still be heard in a mix. My first attempt when I upgraded gear a few years back was to get a ToneHammer, which is awesome, but kind of a poor man's tube preamp to me. It just didn't do what I wanted, so I was searching for a while to basically EQ my Jazz basses and have good presence in the low mids. One thing that fixed it pretty fast was to get a Moollon J, since they nail that PreCBS Fender tone which has a lot of mids for a Jazz bas. But, when I added in this Noble, it just took it to another level. If you are looking for thickness, depth and a richer tone, this is what you want. Another bonus is it really takes the edge off of your bass if you run the tone wide open. I usually roll the tone knob back a bit to warm things up, but I am finding that I don't always need to do that anymore. The tube takes high end that can come out brittle on lesser pres and makes it warmer and musical.


So far I have slowly been working on a two of my own tunes. One has the kick mic'd so it's focused a bit more in the mid range and the other track has the kick really hitting the lows. For the latter, I did the 150hz cut and I'm really liking it a lot. I didnt boost the bass much more. I think it is at 10 o'clock but I instantly was able to write a more punchy bassline that matched the kick pattern, but didn't clash with it. So the Noble is even benefitting me from a creative perspective. It is funny how a change in tone or an added affect can inspire ideas.

Out of curiosity, have you tried a REDDI? If so, how does it compare in tone at its lower price point?

 

[MTN.bass72]

At this point I'm thinking I should've just ordered a Noble when I first stumbled upon it.
Every time I look at the site, seems the price jumps a bit more. I know, Definitely worth it regardless.
I paired my Crest Prolite 2.0 with a BBE BMAX T a few days ago. It seems... OK... But to my ears something is still missing. A fat warm, round sound. That I've been getting out of my Mesa D800.
I know the Noble can do that with flying colors, better even.
Thinking I'm gonna unload some things and order up a Noble

 

[AngelCrusher]

Out of curiosity, have you tried a REDDI? If so, how does it compare in tone at its lower price point?

Yes but never owned one. I like the REDDI. But it was not portable enough for me, couldn't power my pedals and most importantly did not have a killer EQ and HP on it. Those are really game changers, especially the EQ part.

 

[lowerclef]

Yes but never owned one. I like the REDDI. But it was not portable enough for me, couldn't power my pedals and most importantly did not have a killer EQ and HP on it. Those are really game changers, especially the EQ part.

I'm in the market for a high end DI, and was really leaning toward the REDDI for awhile, but based on what I've dug up these last few days, it looks more and more like the Nobel is the one I really want. Your posts certainly have not done anything to dissuade me!!

 

[Dave Hill]

Every time I look at the site, seems the price jumps a bit more. I know, Definitely worth it regardless.

Wow, you're right. Wasn't this thing like $600 a year ago? I've never seen anything increase in price so quickly. Well, besides gasoline maybe. Double the price of a P-15 !

 

[odin70]

929$ ? Ordering from Norway i must add 20%. Not interested anymore.

 

[AMJBASS]

Supply and demand! Its a unique product and definitely in demand. I still want one/will be getting one regardless

 

[ExaltBass]

I was holding back on a Reddi, and was put off by The Noble v1's exposed tubes. When I saw v2, and all of the features it had, I knew that this was the one for me... and IT IS! It replaced a 3Leaf Audio Enabler, Voodoo Labs PP2, and Radial JDI. Since then I have realized that with the natural tube compression, that I no longer needed my Cali76 CB. It has more than paid for it's place on my board! My Noble is going nowhere, unless it's with me. I also find that I prefer the sound of my passive basses, or the actives in passive mode. The one is a win-win-win

 

[M Sterling]

Wow, you're right. Wasn't this thing like $600 a year ago? I've never seen anything increase in price so quickly. Well, besides gasoline maybe. Double the price of a P-15 !

There was a significant redesign before the jump from $600. It was outlined by the builder earlier in this thread.

I don't think this is trying to sound like a b-15 so the broughton comparison really is moot.

 

[lowerclef]

I was holding back on a Reddi, and was put off by The Noble v1's exposed tubes. When I saw v2, and all of the features it had, I knew that this was the one for me... and IT IS! It replaced a 3Leaf Audio Enabler, Voodoo Labs PP2, and Radial JDI. Since then I have realized that with the natural tube compression, that I no longer needed my Cali76 CB. It has more than paid for it's place on my board! My Noble is going nowhere, unless it's with me. I also find that I prefer the sound of my passive basses, or the actives in passive mode. The one is a win-win-win

Yeah, I see that a lot of people use this with the Cali76. I was wondering about that, since I'm not really a big compression guy but was thinking about trying it. Nice to hear it's not necessary!

 

[thumbs&fingers]

It does check a lot of boxes, so I feel it's worth it. Not to mention if you added up the price of a tube di that sounds this good, a power brick with 4 or more outs, a basic pedal compressor, and a low filter pedal.......it's priced fairly. And to be hones it's priced a lot lower than boutique heads of he same caliber!

 

[Doner Designs]

I got the Noble today and spent an hour so far playing my basses through it and trying different pedals. I really like this pre. It does what I expected, which is really give me that thick, 3D tone that works so well in mixes and live. Ran it through a spectrum analyzer and my ears did not decieve me. Peaking fundamentals harmonics were thinner through my Audient DI. The noble thickens them up and makes them even clear. The Audient JFET DI is a real nice piece of gear, but it's no match for the Noble if you want a warm, thick tube tone.

When I hit the HP switch, I definitely noticed a lack of lows, but I really like this feature and can see how it is incredible for live shows. It's mainly cutting out 20-60hz the most. There is a 10 db cut around 50hz. So the lows are still there, but they will not take up so much space. It will really focus your bass tone in a live mix. I boosted the bass all the way and it gives a very punchy effect. Focuses the lows at higher frequency.

I was sold on this pre when playing high on the neck with my Passive Moollon J and just having a warm, thick solo tone that has so much more presence in the mix. It is so easy to dial the tone up that I didn't have to really do much. I boost the bass and treble a little. You can hear it before even hitting 9 o clock, so it doesnt need much.

Also have to add that my 5th gear OD pedal easily drives the tubes and puts hair on them without really needing to be dialed up at all either. I run that pedal at around 9 and it clearly pushes the tubes even at that setting.

Nice review/info.

Don't you need to use a clean boost in order to tell if the hair is coming from the OD vs the Noble tubes?

 

[AngelCrusher]

Nice review/info.

Don't you need to use a clean boost in order to tell if the hair is coming from the OD vs the Noble tubes?

Thanks and no I know the hair is coming from the OD/Noble combo. I had the OD before the Noble and it wouldn't break up the same way though my DI. It is essentially close to being a clean boost at low settings.

 

[Doner Designs]

Used the bass cut switch tonight with treble off and bass at 8 o'clock. Was perfect for the crappy PA at our church. Brought an extra 1x12 cab and restored the lows at the amp with a graphic EQ pedal - basically using the amp as both monitor and subs. Also got my first ever gig pictures. Unfortunately my wife was unable to capture the rig and the iphone picture quality is fairly sucky. Stereotypically, I'm the old fat guy in the back.

 

[M Sterling]

I agree that a comp pedal isn't necessary with a tube di as nice as the Noble. I still use my cali76 just because I love the 1176 sound. The CB isn't exactly like an 1176 but it is really close and does that thing with my tone. I leave it set with very little actual compression. Just enough to even out the slap parts and parts where I dig in a little more. Honestly, having the Cali and noble on my pedalboard is like having a really nice console channel strip that is portable and sounds really good.

 

[SamuelSandoval]

Out of curiosity, have you tried a REDDI? If so, how does it compare in tone at its lower price point?

I was able to A/B both this past weekend for three different church services. They're totally different.

The Reddi is plug and play, it gives you an awesome mid bump, almost too much for my taste and for my jazz bass. The bass easily cut through the mix. It's simple and that's all you need... Until you put it side by side with the Noble.

It seems the Noble brings out all nuances in your playing without the "almost too much" mid bump. Even when the EQ is set to flat to difference is awesome. The biggest difference sonically is that you can add bass and treble, activate (or not) low cut switch from the unit. And if you're using an amp on stage your 1/4" out is not a thru, the signal gets tube tone as well as EQ. The volume knob is pretty handy when going to the amp but doesn't affect the XLR out, which was very smart imo.

The picture shows the biggest advantage physically. The Reddi is much bigger and heavier than the Noble. I would need a separate case just to haul around the Reddi. It's like 10 lbs. The Noble fits in my Mono Tick bag and weighs around 3 lbs.

They're almost too different to compare. The Noble is much more than a DI. The tone that each produces is different. The Reddi is groovy, I liked it a lot. But the versatility of the Noble outweighs the red brick.

One thing I did not try is going from Noble into the Reddi. Perhaps it would make an awesome tone. I'll try it next time. Has anyone here done this?

 

[M Sterling]

View attachment 857831

I was able to A/B both this past weekend for three different church services. They're totally different.

The Reddi is plug and play, it gives you an awesome mid bump, almost too much for my taste and for my jazz bass. The bass easily cut through the mix. It's simple and that's all you need... Until you put it side by side with the Noble.

It seems the Noble brings out all nuances in your playing without the "almost too much" mid bump. Even when the EQ is set to flat to difference is awesome. The biggest difference sonically is that you can add bass and treble, activate (or not) low cut switch from the unit. And if you're using an amp on stage your 1/4" out is not a thru, the signal gets tube tone as well as EQ. The volume knob is pretty handy when going to the amp but doesn't affect the XLR out, which was very smart imo.

The picture shows the biggest advantage physically. The Reddi is much bigger and heavier than the Noble. I would need a separate case just to haul around the Reddi. It's like 10 lbs. The Noble fits in my Mono Tick bag and weighs around 3 lbs.

They're almost too different to compare. The Noble is much more than a DI. The tone that each produces is different. The Reddi is groovy, I liked it a lot. But the versatility of the Noble outweighs the red brick.

One thing I did not try is going from Noble into the Reddi. Perhaps it would make an awesome tone. I'll try it next time. Has anyone here done this?

That pretty much sums up my experience as well.

I did go noble>reddi and the results were as expected. It was the Noble tone with the mid hump of the reddi. I liked it, but was a little overbearing in the mix compared to either by itself. It would be an awesome tone for certain situations, but I get by just fine with the noble.

 

[Doner Designs]

View attachment 857831

I was able to A/B both this past weekend for three different church services. They're totally different.

The Reddi is plug and play, it gives you an awesome mid bump, almost too much for my taste and for my jazz bass. The bass easily cut through the mix. It's simple and that's all you need... Until you put it side by side with the Noble.

It seems the Noble brings out all nuances in your playing without the "almost too much" mid bump. Even when the EQ is set to flat to difference is awesome. The biggest difference sonically is that you can add bass and treble, activate (or not) low cut switch from the unit. And if you're using an amp on stage your 1/4" out is not a thru, the signal gets tube tone as well as EQ. The volume knob is pretty handy when going to the amp but doesn't affect the XLR out, which was very smart imo.

The picture shows the biggest advantage physically. The Reddi is much bigger and heavier than the Noble. I would need a separate case just to haul around the Reddi. It's like 10 lbs. The Noble fits in my Mono Tick bag and weighs around 3 lbs.

They're almost too different to compare. The Noble is much more than a DI. The tone that each produces is different. The Reddi is groovy, I liked it a lot. But the versatility of the Noble outweighs the red brick.

One thing I did not try is going from Noble into the Reddi. Perhaps it would make an awesome tone. I'll try it next time. Has anyone here done this?

Is it that the REDDI has a mid hump or that the Noble has a mid scoop if the controls are above zero? Remember the Noble is flat when the bass and treble are both fully counter-clockwise...they are boost-only controls. Not doubting but never heard before that the REDDI was high on the mids.

 

[SamuelSandoval]

That pretty much sums up my experience as well.

I did go noble>reddi and the results were as expected. It was the Noble tone with the mid hump of the reddi. I liked it, but was a little overbearing in the mix compared to either by itself. It would be an awesome tone for certain situations, but I get by just fine with the noble.

That's a reason why I was hesitant to do it this weekend. My jazz bass also provides plenty of mids. The pickups are not mid shy. I tend to play near the bridge. The Reddi is awesome but like I said, almost too much mid. The Noble seems to go perfectly on my bass' raw signal.

Is it that the REDDI has a mid hump or that the Noble has a mid scoop if the controls are above zero? Remember the Noble is flat when the bass and treble are both fully counter-clockwise...they are boost-only controls. Not doubting but never heard before that the REDDI was high on the mids.

Both I think. I sure think the Reddi bumps low mids. The Noble isn't uncolored though when set flat. So when set to flat, I believe it is already doing some cool subtle coloring throughout the mids. And yes, since the bass and treble are boost only essentially you are scooping certain frequencies in the middle when you dial both clockwise. Which by the way is why I tend to not go too much past 9 am on bass and treble as you can see on the picture. At least on my main bass. On other basses I've used it certainly varies.