Noble Amps Preamp

[Dave Hill]

I can identify with this sentiment since I would want to run it as both a primary preamp in a power amp rig as well as a DI. This is why I'm strongly considering an Arkham Zephyr. I've searched around for A/Bs of those two preamps specifically but have come up empty handed, thus far. I know it was asked earlier on this thread but does anyone have experience with both of those preamps that can comment?

I've used both.

I couldn't bond with the inherent scooped tone of the Noble, which was always there.

The Zephyr is of course much more versatile. You can dial in a hump or scoop and slide it around with the Range control. Or leave it flat. It also has the Hi/Mid/Lo switches which are very well voiced. There's a great explanation on the Arkham website. It is by far my favorite pre.

I also prefer the form of a 1u rack to the large pedal.

 

[Turn Em Loose]

This is essentially where I've landed - Noble Pre into the FX return of my AI Clarus SL amp. Amp puts out 650W @ 4 ohms, is less than 3 lbs. and not much bigger than the Noble. And if I reeeeally need any stage EQ, I can always use the regular amp input instead of the FX return.

So, generally, my electric rig goes like this: Sadowsky Metro MV5-PJ --> Cali76 Compact --> a couple FX pedals --> Noble --> Acoustic Image Clarus SL --> MAS-45 cab. (If it's a bigger gig/venue, I'll add my MAS-109 sub.)

Needless to say, I'm a pretty happy camper right now and my GAS is currently the lowest it's been in a long time!

I really dig the Noble/Clarus combo. I usually run it through the instrument input and adjust the Clarus' EQ for stage monitoring.

 

[AngelCrusher]

Soooooooo question for you guys. As I don't use in ears and rarely DI I'm not really feeling the noble at the moment. I get that it's essentially a tube preamp with a passive DI but I don't feel through an amp it's giving me anything more than my dry signal. The only time I hear Any difference is when I use the eq. It's obviously very clean preamp.
Thoughts?

Doesn't sound like the Noble makes sense for you. The first reason I got it i because I do a lot of remote sessions and having a tube preamp makes mixing my bass tone very easy. I have heard so many DIs in so many different high quality listening environments that I start to really hear what I want, mainly warmth and 3D over 2D. I can say you will hear a difference if you do a lot of studio work and are used to hearing the subtleties that tubes provide. IMO, totally worth it.

If I only played through an Amp and didn't DI, the Noble would not make much sense for me. I still hear the difference between straight in the amp and through the Noble. It's not worth $900 to me if that's the only way you use it though. While I love the HPF and the EQ, that's not why I bought the device.

The reason it's great is because you are basically able to make records remotely and have the same sound live. Additionally, engineers love the thing, so if you are showing up to a studio this is another piece of gear that will help ensure you sound how you want instead of letting someone else mold your tone how they prefer. I have my Noble on a pedalboard with my pedals so I can easily sound the same wherever I play. Additionally gigging ampless and still having an amazing tone is so easy with just some in ears and a pedalboard. Carrying only a Tickbag and a case with my pedalboard and having a huge bass sound is pretty much amazing to me.

Have to add I hear no scooped sound with the Noble at all. In a spectrum analyzer I do not see that. I do engage the highs and lows a little, but the mids are still fantastic. If the Noble scooped the tone, I would not use it. I love my mids too much.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

For live sound, I really liked the tone of Noble --> EA iAMP Micro 550 effects loop (bypassing the amp's pre, just using power section). Super portable, too. Lately I've plugged the Noble into an ICE 1000 power amp a.k.a. RAD Engineering. Amazing. It's like a drug - can't stop. So the particular power amp / headroom can make a huge difference in live tone, and in tone you acoustically record off the cab.

 

[Wallower]

Agreed with @AngelCrusher, loving the Noble for portable pedalboard usage, particularly in IEM/ampless situations. Also, as with @The Diaper Geni and @jondiener, I generally run Noble into Acoustic Image, though in my case a Ten2 combo. Been going into FX loop, and am really just using the combo for some rumble underfoot when I've got IEMs in, and backup stage monitoring. Still, Noble adds much-needed character to the clear but sterile Ten2. And with onboard bass pre and other pedals, have no problem getting mids where I like them per song/style.

 

[sk8]

Thanks for the replies guys.

My main gigging amp for pubs and clubs is a Bugera 1960 so I'm not lacking valves and get a DI out of the effects send to get some valve tone to the desk if I need it but this rarely happens.

You've confirmed my thoughts that this is a studio or live sound tool which I do neither of and for the odd times I do I could muddle through with my existing kit.

My back up amp is an AER Amp One o I may try the noble in front of that and see what it can do but funnily enough it did nothing in front of the 1960!

 

[Jerry Ziarko]

I've used both.

I couldn't bond with the inherent scooped tone of the Noble, which was always there.

Maybe it's me, but the one thing I don't get from the Noble is a scooped tone. It could be my particular basses and how I run the pick up blend and onboard eq. Yes the tone is fat, but burpy as well.

 

[Dave Hill]

Maybe it's me, but the one thing I don't get from the Noble is a scooped tone. It could be my particular basses and how I run the pick up blend and onboard eq. Yes the tone is fat, but burpy as well.

Hmmm. Maybe comparatively. I heard it as scooped when @10cc and I did this little shootout:

REDDI-Noble-Broughton P15-JDI PBass clips Flats/RDS

 

[MTN.bass72]

Agree/second most of above, except in fact Noble can power at least 9 pedals, such as here (there's a Micro Thumpinator underneath):



The Noble nicely warms the bass in my IEM mix. But even moreso, I particularly noticed a difference when listening back to some live recordings made from a mic out front. Through PA speakers, post-Noble bass just sits better, more cohesive and coherent in the mix. Hard to fully appreciate that unless you can get out in front (wireless bass also helps for that!).

This is beautiful!
I just got a 5th gear ,, and I'm debating trying three of the other pedals you have.
Both 3 leaf, and the IE Nimbus

 

[Wallower]

This is beautiful!
I just got a 5th gear ,, and I'm debating trying three of the other pedals you have.
Both 3 leaf, and the IE Nimbus

Pretty sure all pedals on that board have job security for the foreseeable future, except for the Proton (something, maybe a Micro-Tron III, will likely dethrone it before long...)

 

[ExaltBass]

On Sunday I was hanging out at the sound booth between services, and our main FOH tech (a very experienced Pro) was speaking with a visiting FOH guy he knew. When he introduced me to him he said that my bass sounded best of all the bassists (13 active bassists on multiple teams). He thought my bass must be the thing.
I'm the only Noble user...
Go figure

 

[AngelCrusher]

How did I miss the shootout? Man...well I loved 1 and then 3. Not sure what those are, but both sounded like tubes to me. 1 was a little louder, so it may have clouded my judgement, but I liked it. Is there a reveal somewhere?

 

[Dave Hill]

How did I miss the shootout? Man...well I loved 1 and then 3. Not sure what those are, but both sounded like tubes to me. 1 was a little louder, so it may have clouded my judgement, but I liked it. Is there a reveal somewhere?

1. P-15
2. REDDI
3. JDI
4. Whirlwind
5. Noble

 

[ExaltBass]

1. P-15
2. REDDI
3. JDI
4. Whirlwind
5. Noble

I voted 5, 1, 2, 3, 4 on this listening - guess I bought the right one for me.

 

[BenHack]

I don't hear the Noble as particularly scooped with my Pbass with flats but notice it more with my jazz. I've put a EQ before that I can engage when swapping basses - also useful for differences in gain.

What really sold me was the tones I've managed to get in the studio. Really happy!

Cheers

Ben

 

[Agosix]

I've used both.

I couldn't bond with the inherent scooped tone of the Noble, which was always there.

The Zephyr is of course much more versatile. You can dial in a hump or scoop and slide it around with the Range control. Or leave it flat. It also has the Hi/Mid/Lo switches which are very well voiced. There's a great explanation on the Arkham website. It is by far my favorite pre.

I also prefer the form of a 1u rack to the large pedal.

Totally agree on the Zephyr.

 

[AngelCrusher]

Jesus. Never use laptop speakers for a shootout. P15 is legit though.

 

[Dave Hill]

Jesus. Never use laptop speakers for a shootout. P15 is legit though.

Didn't like what you thought you would?
I agree, though.
P-15 is great, and was the favorite by a respectable margin. For whatever it's worth.

 

[AngelCrusher]

Didn't like what you thought you would?
I agree, though.
P-15 is great, and was the favorite by a respectable margin. For whatever it's worth.

Well, I love a good audio shootout, but I take it with a grain of salt. Mainly because I am going for a sound that sits a certain way in a mix, and the best soloed tone doesn't always sit how I want. Additionally, I don't really play bass at all like the samples. For that style of play I liked the P15 a lot. It just worked in controlling the pick attack, and it was a little louder, so that may have influenced me. All the samples sounded pretty sweet, but the main surprise to me is that I missed the REDDI. I usually can hear the signature sound of it, but I probably shouldn't have used my macbook pro to do this.

 

[Turn Em Loose]

I've used both.

I couldn't bond with the inherent scooped tone of the Noble, which was always there.

The Zephyr is of course much more versatile. You can dial in a hump or scoop and slide it around with the Range control. Or leave it flat. It also has the Hi/Mid/Lo switches which are very well voiced. There's a great explanation on the Arkham website. It is by far my favorite pre.

I also prefer the form of a 1u rack to the large pedal.

That Zephyr looks cool! If I was a rackin', that pre I'd be a packin'.

And I just don't get the "scooped" tone of the Noble. I mean, it can get there, for sure. But that's why it has an EQ, no? It's like saying the P15 is too zingy. The P15 can get too zingy, but just turn down the Treble. But I'm a Noble fanboy, for sure. IMO, YMMV, etc etc. I guess that's why it's good we have all these choices. And the disposable income to buy them!

That P15 is badass, for sure. The mids are just lush and lovely. I found myself digging in with my right hand with the P15, though, to cut through with some lower register authority compared to the Noble. The Noble just kicks you in the ass with a solid-2x4-over-the-head tone. Again, YMMV, etc, etc. I do tend to get an inherent "smooth" sound out of my hands so the Noble is a better match for my style.

Well, I love a good audio shootout, but I take it with a grain of salt. Mainly because I am going for a sound that sits a certain way in a mix, and the best soloed tone doesn't always sit how I want. Additionally, I don't really play bass at all like the samples. For that style of play I liked the P15 a lot. It just worked in controlling the pick attack, and it was a little louder, so that may have influenced me. All the samples sounded pretty sweet, but the main surprise to me is that I missed the REDDI. I usually can hear the signature sound of it, but I probably shouldn't have used my macbook pro to do this.

True dat. Different strokes...

For a good representation of the "Noble Sound", may I be so bold as to direct any interested parties to the most recent Tedeschi/Trucks studio LP and Tim Lefebvre? It's a dry-ish, solid tube tone that just gets me all aroused.




Yes.....I said "LP". I'm old.