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Noble Amps Preamp

#1,921
pfschim said:
yes, +1 to this.

I have a WD800 and a D800+, as well as a Walkabout. WD800 is my go to these days, so I will most likely be trying the Noble through it, both into the front end as well as the FX return and AUX In. Given that the D800+ has become a largely unused backup amp since I got the WD800, I could easily see using it as a just a power amp for the Noble thru the FX return or the Aux In.

I'm also a bit wary of stacking too many EQ's (although I do it all the time with reasonably happy results). I'm going to spend some quality time with the Noble and see how I can make it work best for me and my situation.
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I am using a D800+ with Subway 112 and 115 cabs. For a while I used both the Noble and the D800+. For me, when I used both together it ended up being to many EQ points and gain stages. I tried running the Noble into the front end and directly into the FX return. I got better results just using the D800+ on it's own. FWIW I was using a Jazz bass loaded with EMGs.

The Noble is a great piece of kit, especially for recording and in-ear/fly gig situation when paired with a high quality compressor and possibly a cab sim. The MESA is a superb amp with an excellent preamp and DI.
 
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#1,922
I get it. The D800+ is not my personal tone heaven, being more Carbine flavored, but the WD800 (and the Walkabout) certainly is.

But as I mentioned before, I also run a VT D in front of every amp I use, so I am already happily stacking EQ's in my signal chain.

Funny thing about getting this new gear (Cali76CB and the Noble today) is that I pulled my pedalboard apart in anticipation of downsizing to just one pre (Noble or VT D) and a comp (Cali76) on a Metro 20, and because the old pedalboard was down, I was just using the WD800 thru my Berg CN cabs by itself (:nailbiting:) yesterday - with no outboard anything ..... and I realized (again) how great these Subway amps sound.

fun to play around with your gear :thumbsup: ... but I have a run of gigs Thur - Sun this week so I need to get the new set-up together today, at least in playable form.
 
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#1,923
another, possibly silly, question ... for folks using the Noble on a pedalboard, are you just velcro-ing it to the board ?
seems like a lot of $$ to just stick on a pedalboard .. the Cali76CB for that matter too :laugh:

oh well, I guess you can always remove the velcro if I don't want it that way. I guess I could zip-tie it for the moment.

thoughts/experience ..??
 
#1,924
pfschim said:
another, possibly silly, question ... for folks using the Noble on a pedalboard, are you just velcro-ing it to the board ?
seems like a lot of $$ to just stick on a pedalboard .. the Cali76CB for that matter too :laugh:

oh well, I guess you can always remove the velcro if I don't want it that way. I guess I could zip-tie it for the moment.

thoughts/experience ..??
Click to expand...

Here is my solution for mounting the Noble. At first, concerned about the weight of the Noble, and securing it well, I wayyy over-applied Velcro. When I wanted to move it to my smaller PB, I just about hurt myself pulling it off! This seems about the right amount. I also use Velcro on the bottom of some rubber ‘feet' for use off the board. That way I can go either way easily.

65479063-69D3-4D26-A866-6CEFAE2D180A.jpeg
 
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#1,925
OK here she is .. fresh out of the box ... I bring you the lovely and talented #717 ;)

Noble DI and Cali76CB 8May2019 sm.jpg


along with her attractive new companion ... Cali76CB

spent some time with them both this afternoon and I would have to say, these are not subtle boxes ... very clear tone shaping stuff going on here. I was raised up on Fender so it was easy to me to get right in line with the general tone approach of the Noble.
Using my Lull M4V, I ran it into the front end of my Mesa WD800 (very light tone and Para EQ settings) into Berg CN312 (212+112) ... wonderful, but clearly multiple influences due to the 3 preamps at work.
Ran it into the AUX In of the WD800, very nice as just a preamp driving the Mesa class D power section. I still have to turn the knobs a bit to get a tone that hits the right sweet spot for me .. but its clear that it's in there.

One thing seems clear right away for me, running the tone controls flat (B and T fully counter clockwise and no low cut) works best for my ears when going into the front of the WD800 so there is some Subway pre at work too. While I did hear it at work thru the AUX In, it was less interesting to me .... too little, a bit lifeless to my ears.

I did try the Tim Lefebvre thing - Full Bass, low cut engaged, Treble at 11 (or 1) .. and wowie ... biiiig tone there. Not sure I want that all the time, but cool that its there.

I will try it with several other amps tomorrow, my ears are kind of saturated by all the new tone.

thanks for all the input on these devices, I'm sure I'll be back.

new toys/tools fun fun fun :thumbsup:
 
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#1,926
I know you all are way past me in terms of time using the Noble (and the Cali76 too I suppose), so please humor me as I dig into these pedals. I probably sound like a kid (however old) in a candy store. ;)

first off, after reading most of this extended Noble DI thread and others related to it, my biggest surprise is that the Noble is not a subtle box at all. I kind of got the impression that I might not even hear it in my signal chain, but after a couple of days trying it out in different configs I have to say that .. at least to me, it has quite an audible impact, and a very nice one at that. The only version that is subtle is with the B & T controls rolled completely off (so "flat") and the HPF turned off. I can still hear it, but that's a pretty subtle setting for sure.

I also seem to be gravitating towards using the Cali76CB in a "New York/paralleled" fashion, with just a bit of influence on the tone/feel.

So, far I'm somewhat limited with just my Lull M4V (Bart pre) because my other primary bass (Roscoe Beck IV) is being worked on.
With its passive Bill Lawrence pickup and switching arrangement, the RB IV has a very different tonal palate than the Lull. I'm pretty much of a 4 str Jazz player, but I love the RB IV too, just a wonderfully well conceived and built bass, and use it to get a Pbass-like tone using the neck pu. So, I hope to have the RB IV back (along with my Turner fretless Ren 4 str) by end of the week and will put both of those thru this new signal chain.

I'll also get to try the Noble as a DI this weekend, so that should be interesting to hear. Typically I have been using either a trusty Countryman Type 85 (which is very transparent) or more recently the DI on the Mesa WD800 (very high quality). After listening to the Noble for the past few days, I'm sure it will deliver a much sweeter tone to FOH than the other ... not better necessarily, but much more tube influenced (of course, because ... well, tubes!). So, WIP.

As a side note, I realized my Noble came with NOS GE tubes (along with the original stock JJ's) - sweet!. I also feel the 18v feed to the Cali76 does provide more headroom (which is expected).

again, great thread with lots a good info and insight. much appreciated.
 
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#1,933
got my Roscoe Beck IV and Turner Renaissance fretless 4 back from the shop today (Gary Brawer in SF).

After the time I spent listening to the Noble DI (and Cali76CB) with the Lull M4V, I knew that I would enjoy that combination with the RB IV, particularly with a fresh new high-quality setup, repaired electronics and new strings (dang!)

But you never know with the Turner, it can be a quirky bass with different amps/EQ's etc. But man, does it sound great thru the Noble DI into the front end of the Mesa WD800 and Berg CN cabs.

total win. I was not really worried about the expense of the Noble, but whatever you pay for gear, you want it to sound good (duh), and I have been very happy so far.

Gigs coming up through the weekend with a variety of environments; small gig with no FOH, medium gig with good but not amazing FOH and monitors, biggish outdoor gig with great FOH support and (typically) very nice monitors - so I should be able to get a good representation of how the Noble works in a number of gigging situations that I find myself in. The only situation that I rarely find myself in is using IEMs, so that may have to wait. I'll get a chance to try the Noble for some home tracking next week, and that will be interesting to listen to. I don't have a super high-end recording set-up at home (Fosusrite Clarett 8 and Reaper with a few different mics for cab micing + DI), but I'm looking forward to hearing how the Noble works in a recording situation.

much fun!
 
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#1,934
As a new proud owner of a Noble pre, I'm looking for recommendations on a practice/small gig amp to use with it? I have been looking at 10 or 12 inch combos at around 100 Watt. Another want is for it to have an effects return so to bypass the preamp, spending $1000 on the Noble I want nothing but it in my signal chain. Im not opposed to other options like a powered cab but there don't seem to be many suited towards bass and even fewer user reviews around for it.

It seems like the best allround fit would be fender rumble 100 v3, and it also suits my budget which would be around $300-350

Another option would be quiet practice with headphones, but they would have to be open or semi open as I have slight tinnitus (work and music related) and my ears get fatigued very quickly with closed ones.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
#1,936
jpeeze said:
Wayne Jones makes a 1x10 power cab. I just received his 2x10 1000watt power cab using his pre amp, it is a monstrous cab. I do not have a Noble yet but it’s in the plans.
Click to expand...

They look like amazing cabs and amps! Unfortunately they’re out of my budget right now and add on Import tax and duty on top. Im looking for something more local (europe) or generic with worldwide distribution to avoid extras for now.
 
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#1,937
Blue Swede said:
As a new proud owner of a Noble pre, I'm looking for recommendations on a practice/small gig amp to use with it? I have been looking at 10 or 12 inch combos at around 100 Watt. Another want is for it to have an effects return so to bypass the preamp, spending $1000 on the Noble I want nothing but it in my signal chain. Im not opposed to other options like a powered cab but there don't seem to be many suited towards bass and even fewer user reviews around for it.

It seems like the best allround fit would be fender rumble 100 v3, and it also suits my budget which would be around $300-350

Another option would be quiet practice with headphones, but they would have to be open or semi open as I have slight tinnitus (work and music related) and my ears get fatigued very quickly with closed ones.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
I understand your budget dilemma, but I don't know if connecting the Noble to a less than great practice amp is the best idea, its kind of like putting big dollar rims on a junky car.

Several folks here (i.e. Angel Crusher) on the Noble thread (has it reached mega status yet ?) seem to be happy with the Fender Rumble/Noble pairing. I'm guessing that Fender is a global brand and available in Sweden. What about a used EBS combo - made in Sweden even, they must be available there. Other global brands would be the Ampeg BA series and possibly GK. Also, I would definitely look at used gear over new if budget is an issue - so much gear out there in the world.

good luck
 

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