I see this one a lot on people's boards as of late, it has an 11 month wait list and costs almost as much as a second hand Ampeg SVT at $1400. What makes this thing so special that people are using it this frequently at this price point?
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Noble DI - Worth The Hype?
- Thread starter WouldULikeSomeE
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- di noble bass di
Use the search, the topic has been discussed multiple times. Only you can answer the question (it's worth the price and the wait if you think it is). My answer for myself is 'no', but I totally understand people who think otherwise.
If you're ready to go far into the realm of diminishing returns, have a great sounding setup and look for that little extra something you can't quite put your finger on, it's a great device to have.
It is a clean preamp that runs on tubes and all it has is a two band EQ (plus HPF) which is capable of boost only.
IMHO, you should not bother with clean sounds generated by tubes unless you pick top shelf equipment, because tubes have a tendency to be noisy and many cheap tube devices mainly add noise to your signal - obviously the Noble is dead silent in that regard.
If you have the cash lying around, just order one and try it out - you can easily flip it at cost.
It is a clean preamp that runs on tubes and all it has is a two band EQ (plus HPF) which is capable of boost only.
IMHO, you should not bother with clean sounds generated by tubes unless you pick top shelf equipment, because tubes have a tendency to be noisy and many cheap tube devices mainly add noise to your signal - obviously the Noble is dead silent in that regard.
If you have the cash lying around, just order one and try it out - you can easily flip it at cost.
I've never played one but my Arkham oracle was easily worth it. It adds a certain something to the tone
It's a last 5% box. If your gear already gets you 95% of the way to your tone goals, then maybe you need it.
It's subtle but undeniable. Gives a depth, width and detail to my bass sound. It feels better playing though it. I love it with IEMs or in studios. If you're using it with an amp on noisy stages, you probably won't hear it.
It's subtle but undeniable. Gives a depth, width and detail to my bass sound. It feels better playing though it. I love it with IEMs or in studios. If you're using it with an amp on noisy stages, you probably won't hear it.
How about a Caveman instead, would that be similar in terms of raw beauty, at a lower cost? I currently use a Genzler Magellan Preamp, SushiBox More, and a Two Notes Cab M+. The sound is pretty awesome. Could I hope for "better" with a Noble or Caveman? I really only care about clean tones, but it has to be rich and authentic. Lastly, my bass is a Mayones, which sounds wonderful just plugged into an FRFR cabinet with nothing else. Or would Anagram be an interesting option, with its Noble block? Sorry if these questions appear stupid, but my rig is not broken and I still somehow have an urge to fix it!
Someone will eventually tell you that it’s been cloned by Sushi Box FX, who has a large following and thread here on TB.
The offerings were Neptunium, Nobelium, and the current offering,
finally v.3., all very high quality pedals.
You can check out the Sushi Box FX web site.
The offerings were Neptunium, Nobelium, and the current offering,
finally v.3., all very high quality pedals.
You can check out the Sushi Box FX web site.
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You may have seen this already, but I've recently recorded samples of many of the options. As a Noble owner and lover, I'm so familiar with it at this point that I have no intention of parting ways with it. Jack at Noble is also incredibly kind and helpful, and offers great aftercare!
I would say however, that there is now far more great choice out there than ever, and some of the more affordable and readily available offerings are just fantastic. I have a Nobellium on the desk now which I am considering for a smaller rig. I can't say I've in any way made up my mind about it though, although I am finding it more enjoyable than i did the Sushi Box versions I've tried. (Not bad, just a little less like the Noble)
If you want to experience an EQ that feels very similar to the Noble, the Barber Linden EQ hits the spot and paired with something like the new Khan DI or Jad Freer Luce can be something very special indeed.
The Caveman BP1c is fantastic in it's price bracket, as is the Walrus Mantle at a slightly higher range. YMMV!
Short story long, I'd deeply miss my Noble, but it's never been a better time for us in terms for options to suit everyone.
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This is probably the best response and the one I give when guys ask me about my Noble.
Regarding the price, when you look at it as a handmade, tube DI, Preamp, AND power supply (Non isolated) it’s a pretty good deal.
noble should just offer the DI part without the power supply, probably 90% of users arent even using it to power pedals
The only used one on Reverb is going for $2000!! That’s a stiff price for something you might not appreciate in a live setting. On the other hand, if you do a lot of studio work (and the studios don’t have their own direct box?) it might make sense.
$1399 plus $20 shipping, 11 months delivery direct from noble. For an additional $860 you go to the front of the line with 1 week delivery. At least the man has a sense of humor. 
Edit: Actually with the last used one selling on Reverb for $1799, the rush delivery price is sounding better.
Edit: Actually with the last used one selling on Reverb for $1799, the rush delivery price is sounding better.
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Have you looked here? You’ll find the Noble compared to many others.
I really want to try a noble. Most pedals like that are cost efficient enough to buy, test and resell if I don't like them. But the noble is tough with two kids under 5. I know I can always sell it for what I pay for it but never have enough to front out at the time.
That being said if anyone in Philly area has one and wants to a/b it w an Arkham oracle hit me up!
That being said if anyone in Philly area has one and wants to a/b it w an Arkham oracle hit me up!
For half the money you can try the Mantle. Walrus was giving 15% off recently. My Mantle has taken over for my Noble. No tubes, but I think it offers the same kind of magic as these tube pre/DIs.
Is it good? Yep, but "worth" is really relative to your individual wallet.
I bought one years ago when the price was lower, but it wasn’t cheap. It was nice, but didn’t provide anything I found to be magical or indispensable. I sold it for about what I paid for it and checked the box on the experience of trying one. As others have said, it’s a diminishing returns box. You’re paying for scarcity and moderate amounts of signal path improvement that many can’t or won’t hear or appreciate as “better.”
For comparison, a new REDDI is $950. An Avalon U5 is also over $900. If you find them comparable in features and audio quality, then the pricing isn’t wildly higher.
For comparison, a new REDDI is $950. An Avalon U5 is also over $900. If you find them comparable in features and audio quality, then the pricing isn’t wildly higher.
Perfect description. Also add it’s the best eq for bass I’ve used. The bass and hpf especially.
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This is a great description. Especially the “feel” part. After a year of online research and saving up I bought a Noble, knowing it could be resold for more than I paid. So I felt no risk involved with this experiment.
What Phagor says about running a Noble through just an amp on a noisy stage is true; the gains might not be fully realized. The Noble magic really shines in quality IEMs, PAs, and studio. As mentioned above, nowadays there are many other tube preamp/DI’s that copy and compare well to the Noble, but I have absolutely no desire to try any of them at all. I might consider them if I were starting from scratch.
So to me the Noble is absolutely worth every penny and every month of build time for that “last 5%.” And Jack gives first class customer service.
It’s definitely not worth the time and $ for every player in every situation. But for me it definitely was. YMMV
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I got my Noble preamp about 2 years ago. I had the unrealistic expectation that it was going to change my life the minute I plugged it in, which it didn't. I was pretty happy with my rig before I got it. But after using it for a little while, I got to the point where I couldn't imagine giving it up. Two years down the road, I use it on every gig, every rehearsal and in my home practice space. I like what it does for my basses. It works for me, so it was worth the money and the wait.
