discreet Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 (edited) [quote name='Lee-Man' timestamp='1486570617' post='3232889'] Neither, its Hurley being a kickass player. Great musician. [/quote] Exactly the point I made at the end of post #23. But it can't hurt to be recorded well, I'm sure. Edited February 8, 2017 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platypus Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 [quote name='krispn' timestamp='1486418507' post='3231683'] I was all set to sell my DB680 and get a Noble [/quote] DB680's = hens teeth. You might never have a chance to get another one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Yeah I know and that's why deep down I'll keep it and schlep it to every gig I can. I was gigging at the weekend and every time I hit an F note on one particular song the room vibrated.. used the parametric eq and notched out the troublesome frequency in seconds between songs, added back a little bass and problem solved. The 680 has the Jensen out, the tubes just a wee bit bigger and maybe not so pedal board friendly 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Just picked one of these up. Hoping it will end my Pre hunt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKenrick Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 I'm no Ed Friedland, but here's my attempt at a review of the Noble for those who are curious. Recorded examples with jazz and P bass with various EQ settings, overview of features/specs and honest feedback from using it 'in the field' over the last 18 months: [media]http://youtu.be/YsuuPfxFXvA[/media] Examples of the Noble in a full band mix (signal path was bass>Noble>desk, nothing else): [media]http://youtu.be/WW6_XDJTME8[/media] [media]http://youtu.be/FLIEZuRcoZc[/media] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 (edited) Top work both with the review and the the playing videos. That's the recorded sound needed 99% of the time for most of us. Just found out the drummer has bought an electronic kit (a good one) so this Friday we may be going 'in-ears' as a tester. If it proves to be useful and something we pursue on a regular basis the Nobles once again tickles the fancy! Edited March 6, 2017 by krispn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevsy71 Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 [quote name='krispn' timestamp='1488795911' post='3251749'] Top work both with the review and the the playing videos. [/quote] Yep terrific review and love those funky tracks! Used my Noble on band recording a couple of weeks ago, very pleased with the results and will post once ready. In-ears should be super-clear with the Noble, very tempted... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Great review. Can't wait to get my mitts on mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
project_c Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Nice review. I ended up buying the Motown DI after looking into both the Noble and the Reddi. Aside from the price which is crazy (for all 3), I personally wasn't into the sound of the Noble, to me it sounds a bit over-hyped, like a modern take on a vintage tone, and all the tracks and demos I've heard it on feature bassists who like a precision / flats kind of tone, but the recordings in context sound 100% modern in terms of production, and I think that's what the Noble excels at, a vintage-ish tone that fits in with modern production and over-processed drums especially. In my head vintage bass tone is Jamerson-esque, (or Paul Jackson-esque) and in that context drums don't sound like compressed explosions with loads of treble, they sound like Clyde Stubblefield / Mike Clark etc. When Sean Hurley demos the Noble, it's interesting that the tracks he plays on feature heavily processed drums and samples that sound like it's 2016, there's not much that's particularly old school about the context. Same with the tracks above, the bass tone needs to fit in with the pristine and over-hyped drums. It's a modern sound, not an old school sound. It's a matter of taste and opinion, and most current studio engineers can't help themselves when it comes to production, they like to make everything as bright and loud and bass-heavy as possible, regardless of the style... I personally don't like the sound of recorded drums on anything that was made after about 1979 but then I used to be obsessed with drum breaks before playing bass so I guess my ears are just tuned into a more old school drum sound, and I like my bass tone to fit in with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Interesting observation. If the Nobles fits into the modern trend of production and mixing for iPhones then you can see the pull. For many of us this is the sound we're aiming for. I have looked at the Motown D.I. too and it does give off a nice vibe. Ultimately as others have said if you're running into a£1500 preamp like a remake of a Neve or an API does the input source have as much impact. I still like the Nobles sound and what it would add to what I do. Oh to have the ability to road test all this esoteric kit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKenrick Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 [quote name='krispn' timestamp='1488795911' post='3251749'] Top work both with the review and the the playing videos. [/quote] [quote name='Kevsy71' timestamp='1488800468' post='3251803'] Yep terrific review and love those funky tracks! [/quote] [quote name='sk8' timestamp='1488809543' post='3251923'] Great review. Can't wait to get my mitts on mine! [/quote] Thank you for the kind words on the review gents, much appreciated. Completely agree that the Noble is more 'vintage-ish' than being an authentic reproduction of vintage tone, but it had a number of features that made it more practical for me to purchase compared to other similarly (over)priced preamps. I'm keen to try the Motown DI when (or, more accurately, [i]if[/i]) funds allow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 So sk8.... How's the little black box working out for ya? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) [quote name='krispn' timestamp='1489659885' post='3258681'] So sk8.... How's the little black box working out for ya? [/quote] So...... I've had done time with the noble now and gigged it once although that was in church and not my covers band. First thought when I used it through phones was that it's more transparent than I thought it would be. It doesn't colour your tone per se. I've done some A/B tests switching between my signal as is and through the noble. The Noble doesnt drastically change the tone but there is 'something' there. I also put a boost in front and got a quite nice OD sound. I'm favouring using the bass cut switch and adding some bass back in to about 11 o'clock. The eq is more powerful than you think and set flat in the A/B test it was hard to here that anything had changed. Cutting and boosting the bass brought more of an edge to the sound. I could see that with IEMs this would be a great tool and for travelling light. Hoping to use it next week with my covers band. Conclusions so far It's well built It does add something but doesn't heavily couloir your instrument. The power supply is a nice touch for powering the board. Now I don't DI a huge amount or use in ears and my main amp at the moment is all valve but heavy so I don't need the valve sound. I will try it in front of my AER Amp One at some point to see if it valves it up. Edited March 18, 2017 by sk8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 Sounds good!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 [quote name='project_c' timestamp='1488826696' post='3252154'] Nice review. I ended up buying the Motown DI after looking into both the Noble and the Reddi. Aside from the price which is crazy (for all 3), I personally wasn't into the sound of the Noble, to me it sounds a bit over-hyped, like a modern take on a vintage tone, and all the tracks and demos I've heard it on feature bassists who like a precision / flats kind of tone, but the recordings in context sound 100% modern in terms of production, and I think that's what the Noble excels at, a vintage-ish tone that fits in with modern production and over-processed drums especially. In my head vintage bass tone is Jamerson-esque, (or Paul Jackson-esque) and in that context drums don't sound like compressed explosions with loads of treble, they sound like Clyde Stubblefield / Mike Clark etc. When Sean Hurley demos the Noble, it's interesting that the tracks he plays on feature heavily processed drums and samples that sound like it's 2016, there's not much that's particularly old school about the context. Same with the tracks above, the bass tone needs to fit in with the pristine and over-hyped drums. It's a modern sound, not an old school sound. It's a matter of taste and opinion, and most current studio engineers can't help themselves when it comes to production, they like to make everything as bright and loud and bass-heavy as possible, regardless of the style... I personally don't like the sound of recorded drums on anything that was made after about 1979 but then I used to be obsessed with drum breaks before playing bass so I guess my ears are just tuned into a more old school drum sound, and I like my bass tone to fit in with that. [/quote] Having spent some more time with Noble I'm inclined to agree with your view. It's a more modern sound but vintages in a tube way. I'm trying to work out if I want something more coloured or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 [URL=http://s420.photobucket.com/user/spongebob_sqaurepants/media/DEC808FC-1284-42B4-A222-7AA73048D26C_zpsmszomsql.jpg.html][IMG]http://i420.photobucket.com/albums/pp287/spongebob_sqaurepants/DEC808FC-1284-42B4-A222-7AA73048D26C_zpsmszomsql.jpg[/IMG][/URL] On the board Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 Getting more of a feel for it now Mike? How's it sounding into the amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 [quote name='krispn' timestamp='1490177151' post='3262811'] Getting more of a feel for it now Mike? How's it sounding into the amp? [/quote] Yes I think I am. Probably best summed up by a friend that said you notice it gone more than you notice it there! I think there are other products out there that can do the same or similar but I sum it up as follows Is it worth the cost to put a tube in my signal chain? Probably not. Is it worth the cost as a DI? Probably not Is it worth the cost as a power supply? Probably not BUT The sum of all these makes this a very desirable box IMO. I'm really warming (see what I did there?! ) to it as a functional piece of kit. Makes it very easy to power the pedals, has a great eq and volume I can control at my feet, gives a great DI signal of my sound and sends some colouration to the amp if required. I also put it through the effects return and it sounded great. I did take it off my board for this Saturdays gig as I'm using the Bugera which is all valve but then decided to put it back on for flexibility. You can never have too many tubes Now we could just say I'm justifying a 1k investment but the more I use this box the more I'm liking it. My sound, consistently. I've gone through a lot of Preamps and was struggling to gel with this one but I think I finally get it. Is it worth it? That's like the Mac vs PC debate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Good to hear you've got it set up to suit your needs. I love the sound TK got on those recordings. Big fat tone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 yeah I'm definitely getting it. It is the sum of the parts that make it what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
project_c Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 [quote name='sk8' timestamp='1490180801' post='3262882'] Yes I think I am. Probably best summed up by a friend that said you notice it gone more than you notice it there! I think there are other products out there that can do the same or similar but I sum it up as follows Is it worth the cost to put a tube in my signal chain? Probably not. Is it worth the cost as a DI? Probably not Is it worth the cost as a power supply? Probably not BUT The sum of all these makes this a very desirable box IMO. I'm really warming (see what I did there?! ) to it as a functional piece of kit. Makes it very easy to power the pedals, has a great eq and volume I can control at my feet, gives a great DI signal of my sound and sends some colouration to the amp if required. I also put it through the effects return and it sounded great. I did take it off my board for this Saturdays gig as I'm using the Bugera which is all valve but then decided to put it back on for flexibility. You can never have too many tubes Now we could just say I'm justifying a 1k investment but the more I use this box the more I'm liking it. My sound, consistently. I've gone through a lot of Preamps and was struggling to gel with this one but I think I finally get it. Is it worth it? That's like the Mac vs PC debate! [/quote] None of the 'premium' DI boxes are worth the money we pay for them really, they are all outrageously expensive for what they do, but it's like other expensive boutique studio equipment, they are not essential for functionality but add something unique that is very difficult to achieve otherwise. It's similar to a CS Fender, you'll end up with an amazing bass that's way overpriced for the small difference it makes compared to a normal Fender, but most of us would still jump at the chance of owning one regardless. It's never going to be great value for money but it's a great thing to play music with regardless. The same can be said for nice cars, specialist custom built bike frames, expensive wine, designer shoes, anything that's a 'niche' product. None of it is great value for money, but great regardless of that if you can justify it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 What I do know is that the Noble makes me want to play! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 anymore noble owners? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronJ Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 I have a question that I can't seem to find an answer to - are the power supply outlets on the Noble isolated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 [quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1503666930' post='3360152'] I have a question that I can't seem to find an answer to - are the power supply outlets on the Noble isolated? [/quote] No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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