Dual Vacuum Tube Preamp, Direct Box, and DC Power Supply
7 1/2" x 5" x 3" - 3 lbs
It's world class. With my '68 P? Fuhgeddaboudit. It literally sounds like Donny Hathaway live.
It's killing! My engineer loves it. He was very impressed. It even makes the amp sound better!
This is the first DI I’ve played through that gives me the confidence to eliminate an amp and cab on stage. Goodbye phase issues, hello TONE!
Three knobs and the truth. It is so killer. I'm rethinking my entire signal chain.
Bass guitar sounds best through tubes, especially when running direct! Tubes distort gradually with low-order harmonics, which are perfect musical intervals. The second harmonic is an octave, the third harmonic is a fifth above the octave, the fourth harmonic is a second octave, etc. This is the reason tubes sound so good, and you will notice it. Their subtle distortion provides the natural harmonics lacking in electronic instruments, and restores the dimension and feel of your bass as it was intended to be heard.
This is the best piece of gear I have ever owned or plugged into. The tone is amazing. Every cab sounds perfect. Every bass sounds like it should. Every engineer or sound man is blown away. It's just epic.
It’s really, really, massive. It makes everything huge; it’s really creamy and buttery and the high end is also really nice on it.
Probably the smartest money I’ve spent as a professional bass player.
Measuring just 7 1/2” x 5” and weighing less than 3 pounds, the Noble preamp DI will change the way you think about vacuum tube gear. To keep weight to a minimum the preamp is housed in a precision machined aluminum enclosure, which is three times lighter than steel. Aluminum also delivers 30X better electrical shielding, providing a super quiet low noise backdrop for studio recording or pristine live sound. And the Noble preamp DI includes six 2ft (0.6m) DC cables to power your tuner, compressor, octave, fuzz, or other pedals from the onboard filtered and regulated 9V DC supply.
It makes a huge difference in my sound. I don't play a show without it!
It brings a new level of consistency to the tone and much better articulation throughout the whole frequency range of Mark's bass. Definitely a hit in my book!
I’m LOVING your Noble Preamp DI! It’s beyond amazing.
Seriously, the perfect fly-in solution. It fits on a Pedaltrain Nano! Total game changer.
Get that big console sound wherever you are. A great pair of tubes adds harmonic fatness and musical overtones that digital or solid-state gear just can't emulate. The Noble preamp DI turns your laptop and portable recording interface into a tube-driven channel strip with a super low noise floor and an unbeatable vintage sound. And the ultra high 10MegΩ input impedance won't load down piezo pickups, so it's great on acoustic instruments as well.
It's like a B15 in a box!
Official DI for Tedeschi Trucks Band studio. We've used it on every track of the new record. Bobby Tis the engineer loves it.
This DI is great! I love the variable tone right on the DI. The output is warm with great low mid clarity and all the analog goodness I look for in a direct input device.
When you're using in-ear monitors you don't want a regular old DI. You want one with knobs, but not too many. Our classic 2.5 band EQ was designed by musicians and is loved by engineers for how well it sits in the mix. The intuitive bass and treble controls quickly brighten or fatten your sound for high end clarity or low end thump. The low cut switch rolls off -6dB per octave below 90Hz to add more punch and girth in the low mids and leave room in the mix for the kick drum. And since the EQ affects both 1/4” and XLR outputs, the entire venue gets to hear your bass the way you want it to sound.
Best IEM sound I’ve ever had. Unbelievable.
Wow. This thing really is as good as everyone says it is. It's the best my bass has ever sounded with in-ears.
I can't leave home without it. Seriously the best piece of bass gear I've ever owned.
These tracks were recorded live, direct from the soundboard, at the Fillmore in San Francisco CA, March 25-28, 2015. No audio editing or post processing was done.
Full tracks at nobleamps.com/audio.
Man, I'm in love. Sounds so good. I might need to get two.
Every Noble product is assembled entirely by hand in California, one at a time, by the designer. Old school "through-hole" style parts are individually mounted and soldered by hand on extra thick mil-spec circuit boards. Other major components proudly manufactured in the USA include: Jensen/CineMag DI transformers, custom-wound and shielded toroidal power transformers, custom designed mil-spec circuit boards, and laser cut backlit faceplates. Made in USA. 🇺🇸
This DI is insanely good. Refined, smooth, simply amazing.
100% yes! My favorite of all the DIs I’ve used. Jack Roan will do you right!
With most gear you like it best the first time you plug in, lesser on next use, lesser on the next. Noble preamp is not the case. I like it better each time I plug in, and it continues to get better the more you get to know the tone capabilities. This is plain incredible!
If you gig a lot of fly-in dates, don't gamble on a “house amp” or lackluster backline. The Noble preamp DI features an international voltage toroidal transformer, so you can easily switch the AC mains voltage in seconds and reliably power up in any country in the world. The tubes are protected inside the cast aluminum housing, venting excess heat through the tube ports. And because it weighs only 3 lbs, it’s super convenient to drop into your gig bag and just take off.
Best investment in my sound I have ever made. I will not tour without it.
THE best piece of gear I own. When I get called for gigs I always get asked to bring the Noble with me.
The producer told me to leave my B15 at home and that we will be tracking the rest of the record on just my Noble preamp.
Q) Can the 1/4” output of the preamp be used to drive a power amp?
A) Certainly! The impedance of the 1/4” output is under 2kΩ, and capable of driving a power amp directly. Unity gain on the 1/4” output is around 11:00 on the volume knob, typical 20dB gain when maxed (with EQ flat). The 1/4" output can not drive a speaker cabinet directly.
Q) Is the 1/4” output/thru colored?
A) Yes! The 1/4” output is post EQ, post preamp gain, and tube buffered. The jack labeled “thru” on a typical direct box is most often a parallel input, not a true output.
Q) Can the preamp drive headphones?
A) Not directly. The 1/4” output of the preamp is mono, and is not intended to drive low impedance loads like headphones or ear buds. However, you can run the 1/4” output directly into a small headphone amp for practice use.
Q) Can I use a Y cable to get 18V from two 9V outputs?
A) No, but you can order an 18V boost cable with your preamp for your pedals that need it (like the Cali76 TX).
The DC outputs on the preamp share a common ground and are not isolated, allowing all outputs to share the available current, or pull up to the maximum from any one output. Max current varies with the AC wall voltage (see specs at bottom).
Q) Can the Noble DI power the Line 6 HX Stomp?
A) Unfortunately not. The HX Stomp is 9V DC but needs more current than the Noble DC outputs can supply. When I measured it here the HX Stomp was drawing 1200mA, which is more than the Noble can reliably provide.
Q) Is there a volume control for the XLR output?
A) No, the XLR level is set internally and cannot be adjusted (or accidentally bumped!). The volume knob only affects the 1/4” output, allowing you to set the level to your stage amp without affecting front of house.
Q) What is the warranty period?
A) Five year warranty to any owner. The warranty remains valid even if the preamp is sold or ownership is transferred. The preamp is guaranteed to be free from defects in components and workmanship for 5 years from the date of manufacture and should not require servicing other than occasionally changing the tubes if they become noisy.
Q) What is your return or refund policy?
A) Pre-paid orders can be cancelled at any time prior to completion, and will be refunded minus any transaction fees charged by PayPal.
Due to the extensive time required to build each one, preamps are not returnable. Each preamp is individually built by hand, serial numbered, dated, and tested before being shipped. Please get in touch before purchasing if you are unsure if this preamp will be right for you.
Noble has always followed a “no compromise” design approach, and this preamp DI is no different. The premium audiophile quality components used include a precision machined aluminum enclosure, regulated high voltage +350Vdc power supply, Jensen/CineMag DI transformer, illuminated on/off switch, hand selected tube sets, crush-proof knobs and pots, custom designed toroidal transformer, extra thick mil-spec circuit board, laser cut backlit faceplate, ceramic tube sockets with gold plated pins, low noise resistors, Carling switches, Wima and Mallory polyester capacitors, Switchcraft and Neutrik jacks, and stainless steel hardware. All covered by a five year transferable warranty.
Jensen and CineMag manufacture the finest audio transformers currently available. The frequency response is extremely flat, delivering transparent performance across the audible band with near zero phase distortion. Active DIs can roll off your low end and add unnecessary noise and distortion. In comparison, a passive transformer is cleaner, with less noise and noticeably better dynamic response, keeping your signal crisp and full.
I'm using the Noble on EVERYTHING!! It's a part of my sound now.
This DI is magical. Best DI in the world, anyone?
The Noble preamp is still the best piece of gear I've purchased!
Many people are asking if it's better than other DI boxes. Which I always tell them it is. Because that is exactly the case.
Includes six 2ft. (0.6m) male-male DC cables and IEC power cable.
See nobleamps.com/extras for photos and details of apparel and accessories.
Note on Build Time (click to expand):
All orders are built individually by hand. If you are on a tight schedule please select Rush Order and your preamp will be built and shipped in roughly one week. Otherwise the expected build time is currently around 10 months from order to shipping. You will receive a tracking number when your preamp is complete and packed to ship.
US shipping is through USPS priority mail (signature required on delivery) and typically arrives in 2-3 days. International shipping is either with UPS or through the postal service, and usually takes one to two weeks (but can be longer in some countries due to delays in customs).
Shipping will be calculated based on the address entered during checkout.
Note on International Orders (click to expand):
All prices are in USD. This website uses PayPal to process payments from credit and debit cards. Paypal charges 3.75% for currency conversion. You will receive a more favorable currency conversion rate (and thus a lower overall price in your local currency) with a bank transfer through Wise.com. If you are interested in using the Wise transfer service, send an email to jack@nobleamps.com for further details before placing your order.
All orders are shipped from the United States. International customers may be charged additional customs duties or VAT by your local government before delivery of your shipment. Noble Amplifier Company is not involved with these charges and they are not included in the checkout process.
Return and Refund Policy (click to expand):
Refunds: All orders are refundable until shipped. This website uses PayPal to accept payments from credit and debit cards. PayPal charges various fees for payment processing, typically ranging from 3-5% of each transaction, which are not refundable. If you wish to cancel your order you will receive back 95-97% of the original transaction amount. International buyers who request a refund may also receive slightly more or less due to variations in currency conversion rates.
International buyers paying by bank transfer through Wise.com will receive a higher percentage of their purchase amount back, due to the much lower fees charged by Wise compared to PayPal.
Returns: Noble Amplifier Company is a single person home-based craft business. Because each unit is individually hand made, tested, numbered, and dated, they are not returnable once received and used. If you are unsatisfied with the preamp DI for any reason, send an email to jack@nobleamps.com to discuss a repair or service under warranty.
$1279 + $20 shipping
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