DI Shootout...you don't wanna miss this

did a DI shootout...Jad.Freer Capo vs. Crucial Audio Dub 1 vs. Noble Amps DI...you'll be surprised by the results

[@nobleamps]

Tim rules! Great demo! Unfortunately the Noble EQ is not flat (despite Tim’s attempt), it is cutting the lows for most of the video. So that’s what you’re hearing. It’s my fault, I labeled that switch “DEEP” but really it’s flat vs low cut. Deep is not a boost, DEEP IS FLAT. The lows are being cut unless that switch is set to Deep. After building the first 25 units I moved that switch to between the bass and treble knobs and labeled it better with a flat vs low cut graphic. So if you want flat on the 1st gen Noble, set the switch to Deep. That being said, EQ control is one of the advantages of the Noble DI. Most pros that I talk with (Tim included) have a preferred EQ setting that is not flat.

[@kristallbasses8382]

thank you for that info

[@neoLover23]

Can you discuss the EQ settings you find people are using (broad categorizations are fine)

[@CrucialAudioLLC]

Thank you so very much for including the DUB-1 in your shootout and for the kind words! ⚡🤘⚡

[@cameronlesley2428]

I love the content you create , it gives me inspiration to think big with my bass tones . I have a sans amp bass DI and it’s been great

[@Bibblebabbler]

The capo sounded massive when I saw you at Jimmie’s jazz in nh with wayne. I have been using the capo and caveman bp1 and love em together for some reason. Always searching for the grail. Thanks for posting the vids and making great music . You are the tom Brady of bass in my opinion.

[@seankent1807]

Wow, that is one of the O.G. Noble DI’s from back when the transformer & tubes were sticking out of the back! Very nice. I have one of the newer versions & it’s the one piece of gear I will take to the grave with me. 👍 The other two sounded great too. I had never heard of the Crucial Audio DI, but the Jad Freer Capo has been on my radar… 🤔

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

yeah i got one of the first ones! but consider me blown away by the other 2 DI's

[@seankent1807]

@@timothyjlefebvre3962 no doubt…never hurts to have more colors on the palette to work with. Great video!

[@Campo007]

Just got the Caveman Audio BP1 Compact. Sounds awesome. Would love to do an A/B with the Capo. The Capo sounded superb.

[@larsthorstensen3879]

Nice review, great DI's!!! You should really try out a BP-1 from Caveman Audio wich is a 1073 preamp, mine is fantastic, and even though I want a tube DI, I think I'll stay with the BP-1, wich I feel brings a punch and physical aspect to the sound that I haven't found in any tube DI. But then again, I guess it's just another flavour :-)

[@R4ND4ZZO]

Yessir! Been diggin the noble for a few years now, tempted to check out those others now…

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

def worth a look broseph

[@mikewolfe9458]

Very nice. Thinking I may need a capo in my life

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

highly recommend it

[@MarkPacificar]

Great video!

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

Thanks brother Mark

[@bazZzment]

That P Bass sounds so good! 🤤 What lovely dead flats do you have on there?

[@shakeelraza]

This is awesome - many thanks for sharing it. I’d love to see a deep dive video on that Capo pedal - you’ve convinced me to order one : ) Great sound on that bass and great playing. I was just wondering what brand and gauge flats you have on there please? Cheers

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

Yeah man! Will do asap! Thanks for checking it out

[@keziahj]

+1

[@TrygveMyers]

Super helpful video Tim! I’ve been having some interesting problem-solving with noble for the last couple years so I bought a capo for the road. Can you briefly explained what you were talking about, using pedals with the Noble? Or just how you’re getting the best out of the noble? Thank you again for all the information you offer.It’s really helpful!

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

Yes! I think that because there's so much eq and gain on the noble before you put any pedals in it, it kinda distorts subs. Not kinda. I don't know a workaround from it. I approached the jad freer people about making the capo capable of switching between xlr outputs. Like plug the subs and gainy in to the clean side (right) and use the left preamp xlr for you beefy no pedals sound. But it's the same problem with the capo...both xlr sound at the same time.

[@TrygveMyers]

@@timothyjlefebvre3962 that makes so much scenes! When I was going through pedals and then the Nobel I’d have times when the noble itself would go into a “power save mode?” I’m guessing. Turn off and on. Had to stop taking it on the road but that would explain so much! Also, some of my 70’s pbasses feel oddly compressed though the noble. Especially the low mids. I still love it for certain things but thank you so much for making this video about the Capo. Saved me!!

[@Graoeye]

Hey, does anyone have the Shift Line Olympic and the Jad Freer Audio Capo. Both seem like awesome pre-amps. Would love to hear the Shift Line Olympic and the JAD Freer Audio CAPO in a comparison video. If anyone who viewed this video wants to compare them in a video, that would be great.

[@martinheath5947]

The irony of course being that, when you listen to some of the most iconic bass lines ever recorded in history in isolation, what we think about now in terms of "tone perfection" rarely even enters the equation. It's all about what works in a mix.

[@XChristianNoirX]

Alas, your video probably made the Crucial DI's price go up to $769.

[@XChristianNoirX]

BTW, according to Noble, having the deep switch on is actually flat. Having it of has a roll-off around 90hz. He said it was a mistake labeling it that way. On the more recent ones, he replaced the text with images and the flat line corresponds to "deep on." he said this in Talkbass, or some other forum. I can't recall.

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

Right. I didn't know that when I shot this. Noble is still a serious piece of gear man. Not trying to say it isn't.

[@XChristianNoirX]

@@timothyjlefebvre3962 honestly I'm not trying to defend anything as I don'thave any of this gear - just looking stuff up trying to build a more serious board and found your vid. I will have some drives and multiband compression though... You said you liked the CAPO's clan side for pedals... What about the Crucial? I didn't catch you mentioning specifically how it handles pedals. Also, I'm in the boat of considering using IR's due to heavy distortion usage (at least 70% of the time), so I'm debating whether these DI's would be useful to me, running IR's into, or after them.... or if I would want to skip IR's with these units. I used to play bass a lot in the Sans Amp days and switched to guitar for years, but now planning on doing more bass work again, so just trying to get up to speed and not overspend trying everything! 😂

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

@@XChristianNoirX yeah the crucial sounds ridiculous. I put it thru my retro instruments power strip for the clean stuff. I take an aux out to a pedal chain or darkglass ADAM for dirt and compression. I also was the lucky recipient of a quad cortex which is UNREAL. I sampled that recording chain and used that amp Model on a stadium Tour in Italy all summer. It all works great. (Ps the jad freer Amps and cabs are outrageous!!)

[@XChristianNoirX]

@@timothyjlefebvre3962 Nice! I was considering the ADAM as well. I got a an X ULTRA too that I got a while back for an extended range project where I was tuning to G0 and that thing fixed the massive boom that was out of control by compressing the living daylights out of that massive low string. Haven't tried the new gen stuff yet, but so far, the ADAM sounds like what I need. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@XChristianNoirX]

@@timothyjlefebvre3962 my buddy who has the Noble said the grounds in the power distributor for other pedals is shared... So not isolated... I assumed that they had to be isolated, but I guess not... And only 700ma anyway. He said his digital pedals produce digital noise / whine when plugged into those power jacks... So they're no better than a daisy chain unfortunately. Unfortunately, the value proposition for the Noble just dropped considerably, so that's probably getting knocked off my list, because it would be another $300 for power. Whoops! :/

[@adri24an]

Super useful vid! Do you have the same problem when connecting pedals in front of other tube DIs aside from the Noble? How do you deal with this issue? Thank you bro!!

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

Thanks dude! Yeah I like to use effects totally clean so jad freer and I have a solution which you'll be hearing about soon.

[@adri24an]

Thanks for sharing your wisdom! I’ll be waiting for that and your Quad Cortex video :D

[@McDoinky]

any specific di you'd recommend for a bassist who's new to working on a pc?

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

Depends on price range. The crucial is 500-600

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

Depends on price range? Crucial audio is really a steal

[@McDoinky]

@@timothyjlefebvre3962 Friend of mine got the Capo based on your vid, he's absolutely in love with it. I'll probably get that one, too. Are those Chromes on the 68? 45-100?

[@markmatthews63]

What’s your opinion of the A Design Reddi DI?

[@HondoFelder]

I love that thing!

[@timothyjlefebvre3962]

Yeah I like it. Not better than what I have. Their mic pre is amazing on the other hand

[@MrFunnybass]

@@timothyjlefebvre3962 great for recording. IMO the best there is.

[@kristallbasses8382]

... hmmm that CAPO .... eyeyey

[@BassMonstrum]

I keep seeing everyone using effects into a Noble and here Tim is advocating against it.