boring pedal thread... noise gates

[Rhust]

been thinking about adding a noise gate... boring pedal, I know but I play a lot of heavy stuff, and want it for the staccato as well as calming hiss

I was watching the mxr fullbore metal demo, and really like the gate/muting functionality (watch at about 1:28 for the differences on the gate, it adds the staccato to the riff)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9acls6zx50c]MXR M116 Fullbore Metal Distortion - YouTube[/ame]

I always see 2 noise gates, the mxr smart gate, and the NS-2 boss... is there an advantage of the NS2 over the mxr?

are there others I should consider for this?

 

[Paulinator]

I too was going to ask a similar question, I need a noise gate badly, especially since I'll be taking my Fullbore off the board for a little while. Those are two I am considering, also the ISP Decimator.

 

[snaredrum]

yeah, i was looking at the smart gate. i don't need one, but i'm a curious wee dog.

 

[mmd]

i have a smart gate and i like it. it is pretty easy to dial in, especially compared to the rocktron HUSH unit i have in my rack - no matter how i dial that, i loose something. not so with the mxr. i can ditch the hum/buzz and still have my sustain. it'll do the percussive chop thing as well.

 

[Progbusters]

I just got an ISP Decimator. It works and doesn't ruin tone. I just made a youtube of a high gain metal song using a single coil Tele with this thing.

 

[Alligatorbling]

i have an mxr smart gate. it works well, ive used it to tame a p90 wound over 14k in a small room though a half stack at high volumes, and it works great.

ive also used it to tame several pedals run together in line to achieve various fuzz tones, again it does the job well.

with any noise gate if you max it out, you will get a decay, and a coloration of tone. you have to find the sweet spot to where your killing the hiss/hum, yet not coloring the tone. its there, you just have to toy with it (not that hard, its one knob)

 

[toneguy86]

Please help me with this. My son plays heavier music and is typically running multiple distortion pedals and overdrives to get the sound he wants. I've thought about noise gates before as a solution to the hiss and hum he often has when he cranks it up. The smart gate sounds cool...but need some a bit more. What is the overall best noise gate that doesn't kill your tone and sustain, etc.?

Anyone tried the Joyo version?

What's a good price for the better pedals? I see one smart gate on e-bay at around $40 right now.

Thanks

 

[Paulinator]

Please help me with this. My son plays heavier music and is typically running multiple distortion pedals and overdrives to get the sound he wants. I've thought about noise gates before as a solution to the hiss and hum he often has when he cranks it up. The smart gate sounds cool...but need some a bit more. What is the overall best noise gate that doesn't kill your tone and sustain, etc.?

Anyone tried the Joyo version?

What's a good price for the better pedals? I see one smart gate on e-bay at around $40 right now.

Thanks

A little off topic, but if he's playing really high gain stuff, he'll probably want to consider installing active pups as well, if he doesn't have them already. With active pups I'm thinking he'll have more headroom with whatever noise gate he chooses (in regards to how much noise suppresion he can use without affecting his tone). In other words, hit it from both sides, if he can elliminate as much noise as possible at the guitar, the less noise suppresion he'll need at the gate.

Ok, back to noise gates. I've read good things about the MXR Smart Gate, Boss NS-2, and ISP Decimator. All of the ones mentioned already basically, so I'm not sure if that's helpful lol. Those are the top three I'm considering at the moment. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those, allow your budget to make the call. Price range for those new is between $100 - $138, so it's not a huge difference in price. Based on the comments in this thread, I'm leaning towards the Smart Gate myself.

 

[Shagnwagon]

Also before I got a noise gate I would try and isolate the noise and make sure its coming from gain or something like that. Power supplies are good and getting clean power, no bad cables etc. That way you may not have to run the noise gate as hard if you choose to get one after that.

 

[Liam]

NS-2 is designed just as really high quality noise gate. Whilst it doesn't have a lot of options in terms of control, it does what it says on the tin with typically faultless Boss fashion. I've never tried using one to get a staccato sound (might have to try it, but not really my sort of thing), but as something to mute stuff you don't want, and let the stuff through that you do want, it's awesome. Never tried an MXR Smart Gate, but if it's in the same league I'll be surprised and impressed. The NS-2 has never made it onto my pedalboard, but does see a fair bit of use in recording, and saves a lot of work in cleaning up guitar parts.

Liam

 

[Batman]

NS-2 is designed just as really high quality noise gate. Whilst it doesn't have a lot of options in terms of control, it does what it says on the tin with typically faultless Boss fashion. I've never tried using one to get a staccato sound (might have to try it, but not really my sort of thing), but as something to mute stuff you don't want, and let the stuff through that you do want, it's awesome. Never tried an MXR Smart Gate, but if it's in the same league I'll be surprised and impressed. The NS-2 has never made it onto my pedalboard, but does see a fair bit of use in recording, and saves a lot of work in cleaning up guitar parts.

Liam

Pretty much word for word my experience with the NS2 except mine is a perminant resident on my board. A side benefit is that the buffer in this is really quite good. . .I can hear a noticible improvement in my tone when the pedal is on.

I got mine used for $50

It has proven to be really easy to dial this into the sweet spot where it kills your gain hum/hiss while preserving your sustain.

 

[Paulinator]

For the record, a tuner is the most boring pedal ever...then followed by a noise gate.

 

[Paulinator]

Pretty much word for word my experience with the NS2 except mine is a perminant resident on my board. A side benefit is that the buffer in this is really quite good. . .I can hear a noticible improvement in my tone when the pedal is on.

I got mine used for $50

It has proven to be really easy to dial this into the sweet spot where it kills your gain hum/hiss while preserving your sustain.

Not that I'm the biggest GC fan, but the NS-2 is no longer on their website. Has it been discontinued I wonder? I really wanted to try it side by side with the Smart Gate.

EDIT: GC does stock the NS-2, just set one aside. Gonna go try it later.

 

[ehamady6]

I use the Fullbore Metal (my fav distortion pedal ever) and an NS-2. I shoot for Cannibal Corpse-style tone and the NS-2 does a better job on detuned palm-muted chugging and chord stabs with my rig than the Fullbore's gate. My guitars are also loaded with EMG active pickups and they seem to love my NS-2.

 

[Paulinator]

I use the Fullbore Metal (my fav distortion pedal ever) and an NS-2. I shoot for Cannibal Corpse-style tone and the NS-2 does a better job on detuned palm-muted chugging and chord stabs with my rig than the Fullbore's gate. My guitars are also loaded with EMG active pickups and they seem to love my NS-2.

Where in the chain do you put the NS-2?

 

[dickjonesify]

I've never needed or wanted a noise gate. I'm fairly low gain overall. Recently, my amp is making some 60-cycle hum and had me thinking about trying one. But... I think I just need to fix my amp.

You metal guys. I don't know how you do it.

 

[AngryHatter]

Tuner and gate are two pedals I would not want to gig without.
They may be boring but they are always working. The gate is literally on the entire time I am playing.

I have not tried the other mentioned, so I can't speak to them.

Listen to anything I post and you will be listening to it while at work.
Looking for something particularly noisy.
[sc]https://soundcloud.com/eband/crak[/sc]

 

[AngryHatter]

.
[sc]https://soundcloud.com/eband/heaven-2[/sc]

 

[TeaForTwo]

Please help me with this. My son plays heavier music and is typically running multiple distortion pedals and overdrives to get the sound he wants. I've thought about noise gates before as a solution to the hiss and hum he often has when he cranks it up. The smart gate sounds cool...but need some a bit more. What is the overall best noise gate that doesn't kill your tone and sustain, etc.?

Anyone tried the Joyo version?

What's a good price for the better pedals? I see one smart gate on e-bay at around $40 right now.

Thanks

I say, the ISP unit; I use three of them; one knob, they work great...Try one new or used..
I have an NS-2 which I haven't used yet; I'm glad to know it's a good pedal...
..

 

[Rhust]

1) I had active pups once, they let me down once too... Hated that. Haven't tried them since, but I should... I hated how bland they sounded clean... The new gfs ones don't sound too bad, so I might try them in this strat knock-off

2) there's a reason the ns2 and smart gate are the only ones I see on pro boards, it seems either will do it, if I find a deal on one.. No rush though... Jim root talked about how he buys every ns2 he finds that's older than 2004, when they stopped using lead solder.. He swears it makes a difference

3) My lp is the only one that gets a buzz... I've tried, but can't track down the source (open to trouble shooting tips), I changed the whole wiring to a jonesy kit and still have a slight buzz... But it's only a problem on really high gain. It goes quiet when I touch the strings or bridge, so that's not the motivation for looking at all...

4) dickjonesify - get the amp fixed, I had my tremolux wired to a 3prong and it ended that hum for me, so get the amp looked at

5) tuners used to be boring, but between the pitch black and the polytune, noise gates took the boring cake.... I bought the joyo version if the pitch black... Seriously, how is there not a lawsuit on this pedal?

Re: Chain -gate... should be after any and all dirt, but it would probably **** with any modulation, reverb or delay ( which should be in the loop if you have one) but if you don't, they should be after the gate... That's my thought, anyway.. Only thing I'm not sure about is wah... Which is usually early in the chain...

Btw, compressors are boring as hell too.. That's one I never understood