Noise Gate anyone?...

[Gas Hed]

But not for noise, well, not the hum or static kind. Is anybody using a Noise Gate to clean up their playing? Meaning, little things like unwanted string slides, touching other strings during solos and such. I'm having a hard time believing that recording artists are as clean as they are in the studio. There has got to be some noise gate action going on. How about the live players with pro rigs???

 

[stargazer747]

I use one, last pedal on my preamp signal chain just before the amp’s input. Playing with high gain amps and a medium overdrive added to tighten the tone up will generate plenty of noise and the noise gate makes it all quiet when you stop playing. I have two I swap between the MXR Smartgate M135 and the Electro-Harmonix Silencer. They work wonders.

 

[Thorsday]

Fortin Zuul + Roach. Easy as all get out to dial in. As a Djenty effect... It can be used artistically.

 

[Studio Owner]

For certain styles of metal I use a Noise Gate designed by a guy named Freedom Energy (not joking, that is his name). Not sure he was a website, but it is by far the best I've ever used. I don't really use it to filter noise, it is a tightening, chug enhancer.

 

[Blix]

I'm having a hard time believing that recording artists are as clean as they are in the studio.

Many are that clean. Look at Steve Vai live. No noise gate in his rig.

 

[Lamby]

Noise gates don't work like that. They're not selective and won't keep other strings quiet while you're playing. Once the threshold of the noise gate is reached, everything comes through.

 

[Gas Hed]

Noise gates don't work like that. They're not selective and won't keep other strings quiet while you're playing. Once the threshold of the noise gate is reached, everything comes through.

So turn the threshold way up. I’m playing around with the built in gate on my Amplifire 3 Button and getting the desired effect. What are the pros using in studio/stage?

 

[ndparse89]

But not for noise, well, not the hum or static kind. Is anybody using a Noise Gate to clean up their playing? Meaning, little things like unwanted string slides, touching other strings during solos and such. I'm having a hard time believing that recording artists are as clean as they are in the studio. There has got to be some noise gate action going on. How about the live players with pro rigs???

I don’t know about cleaning up your playing but I have a heavy compressor sandwiched between 2 noise gates in a loop that makes for a cool effect.

 

[Lamby]

So turn the threshold way up. I’m playing around with the built in gate on my Amplifire 3 Button and getting the desired effect. What are the pros using in studio/stage?

Doesn't that kill all your playing dynamics? I guess if you're playing really high gain all the time and the gate is very fast then that might work, but I'm not aware of any pros that use that approach. Certainly not any of the bands I listen to.

What kind of bands / pros were you thinking of, as examples?

 

[TubeStack]

Improve your technique.

 

[Raimond]

Improve your technique.

Certain styles of playing a noise gate can provide things that technique doesn’t,such as metal
Riffing. Why post if it’s gonna demean the op, and not provide relevant information to their inquiry?

 

[ryanmcdermottguitar]

Certain styles of playing a noise gate can provide things that technique doesn’t,such as metal
Riffing. Why post if it’s gonna demean the op, and not provide relevant information to their inquiry?

To be fair, the OP was talking about using a noise gate to clean up string noise and accidentally touching other strings while playing, not to gate in between chugs or big riffs. This problem could easily be solved by better technique. I didn't think it was meant as a jab.

 

[Raimond]

To be fair, the OP was talking about using a noise gate to clean up string noise and accidentally touching other strings while playing, not to gate in between chugs or big riffs. This problem could easily be solved by better technique. I didn't think it was meant as a jab.

see if the poster I was responding to put it in these terms then I could understand and maybe even agree, but I interpreted the response as condescending and maybe even a bit rude, with this expanded articulation I understand, assuming that was that posters intent, one of the worst things about communication in the form of writing is that tone and intent are often lost in translation.

 

[ryanmcdermottguitar]

see if the poster I was responding to put it in these terms then I could understand and maybe even agree, but I interpreted the response as condescending and maybe even a bit rude, with this expanded articulation I understand, assuming that was that posters intent, one of the worst things about communication in the form of writing is that tone and intent are often lost in translation.

Agreed! I have definitely taken things the wrong way on forums because of lack of context or just miscommunication.

 

[Whiskey N Beans]

I play P90s and a Fuzz Face and have never felt I needed one. I guess I probably sound like a hissy pile of crap but it's a pedal that's no fun and I don't want. They also tend to steal a bit in terms of that initial or final second (or less) of play. To each their own I say. And I mean that.

ETA: I usually play a non-master volume 18 watt Budda. Also play a MV Mesa Boogie Studio .22+

 

[Redsunmack]

Yah a noise gate isn’t really gonna help “little things like unwanted string slides, touching other strings during solos and such” cranking the threshold will only bring other problems in such as tone such and notes not sustaining they way you want them. I’ve stopped using them but I’m not doing crazy gain anymore either.. maybe check out one of those gruv gear Fretwraps.

 

[KFJ]

Studio magic.

 

[LaXu]

But not for noise, well, not the hum or static kind. Is anybody using a Noise Gate to clean up their playing? Meaning, little things like unwanted string slides, touching other strings during solos and such. I'm having a hard time believing that recording artists are as clean as they are in the studio. There has got to be some noise gate action going on. How about the live players with pro rigs???

As mentioned, a noise gate will not help with any of that stuff. You will have better luck adding a string mute like those Fretwraps. You can make your own out of a piece of foam and some velcro strap if you want.

Otherwise your efforts are best left to improving your technique. Especially your muting technique for both of your hands.

I use a noise gate for two things: start/stop metal riffs and at a more moderate setting just muting the sound when I am not playing. When you play anything the gate will open and any noise will also be heard.

 

[burner]

But not for noise, well, not the hum or static kind. Is anybody using a Noise Gate to clean up their playing? Meaning, little things like unwanted string slides, touching other strings during solos and such. I'm having a hard time believing that recording artists are as clean as they are in the studio. There has got to be some noise gate action going on. How about the live players with pro rigs???

No, but close...
Ya' use a compressor to clean up your sloppy playing, fingerpicking, etc.
A noise gate is what ya' use to tighten up your high-gain chug rhythm parts....like Dime.
I dont like them for anything else bcuz they chop off the signal.

But I mean, even if you learn to play they still have their place sometimes....I *think*.

Idk, it often seems the better the player/tone combo, the less pedals they are using...especially comps and gates.

 

[MikeMcK]

A lot of them, especially if they're session-level players, really do play that cleanly. Sometimes the solos you hear on a record are relatively simple compared to what the player can do live, and that's because sometimes a producer will push the musician to keep it clean rather than fancy. I make myself crazy sometimes (especially recording an acoustic) because playback tells me how annoying those string squeaks are. A little bit adds character, but sometimes a simple part takes a few takes as I work on minimizing it.

In a home recording situation, I have done the "slice and dice" thing trying to surgically remove unwanted noises, but you spend a lot more time editing than playing or mixing and you get something that just makes you want to go back until you can play it the way you want it.

The other thing is that a lot of pro-level live playing uses way less gain than most of us seem to think. If your rig has a gain/compression curve that looks like an upside-down 'L', every touch of the string will be noise.