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Noise Gate(s) - Is there a difference


themetallikid
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Between the 'Input Gate' that is hardwired into every preset and the 'Noise Gate' you can add under the Dynamics Menu?

 

Is one better to use than the other?  

 

On my presets i'm working on, I tend to have the "Input Gate" set to around -70db and it does an ok job, but still leaves some background noise......by dropping the 'Noise Gate' in front of the Amp Block, even with -96db (minimum it will allow) it cleans everything up nicely but doesnt seem to hamper my sustain or anything...

 

Am I better leaving the input gate 'off' and just putting a Noise Gate?  Not sure if they process things differently.....

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Usually the -70 is a decent setting for at home, didn't know if adding a 2nd one with a lesser setting was 'better' than just increasing the 'input gate' to a higher setting.  Sometimes those 'input gates' have some extra processing that gets added to them

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Typically, multiple noise gates in series aren't going to make a difference - the one with the most sensitive threshold (i.e. closest to 0dB) is going to kick in and what went before and after don't matter. There are some edge cases with release/attack times and the like, but in general, one gate is enough.

 

I would personally expect to have to set the gate somewhere between -60dB and -40dB for it to be of much use, as someone who plays with high output pickups and high gain tones. My EMGs will be sending well over -60dB if I bump the guitar even a little bit, even with the pad engaged.

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Ok, I'll try bumping the settings up a bit, There have been some struggles with gates from our soundguy so I think I've kept them as minimal as possible because of what I'm hearing from him, but if my settings are considered 'too low' (I also play with EMG's, then I know the main PA issues are not attached to my gate settings then and will tighten them a bit.

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I'll want to revisit this, but a while back I was experimenting, and found that I preferred using a gate block just before the amp, after drive bump blocks and such.

For my experience, it seemed to be a bit more 'transparent' to my dynamics in that position than using the input gate at similar settings.

I'd actually set up a test patch with a footswitch assignment that swapped them on/off to compare directly.

 

Just a bit of extra input on the subject, since it came up.

 

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1 hour ago, MonkeyXT said:

I'll want to revisit this, but a while back I was experimenting, and found that I preferred using a gate block just before the amp, after drive bump blocks and such.

For my experience, it seemed to be a bit more 'transparent' to my dynamics in that position than using the input gate at similar settings.

I'd actually set up a test patch with a footswitch assignment that swapped them on/off to compare directly.

 

Just a bit of extra input on the subject, since it came up.

 

 

I always put them first in the chain, just out of habit from years of pedals.... but I suppose it doesn't much matter if it gets the job done and you like what you hear. The only place you don't want them  is after any FX  that would  have the trails cut off when the gate closes... that aside, put it wherever it works.

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RIght, I definitely get the trails thing,

 

but there is a great difference in the noise of my noisy presets when I have the "Input" gate set to say -60db vs. having the Input gate at -74db, and then adding a Noise Gate block just before the drive/amp or between them with a -90db setting.  It sounds cleaner using both in that way.  I'll have to experiment without the Input block to see if its doing enough, but I hear a difference, and I'll work with it. 

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If you have a noise floor lower than -90db I'm surprised you can hear any noise! That is a tiny level of noise, and there would be very little point trying to eliminate it.  The mere fact that there is a difference when you change the input gate from -74db to -60db implies that there is a noise level somewhere between those figures.  If you then increase that noise by amplifying it through a drive pedal, the noise floor will likely be higher than -60db, and a subsequent -90db gate will let it all through.  There is a reason that the default is -48db.

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