Need help on choice of Noise Suppression pedals

[Leong]

Hi Guys,

I'm currently new to this so would need input from you guys so I can learn better and have a better understanding on such a subject. I'm deciding between different noise suppression pedals but can't seem to decide which would be more suitable for my set-up.

Here are my choices for the Noise Suppression pedals:
1) MXR M-135 Smart Gate
2) MXR M-195 Noise Clamp
3) Electro Harmonix Hum Debugger

Here is my setup:

Using a Sterling Silo 30(Guitar) --> Vox Big Ben Overdrive --> ProCo RAT 2 Distortion --> Boss FRV-1 Fender Reverb --> Boss DD-7 with Boss FS-5U Footswitch --> Usually a tube amp(Location Dependent)

I'm currently planning to get a JHS Mini Foot Fuzz and an MXR Phase 90 for additional pedals in the future

I play songs that are usually from Switchfoot, FOB and Foo Fighters - Just to give you a general feel or understanding on where my gain settings would usually be at for my setup. I'm hardly a metal person.

Would wish to hear the advices from you guys on which pedals would be suitable and even versatile for me to play on both high, medium and low gain settings. I usually straddle between low and even medium gain settings when I play different songs, but it would be good if I can cover high gain settings too! I would not mind other recommendations of Noise Suppression pedals also, so long as I receive input from you, I appreciate it!

Thanks!

 

[Vax]

Hey there,

I hope you don't mind if I use the terms "noise gate" and "noise suppression" interchangeably. Noise in guitar rigs is always a tricky thing to get around because of the multiplicity of contributing factors. In my experience, the two sources of noise that are within your control are the guitar and the pedals used.

With guitars, we'd ideally want grounded electronics and hum-free pickups. A noise gate at the front of the chain will address problems introduced by the guitar. This is especially useful for strats and single-coil guitars that buzz like crazy (due to "vintage specs"). I've seen people use the EHX hum debugger or the MXR smart gate for this purpose.

With pedals, you'll have to determine if the noise generated from engaging the pedal is tolerable to you. The usual culprits are distortion and boost pedals (you mentioned you have a ProCo rat, so I think you know what I mean). Having a noise gate after the ODs and distortion will help to tame the noise, and I personally like the ISP Decimator for this purpose. The Boss NS-2 does a great job here too.

So for a linear signal chain, you could consider:

Guitar -> Noise gate 1 -> OD/Distortion -> Noise gate 2

One big problem with a linear signal chain is that when you disengage the OD/distortion, you also have to disengage Noise Gate 2, otherwise your clean tone will be gated with the same intensity, killing dynamics. For mild OD/distortion, this is no problem, but if you're looking for Dream Theater-level distortion, you might want to consider getting a simple 2-channel looper. While the looper doesn't help to kill noise, it removes the noisy pedals from the chain when you don't need them, and that may actually be the better solution.

Hope this helps!

 

[subversion]

EHX's Humdebugger- personally, i'd avoid this one. problematic & ironically, it generates hum.

not on your list but i'd recommend you check them out:

*ISP Decimator
*Rocktron Hush
*Mooer Noise Killer

i find noise suppression essential because i have a gain/ drive overdose in my set up. it's now integral to my playing technique so any let down in this aspect, it'll affect my playing capacity. i've settled with something that works best for me, a bonus to it all is that it didn't cost me a bomb:

i've dabbled with noise suppression quite a bit & basically have settled down with placement issues (where does it belong in one's signal chain), it's down to these: 1) first in line 2) between drive pedals 3) last in line 4) through amp's FX loop i have no fixed applications, it's all a matter of need assessment- what does the noise gate need to do? suppress noise at the start? noise coming from intense distortion pedals? noise from an accumulative gain push? extraneous noise from the amp? this happens because sometimes we don't have a fixed setup especially so during external performances when the gear provided are highly likely not to our specifications.

please bear in mind that noise gates affect tone- do NOT let anyone tell you different. best to hear these pedals in action & trust your ears

noticed that you have an OD & a distortion in your line-up which would be chief culprits to noise generation.

 

[oldskoolstreet]

I have the Yellow Guyatone Noise Reduction, and it doesn't do justice better than Rocktron's HUSH.

Hush is the best in all aspects, tone doesn't get lost or diminished that much if you know what EQ you control.

 

[huxleyrittman]

Hey man, honestly I wouldn't worry about getting yourself a noise gate.
I play in a rock band (The Cave, check us out! www.facebook.com/thecaveofficial) and we play some pretty heavy stuff now and then. I use an EHX metal muff, a boss adaptive distortion, and a T-Rex Hobo drive, to give you an idea of the kind of high gain I use. I used to think I really needed a noise gate so I picked up a Boss NS-2. It was a bit useless. It would cut down on amp feedback at home when I was playing in reserved conditions, but on stage it had no effect, so I sold it. Since then I've worked on techniques to avoid feedback and I've been fine ever since. Things like muting a pickup you don't need so that it can work as a killswitch, turning off distortion pedals as soon as they aren't needed, etc. All the little things you can do to avoid buzz, do them.
What I'm saying is, from my experiences I've discovered that you're pretty much better off finding out how to cut down on feedback without having a noise gate. Plus, without a noise gate you have more space and power for other pedals :3

Hope this helps!

- - - Updated - - -

One more thing I forgot to mention, noise gates kill your sustain! So if you plan on getting one, at least be sure to turn it off during solos!

 

[subversion]

noise gate/ reduction isn't about feedback elimination per se...

try what works for you, TS

 

[grin.guitar]

Just to offer a different perspective on the subject...

IMHO you should also consider using OD/distortion pedals that are relatively noise/hum-free when engaged at unity gain settings... Something like the 7th Heaven for instance... Awesome rock tones from the 7th yet it's also very quiet when it's engaged and you're not playing...

Keeps the tone "pure" without having to use a noise supressor. If you don't use a whole lot of gain (from what you described) this may be feasible. Also, certain ODs pair better with certain distortion pedals without giving too much noise. Rather than using "noisy" pedals and having to cut down that noise down the chain. More pedalboard space too to add another pedal too .

Hum free single coils are available on the market too if that's where the noise is coming from...

Select "quieter" ODs/distortion pedals, and add a buffer to the start of your pedal chain too. I believe your overall tone will improve if you do that. That's been what works well for me.

 

[kernelspy]

One big problem with a linear signal chain is that when you disengage the OD/distortion, you also have to disengage Noise Gate 2, otherwise your clean tone will be gated with the same intensity, killing dynamics. For mild OD/distortion, this is no problem, but if you're looking for Dream Theater-level distortion, you might want to consider getting a simple 2-channel looper.

This is truth. What the guy said above.

Noise gate/ suppressors in my opinion should and will only be used for heave driven distortion sounds. But if you will ask me, I will just simply change that RAT you have there. I have numerous RATS (Big box, Made in China/ US small box) and they all give the same issue, NOISE in our live sound... pretty awesome sound though.

 

[oldskoolstreet]

I agree with all here... And that was the reason i have started to play without Noise Gates.. My Hush Pedal was sold long ago cos it did not let my other pedals perform in the way they could..

There are Pros and Cons here. If you do know how to play with EQs, even an equalizer can solve your trouble.. Best is to do your fav tweaks on high gain pedals. That's the way to go without getting your guitar tone sucked by a gator

 

[mightyboy88]

if you wanna get rid of hum/white noise without getting a noise suppressor, you can consider "purifying" your setup by using an isolated and filtered power supply. this will allow you to eliminate ground loops in your pedal setup which can contribute hugely to feedback issues in live scenarios.

for your current setup i think you can have a look at the cioks schizophrenic power supply unit although its 75mA current output per channel may not be sufficient for your vox big ben

to be honest, going for an isolated power supply will help but it will not eradicate the problem. I generally found that when playing loud in open venues, a lower gain setting results in a similar amount of saturation you can get when playing high gain at soft volumes.