Experience with Noise Gates / noise cancelling pedals etc?

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 12:40 pm

For home recording my P90's give some MAJOR buzzing when using high gain sounds. Just wondering if anyone has had positive experiences in this situation using any kinds of noisegates or hum reduction tech?

I've heard good things about the ISP Noise Decimator and the EHX Hum-debugger is tailor made to remove the 60htz single coil hum.

Here's a demo by Dave Weiner (LEL) of the Hum de-bugger (LEL)

[youtube][/youtube]

Hearing good things about the ISP Noise Decimator G-String (LEL)

[youtube][/youtube]

h8mtv · Post by **h8mtv** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 1:02 pm

I have a Hush pedal I used to use a lot. I never had any complaints about it really. I have heard great things about the ISP but have not used one.

timhulio · Post by **timhulio** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:06 pm

I've never found one that doesn't ruin your sound. That said, I don't use it for metal in which case your sound is already ruined.

We used an EH Hum Debugger in Berlin where the electrics were hum-tastic, and an MXR smart gate. They're clever things, but neither preserve your clean sound very well.

h8mtv · Post by **h8mtv** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:08 pm

Is your guitar well shielded? I have had lots of funky old guitars that were much, much improved by opening them up and giving them a good shielding.

Post by **Doog** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:57 pm

h8mtv wrote: opening them up and giving them a good shielding.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 9:03 pm

timhulio wrote:I've never found one that doesn't ruin your sound. That said, I don't use it for metal in which case your sound is already ruined.

They're clever things, but neither preserve your clean sound very well.

This.

Noise Gates work for me with a heavily processed Metal sound but on a clean setting they are horrible. I usually look at upgrading pups or shielding, if that isn't an option I just live with it.

I read a Dave Gilmour book and his tech tried everything on one of his Strats, even 'noiseless' EMG 's. In the end they gave up and accepted it is a compromise.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 11:33 pm

Don't buy the noise decimator as presumably it would only remove one tenth of the noise, which would be insufficient for your needs.

Misuse of the word decimate is probably my all time favorite annoying language gripe.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 11:42 pm

BacchusPaul wrote:Don't buy the noise decimator as presumably it would only remove one tenth of the noise, which would be insufficient for your needs.

Misuse of the word decimate is probably my all time favorite annoying language gripe.

Marcus Crassus approves of this critique

James · Post by **James** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 11:55 pm

BacchusPaul wrote:Don't buy the noise decimator as presumably it would only remove one tenth of the noise, which would be insufficient for your needs.

Misuse of the word decimate is probably my all time favorite annoying language gripe.

There's a Jasper Carrot gameshow, I think called Golden Balls, which has a scenario where by making a random choice you can reduce the prize fund by 90%. Someone involved with the show, possibly Jasper himself, got the concept of decimation backwards and any time I've seen the show Jasper says it will 'literally decimate' the prize fund. You'd think that after the first time somebody involved with making the show would have picked up on it but it seems to be the case that because it says deci and involves the number 10 that it must be right. But then, I think it is also on ITV so there's no accounting for standards.

Brandon W · Post by **Brandon W** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 1:30 pm

Oh dave. Noise gates are against everything i stand for. Let the bitch hum and if it's outta control then do what fran said and upgrade. You will never ever see me with a rig that includes a noise gate unless it's something wrong with the house sound or something is broken and there is no other alternative. I don't own one so i'd have to borrow one i guess. I'd bet a decent p90 would be the same price as a decent noise gate anyways.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 2:04 pm

brandonwinmill wrote:Oh dave. Noise gates are against everything i stand for. Let the bitch hum and if it's outta control then do what fran said and upgrade. You will never ever see me with a rig that includes a noise gate unless it's something wrong with the house sound or something is broken and there is no other alternative. I don't own one so i'd have to borrow one i guess. I'd bet a decent p90 would be the same price as a decent noise gate anyways.

Haha live i wouldn't mind but I'm sat in my tiny bedrrom surrounded by all kinds of electrics that make thos 90's buzz severely for home recording!

You're right though, I may as well save the money and just buy the Kinman Noiseless p90s....

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:14 pm

I had the EHX Hum Debugger when I lived in a shit old house with grounding problems. It worked but added a slight metallic echo to my sound. Would not recommend. Save ur $$ and just upgrade.

Dillon · Post by **Dillon** » Sat Nov 22, 2014 12:00 am

Was going to start a thread on this subject, but found this one. I guess the general consensus here is that noise suppressors are awful and kill tone no matter what? It's really that bad? I heard great things about the Hum Debugger, so reading this thread is a bit disappointing. Hum of any kind, even 60-cycle hum, drives me NUTS. I play some pretty high gain stuff with my single coil guitars---not like brutal death metal, but heavier than most people would think when you look at a Jaguar. Plus, many of the places to play around here are old, they don't have very good grounds on the outlets, and that makes it even worse.

YuriK · Post by **YuriK** » Sat Nov 22, 2014 12:14 am

They sound pretty bad. Isolated power is really the only way to eliminate some noise without sacrificing tone.

Dillon · Post by **Dillon** » Sun Nov 23, 2014 9:42 pm

I have a power conditioner, I don't know what it does (if anything) as far as isolation goes though.

What about something like this? Claims it's not a noise gate and won't kill tone...

http://www.rocktron.com/hush-super-c.html

Post by **Doog** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 1:51 pm

Dillon wrote:Was going to start a thread on this subject, but
[youtube][/youtube]

Dillon · Post by **Dillon** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 6:11 pm

^ A classic. Still have the cartridge that came with my Genesis in...1990, I think?

Anyway. I found a used Super C at a good price. Tried it out and picked it up. It DOES have a gate, if you want to use it, but it's not just that. The noise filter itself is excellent. A minor change in tone, yes, but it's nothing that can't be recovered by changing the EQ on the amp a bit. It doesn't add any of the digital garbage that pedals like the Hum Debugger do. Plus, speaking of classic video games, the name reminds me of one of my favorites.

[youtube][/youtube]