Anyone have a simple noise gate build?

[Mark Hammer]

Noise gates can be actuated by the input signal itself, OR by something else entirely different.  That something different is the "key in".

So what good is it?  Two examples:

1) If you listen to the David Bowie tune "Let's Dance", the horns sound sorta like horns, but sorta not.  During production, producer Nile Rogers run the mixed-down horns through a gate, and used his guitar strumming to gate the horns in guitar-like fashion.

2) If a person wanted to stick a gate at the very end of the signal chain where the most noise had accumulated, but use the envelope of the original input signal, where the dynamics had the greatest contrast, they could run the guitar into a splitter.  One output from the splitter would go to the rest of the pedal chain, and the other would go to the key in, so that the original guitar dynamics could be used for controlling the gate.

[moosapotamus]

Just to add to Mark's description... The key input is the input to the envelope trigger for the noise gate. When you use the key input, it becomes much less about noise gating and more about one input signal triggering (opening the gate) for another input signal. Another application example... split your guitar signal to your amp and to the key input, then plug an AM radio station into the noise gate input. Then whenever you play the guitar, the gate opens and you will also hear the AM radio. Stop playing guitar and the gate shuts and the AM radio gets muted, too.

~ Charlie

[El Heisenberg]

you guys are awesome. this place is awesome!

[philbinator1]

I reckon!  Best diy forum, surely?   

[tddy934]

Thanks to everyone that has helped me out with this.
I decided on building the MXR noise gate due to it's sound and it's not that difficult.
I ordered all the parts and will start building it soon. :]

[El Heisenberg]

Well I dunno how to etch PCB boards, so I'm going with perf. I think I'm gunna do the DODfx30.Eventually I'll do the gains tho. And another MXR noise gate too. And then work on something for my drum mics.

[Brymus]

I am waiting for Charlies redesign of the Gains board and will build it...
But good luck on your builds let us know how they come out,Bryan

[El Heisenberg]

I would learn PCB to do this.

[moosapotamus]

I am waiting for Charlies redesign of the Gains board and will build it...
But good luck on your builds let us know how they come out,Bryan

Hey Bryan - I posted my redesign of the Gates NG a few posts above...

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=81918.msg697345#msg697345

... two versions, 1) with +/-15V PSU, 2) with +/-9V PSU.
Also replaced the odd TL075 quad opamp with a pair of duals (TL072 or similar).

The parts list is the same as in the Gains article, plus the additional parts for the PSU. Instead of part numbers, the actual values of the additional parts for the PSU are indicated in the PCB layouts.

If you are waiting for it to be verified, I'm afraid that I have a couple of other projects to finish before I get to this one. But if you want to give it a go, I'd be glad to make a couple of PCB transfer images and post them, too. LMK

El - theres a pretty good photo essay on making PCBs at Tonepad...

http://tonepad.com/photoessay.asp?photoEssayID=10&sequenceNo=1

... definitely check it out.

~ Charlie

[Brymus]

Thanks Chalie IDK how I missed that 
yeah can you post the transfers I definetly want to etch mine.
Now that I have all the stuff its actually cheaper to etch than use perf,and works much better to boot.

El > also look at John Lyons web site he has a very good tut on etching on the cheap.
AND PLEASE dont flush your etchent like Tonepad recomends !!!!! I cant believe he wrote that...
The heavy amounts of copper is VEY BAD for the eco system ,please,please dispose of properly if you do start etching.

[moosapotamus]

Here's the corresponding toner transfer images. Resize the image so the actual board dimensions are 3" x 1.8".





Both are currently UNVERIFIED. Please post if you build it.

~ Charlie

[Brymus]

Thank you for sharing Charlie 
Yeah once I get it done I will post a report and some pics,I am etching for upcoming builds this week so I will throw these in the list.
Again thanks so much for doing a new layout and sharing your work,I REALLY appreciate that.
Bryan

[Jdansti]

I'm new here and hope it's ok to respond more than a year later. I'm hoping the the folks discussing this are still participating in the forum.

I just built the Gaines noise gate, but didn't see this forum until I was finished. I wanted to comment on the R9/R27 issue and hopefully get some troubleshooting help.

First, I tried the circuit with the junction of R9 and R27 grounded as shown on the PCB layout, and then ungrounded as shown on the schematic. I found that when I lifted the ground, the volume went way down and the LED barely lit up. I decided that maybe it should be grounded and Gaines forgot to update the schematic.

My main problem is that the unit distorts the guitar signal when the gate is on.  I tried increasing the value of  C1 to 4.7uf, and that helped the sputtering sound as the gate closes, but not the distortion while the gate is open.  Has anyone else encountered this?  Any suggestions for cleaning up the signal?

[rankot]

My main problem is that the unit distorts the guitar signal when the gate is on.  I tried increasing the value of  C1 to 4.7uf, and that helped the sputtering sound as the gate closes, but not the distortion while the gate is open.  Has anyone else encountered this?  Any suggestions for cleaning up the signal?

Have anyone else built this pedal? Any other distortion experiences? 

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

The mxr noise gate project posted at tonepad works really well.
It has a bad reputation due to some isolated cases where some people couldn't get it to work, my personal suggestion is use a socket for the FET and try some in there, make sure the pinout is right too.

[rankot]

I've found another thread about Gaines Noise Gate here: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=103581.msg1044952#msg1044952

It seems that this schematic contains an error, e.g. R27 and R9 joint shall be connected to pin 1 of threshold pot.

[rankot]

Is using 741 crucial, or I can use TL071 there?

[rankot]

I have finally modelled this with LTspice, and it is quite obvious that original schematic is good - R27 and R9 should be connected only to each other. I would like to share LTspice file for this, but I don't know how to attach a file here besides picture. I have added input buffer to provide necessary amplification, because this gate works on studio signal level.



However, I am still having trouble to make it running in reality.

[half_smith]

I am waiting for Charlies redesign of the Gains board and will build it...
But good luck on your builds let us know how they come out,Bryan

Hey Bryan - I posted my redesign of the Gates NG a few posts above...

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=81918.msg697345#msg697345

... two versions, 1) with +/-15V PSU, 2) with +/-9V PSU.
Also replaced the odd TL075 quad opamp with a pair of duals (TL072 or similar).

The parts list is the same as in the Gains article, plus the additional parts for the PSU. Instead of part numbers, the actual values of the additional parts for the PSU are indicated in the PCB layouts.

~ Charlie

It's been a few years, can anyone share this

[rankot]

I am waiting for Charlies redesign of the Gains board and will build it...
But good luck on your builds let us know how they come out,Bryan

Hey Bryan - I posted my redesign of the Gates NG a few posts above...

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=81918.msg697345#msg697345

... two versions, 1) with +/-15V PSU, 2) with +/-9V PSU.
Also replaced the odd TL075 quad opamp with a pair of duals (TL072 or similar).

The parts list is the same as in the Gains article, plus the additional parts for the PSU. Instead of part numbers, the actual values of the additional parts for the PSU are indicated in the PCB layouts.

~ Charlie

It's been a few years, can anyone share this

If you need original article, here it is: https://docdro.id/GlDO0AQ