Noise Gate Suggestions

[wharding]

Hi all,

I am looking to build a noise gate but I am not sure which circuit to clone since I have never used a gate before. I have looked at the MXR build but there seems to be a lot of problems getting it to work right (according to others that have built it). Can anyone recommend a good circuit for a noise gate build? Is the MXR circuit worth all the trouble it seems to present?

Thanks for your suggestions.

Wharding

[Mark Hammer]

What do you need it to eliminate with it?  Answering that will help determine what properties you want/need and what circuit will come closest to doing that.

[kvb]

if you use the right parts there is no trouble getting the noise gate to work.
The problem - and the reason for all of the post about having trouble -  is that if it isn't working the first time you fire it up, it is difficult to track down the reason.

if you buy a PCB and all of the correct components and make zero mistakes in the build, it should work.

I would not advise anyone to try this as a first build

I built one and never boxed it up because I decided that for all of the trouble it did not really do anything exceptional.

Many people go without a noise gate and instead just use a volume pedal or a mute switch to kill the hiss while not playing.

[wharding]

What do you need it to eliminate with it?  Answering that will help determine what properties you want/need and what circuit will come closest to doing that.

lot of hiss when going into the High Gain channels of a Marshall JVM410. Use both single coil and humbucker pickups. looking for someting to set and forget.

WH

[anchovie]

Does the amp still hiss if you turn up the gain and volume but have no lead plugged into the input? This will help decide whether you need a gate in your pedal chain or in the amp's FX loop.

[Mark Hammer]

What do you need it to eliminate with it?  Answering that will help determine what properties you want/need and what circuit will come closest to doing that.

lot of hiss when going into the High Gain channels of a Marshall JVM410. Use both single coil and humbucker pickups. looking for someting to set and forget.

WH

That sort of situation normally calls for a noise filter rather than a noise gate.  Think of a noise filter as being a bit like a specially-adapted auto-wah that automatically trims back on the treble when the signal level declines to a point where the hiss is going to become noticeable. The good side of a noise filter is that the brunt of your signal remains intact, with no unintended chopping off of the attack or decay of the note, just to be able to keep the noise at bay.

That being said, objectionable hiss levels can result from a lot of things that are very easily addressed without taking on the risk posed by gates and other things that turn on and off and make your playing sound a little off in the process.  Probably best to analyse your entire signal chain first and identify any potential weak links before leaping into gate/filter territory.  For instance, do you use particularly long cables?  Is there any possibility to improve the signal-to-noise ratio ahead of the amp by goosing the clean signal a bit?  Do you leave any higher-gain devices on a lot of the time (overdrives, etc.,.....as if you'd need one with that amp, but I had to ask anyway)?

Alternatively, is it possible that you can simply get away with sticking a volume pedal in the effects loop, and just turning down when you need to?

[cathexis]

Check out my #1 most impopular thread ever 

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=71928.0

It needs some tweaking, and a few of the resistor values on the tonepad layout just do not work, but the info you need to make it work is in the link, and the link within it.
Mine came out a lot better than I had ever expected. Then again, it's a noise gate, a tool. No real wow factor...

Don't miss the sound clip in my gallery! 

LARS

[MetalGuy]

Check ou the EPFM noise gate - it's easy to build, always works and no tweaking is necessary.