Noise gate

A processor that removes very quiet signals entirely, so noise and hum disappear between notes while played passages pass unaffected.

It is a threshold device: anything below the setting is silenced, and anything above passes. That makes it effective for high-gain rigs where the combination of a hot pickup, several pedals and a distorted amp produces an audible hiss and hum whenever the strings are quiet. Set too aggressively it clips the decay of held notes and produces an unnatural chopping sound, and the abruptness of the cut can be softened with hold and release controls.

Example: a heavily distorted rig with no gate hums continuously between riffs, which is why most high-gain players keep one first or last in the chain.

Noise gate

See also