Finding the best Noise Gate pedals to add to your guitar effect pedalboard is a challenge because there are a bunch of different great options. Having a proper noise reducer effect pedal is important because it clears your signal of unwanted hiss and static noise.
There are any number of reasons why your guitar setup creates noise. Your pickups might be really hot. Your amp might be too loud. It could even be from one or two of your pedals down your pedal chain that don’t have real bypass on them. Regardless how the noise or hiss gets into your signal, it’s there.
A noise-gate pedal will helps you block and eliminate the annoying, unwanted sounds coming from your other gear, so your true tone can come through.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular noise reduction pedals on the market today!
| NoiseGate Pedal | Guitar Pedal Rating | Features | Price Check |
|---|---|---|---|
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ISP Technologies Decimator II |
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Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor |
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MXR M135 Smart Gate |
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TC Electronic Sentry Noise Gate |
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Donner Noise Killer |
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Behringer Noise Reducer NR300 |
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Click Below to Compare the Top Noise-Gate Guitar Pedals in 2020
Contents
- 1 Click Below to Compare the Top Noise-Gate Guitar Pedals in 2020
- 1.1 ISP Technologies Decimator II Noise Reduction Pedal
- 1.2 Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor Pedal
- 1.3 MXR M135 Smart Gate Noise Gate Pedal
- 1.4 TC Electronic Sentry Noise Gate Pedal
- 1.5 Donner Noise Killer noise gate Guitar pedal
- 1.6 Behringer Noise Reducer NR300 Ultimate Noise Reduction Instrument Effects Pedal
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here is a list of the best noise gate effect pedals that will eliminate your guitar hiss and make your guitar and effect pedals sound clean.
- ISP Technologies Decimator II Noise Reduction Pedal
- Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor Pedal
- MXR M135 Smart Gate Noise Gate Pedal
- TC Electronic Sentry Noise Gate Pedal
- Donner Noise Killer noise gate Guitar pedal
- Behringer Noise Reducer NR300 Ultimate Noise Reduction Instrument Effects Pedal
ISP Technologies Decimator II Noise Reduction Pedal
Specs, features, and benefits
The ISP Technologies Decimator is probably the best-selling noise gate pedal ever.
It’s just as simple as it needs to be. Reduces the noise completely, no matter what kind of gear you are using.
The pedal has only one control knob – the Threshold. Footswitch for On/Off, Input/Output and Link in/Link out. The Link in/Lin out serves to link two Decimators at once.
One on the front and one on the back of your chain for the ultimate noise gating experience.
Pros and Highlights
- Stiff built, bulletproof – If you are a musician on the road-type of guitarist, this pedal is a great choice for your rig. It will take the beatings!
- Noise reduction – The Decimator stands for one of the best in this world when it comes to noise gate pedals
- Affordable – This pedal is a great bang for the buck. You will be amazed!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- There are none – It’s really hard to find a user of the Decimator that is not satisfied.
No tone loss, kills the noise, it’s affordable and will take the beatings.
Bottom Line
This is truly the best of the best when it comes to noise gate pedals. It’s simple and easy to use. It’s not overpriced. Its stiff built, and it’s a great companion on the road.
The Decimator is the end of the story to many guitar players when it comes to noise gate pedals.
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor Pedal
Specs, features, and benefits
The Boss pedals are the “boss” in the world of guitar effects for a long time now.
Needless to say, their products pretty much are always the same, stiff built, high-quality, affordable and durable.
The NS-2 pedal is considered to be one of the best Noise gate pedals ever by many guitar players. The pedal has three control knobs on it: Threshold, Decay and Reduction/Mute.
The Threshold control is what you can find amongst all the other Noise Gate pedals. It eliminates the noise, sets the threshold of the noise.
The Decay control knob is the one that controls how fast or slow the noise gate will decay after the note played.
The Reduction/Mute control knob is basically an on/off switch.
The pedal has Input/Output and Send/Return option too! The Send/Return is for chaining two NS-2 pedals which is great for getting the most out of fuzz or distortion pedals.
Pros and Highlights
- Gets the job done! – Well, this is what you need in your pedal chain right? This pedal will eliminate the noise of your other pedals
- Affordable – Boss are pedals that won’t break the bank
- Durable – You can use this pedal for decades
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Try it, before you buy it – While some guitar players are strongly recommending this pedal, others are complaining for not working the way they wanted. It really depends on the style you are playing and the other gear that you are using. So, try it first
Bottom Line
The Boss NS – 2 is pretty much the standard when it comes to Noise Gate pedals.
However, technology is advancing every day, and some players think that this pedal is very much outdated. We suggest that you should try this pedal with your gear and then decide if it’s for you. Some players are saying that this pedal works miracles for them, and others say it’s just not working at all with their gear.
MXR M135 Smart Gate Noise Gate Pedal
Specs, features, and benefits
A bit different from the other noise gate pedals, the MXR Smart Gate pedal gives you more control over your noise reducing. The pedal is built in a hard case and looks very simple from the outside. Also, it’s simple to use, gets the job done and it’s pretty cheap for what provides you with.
The Smart Gate has a Threshold control knob, a “Hi trigger range” button and a three-way switch. The three-way switch allows you to choose from three types of noise gate: Hiss, Mid and Full. This thing is making the pedal versatile and useful with many different setups.
The “Hi Trigger range” button is located on the left side of the pedal and is making the pedal even more precise in the noise gating.
Pros and Highlights
- Versatile – The three-way switch and the Hi trigger range gives a lot of versatility, which makes this pedal suitable for many players
- Affordable – This pedal is pretty affordable, considering the versatility that comes with it
- True bypass – The pedal is completely quiet when unengaged
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Tone loss and not very durable – Many players have reported these issues with Smart Gate.
However, even more of the players reported satisfaction with this unit.
Bottom Line
The MXR Smart Gate pedal is one of the most versatile noise gate pedals on the market. While some players reported huge tone loss and fail in durability, others are completely satisfied and can’t imagine playing without this pedal.
It’s a pretty cheap pedal in comparison with some other noise gate pedals having in mind that this pedal is much more versatile. We strongly recommend that you should try this pedal before buying it.
TC Electronic Sentry Noise Gate Pedal
Specs, features, and benefits
When it comes to guitar pedals, TC Electronic is truly one of the best quality companies out there. All of their guitar pedals are high-quality built, versatile and reliable.
The TC Electronic Sentry is one of the best Noise Gate Pedals ever because of its versatility and ability to make the noisiest pedals silent.
The pedal has three control knobs: Threshold, Damp, and Decay. These controls are pretty straightforward and precise.
The Sentry has a three-way toggle switch that allows the player to choose from the options:
Gate, Toneprint, and Hiss.
The Gate and Hiss are pretty much straightforward, but the Toneprint is something worth more than just mentioning. With the Toneprint switched on, the Sentry is getting much more information from the three control knobs on the pedal and allows the player enormous control over the noise-gating.
This makes the Sentry unique and very versatile.
The pedal is true bypass. Also, it has the Send/Return inputs to make quiet even the noisiest pedalboards in the world.
Pros and Highlights
- Precise – This is one of the most precise noise gate pedals ever
- Easy to use – The Sentry is very versatile, but still very easy and simple to use
- True Bypass – Completely silent when unengaged
Cons and Potential Flaws
- There are none – Although some players have reported issues like tone loss, we think this is probably due to the other gear that they are using.
Bottom Line
The TC Electronics is surely set very high on this list. And with a reason.
It’s durable, it’s versatile, it’s high quality, it’s unique and reliable.
Almost 90 percent of the players who own this pedal are highly satisfied, which is pretty amazing when it comes to guitar pedals. This is great for many different kinds of guitarists, including the high-gain ones. Great pedal!
Donner Noise Killer noise gate Guitar pedal
Specs, features, and benefits
Donner is one of those companies that are famous for their cheap, good quality guitar pedals. The small design of this box is kind of a signature for the company.
Don’t let the size fool you! This could be the perfect pedal for you. It costs a little and depending on what gear you are using, it could make the perfect fit for your pedalboard.
The Noise Killer has one control knob, Threshold and a two-way switch that lets you choose between hard or soft noise gate. It’s true bypass pedal.
Pros and Highlights
- Cheap! – This is one of the cheapest noise gate pedals on this list, yet it kills the noise
- Great performance! – You will be amazed how this little thing performs, considering its price
- Easy and simple to use – The pedal has only one control knob and one two-way switch…
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Dies after some time – Some players reported that the pedal stopped working after some time playing with it
Bottom Line
Well, this pedal is probably not for the professional, working-type musician. However, if you are a bedroom guitar player, the Noise Killer will probably do the job. The thing that makes the guitarists decide to buy this pedal is the price. It’s very cheap, and a lot of them are satisfied with the gating this pedal provides. You should probably try one of these! And even if it breaks after some time, your head won’t hurt.
Behringer Noise Reducer NR300 Ultimate Noise Reduction Instrument Effects Pedal
Specs, features, and benefits
Behringer is a company widely known for the affordable prices and the decent quality of their products.
If you don’t have a big budget and you still want to kill some noise, the NR300 might be the right choice.
The pedal has some decent features for the price: Threshold and Decay control knobs, and a two-way switch for choosing between Reduction and Mute mode.
Also, the pedal has Send/Return inputs too, which makes it pretty amazing considering the price of it.
The casing is made out of plastic, and it’s very light.
Pros and Highlights
- Cheap! – This pedal is very cheap! You can either buy yourself a new pair of socks or a noise gate pedal
- Decent quality – the NR300 has some decent quality considering the price
- Reduces noise – This might be obvious, but most of the socks won’t even think about reducing noise in your pedalboard:)
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Cheap! – The pedal is built in a plastic case, it might work wonders for some guitarists and be a nightmare for others…
Bottom Line
If you are a beginner in the world of guitars and guitar gear, you have a low budget and you want to kill some of the noise caused by your other gear, this pedal might work for you.
Maybe it will die after some time or generate even more noise, maybe it will suck your tone but maybe you will learn an important lesson. The NR300 is not recommended for professional musicians!
However, you should definitely try it out at your local guitar shop. Maybe it will work for your demands. Sometimes this pedal is pure magic… Depends on what gear you are using. And if it breaks after some time of using, you can still buy a new pair of socks 🙂
What We Recommend and Why
The ISP Technologies Decimator II Noise Reduction Pedal is truly the best of the best if you ask us on the topic. We had a really hard time finding guitarists that own this pedal and are not satisfied. It’s built very well; it’s not overpriced and most importantly kills noise!
The Decimator is a great pedal that will serve even the most demanding guitar players and their pedalboards. Amazing pedal!
