The Quiet Hero of Your Pedalboard

Noise is one of the most frustrating problems guitarists face. Whether it’s hiss, hum, or unwanted buzz, a noisy signal chain can make even the best rig sound unprofessional. That’s where noise gates come in: one of the simplest and most effective tools for keeping your tone clean.

In this guide, we’ll break down what noise gates do, how they work, and where to place them in your pedalboard to get the quietest, most professional results. Whether you're trying to control noisy single coils, tame a high-gain distortion stack, or simply keep your rig quiet on stage, understanding noise gates will transform your signal chain.

What Causes Noise in Your Signal Chain?

Unwanted noise can creep into your rig from multiple places, and understanding the source is the first step toward fixing it. Most guitar noise falls into four main categories:

Electrical Interference

Electrical noise is one of the most common issues, especially in home studios and crowded pedalboards. Fluorescent lights, computer monitors, dimmer switches, refrigerators, and even phone chargers can inject hiss or hum into your signal. Ground loops and cheap power supplies make this even worse, creating constant buzzing that changes depending on the room or outlet you're using.

High-Gain Pedals

Overdrive, distortion, and fuzz pedals naturally amplify everything, including noise. Even a tiny bit of background hiss becomes loud when pushed through multiple gain stages. Stacked gain pedals or aggressive amp distortion can introduce noise that’s impossible to ignore without a noise gate.

Single-Coil Pickups & Environmental Noise

Single-coil pickups are notorious for 60-cycle hum, especially under bright lights or near electronics. Wi-Fi routers, computer screens, and poorly shielded guitar cavities can all increase noise. Humbuckers help, but any pickup can be affected by the environment around you.

Poor Cable Management

Cheap or damaged cables act like antennas for interference. Long cable runs increase resistance and noise, and daisy-chained power supplies often add hiss or hum across your entire pedalboard. Good cables and isolated power supplies make a huge difference in keeping your rig clean.

What Is a Noise Gate and How Does It Work?

A noise gate is a pedal or processor designed to remove unwanted noise by automatically muting your signal when you're not playing. Instead of reducing noise continuously like a compressor or EQ, a noise gate works like an automatic "on/off" switch: it lets your playing come through, but closes the gate when your signal drops below a preset level.

The core idea is simple. When your guitar signal is strong enough, like when you're strumming or picking, the gate stays open and your tone passes through untouched. When the signal gets quiet, between chords, during rests, or when you stop playing, the gate activates and silences any hiss, hum, or buzzing in your chain.

Because noise gates only affect the quiet moments, they're extremely effective at cleaning up high-gain rigs, taming noisy single-coils, and making your signal chain feel tighter and more controlled without sacrificing tone.

Types of Noise Gates

Noise gates come in several designs, each offering different levels of control and transparency. Understanding the main types helps you choose the best option for your rig and playing style.

Simple Threshold Gates

These are the most common stompbox-style noise gates. They feature a single threshold control that determines when the gate opens and closes. They're easy to use and perfect for players who want quick, no-fuss noise reduction. Popular examples include straightforward "set and forget" pedals used in many basic pedalboards.

Multi-Band & Smart Gates

More advanced digital gates analyze your signal across multiple frequency bands, allowing them to clamp down on noise without cutting important detail. These gates are highly precise and great for high-gain players who need aggressive noise control without sacrificing sustain.

Gated Boosts & Gated Distortions

Some pedals combine gain with built-in gating. These designs intentionally create a tight, choppy, almost percussive feel that's popular in metal, industrial, and modern rock. They're not about transparency, they're about character.

Studio-Style Gates in Pedal Form

These offer detailed parameters like attack, release, hold, and sometimes sidechain options. They behave like rackmount studio gates but in a compact pedal format, ideal for players who want full control over how the gate responds.

Noise Gate Vs Noise Suppressor

While the terms are often used interchangeably, noise gates and noise suppressors work differently and serve slightly different purposes.

Noise Gate

A noise gate works like an automatic switch. When your signal drops below a set threshold, such as between notes or during pauses, the gate closes and mutes everything. When you play, it opens instantly, letting your full tone through.

• Best for: High-gain rigs, tight metal rhythms, eliminating noise between phrases.
• Strength: Very effective and precise.
• Trade-off: If set too aggressively, it can cut off sustain or feel "choppy."

Noise Suppressor

A noise suppressor reduces noise continuously rather than cutting it off entirely. It monitors your signal and applies subtle reduction to hiss, hum, or interference even while you're playing.

• Best for: Cleaner rigs, players who want transparency, subtle noise smoothing.
• Strength: Maintains natural sustain and decay.
• Trade-off: Less effective at taming extreme high-gain noise.

Where Should a Noise Gate Go in the Signal Chain?

Noise gate placement has a big impact on how effective it will be. While there's no single "correct" location, most guitarists place their gate based on the type of noise they want to control and how tight they want their rig to feel.

After Gain Pedals (Most Common & Most Effective)

Placing the noise gate after overdrive, distortion, and fuzz pedals lets it clamp down on the noise created by those gain stages.

• Best for high-gain tones
• Removes hiss, hum, and feedback coming from stacked pedals
• Great for rock and metal players who want tight, controlled stops

Before Gain Pedals

Putting a gate before your gain section reduces noise coming from your guitar and pickups, especially useful with single coils.

• Cuts hum before it hits the distortion
• Prevents your gain pedals from amplifying noise even more
• Works well when paired with a second gate after the gain section

In the Effects Loop of Your Amp

Running a noise gate in the effects loop cleans up noise that comes from your amp’s preamp section, including hiss from high-gain amp distortion.

• Ideal for amp-based metal tones
• Extremely effective for modern high-gain heads
• Creates the tightest stop/start effect

Dual-Gate Setups (For Maximum Tightness)

Many metal players use two noise gates:

• Gate #1: Before the gain (tames pickup hum)
• Gate #2: After the gain or in the FX loop (tightens the entire rig)

This setup gives the most precise, surgical noise reduction possible.

Recommended Noise Gate Pedals

Carl Martin Noise Terminator