Need a Noise Gate/Supressor. Advice Required!

[PirateMetalTroy]

I've been looking to get my rig more gig worthy over the next little while. The first addition I want to make to this rig is a noise gate/supressor. Christmas is coming up and it's not a stretch to assume that a small sum is headed my way. I've read up on a lot of options and people's favorites and I've narrowed it down to this:

Boss NS-2 - $100
ISP Decimator - $160
ISP Decimator G-String - $275

I've always said "You get what you pay for". Which leaves me leaning towards the Decimator G, simply because I've heard a lot of AMAZING reviews for it, both versions of it, in fact. While I've heard some mixed reviews about the NS-2, yet everyone seems to have one. My question is, does the price of the G-string justify it's price point, or would the more simplified version be ample for my needs, being as it's really just the start of an organized rig. If i buy the simple decimator, will i find myself wishing I had that extra loop down the road? Something that the NS-2 already has, at 35-65% cheaper.

Other options are open as well, but these two/three seem to be the most common and most praised. Whatever I go will will probably end up undergoing a trial by fire, as my first gig with my new band will be on the 27th of december, leaving just enough time to set it up and tweak it before shipping out to the first gig.

Anyone have any personal experience with either of these?

 

[Necrophagist777]

Off topic kind of, but why does everyone overlook the MXR Smartgate? Same price and sucks much less tone than the NS-2. Works flawlessly with my XXX.

 

[petereanima]

i had the Boss NS-2 and have now the ISP Decimator (simple version, not the G-string). i upgraded to ISP because the NS-2 was doing its job, BUT simply cut too much low end for my taste. also, the point where it worked hwo i wanted was already the point where it cut too much sustain.

the ISP doesnt colour the tone (at least not really hearable), does work perfectly and is not killing my sustain.

i have no experience with the G-string unfortuneately, but i havent felt the need yet to upgrade again, as the normal Decimator works perefect for me!

 

[PirateMetalTroy]

Off topic kind of, but why does everyone overlook the MXR Smartgate? Same price and sucks much less tone than the NS-2. Works flawlessly with my XXX.

That's not off topic at all. I'm totally open to suggestions. The reason I lean towards the ISP is becasue Long & McQuade sells them, and a know a guy who works there who might be able to swing me a deal.

I've also heard a lot of complaints about the NS-2 sucking tone. It's hard to tell if those people just don't know how to set a gate, or if it actually has a problem.

Any comparisons between the MXR and the ISP?

 

[cow 7 sig]

i had the Boss NS-2 and have now the ISP Decimator (simple version, not the G-string). i upgraded to ISP because the NS-2 was doing its job, BUT simply cut too much low end for my taste. also, the point where it worked hwo i wanted was already the point where it cut too much sustain.

the ISP doesnt colour the tone (at least not really hearable), does work perfectly and is not killing my sustain.

i have no experience with the G-string unfortuneately, but i havent felt the need yet to upgrade again, as the normal Decimator works perefect for me!

this.have the same experience with my ns2,love my isp,want to get the g-string

 

[Necrophagist777]

I don't hear any tone suckage from my MXR, but everyone loves their ISP's. I'd say get the ISP if you have the bucks, if you are on a budget get the MXR.

 

[PirateMetalTroy]

With x-mas money, plus my friend at long & mcquade, I'll definitely have the cash for the ISP. Seems like everyone's pretty happy with them. I've yet to hear a bad review.

Anyone got an ISP horror story?

 

[7 Dying Trees]

i invested in the ISP decimator rack, and couldn't be happier, thing works like a charm, is awesome!

If the pedal is anything like it, then it's a winner.

 

[warlock7strEMG]

ive never used the MXR Smartgate(though ive read good things about it) or the ISP Decimator G-string(have read fantastics about), but i have used both the regular ISP Decimator and the Boss NS-2 and out of these 2 the Decimator wins hands down. kills all unwanted feedback with no noticable tone coloration and no sustain loss at all, both of which are issues that the NS-2 tends to have.

the Decimator is also super easy to use, having only one knob to set, whereas the NS-2 tends to be very touchy and take much more time to find the sweet spot with, and even then still doesnt cut out unwanted feedback and noise quick enough(even set right it doesnt "gate" or whatever quick enough)

the main advantage that G-String has over the regular Decimator, from what ive read, is that the G-String processes your signal so precisely that when using it with your gain channel you dont have to turn it off when you switch to another channel, specifically to your clean channel, unlike the regular Decimator and many other noise suppressors. so if this and the ability to use it infront of your amp and in the effects loops at the same time are a big deal to you, then i guess it would be with the extra money.....your call tho

 

[jamesy_pwd]

this might work for you, i dont have it myself, i just use an NS-2, but what you could do, is buy 2 regular decimators and run one out front and one through the loop, it may seem like overkill but if you have a noisy preamp at high gain (which basically all are lol) then your gunna need to kill preamp/effect loop pedal noise, the problem with the g-string pedal, although it has the loop input, it only has one knob, so it may be to much supression for in the loop but not enough out front and visa versa, if you got 2 regular devimators thats $320 by your quotes, just a bit more then $275 for one g-string pedal, and then its cheaper then the pro rack G which is heaps and it does the exact same thing

 

[petereanima]

good point!!

 

[PirateMetalTroy]

My preamp seems pretty quiet, as far as I can tell. It seems more of my problem comes from my guitars at high volume, natural feeback comes WAY too early, and my guitars shriek like demons if i don't have at least one hand on my strings.

I'm petty sure I've decided what I'll do. Look like I'll pick up the g-string. Assuming of course what warlock says is true. It'd be rather nice if I didn't have to tweak it up so i could have a good threshold set, but have to turn it off for clean passages. Set and forget is gonna be the key here i think.

This also seems to correspond with what I've read online about the pro rack and g string being almost the same thing.

It'd be nice if SOMEONE (hint) had both the decimator, and the G-string to a/b them in that regard. If haveing two simple decimators was the same as a prorack, when why does the rack unit cost $500 when $300 worth of pedals do the same job. There's gotta be some advantage to the G-string and pro rack.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

My preamp seems pretty quiet, as far as I can tell. It seems more of my problem comes from my guitars at high volume, natural feeback comes WAY too early, and my guitars shriek like demons if i don't have at least one hand on my strings.

I'm petty sure I've decided what I'll do. Look like I'll pick up the g-string. Assuming of course what warlock says is true. It'd be rather nice if I didn't have to tweak it up so i could have a good threshold set, but have to turn it off for clean passages. Set and forget is gonna be the key here i think.

This also seems to correspond with what I've read online about the pro rack and g string being almost the same thing.

It'd be nice if SOMEONE (hint) had both the decimator, and the G-string to a/b them in that regard. If haveing two simple decimators was the same as a prorack, when why does the rack unit cost $500 when $300 worth of pedals do the same job. There's gotta be some advantage to the G-string and pro rack.

The advantage to the more expensive units like the rack is that it tracks your guitar signal directly. Having 2 Decimators might sound good in theory, but then it's tracking your signal AFTER you put in all the noise from your OD and preamp under high gain situations. You have to crank the threshold, so when you switch to your clean, you're fucked, unless you run a fuck ton of cables and tap dance when you switch to your clean channel.

When you say your guitars shriek when you let go of the strings, are you talking regular old feedback, or do you think you might have a grounding issue? Could always check your wiring and see if you can decrease your noise with the simple touch of a soldering iron. Ground wires come loose from time to time, especially if you wire in your own pickups and suck at soldering like me

 

[PirateMetalTroy]

Nah, it's just regular feedback. That was a bit of an exaggeration on my part. Definitely no grounding issues or hum coming off my EMG's.

From what I understand, you can use a compressor to fight off sustain loss with the noise gates as well. But that's a toy to play with another time. I'm not looking to rig up a pedalboard in one shot. I just want a gate.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

Personally, I'd go with the Pro Rack, because I'm a rack whore. Even if I had a head setup, I would be running a rack for effects and MIDI switching. It all depends on your setup. If you run the G-String, realize that you're going to have to plug into it, then run a cable back to your head, then run a cable from your effects loop BACK to the pedal, then run another one back to your head, as well as power the thing.

You could just leave the pedal on top of your head to simplify wiring, but then you can't switch it off when you want. The whole idea is it's supposed to not kill your sustain on the clean channel, but I've heard that's bullshit. Hard to say really. I run everything MIDI and use the noise gates on the Axe FX so it's all programmed per patch so I have no experience with the ISP stuff.

Are you running any effects now?

 

[PirateMetalTroy]

yeah i have an 8 space rack case with my power conditioner, a behringer ultrafex II, and an A R T Quadra/FX. I can rig up my pedals in the rack case without any issues. No excess cables \m/

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

Then G-String that bitch and slap it in your case.

 

[PirateMetalTroy]

Yeah, it's definitely looking that way, Unless someone comes up with a better alternative.

 

[cycloptopus]

I have the G string because i use my effects loop. It's great. 2 regular Decimators would be overkill. I had the MXR SmartGate and it's cool too, but the G string is so much more accurate and opens and closes so smoothly. One dial is all you need.

 

[PirateMetalTroy]

Bloody hell. I can't find a bad review about the thing, barring of course the reviews that come from people who obviously had no idea how to set/patch it properly.

I guess it's settled then. My thanks to you djentlemen.