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{{Top-Level Crumbs|4}}{{Gear Crumbs|4}}{{Effects Crumbs|3}} '''Noise Gates''' are devices that attempt to minimize noise in the signal. Most focus on muting the signal while you are not playing. They detect the volume level of the inbound signal and compare it to a threshold value which can be dialed in for your guitar, playing style, and setup. If the signal is below the threshold, it is expanded (opposite of [[Compression|compressed]]), reducing its volume. In some cases, devices known as '''expanders''' and noise gates are the same thing; but in practice devices marketed as expanders are usually more configurable similar to, or even a feature of, a compressor. Noise gates typically feature a fixed, high '''expansion ratio''', causing any signal level below the threshold to be silenced. Using a noise gate is a good idea any time your rig produces audible noise and possibly hum while you are ''muting'' your guitar. ''Most'' of the time the source of the noise is the nature of electric pickups, and if heavily ''distorted'', ''compressed'', and/or ''amplified'' create fairly loud noise relative to signal volume. In [[Rock]] and [[Djent]], where the guitars are often highly distorted but also need to abruptly rest, noise gates help create greater contrast between rests and accents. But they can be used in any style that seeks to exterminate inherent noise from pickups or other devices during rests.
== Visualization ==
I like to place my noise gate first in my chain (or behind the wah pedal only). I don't want any devices between the guitar and the gate from compressing or adding noise to the signal, which makes the gate's job that much more difficult.
The only exception to this is with gates like the ISP G-Rack and chained DecimatorII's, which feature multiple inputs. This allows it to be placed first in the signal chain to detect the guitar signal and determine whether the gate should engage or not '''and''' last in the chain for actually gating the signal. This is the best scenario, as everything in the chain is adding noise and any distortion/compression stages in the chain are amplifying that noise. The gate at the end of the chain mutes as much of that as possible, leaving only downstream devices like the power amp to add noise, which is actually far lower than the noise that a saturated distortion pedal or pre-amp produces.
A facsimile of this setup can be done with [[#Multiple Gates|multiple gates]].
The same [[#Dialing it in|advice]] applies to dialing multiple gates as it does one.
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[[Category:Gear]]