Which gate to take?

Liquid22

Liquid22

Inspired
Hi there,

after updating to FW14 I figured out, that with global noise gate -40 db my sound is way richer, punchier and most important more dynamic. It feels even more like real amp. Great! So far so good, but as you can imagine the noise floor is very extreme. So now I have to bring in a noise gate somehow. But which of the 3 different gates in the Axe should I take to keep the great dynamic as good as I can?

I'm kind of confused:

There’s the new global gate which should be set to 0 db . But should I? There wouldn’t be a knob, if It always has to stay on 0db. What can I do with it? What advantages brings it to me, if I use this +- 0db? )

Then there’s the Input noise gate. Till now I mostly used that one to clean up my presets. But it also kills a bit of the dynamic I already described.

And finally, why is there another gate as a block, which I can use in the effect chain? When do I use it? Any advantages to prefer that one?

I know, using a noise gate depends on the individual noise floor of the actual equipment and location, but has anyone in general figured out a good combination of using all of the 3 noise gates?
How do you guys use the gates?

Thanks!
 
Liquid22 said:
There’s the new global gate which should be set to 0 db . But should I? There wouldn’t be a knob, if It always has to stay on 0db. What can I do with it? What advantages brings it to me, if I use this +- 0db? )
Click to expand...
That's not a global noise gate; it's a global noise gate offset. When you adjust that, you adjust the input noise gate in every preset. If you set the global offset at 0, your input noise gate works just as it always did. If you set he global offset to +10, you're turning up the threshold on all your presets by 10 dB. That's because different venues have different amounts of noise.


Liquid22 said:
Then there’s the Input noise gate.
Click to expand...
See above.


Liquid22 said:
And finally, why is there another gate as a block, which I can use in the effect chain? When do I use it? Any advantages to prefer that one?
Click to expand...
Sometimes you want to gate something besides noise.
 
You have some reading to do. ;-)

Each preset has a built-in noise gate. Accessible through Layout > GTE/IN.
You can turn this gate off by turning Threshold until it says OFF, which will save some CPU usage.
This noise gate is often called "global noise gate", which is not entirely correct because it operates per preset, not across all presets.

The Global Noisegate Offset in the Global menu is NOT a separate noise gate. It adjusts the Threshold parameter of the abovementioned preset noisegate, ACROSS ALL PRESETS.
So if preset 1 has Threshold at -80 and preset 2 has it at -75, then setting Global Noisegate Offset at -2 will make preset 1's gate threshold operate at -78, and preset 2's at -73.

Then there's the GTE block. This is a separate noise gate. Which can also operate as a limiter. Sometimes the preset noise gate doesn't suffice because it's at the input of the preset. The GTE can be placed anywhere on the grid. Right after the AMP block is the most logical place, when you're dealing with a very noisy amp.

Edit: Rex already did the work. :)
 
To add to the options, when using a Gate Block, you can select the input source to one of several options. It can use a Row for example, or be pointed at one of the Input jacks etc

I've tended to gravitate towards this approach so the Amp gets an un-gated input - most useful for lower volume settings on the guitar itself. If you're an 'always on 10 with the guitar controls' kind of player, then the front end gate would be the better option as that keeps the Global offset in play (unless you're getting into special gate applications that is)
 
Ok! Now I get it !!! Thanks

…and the 0 db-thing makes a lot more sense to me.

So just to see if I got it right:
The global Noisegate Offset now gives me more room/freedom to cope with the general input noise floor. So just like you all explained already: That’s because the global Noisegate Offset and the built-in noise gate “work together”.

But there’s still a question: WHY the new global Noisegate Offset anyway? Does anyone missed something? I mean you always were able to turn the gate off, if you wanted to. And on the other hand you were able to turn it all the way up until every noise got killed.

For me the only explanation till now is to fine tune things und find the lowest gate level.
Then it could be something like this:

1. Turn all the built-in noise gates of your presets to -99db (not off)
2. Find the preset with the lowest noise floor
3. Turn up the global Noisegate Offset until the preset in 2.) has no more noise floor und you’re satisfied with the result.
4. Turn up every built-in noise gates of your other presets until the noise floor individually disappears
5. Enjoy a minimum noise gate activity and maximum of sound dynamics

How do you guys see that?
 
As Rex said, sometimes you may have a noisier stage that needs a bit more control. It's just another option and a quick way to handle an amendment across the board, hence 'Global'
 
I putzed around with this last night ... after reading the release notes, I assumed the noisegate would be quieter after the upgrade ... not noisier. Easy enough to adjust though ... for me, less thinking, more doing, has paid off :)
 
Adapting to the different playing locations - that's a good point. So global noise gate offset will be very helpful when going on stage.

Besides I'm still thinking of the dynamic-thing I mentioned on top. I mean I don't know if it's just with my presets and equipment, but the differences are huge. When I choose a distorted sound and turn down the guitar volume until it sounds clean. As soon as I turn on the gate the clean sound starts to get thinner or mostly fades away at all.

After some tweaking in the last two hours I figured out that the dynamic only feels really good when I turn the build-in gate off. That’s fine with me at home, but I have to find out what will happen on other locations.

All of that has not especially do with FW14, but the hole globe gate thing has opened my eye in terms of using the noise gate different. I think with global noise gate offset I’m more flexible to find a way to handle it.
 
I go back and forth with the input gate on or off.

I have a few guitars that are harder to roll off the gtr volume control fast. For those guitars the input gate is useful. I'm used to using the gtr volume in between songs / tacet parts of songs to get rid of the hiss.

I prefer the dynamics with it completely off though.
 
I play high gain metal without a gate. Can't get along with the lack of dynamics and sustain.

gates are useful but always a compromise. Good gain staging and playing position can be used successfully to avoid gate use.

I'll even use my p90 guitar without a gate!
 
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