When you're rocking out with the band things can get a little noisy. This can especially be true if you are scorching through a song with plenty of dynamics. Maybe sometimes the distortion needs to be cranked, while at other times things need to be a little more subdued. To get your sound just right, it's important to have only the sounds from the effects you need shining through, which is why noise gate and suppressor effects pedals are crucial for your set up. Simply put, these pedals help minimize the noise produced by other effects when not in use by detecting signal levels and slowly fading the volume. There are a number of different noise gates and suppressors available, so it's important to understand their options when making a decision on which will work best for you. If you're looking for a noise gate or suppresser to take on the road you may be interested in the Rocktron HUSH Noise Reduction Pedal. It is able to conveniently take unwanted buzz and feedback out of the equation. Likewise, the Reaction HUSH Noise Reduction Guitar Effects Pedal, also from Rocktron, will get rid of noise without affecting your tone. If you have a more elaborate set-up, you may want to look into the Carl Martin Noise Terminator Pedal. Not only does it reduce noise, but it offers two threshold settings, allowing the player to easily switch between "Soft" and "Hard" mode, depending on the amount of noise. For those just looking to get rid of the annoying hum that guitarists know so well, the Electro-Harmonix XO Hum Debugger Hum Eliminator Guitar Effects Pedal is a fantastic option. In the end, it comes down to which pedal is best suited to finding a place within your set-up. When chained together as part of your effects rig, a great noise gate and suppressor pedal can really make a serious difference in the way your rhythm and lead playing sounds, making them invaluable to a working musician.
