noise gates

[Robotechnology]

I had no tone suck when I used an ISP Pro Rack back in the day. I think those who experience issues do so because their amp’s loop is the thing in the chain that is not that transparent.

 

[errrrrl]

I had no tone suck when I used an ISP Pro Rack back in the day. I think those who experience issues do so because their amp’s loop is the thing in the chain that is not that transparent.

Thats a really good point. Mainly using my ISP with Friedman amps for direct recording... Friedman fx loops are the best hands down.

 

[LunatiBSW]

I had no tone suck when I used an ISP Pro Rack back in the day. I think those who experience issues do so because their amp’s loop is the thing in the chain that is not that transparent.

I noticed the tone suck with the pro rack g the most through my Friedman Butterslax. Which apparently Friedman loops are extremely transparent.
Explain that????
Didn’t notice it as much through my Diezel herbert.
Both being about $4k amps. So my decision was made. Zuul is the best hands down.
I’m coming from direct experience.

 

[errrrrl]

Good to hear.... so are you using the key with a Y connector?

 

[LunatiBSW]

Good to hear.... so are you using the key with a Y connector?

I think Key input really is only if your using the zuul in loop. So the key input tracks guitar signal.
I use zuul up front only and it does a wonderful job gating the extra “noise” with high gain amps, pickups, etc.
I only have to use the zuul at like 10 o clock. I try to use the least amount of gain possible.
I can have my butterslax on crazy loud. It’s silent as a mouse, until I hit the strings like thunder crashing down.
I don’t like much in the loop. All I like to keep there is my eventide time factor, and that’s it.

 

[Metal1977]

Good to hear.... so are you using the key with a Y connector?

I think Key input really is only if your using the zuul in loop. So the key input tracks guitar signal.
I use zuul up front only and it does a wonderful job gating the extra “noise” with high gain amps, pickups, etc.
I only have to use the zuul at like 10 o clock. I try to use the least amount of gain possible.
I can have my butterslax on crazy loud. It’s silent as a mouse, until I hit the strings like thunder crashing down.
I don’t like much in the loop. All I like to keep there is my eventide time factor, and that’s it.

+1

 

[errrrrl]

Good to hear.... so are you using the key with a Y connector?

I think Key input really is only if your using the zuul in loop. So the key input tracks guitar signal.
I use zuul up front only and it does a wonderful job gating the extra “noise” with high gain amps, pickups, etc.
I only have to use the zuul at like 10 o clock. I try to use the least amount of gain possible.
I can have my butterslax on crazy loud. It’s silent as a mouse, until I hit the strings like thunder crashing down.
I don’t like much in the loop. All I like to keep there is my eventide time factor, and that’s it.

Cool thanks for that... planning on having it in front as well.

 

[stephen sawall]

The key should be hooked up first getting a completely clean signal directly from the guitar. A tuner out or similar works perfect. Then put the gate after whatever is adding noise and before delay and reverb.

This will allow for clean sounds to stay the most natural and the fastest tracking.

Depending on your particular needs the key may or may not be useful.

 

[engage757]

Good to hear.... so are you using the key with a Y connector?

I think Key input really is only if your using the zuul in loop. So the key input tracks guitar signal.
I use zuul up front only and it does a wonderful job gating the extra “noise” with high gain amps, pickups, etc.
I only have to use the zuul at like 10 o clock. I try to use the least amount of gain possible.
I can have my butterslax on crazy loud. It’s silent as a mouse, until I hit the strings like thunder crashing down.
I don’t like much in the loop. All I like to keep there is my eventide time factor, and that’s it.

 

[fearhk213]

Good to hear.... so are you using the key with a Y connector?

I think Key input really is only if your using the zuul in loop. So the key input tracks guitar signal.
I use zuul up front only and it does a wonderful job gating the extra “noise” with high gain amps, pickups, etc.
I only have to use the zuul at like 10 o clock. I try to use the least amount of gain possible.
I can have my butterslax on crazy loud. It’s silent as a mouse, until I hit the strings like thunder crashing down.
I don’t like much in the loop. All I like to keep there is my eventide time factor, and that’s it.

Cool thanks for that... planning on having it in front as well.

The key input would also be for in front depending on your setup. For example, it you boost your dirty channel and set the Zuul based off it being hit with a boost and then switch to a clean channel with no boost, the Zuul may be set too high for your now non-boosted guitar signal. Again, it sort of just depends on your set up and how you go about switching channels, if you have a looper, etc.

 

[jdel77]

I use the Gate in my TC Electronic G System.
Sounds awesome.
Doesn't kill tone and everything is nice, natural and quiet.

 

[errrrrl]

So is there such thing as a quality high end Y connector

I guess i'm partially serious... Spending big bucks on my dream amp like the Butterslax, trying to reduce EMI/RFI interference as much as possible cause where I live I have major issues picking up AM radio.. so I go all out with Evidence Monorail SIS plugs for my pedal board, Analysis plus power and speaker cables... get the best gate out there aka ZUUL and now being told by the Fortin army to split my guitar signal with a cheap $5 Hosa Y connector? I finally picked up a Y connector and am gonna test it out tomorrow... $225 for a ZUUL, you would think there would be a keysignal IN and Out jack (like the ISP) or at least come with a quality Y connector lol

Yeah I know... 1st world problems... yeah I'm sure my $5 Y connector will work just fine... yeah yeah I'll quit my bitching now, carry on.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

So is there such thing as a quality high end Y connector

I guess i'm partially serious... Spending big bucks on my dream amp like the Butterslax, trying to reduce EMI/RFI interference as much as possible cause where I live I have major issues picking up AM radio.. so I go all out with Evidence Monorail SIS plugs for my pedal board, Analysis plus power and speaker cables... get the best gate out there aka ZUUL and now being told by the Fortin army to split my guitar signal with a cheap $5 Hosa Y connector? I finally picked up a Y connector and am gonna test it out tomorrow... $225 for a ZUUL, you would think there would be a keysignal IN and Out jack (like the ISP) or at least come with a quality Y connector lol

Yeah I know... 1st world problems... yeah I'm sure my $5 Y connector will work just fine... yeah yeah I'll quit my bitching now, carry on.

Completely agree. I was thinking about making my own, that hosa POS will not be on my board lol.

 

[jeff5]

The G String II is the best I've tried. I won't even bother with anything else now. I always hook it up so it effects the front and in the loop. Little to no tone loss and it even supports rolled back volume for semi-clean. I have the rack mount and pedal versions. The rack mount is probably the best investment equipment wise I've ever made. It's a bit better than the pedal, but the pedal is great too.

 

[errrrrl]

So is there such thing as a quality high end Y connector

I guess i'm partially serious... Spending big bucks on my dream amp like the Butterslax, trying to reduce EMI/RFI interference as much as possible cause where I live I have major issues picking up AM radio.. so I go all out with Evidence Monorail SIS plugs for my pedal board, Analysis plus power and speaker cables... get the best gate out there aka ZUUL and now being told by the Fortin army to split my guitar signal with a cheap $5 Hosa Y connector? I finally picked up a Y connector and am gonna test it out tomorrow... $225 for a ZUUL, you would think there would be a keysignal IN and Out jack (like the ISP) or at least come with a quality Y connector lol

Yeah I know... 1st world problems... yeah I'm sure my $5 Y connector will work just fine... yeah yeah I'll quit my bitching now, carry on.

Completely agree. I was thinking about making my own, that hosa POS will not be on my board lol.

As I thought, that cheap Hosa Y splitter introduced a a new louder hum to my setup. ZUUL works great got to say but now between the tight gating I can hear that new annoying hum just enough to drive me insane. Going to pick up a Radial BigShot ABY True Passive Switcher to replace that shitty Y splitter. Looks to be a handy pedal since it has ground lifts/phase/isolated transformer etc and bonus that it doensn't need power to operate, only needs power if you want the LEDs to operate.

ABY Switcher link https://www.amazon.com/Radial-BigSh...1508965702&sr=8-1&keywords=radial+BigShot+aby

 

[Mattfig]

Sorry but this PITA you guys are experiencing makes me love my ISP GRacks even more...I have 6 of them employed in my rigs and each one does its job to damned near perfection to my ears....I was hoping for some magic with ZUUL (not sure what exactly that would be) but it seems to have been rushed into release without thinking it through....Just my thoughts....

 

[errrrrl]

Nah dood, don't let my pedal board anal-ness represent the ZUUL

Truth is I have like 15 pedals + that Friedman buffer patch powered up on my board so there was some hum there to begin with... that cheap Hosa brand Y splitter just added an additional louder hum. The first ZUUL demos I saw showed the keysignal connected to a Boss tuner's bypass so yeah it looked pretty easy peasy... so if I had Boss tuner then maybe I wouldn't be whining That Radial ABY will just help me kill a few birds (the existing humming & a clean keysignal connection) with one stone. I think for most people the cheap Y splitter won't cause any issues.

With that said, I did just replace my ISP GII which worked very well. Is there a huge difference? For the average Joe probably not. Do I think ZUUL is better? Yeah I do, and since I primarily play and do direct recordings at home (loadbox + IRs) minimal noise is definitely my thing which is why I went the extra mile with fancy shmancy cabling... Maybe it's time to get back to basics and just go straight into a Gorilla combo like the good old days

 

[Drkorey]

I find the whole key thing confusing with what you should plug into it or can and can't plug into it, when to use a Y cable, etc. I don't use effects or the effects loop much yet, but it would be nice for very specific instructions for clueless people like myself. Luckily, it's working well guitar in - guitar out right now.

 

[errrrrl]

I find the whole key thing confusing with what you should plug into it or can and can't plug into it, when to use a Y cable, etc. I don't use effects or the effects loop much yet, but it would be nice for very specific instructions for clueless people like myself. Luckily, it's working well guitar in - guitar out right now.

I totally agree, even a simple downloadable instruction/diagram would have been nice.

 

[Oblivion DC]

The Fortin looks cool but I don't know how the GSeries ISP stuff can be beat....

With my stuff, i need the noise gate to be more aggressive at a band level. In that setup, the Fortin is better for me. Imagine a transparent NS2, that's how the Zuul is.

Hmmm, for me the ns-2 is crap compared to the ISP. This may be the differences in nomenclature. The NS-2 is a GATE, the ISP is a SUPRESSOR. They are quite different. I prefer either supressor in loop only or gate up front and supressor in loop OR the g strings which track the input but gate the loop.

Im still interested in Zuul. Noise gates still have room for improvement.

Does the Zuul really have that ON/OFF behavior of the NS-2?

It's still a noise gate so if you go too far it will cut your signal, but you can push it further without affecting your tone. The most important aspect of it for me is to be able to cut the feedback at high volume for short staccato riffs and still retain the natural feel of the amp and the Zuul is the best on the market at this.

By the way i use it at 12 volts for more range, Mike told me it was safe to use it like that.

Badass the 12 volt headroom is enough for me period. Ill try one.

I messaged the Fortin Facebook page and asked about the 12 volt thing and they pretty much said don’t do it and to just run it at 9v.