What's the difference between a noise gate and a compressor?
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Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: What's the difference between a noise gate and a compressor?
a noise gate turns your signal off when it is below a certain threshold, cutting off noise.
A compressor reduces the peaks in your signal and compensates by increasing the volume of anything below a certain threshold. It can be used to smooth or fatten your sound, as well as to add sustain, and some harmonic presence.
a noise gate turns your signal off when it is below a certain threshold, cutting off noise.
A compressor reduces the peaks in your signal and compensates by increasing the volume of anything below a certain threshold. It can be used to smooth or fatten your sound, as well as to add sustain, and some harmonic presence.
ItsaBass
New member
Re: What's the difference between a noise gate and a compressor?
In the broadest sense, they couldn't be more different. One is designed to work on your intended silences, and the other is designed to work on your intended sounds.
That said, both selectively alter output, each with a different goal.
A noise gate suppresses extraneous (i.e. "non-musical") sound coming from your guitar, such as buzz or hiss. You set it so that it does not alter the intended sound (i.e. "notes").
A compressor is, simply, an automatic dynamics reducer. It reduces high levels and boosts low levels, pulling the extreme levels more toward the average level. Like most effects, you use it to decidedly alter the intended sound.
In the broadest sense, they couldn't be more different. One is designed to work on your intended silences, and the other is designed to work on your intended sounds.
That said, both selectively alter output, each with a different goal.
A noise gate suppresses extraneous (i.e. "non-musical") sound coming from your guitar, such as buzz or hiss. You set it so that it does not alter the intended sound (i.e. "notes").
A compressor is, simply, an automatic dynamics reducer. It reduces high levels and boosts low levels, pulling the extreme levels more toward the average level. Like most effects, you use it to decidedly alter the intended sound.
Last edited:
Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
Re: What's the difference between a noise gate and a compressor?
Super simple:
A Noise Gate eliminates Hiss and stuff from high output amps and pedals
A Compressor adds sustain to notes you play, and usually keeps notes from popping out too loud.
More:
A Noise gates silences very quiet sounds, often in certain frequencies (in the "hiss tonality)
A Compressor - prevents notes from being too loud (Often the "attack" of the note - which is loudest point), but also raises the volume of notes that start to go below a certain volume (sustain).
And yet more:
A compressor set to add a lot of Sustain, can often add noise and hiss! They are often used together if you want unbelievable Sustain from your Strat, say, but also want just the note coming through and not the rest of the junk a cheap compressor can add.
Noise Gate is a key to some forms of metal such as Pantera/Dimebag's sound. Using a compressor properly takes some effort, you need to really use your ears. It can be used as an effect like in a lot of 80's pop where it is super obvious. The best comps are not noticed when they are on, but you can tell when they are off.
Super simple:
A Noise Gate eliminates Hiss and stuff from high output amps and pedals
A Compressor adds sustain to notes you play, and usually keeps notes from popping out too loud.
More:
A Noise gates silences very quiet sounds, often in certain frequencies (in the "hiss tonality)
A Compressor - prevents notes from being too loud (Often the "attack" of the note - which is loudest point), but also raises the volume of notes that start to go below a certain volume (sustain).
And yet more:
A compressor set to add a lot of Sustain, can often add noise and hiss! They are often used together if you want unbelievable Sustain from your Strat, say, but also want just the note coming through and not the rest of the junk a cheap compressor can add.
Noise Gate is a key to some forms of metal such as Pantera/Dimebag's sound. Using a compressor properly takes some effort, you need to really use your ears. It can be used as an effect like in a lot of 80's pop where it is super obvious. The best comps are not noticed when they are on, but you can tell when they are off.
Re: What's the difference between a noise gate and a compressor?
Yeah, they both will change the signal going in, but that is about the end of the similarities. In a very basic way, a noise gate quiets your guitar when you aren't playing, and a compressor evens out dynamics, by making quiet things louder, and louder things quieter. I wrote a blog explaining the basics of a compressor.
Yeah, they both will change the signal going in, but that is about the end of the similarities. In a very basic way, a noise gate quiets your guitar when you aren't playing, and a compressor evens out dynamics, by making quiet things louder, and louder things quieter. I wrote a blog explaining the basics of a compressor.
F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: What's the difference between a noise gate and a compressor?
CORRECTION CORNER
A cheap noise gate is probably useless under most Rock 'n' Roll playing conditions.
Compression does not directly increase sustain. As a signal begins to decay, compression increases the level towards its earlier average level. This only contributes to sustain if the guitar interacts with the amplifier through which it is being played.
As Aceman points out, in the absence of musical audio, compression will "hunt" for some other signal to work on. This may explain why, on many professional and semi-professional processors, Gating and Compression are bundled together.
CORRECTION CORNER
A cheap noise gate is probably useless under most Rock 'n' Roll playing conditions.
Compression does not directly increase sustain. As a signal begins to decay, compression increases the level towards its earlier average level. This only contributes to sustain if the guitar interacts with the amplifier through which it is being played.
As Aceman points out, in the absence of musical audio, compression will "hunt" for some other signal to work on. This may explain why, on many professional and semi-professional processors, Gating and Compression are bundled together.
