What’s the difference between a noise gate and a compressor ?

sev112 · October 2023

If I play with mine (

) they seem to do the same job - cut off signal.

what’s the difference - intent and how they do it ?

fretmeister · October 2023

They are completely different.

While each has a threshold as to when a signal is hot enough to be affected the compressor merely squeezes the signal by a chosen ratio to stop it getting too much / or any louder at all.

Whereas a noise gate threshold is used as a trigger to when the signal should be let through at all. Below that threshold - such as playing very gently, and it should stop any signal completely.

A compressor should never cut off the signal, it should only narrow the band in which the signal exists, boosting the quiet and reducing the loud for a most consistent volume level overall.

A gate is about killing unwanted noise, whether from single coils, sloppy playing / handling noise or anything else lower than the usual playing level that needs to be removed.

Very different things for very different uses.

theatreanchor · October 2023

What @fretmeister said.

Worth watching that pedal show on compressors.

I don’t use either of them but they are very different.

steamabacus · October 2023

Basically, they are the opposite to each other as noted above.

Compressors are to limiters as expanders are to noise gates ie, the second is the extreme version of the first.

prowla · October 2023

You know when you stop playing and there's a load of hiss?
A noise gate stops that.

sev112 · October 2023

I’m guessing therefore that my noise gate doesn’t do what a noise gate is supposed to, and the dial marked compressor on my amp isn’t one then

fretmeister · October 2023

A 1 knob compressor can control many parameters at once or it can be changing only 1 with the others being static.

A lot of 1 knob compressors are shite though.

If you don’t think it’s doing anything it could be that it’s a subtle one, or, bearing in mind you didn’t know the difference between a gate and a compressor might not know what you are listening for.

There’s even some pro 6 knob compressors that are very subtle in use.

What amp is it?

sev112 · October 2023

2fretmeister said:

A 1 knob compressor can control many parameters at once or it can be changing only 1 with the others being static.

A lot of 1 knob compressors are shite though.

If you don’t think it’s doing anything it could be that it’s a subtle one, or, bearing in mind you didn’t know the difference between a gate and a compressor might not know what you are listening for.

There’s even some pro 6 knob compressors that are very subtle in use.

What amp is it?

A bit of both I think,
It’s only a blackstar fly single knob, but it just seems to do the same as my noise gate pedal, which is to “dull” both the attack and delay of notes.

fretmeister · October 2023

If your noise gate is doing that then the settings are wrong.

mrkb · October 2023

Yep, a noise gate with a slow release time would drop the initial transient volume, but that’s not how it should work.

hollywoodrox · October 2023

Noise gate - gets rid of hum & horrible noises from high gain amps
You can also set it at an extreme to get a violin volume swell effect

Compressor evens out attack by boosting lower sounds and lowering louder sounds to a desired level. This can help sustain ,clarity & pinch harmonics to pop out and get better sustain on acoustics and clean electrics

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What’s the difference between a noise gate and a compressor ?

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