good noise gate/suppresor

[rightintheface]

any recommendations?
i have read good/bad things about boss NS2 (kills dynamics, tone sucker), ISP decimator (not controllable enoug), and MXR smartgate (unreliable).

i don't play ridiculous gain, as even at my age (20), i'm already starting to move away from smooth hi-gain style tones, started backing off the gain control. i'm not heaps fussed about buzzing/humming, as i'm using HBs (and a phat cat, but its not too bad buzz-wise), however the thing that pisses me off is the squeeling feedback. even when muting at bridge and strings, is still a problem. i also use dynamic playing alot, always jumping from dirt to clean etc etc, and i'm far too clumsy (or some passages are too fast) to roll back vol pots.
also, what's the diff between putting a gate in front of the amp as compared to in the effects loop? i understand it would cleanup pre-amp noise, but would this help actual feedback issues? the preamp isn't terribly noisy. i only ask because i dont want to tap-dance on gates/midi boards when changing to a clean sound

and suggestions/recommendations/testimonials?
there was a thread on this a while back, but it didn't end up giving much closure.

my setup is:
warmoth hollow tele SD pups--> crybaby multiwah--> planet waves tuner pedal--> MI audio boot 'n' buff--> hughes and kettner switchblade 50w combo w/midi board. planet waves leads. pretty simple setup.

i mainly play on the "lead" channel, british high gain sound. its EQ is set fairly mid-heavy, with the gain at about 12 oclock.

 

[bpmorton777]

are the pickups wax-poted? that might be the scource of your sqealing feedback.

Brian

 

[chuck7]

+ to what Brian asked.  The only time I ever had pig squeal problems from a guitar was from a Epiphone G400 (SG style) with the stock pickups.  I replaced them with some SDs and all was well with the world. 

 

[rightintheface]

yeah, its a JB in the bridge, so it's pretty standard. brand new with nickel cover.

i have heard before that metal covers also add to feedback. is this BS, or does it have some merit? either way, i will probably keep the covers on, they look way cool.

any thoughts on the gate?

 

[jackthehack]

"i have heard before that metal covers also add to feedback. is this BS, or does it have some merit"

BS

 

[guitlouie]

I have and am a fan of the Rocktron Hush noise suppresion pedal.  It is supposed to be the same sort of technology in their famed rack-mounted Hush noise suppressor, but I don't really know if the pedal version is as good as the rack-mounted version as I have never tried that one.  I do know that this here pedal version does everything that I need it to do, and it was quite the bargain!  I use it because I have a tendency to chain a bunch of distortion and overdrive pedals together to get what I refer to as "Unholy Drive", but it also tends to get a little squealy. I also had Dunlop's Smart Gate, but I found it colored my sound in an annoying way, so I pawned it off on one of the neighborhood kids who doesn't know any better...

 

[rightintheface]

so it gets rid of feedback?
i've been reading reviews on HC, some people just seem to be absolute douche-bags. :hello2:

what i'm after is something that stops that annoying feedback when i stop playing or mute the strings on my lead channel. do  you use it through the effects loop? or at the end of your chain (ie, in front of your amp)?

 

[GoDrex]

I can't imagine why you're getting bad feedback from a JB. I've had one for years and it's what sold me on Duncans.

 

[jimh]

Unless youre using it with a really high gain super loud amp, you should'nt be gettign any feedback/squealing, unless theres no wax potting on the pickup coils. 
Again if it's really high gain and your'e using a valve amp, the pre-amps valves may be going microphonic, in which case a noise gate would'nt help anyway.

For the record, I've had a JB in the bridge of my Les Paul for years, and it's all good, even standing quite near a cranked 50W Marshall Plexi.

Just my thoughts.

 

[jackthehack]

Ditto - never seen either a full size or "JBJr" SC version squeal, even at relatively high volumes in amps up to 100w. Try taking the Wah out of the chain; or if it has tone controls roll some treble boost off.

 

[rightintheface]

its fine on clean, slightly dirty, and my good ol' ACDC tone. punch on the lead channel, however, and it gets feedback. mind you, i'm only sourcing this mainly from band practice, where i pretty much stand a foot away from my amp, which is the whole issue. however, as it stands at the moment, amp placement isn't flexible (we practice in a shoebox pretty much). so i'm looking for something that will kill the typical "i'm facing my amp with too much gain and it's looping like a biatch" style feedback (not that i'm facing my amp, but ya know what i mean).

i guess i could roll off the treble, but i kinda like the SOUND itself, and dunno why, but i'm in the habit of turning all knobs all the way up whenever i'm not playing. kinda as a failsafe (i hate trying to solo when you've accidently rolled off the vol and look like a d***  :icon_tongue. and i use the wah all too frequently to give her up.

but, for a solid question; would the hush pedal irradicate/reduce/worsen my feedback problems? anybody with first hand knowledge who can smash the gain a bit as a test for me?
thanks for the replies anyway lads, the insight is always welcome  :hello2:

 

[jackthehack]

If playing in a shoebox, did you ever think about turning the volume down a little bit?

 

[rightintheface]

not really, just the way the drums are set up (and the way he plays), they tend to boom around the room, so everything needs to be notched up. i only play on about 2.5 or so, so it's not excessive.

the feedback isn't a MAJOR issue. just enough to be annoying. guitlouie you said before that it works well with your "unholy drive" (which i like the sound of  :icon_thumright, does it reduce your feedback? and, is it in the fx loop, or out front?

cheers

 

[shanejw]

I've got an NS2 and it does ok.  the only thing i don't like is that the level is suppressed for a split second once you start playing.  other than that it does a good job at getting rid of that notorious high gain tube amp hum.  my tubes are heavily used and over ten years old so that may have something to do with it, who knows: )

 

[fosk]

I've owned a few NS2's and a smartgate, never had any issues with them, NS2 is just very simple, but works well, that's what I currently use for guitar.

 

[guitlouie]

Hey Rightintheface, sorry I took so long to get back to this, but yeah, it does a good job of controlling feedback.  Well, it gives me control of the feedback.  I like feedback sometimes and use it to my advantage, but the really high squeally stuff is what I try to eliminate and this unit does well to help me maintain control.

 

[SrDeMaFp]

I can't believe no one mentioned the ISP Decimator. I love this pedal, does its' job and does it damn well.