Analog noise gates?

M

mdainsd

Member
First, I know not very much at all about noise gates, so any information offered, will be appreciated. I would like to experiment with this in recording drums. What I would like to know is what should I look for? I'd like an analog unit. I dont want to start yet another "discussion" of A vrs D. My choice is based on the fact that all of my limited equipment is analog, Id like stay tuned in that direction. So I want something with pots and caps rather than a micro-processor, thats all. If I find after playing with one that I like it (and that is all that matters :cool: ) then I would want more for other drums in the kit. So as far as recommendations, fairly available would be preferable. Also, Im not rich so cost is a consideration too. Thanks in advance!

Mark
 
It's not something I reach for all the time, but I use and recommend the good old tried and true Drawmer DS201. That's a two channel gate that can be run stereo linked or dual mono, they were very popular and are found in lots of studio so there are used ones on the market at decent prices. Pretty easy to use and flexible, well made, sound decent. Get a used one for a decent price, try it out, if you don't like it you can probably get back what you paid for it.

In addition to typical gating, they can also duck (kinda the reverse of gating--instead of the gate opening when keyed, with ducking the gate stays open except when keyed--if you've heard a music bed automatically go down when a DJ comes on the mic then you know what this sounds like). The Drawmers can take an external key source too, or you can use the internal key. Good creative options there, plenty of pet tricks.

I was just recently mixing a project where the client wanted an 80's-tastic style gated snare reverb. I used a channel of the Drawmer to gate a Lexicon PCM60 reverb and compressed the whole shebang with an old DBX 161, lol what a hoot!
 
I can highly recommend you stay away from the gates built into the Alesis 3630 compressors! :D I had a couple of them and always found then too slow to trigger on and off and not give enough controls to set them up decently.

Having said that, I did use them for several years because I was stupid and too lazy to research getting better ones. Don't be like me. :)

Cheers! :)
 
At the risk of getting bashed by the Behringer bashers, the behringer 4 channel noise gate works very well, I have the earlier model of the XR4400, but looking at the XR4400 it has some very usable features. I really like the couple feature and the Frequency filter.

Cheers

Alan.
 
witzendoz said:
At the risk of getting bashed by the Behringer bashers, the behringer 4 channel noise gate works very well, I have the earlier model of the XR4400, but looking at the XR4400 it has some very usable features. I really like the couple feature and the Frequency filter.

Cheers

Alan.
Click to expand...

I was going to recommend the same. Unlike other gear where subjectivity comes into play, a gate only needs to work, and the Behri definitely does.

lol @ 3630 "compressors". Second time today they've been mentioned... I think they should be called "almost random weirderizers".
 
TyphoidHippo said:
I was going to recommend the same. Unlike other gear where subjectivity comes into play, a gate only needs to work, and the Behri definitely does.

lol @ 3630 "compressors". Second time today they've been mentioned... I think they should be called "almost random weirderizers".
Click to expand...

The funny thing is I actually like them, on the following proviso, don't use them for bass guitar ever, and actually read the manual and understand how they work in soft knee and hard knee, peak and RMS settings as they are completely different sounding in the different modes. Oh and the gates are a bit average but ok on a mild setting that only shuts when the signal drops out to reduce guitar amp noise, etc.

People say they are no good, but I bought my first one when the were released a fair while ago (I have 3 now), and you can still buy a new one. All I can say is Horses for courses.

Alan.
 
The Alesis Stereo Micro-Gate is another good analog gate that preceded the 3630. I've had two or three of those around for many years and I wouldn't hesitate to put anything through them. It's a 1/3 size rack, so very compact and you don't have to rack it. The rack shelve for the Micro series are getting pretty rare anyway.

But speaking of the 3630, the reason you here so much good and bad about them is that there are three different versions. Starting with the second version they were much improved with some DBX chips replaced with chips by THAT corporation (some of what you get with the Black Lion mods), so I think V2 of the 3630 compressor is a pretty decent unit. Only trouble is there's no way to tell from the outside, unless you can get Aleisis to tell you by the serial number. You have to pop the hood and look for a chip made by THAT corporation. If you've got that one you've got a decent full function compressor/limiter/gate.
 
Actually I have a micro gate as well, it is sitting in a rack which was running a sequencing set up for my old band that did dance music, it gates the stereo out of the drum module, the drum module used to have a slight hiss so I put it there to shut it up when not in use. The gate actually became part of out drum module sound the way it used to close off.

I was a big fan of the micro series, I also have a micro limiter, and a microverb 1 and 2. If you can find an old micro gate grab it, you will get it cheap.

Alan.
 
witzendoz said:
The funny thing is I actually like them, on the following proviso, don't use them for bass guitar ever, and actually read the manual and understand how they work in soft knee and hard knee, peak and RMS settings as they are completely different sounding in the different modes. Oh and the gates are a bit average but ok on a mild setting that only shuts when the signal drops out to reduce guitar amp noise, etc.

People say they are no good, but I bought my first one when the were released a fair while ago (I have 3 now), and you can still buy a new one. All I can say is Horses for courses.

Alan.
Click to expand...

I have had 3630's in my studio since they were first released. I think they used to be $250, now they are $99. I find they work okay if you do tweak them properly.
VP
 
Hopefully you meant for mixing drums. :rolleyes: :)
It ain't 'knobs but there is something to be said for digi' with lookahead. Being wide open before the transient is fairly cool advantage when it comes to gates that don't loose part of goodies up front on the source.
On the other hand real gates (and some of the poorer plugs for that matter.. you get a nice 'tic to play with in place of that attact it missed..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top