# noise suppressor effects loop



## Devon8822 (Mar 20, 2007)

Can you put a noise suppressor in the effects loop or does it have to be out front? Does it work differently in either spot?


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## Devon8822 (Mar 20, 2007)

Also what abotu a wah pedal? Can it go in the effects loop?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

A noise suppressor should go where it can have the most impact on noise with the least impact on signal. Inserting it at a location where there is a bunch of accumulated noise sources certainly assures that when the noise supressor cuts out the noise, it will cut out ALL the noise. The problem is that the threshold will need to be set so high that you'll lose the nose and tail of notes, and wreck the feel.

I'm a fan of using noise-suppression, gating, downward expansion, whatever, in multiple locations, so that it doesn't have to be used in such a heavy handed manner. So, for instance, if you have a distortion pedal, there is a good chance it will greatly amplify whatever noise it gets at its input. While the distortion likely produces hiss itself, if you stick the noise suppressor ahead of it, you may end up quashing just as much noise with less impact on dynamics.


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## Devon8822 (Mar 20, 2007)

if you only have one noise suppressor is it better to go inron t of the amp or in the loop?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

That's going to depend on the source of the noise you wish to suppress. If the noise is something generated by the pedals themselves, irrespective of what is plugged in or how they are set, then you'll want to insert noise control after those pedals. If, on the other hand, the pedals are well-behaved in themselves, and really only serve to exaggerate the noise they are receiving from upstream, then the most tactical point of intervention is before the misbehaved signal reaches them.

Remember that the noise suppressor differentiates between noise and signal on the basis of *level*. If the noise is at a sufficiently high level that the threshold has to be set higher, then that will interfere with natural sounding attack and decay in your tone. Your goal is to eradicate the noise using the lowest possible threshold setting.

Case in point. Let's say we have a guitar that is sensitive to hum and used under conditions where there is lots of hum to pick up. If there is any pedal in the chain that applies boost/gain (e.g., compressor, distortion, clean booster, etc.), that hum will be made louder. The most effective place to tackle it is *before* it gets boosted.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i have an affects loop hum suppressor in my loop. it works miracles.

its made by ebtech. 

just a simple, passive box that requires no battery/ac power.

it defeats the noise created by having a number of effects/power supplies in the loop - ground loop hum.

it will have little or no effect on noise generated by the pedals themselves, however, or on single coil pickup hum.

-dh


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