Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
My new Noise Gate has landed - the superbly smart and easy to deploy Red Seven NGR-1 : Analog Noise Reduction with Digital Control, MIDI and Presets
Hopefully most of you saw / read last years’s post on 15 of the best Compact Noise Gates. In that article I indicated my most likely next noise gate would be either the Red Seven NGR-1 or the KMA Machines Pylon.
In the end it was the NGR-1 that won me over with its featured set - and combination of Analog Noise Gate with Digital Control. The A/B Mode in particular was what really appealed to me - the ability to have a higher and lower Threshold setting that I could switch up on the fly. Most of the more modern pedals have better noise floor management / handling, while some of those older high gain pedals generate a lot of excess noise - so having 2 different Thresholds you can instantly apply is a major benefit. And changing and saving the Threshold at any stage is a breeze - just turn, and then double-click.
Controls - Multi-function Rotary Encoder / Push Button.
- Turn = Adjust % Threshold
- Press + Turn = Scroll through Presets 1-16±
- Double Click = Save Preset
- Dual Press of Rotary and Footswitch = Access Menu
MENU OPTIONS
- MIDI Channel : 1-16
- MODE : Presets | A/B
- SHIFT : Gate | Reduction
'Gate' is Hard Clamping, 'Reduction' is Softer Filtering.
- Use Gate for Modern High Gain - Djent / Chug etc. instant cut-off
- Use Reduction for more subtle and elegant excess noise filtering
Ports - 1/4" TS Input, 1/4" TS Return. 9V DC [-] 100mA, 1/4" TS Send, 1/8" MIDI In, 1/8" MIDI Thru, 1/4" Thru / Out. [Note that the device comes with a Mini MIDI to 5-Pin DIN cable for easy integration!].
4 CABLE METHOD - Having a separate 'Noisy Pedals Loop'
- Main input goes into 'Input', Start of Noisy Loop comes out of 'Thru', End of Noisy Loop goes into Return, and Send is the final output to other pedals etc.
When I first had the pedal at my desk - for a quick function check - I wasn't getting the A/B Mode to stick. You basically need to Double-Click / Save a Preset for the mode to lock-in and automatically be selected on power-up.
Overall I found the pedal incredibly easy to use and deploy - and was up and running in no time. My A Threshold is set at 44% while the B one is at just 16% to handle noisier pedals.
I prefer the more natural sounding Noise Reduction Softer Clamping / Filtering - while you can actually select Gate or Reduction per Preset - so if I wanted - I could change the B Preset to a Hard Gate.
My only suggestion here is to make the Footswitch more clever - so you can advance presets by Press-holding that, or Double-Clicking or similar. The Top Rotary Encoder / Push Button is properly multi-function, the Footswitch not so much.
I got a first purchase 5% discount - so I paid €275 - 5% + €27 Shipping - which amounted to £215 and I then paid customs duties and import fees amounting to £61 - for a grand total of £276, equivalent to €319 - so relatively pricey, but it exactly meets my requirements and works superbly well. It's a really cleverly executed smart piece of kit - and currently there's nothing else quite like it in the Analog domain! It's a little more than I would have expected to pay, but you often pay extra to get what you want from outside of your native country - there are no UK Dealers / Stockists for that pedal!
The acquisition process turned out to be quite tricky - as I tried out every European dealer who had a NGR-1 in stock - which was around 3. None of those had shipping options to the UK, in fact neither did Red Seven on first attempt. I contacted Luca and Sebastiano and asked for assistance - and they updated their Red Seven Website / Webstore to include UK shipping options. So now Brits can buy these direct too!
This is a fantastic and unique Noise Gate - brilliantly conceived and a joy to deploy - I would imagine it will remain rooted to the board for many years to come!
I am entirely delighted with my choice!
Demos
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15 of the Best Compact Format Noise Gates
