Quick answer: The best noise gate pedal for most guitarists is the BOSS NS-2, a reliable compact gate with a send/return loop. The Donner Noise Killer is a tiny budget pick for high-gain players, while the MXR M135 Smart Gate and TC Electronic Sentry offer flexible modes at similar prices.
Hum, hiss and buzz get louder every time you add gain, fuzz or another pedal. A noise gate pedal fixes that by cutting the signal when you stop playing and letting it through when you play, so your rig stays quiet between riffs without killing your tone.
Noise gates matter most for high-gain players, people with single-coil pickups, and anyone running a long chain of pedals. Here are six proven gates that are currently sold, plus how to set one up.
New to this? Start with our guide on how to build a pedalboard.
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New to this? You may also like my guides to best guitar pedals and best overdrive pedals.
Our top picks at a glance
| Product | Best for | Key features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOSS NS-2 Noise Suppressor | Most guitarists | Threshold and Decay controls, send/return loop, 9V power | Check current price |
| Donner Noise Killer | Budget high-gain gating | Mini pedal, Noise knob, Hard/Soft mode switch, true bypass, 9V power | Check current price |
| MXR M135 Smart Gate | Choosing how much noise to target | Hiss, Mid and Full modes, threshold, hardwire bypass | Check current price |
| TC Electronic Sentry Noise Gate | Tweakers and TonePrint fans | Multiband gating, hard-gate mode, send/return, TonePrint | Check current price |
| BOSS NS-1X Noise Suppressor | Most advanced BOSS gating | Reduction, Gate and Mute modes, Threshold/Decay/Damp, send/return | Check current price |
| Electro-Harmonix Silencer | Budget gate with an effects loop | Threshold, Reduction, Release, send/return, buffered bypass | Check current price |
Best Noise Gate Pedals: reviews
1. BOSS NS-2 Noise Suppressor — best for most guitarists
Key features: Threshold and Decay controls, send/return loop, 9V power
The NS-2 has been a pedalboard staple for years, and for good reason. It reduces hum and noise from your rig while preserving the natural attack of your playing. Two simple controls, Threshold and Decay, let you decide how loud a signal has to be before the gate opens and how quickly it closes.
Its send and return jacks are its secret weapon. You can put your noisy drive pedals inside the NS-2’s loop, so the gate reads your clean guitar signal and controls the noise from those pedals. That gives smoother, more natural gating than simply placing a gate at the end of your chain.
It runs on a standard 9V supply and uses BOSS’s tough compact enclosure, so it’s an easy, low-risk choice for your first gate.
Pros:
- Simple, proven design
- Send/return loop for smarter gating
- Rugged BOSS build
Cons:
- Fewer modes than newer gates
- Can choke very long sustain if set aggressively
2. Donner Noise Killer — best for budget high-gain gating
Key features: Mini pedal, Noise knob, Hard/Soft mode switch, true bypass, 9V power
The Donner Noise Killer is a tiny, low-cost gate that takes up almost no pedalboard space. One knob sets how much noise is cut, and a mode switch lets you choose a gentler normal setting or a harder mode for very noisy, high-gain rigs.
It’s great for silencing hiss between palm-muted metal riffs on a budget. It doesn’t have a send/return loop like the BOSS NS-2, so it can’t gate your drive pedals as precisely, but for the price it’s very effective.
Pros:
- Very affordable
- Tiny footprint
- Simple to set up
Cons:
- No send/return loop
- Can cut sustain if the knob is set too high
- Power supply not included
3. MXR M135 Smart Gate — best for choosing how much noise to target
Key features: Hiss, Mid and Full modes, threshold, hardwire bypass
The Smart Gate gives you three modes: Hiss, Mid and Full. Hiss targets high-frequency noise, Mid works on mid-range buzz, and Full removes broadband noise. That means you can gate only the type of noise your rig produces instead of cutting everything.
MXR says it adapts its response to whether you’re holding long notes or playing short ones, which helps sustained chords ring while still cleaning up gaps. A single threshold control sets the sensitivity, and hardwire bypass keeps your signal straight when the pedal is off.
Pros:
- Three noise-reduction modes
- Adaptive response
- Compact and simple
Cons:
- No send/return loop
- Modes take a little experimenting
4. TC Electronic Sentry Noise Gate — best for tweakers and TonePrint fans
Key features: Multiband gating, hard-gate mode, send/return, TonePrint
The Sentry is a multiband gate, which means it can treat different frequency ranges separately. In practice, that helps remove hiss without making your low-end chugs feel choked. A hard-gate mode gives the abrupt, silent stops metal players like.
It also has send/return jacks for gating your drive pedals in a loop, and TC Electronic’s TonePrint feature le