ISP Decimator. Anyone tried these?

[MartyFriedmanIsMaster]

I've got one of those and an MXR Smart Gate. The Smart Gate is way better. The only thing the Boss has going for it is it's got an effects loop.

The effects loop is really great, I agree. Is the MXR actually better? Because I think the NS-2 doesn't even suck tone at all.

[Trem]

I don't have a 5150 but back when I used to use any noise reduction, I used to look on E-Bay for the older Hush The Pedal. This is not the same as the current production one, the older one is all metal and has two channels that are foot switchable with Threshold knobs for each. That way you could set it to two different levels and toggle between them depending on how much gain or what channel you were using on your amp. With channel switchers I would hate it when the noise gate would activate on a medium gain setting and kill the sustain along with the noise. With two different thresholds this doesn't happen. I haven't looked lately but you used to be able to pick them up used on E-Bay for about $75, they are no longer in production.
Currently I don't use any noise reduction units. Found them to not be necessary when using a good power conditioner, high end cables, and proper placement of pedals on the board so as to minimize proximity of things such as Wah pedals to power supplies. I get no noise even at live gigging volumes with a Marshall Rhoads amp or even my Bogner Uberschall

I think it's more your Amps then.

I'm using top of the line mogami patch cables and a nice furman - pro monster guitar cable... and a high gain Peavey is just noisy.
Not noise as in hum or hiss, there's none of that, but just feedback.

I use a head with an EQ and that's it - no pedals no nothing simple as can be, and without noise reduction there's no way.

Using the loop makes it feedback worse, cause i have to turn up to compensate the volume loss but it's still not quiet enough just plugged in direct with nothing else.

Same with my friends who has the same head.

My Rm100 is a much more quiet head even without noise reduction - to it's credit, but i like the tone of the Peavey a lot more, so i use it and deal with it with the decimator.

[toejam]

The effects loop is really great, I agree. Is the MXR actually better? Because I think the NS-2 doesn't even suck tone at all.

I think the NS-2 is a bit of a tone sucker and doesn't work all that well.

[MartyFriedmanIsMaster]

I think the NS-2 is a bit of a tone sucker and doesn't work all that well.

Hmm... You hurt my babys' feelings. Gonna keep my eye on you...

[axeman81]

Try the ProrackG! It will do everything you want and then some. It's dual channel, so you can use one channel to quiet guitar and effects in front of your amp, and the other channel in effects loop to quiet preamp noise, etc.. You wont be disappointed.

+1 million

[Hellbat]

I have the straight single channel decimator pedal. It's great for gating but doesn't stop hum or hiss while playing. If you have hum issues, get a EH hum debugger. The decimator is awesome as a gate though.

[roodyrocker]

I think it's more your Amps then.

I'm using top of the line mogami patch cables and a nice furman - pro monster guitar cable... and a high gain Peavey is just noisy.
Not noise as in hum or hiss, there's none of that, but just feedback.

I use a head with an EQ and that's it - no pedals no nothing simple as can be, and without noise reduction there's no way.

Using the loop makes it feedback worse, cause i have to turn up to compensate the volume loss but it's still not quiet enough just plugged in direct with nothing else.

Same with my friends who has the same head.

My Rm100 is a much more quiet head even without noise reduction - to it's credit, but i like the tone of the Peavey a lot more, so i use it and deal with it with the decimator.

Each amp will be different and again I don't have a 5150 so perhaps those are noisier than others. However a non-master 100W Marshall is not exactly a quiet amp either. The 5150 has more gain available and that adds to the noise as well. My Uberschall has tons of gain and is fairly quiet all things considered. The noise I was refering to is when you're standing on stage not playing and your guitar volume knob is up, how much baseline noise do you hear? With my Marshall and the cables/power conditioner I mentioned above I get next to no noise although I can get controlled feedback by turning around and facing the amp in closer proximity. At one point I was running effects through my Uberschall's loop but that introduced more noise and my tone changed, didn't like it at all. My RM100 is probably like yours in that its not too bad in regards to noise. By the way, all these amps and noise issues I'm talking about are at stage volume live, not at bedroom practice volumes. 4x12 cabs are mic'd and if I have noise its even more apparent out front as it goes through the PA.

[Eric_kv2]

I have the pedal and have been happy with it. I use it primarily in front of the amp but it will work in the loop as well. I only have the gain set at 12:00 on my Fireball so I don't use it much in the loop.

[Hellbat]

The only problem with using it in the loop of a channel switching amp is the different levels of the channels will require different levels of gating. I had to turn it up a decent bit higher and the crunch channel on my amp compared to the clean channel.

[roodyrocker]

The only problem with using it in the loop of a channel switching amp is the different levels of the channels will require different levels of gating. I had to turn it up a decent bit higher and the crunch channel on my amp compared to the clean channel.

Thats where the older Hush The Pedal I was talking about comes in handy. It has two different Threshold settings and you can switch between them using the A and B footswitch buttons

[zeegler]

The only problem with using it in the loop of a channel switching amp is the different levels of the channels will require different levels of gating. I had to turn it up a decent bit higher and the crunch channel on my amp compared to the clean channel.

Very true. When using my clean channel, I turn off the gate altogether.

[skintaster]

Ok, I finally bought the Decimator pedal. It's amazing! Does exactly what it's supposed to and doesn't screw with my tone or cut my notes short. Completely tamed the horrible squealing feedback issues I was having with my high gain rig, and frees me from making constant volume adjustments while playing. I think it's just become part of my "mandatory gear" list.

[Spivonious]

Good to hear. I think I'm going to use some Christmas money to get it. Did you get the regular or the "G"? Does anyone know what the difference is?

[Hellbat]

The "G" version has 2 gate blocks in it so you can run the guitar direct into the pedal, then into the amp and then run the amp's loop through the pedal as well.

[Spivonious]

The "G" version has 2 gate blocks in it so you can run the guitar direct into the pedal, then into the amp and then run the amp's loop through the pedal as well.

I can't tell you how many times I looked at the photos and couldn't tell the difference aside from cost.

Thanks!