It's been years since I've tinkered with that particular utility effect, and when I consider it, I'm loathe to experiment with it because it seems like it would be a waste of time with respect to what I want to get out of it.
My main noise issue is when recording my acoustic guitar. I have a $0 budget, so everything I use is old stuff I have from the 90s, and free stuff. So, hardware-wise, I'm recording my acoustic with an SM58 into an old Roland VS-880EX that has no-so-stellar (I'm being polite) preamps built in. I then bring the tracks recorded on the VS over to my PC to edit in Tracktion Waveform.
Why? Because I can't afford a worthwhile audio interface to record direct into my PC, and even if I could, the PC is noisy, and I can't imagine it would help in that regard.
So... (sorry for all the details, but...)
My fear of using a gate during the recording process is that it will merely keep out any noise during silence, but (as the effect's name indicates) will bring that noise in when the gate opens for the intended signal. Right now, I'm using the Bertom noise reduction tool when editing. I'm just wondering if it would help at all to utilize a gate during the recording process, or simply make it more difficult to suss out the noise during the editing process?
Using a gate?
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- KVRist
- 483 posts since 9 Jan, 2023
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- KVRAF
- 2748 posts since 15 Apr, 2004 from Capital City, UK
I probably wouldn't gate the signal prior to recording, unless the gate is doing the job you need absolutely perfectly, and you can be sure you won't need to edit anything.
Have you tried using Audacity to do Noise Reduction on the recording? I've had good experiences with fans and electrical hums being FFT removed from a signal using this. The process would be: record the guitar, put the file audacity, open Noise Reduction window, select area of audio with no guitar playing - just the noise you want to remove, adjust the few parameters to get the best results. I'm sure the manual details it a bit more but that might give you better results than trying to gate the signal.
Have you tried using Audacity to do Noise Reduction on the recording? I've had good experiences with fans and electrical hums being FFT removed from a signal using this. The process would be: record the guitar, put the file audacity, open Noise Reduction window, select area of audio with no guitar playing - just the noise you want to remove, adjust the few parameters to get the best results. I'm sure the manual details it a bit more but that might give you better results than trying to gate the signal.
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- KVRist
- 464 posts since 25 Sep, 2002 from Chicago
I would never record with a gate. That type of processing is best done during mixing. It's way too easy to have the gate close and cause all types of strange drops in the sound.
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Andreya_Autumn Andreya_Autumn https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=553235
- KVRian
- 510 posts since 21 Feb, 2022
Agree with all the above. Recording with *any* sort of processing is redundant in a situation like yours. Even more so with gates, since the perfect gate is one with lookahead, which analog (or real-time digital) gates cannot have.
And yes, it would only help with the silences anyway, which would probably make things *worse* in your scenario. Cutting the noise out in silences will usually make it *more* noticeable than if it's constant. That's pretty much always true unless it's quiet enough that you probably wouldn't ask this in the first place.
My hunch is, if your noise reducer lets you bring the noise down enough that it's not grating (your ear should "tune it out" after a little while of listening), then don't overthink this part. The ear will forgive surprising amounts of consistent background noise if the mix sounds pleasing otherwise. Lots of great sounding records out there with a bit of noise on them.
And yes, it would only help with the silences anyway, which would probably make things *worse* in your scenario. Cutting the noise out in silences will usually make it *more* noticeable than if it's constant. That's pretty much always true unless it's quiet enough that you probably wouldn't ask this in the first place.
My hunch is, if your noise reducer lets you bring the noise down enough that it's not grating (your ear should "tune it out" after a little while of listening), then don't overthink this part. The ear will forgive surprising amounts of consistent background noise if the mix sounds pleasing otherwise. Lots of great sounding records out there with a bit of noise on them.
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- KVRAF
- 2807 posts since 8 Sep, 2009
There's a giveaway @KVR right now, providing you with Izotope RX Elements for free. 
Why not try this?
https://www.kvraudio.com/news/get-izoto ... e-ce-58675
Why not try this?
https://www.kvraudio.com/news/get-izoto ... e-ce-58675
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 483 posts since 9 Jan, 2023
Thanks, folks. Had a feeling. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.