Adjustment of Boss Noise Cancelling Settings for Reduction of Unnecessary Sound
Optimising Your Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor for Enhanced Sound Clarity
The Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor pedal is a popular choice among musicians seeking cleaner tones. Here's a guide on how to set up your NS-2 for optimal sound clarity.
Setting the Threshold
The threshold dial controls when the noise suppressor engages. To start, set the knob around noon (middle setting). Adjust it by lowering it until unwanted noise and hiss are effectively reduced without cutting off your guitar’s sustain or notes. If set too low, you may lose some dynamics; if too high, noise gets through.
Adjusting the Decay Time
The decay time knob controls how quickly the noise gate closes after the signal drops below the threshold. A shorter decay will cut noise more aggressively but can truncate note tails or decay, affecting natural sustain. A moderate decay keeps the sound smooth and natural while still suppressing noise. Fine-tune this by ear for best balance.
Positioning the Pedal in the Signal Chain
Place the NS-2 after distortion and overdrive pedals but before modulation and delay effects. This placement ensures it suppresses the noise generated by gain-heavy pedals while preserving effects that add ambient or time-based textures.
Using the Send/Return Loop
One advantage of the NS-2 is its ability to isolate noisy pedals in its internal loop. Connect gain-heavy or noisy pedals in the loop to target noise reduction efficiently without compromising the clarity of the whole chain.
Bypass Mode
The NS-2 is true bypass, so it won’t affect your tone when off. Use the footswitch to compare suppressed and unsuppressed sound to ensure clarity is preserved.
Optimal Settings Summary
| Control | Starting Point & Adjustment Tips | |--------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | Threshold | Start ~12 o’clock and tweak to balance noise and sustain | | Decay Time | Moderate setting to avoid chopping natural note decay | | Signal Chain | Place after distortion/overdrive pedals | | Use Loop | Insert noisy pedals into Send/Return loop |
Tackling Hiss and Hum
Dealing with hiss and hum often results from electrical interference or grounding issues. Cable management is crucial in minimizing electrical interference, and using a ground lift switch on one piece of equipment can help see if the hum decreases. Single-coil pickups are prone to noise and can be addressed by using hum-canceling pickups or adjusting playing position.
Detection Circuits
Detection circuits in a noise suppressor are crucial for differentiating between playing and unwanted noise. Modern detection circuits are designed for precision and responsiveness, allowing for user-defined settings in detection circuits to adjust threshold levels to meet specific needs.
High-Gain Sounds
When dealing with high-gain sounds, adjust the threshold so that it captures noise during quieter passages but still allows your desired sound through. For amplifiers or effects that produce high gain, insert the noise suppressor after any distortion units.
Placement in the Effects Chain
Place the noise suppressor at the end of the effects chain for maximum noise reduction. Noise gates can be a valuable addition to your setup, helping to silence noise when you are not playing.
In conclusion, adjusting the parameters of your Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor carefully by ear can help reduce noise without impacting your guitar tone’s natural clarity or attack. By following these tips, you can achieve smooth noise reduction maintaining your instrument’s character.
- To ensure cleaner tones with reduced hiss and hum, consider connecting your guitar's output to the NS-2 studio's audio input, applying the settings learned from optimizing the Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor pedal.
- For enthusiasts of music technology and gadgets, you might want to explore adding a high-quality condenser microphone to your audio setup, capturing your guitar's sound with clarity and precision, making it an excellent addition to your inventory of guitar audio tools.
- When experimenting with various musical genres, the NS-2 noise suppressor can help smooth out the sounds of distortion, overdrive, and high-gain effects, making way for the signature twang of a guitar solo or the resonant thump of a bassline, allowing for a more polished and complete musical experience in your studio.
