Okuzeka
Music vocabulary · Recording and Production

Noise gate

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, noise gate means: An audio processor that reduces a signal when its level falls below a chosen threshold, often making quiet gaps between sounds less noisy.

In Turkish: gürültü kapısı

How it is used

Used on drums, guitars and other recordings. Set the threshold and timing carefully so wanted soft notes and natural endings are not cut off.

Example sentences

  1. The noise gate reduced amplifier hiss during the gaps between guitar phrases.

    The processor acts when the guitar signal drops below the selected level.

  2. Lower the noise gate threshold because it is cutting off the drummer's quiet notes.

    The quiet drum hits fall below the current threshold, so the gate attenuates them along with background sound.

Common collocations

  • noise gate threshold
  • noise gate settings
  • apply a noise gate
  • mixTo balance and combine all the recorded tracks of a song into a final stereo version, adjusting volume, panning, EQ, effects and dynamics.
  • trackA single song on an album or release. In a studio or DAW, it also means one separate recorded part, such as the drum track or the vocal track.
  • percussionInstruments played by hitting, shaking or scraping them, such as drums, cymbals, the xylophone, the tambourine and the darbuka.

More terms: Recording and Production

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