The legendary guitar effects pedal manufacturer Boss has announced the release of a brand new noise suppressor pedal. Named NS-1X Noise Suppressor, this marks the first new pedal model of this kind that the company has released since 1987.
And with the new release also comes innovation — NS-1X, another pedal in Boss’ “X” line of products, is way more than just your simple noise suppressor with the usual features that cut off noise below a certain threshold. Instead, this new pedal comes with the company’s Multi-Dimensional Processing technology, or MDP. Its main goal is to reduce unwanted noise without affecting the essence of your guitar or bass tone.
Not Your Average Boring Noise Gate Pedal
According to the press release, the NS-1X “intelligently silences noise” and it goes “from gentle noise reduction for general stage and studio setups to ultra-fast gating for heavy rhythm styles and other techniques that rely on high-gain tones.”
This is all done using the pedal’s MDP technology. As the company further explains, these methods are much different compared to what the usual noise suppressors do. As they add, the pedal can eliminate “the unnatural attack and decay artifacts that can be introduced with standard noise suppression systems.”
The idea here is to analyze the input signal in real time on multiple levels. This is then followed by “ultra-detailed processing.” So basically, what they’re saying is that it’s more than just your average noise gate pedal as it processes the signal in different ways and doesn’t just cut off the noise below a set threshold. It’s the “smart” operation, if you will.
Modes of Operation
So there are three basic modes of operation here. The first one, labeled as “reduction,” does the usual milder processing with “natural note decay” and works well even with low-output pickups.
Then there’s the “gate” mode that’s designed for high-gain electric guitar tones. It not only silences the tone entirely when you’re not playing but it also has a super-fast response thanks to the aforementioned MDP technology. As a result, you won’t lose any of the wanted traits of your tone, including that crispy attack, even with fast-picking parts.
And lastly, there’s the “mute” mode that simply mutes the signal entirely. This one is designed for swapping instruments or any other stage activity, or inactivity, where you need to switch things off.
Controls and Features
Of course, despite some of the advanced processing methods, the controls on the pedal are what you’d expect from any noise gate device for guitars. There are “threshold,” “decay,” and “damp” parameters. The “damp” one may be new to some and it basically sets the maximum amount of noise reduction. Setting it lower helps you retain the basic natural traits of your guitar tone.
On the front panel, we can also find a reduction indicator. It consists of a series of lights that essentially show what the pedal is doing at any given moment.
Finally, we have the mode switch that selects between the three aforementioned modes of operation.
But accompanying all this, we also have an onboard effects loop with the “send” and “return” jacks. It’s what we can also see on Boss’ now-classic NS-2 pedal. While not mandatory on a noise gate pedal, it’s definitely useful to have if you prefer more advanced connectivity options.
What About the Price?
With the official announcement also comes the set price. Boss lists it with a $199.99 price tag with authorized US BOSS retailers. The price, of course, will differ, but this is noticeably higher compared to Boss’ standard NS-2 which is right above the $100 mark. You can find more information at Boss’ website via this link.
Photos: Boss
