Lexicon MPX G2 manual Noise Gate, Signal Flow with no Returns connected

The MPX G2 has two integrated noise gates, one analog and one digital. Both are driven by the direct signal. The gates share a common set of parameters and can be used independently, or combined to create a “super gate”.

The analog gate is the final output stage of the MPX G2 pre-gain Insert Send path. This allows you to gate the analog signal connected to your guitar amp. The attack and release times of the analog gate are fixed (both are preset to be very fast).

The digital gate is located on the post-gain path, immediately after the Insert Returns. This stereo gate allows you to gate the effects Send signal coming from an external guitar preamp before it is processed by any post-gain effects such as reverb or delay. (This means that reverb and decay tails will ring out naturally when the gate shuts down.) The digital gate is driven by the same pure guitar signal as the analog gate, so both gates have the same sensitivity to light touch

— no matter how many effects the guitar is going through.

When the MPX G2 is connected in front of an amp and/or in the effects loop, these two gates form an integrated noise reduction system that provides more than 120dB of attenuation. When the G2 is used with amp input only, the analog gate provides 40dB of attenuation. When the MPX G2 is used as a stand alone processor, the digital gate provides 90dB of attenuation.

Signal Flow with no Returns connected

The Analog Noise Gate controls the signal leaving the Send jack. It is used to gate audio going to a guitar amp input.

The Digital Noise Gate controls signals going to the post-gain path. It is used to gate audio from the pre-gain path (no In- serts connected) or to gate audio coming in through the return jacks.

Signal Flow with Returns connected

Editing

Noise Gate

Given a choice, many players prefer not use gates of any kind as they can affect tone and play- ing style dynamics. In live and recording situations where high- powered amps are pushed hard, however, the use of a gate is sometimes unavoidable. (If a player uses stomp-box effects in front of the amp, and rack effects in the effects loop, two gates are required: one between the amp input and the last stomp box in the effect chain, and another on the amp's effects send to gate noise before it hits the rack pro- cessors.)

In a component system, the gate is driven by the processed guitar audio — which means that the threshold must be set quite high to compensate for all of the noise added by the pre-gain effects (wah, compressor, overdrive, etc.). You have to play pretty hard to get the gate to open up, and sustained notes are noticably chopped off.

As the MPX G2’s analog gate is driven by the unprocessed gui- tar, the threshold can be set much lower, creating a sensitive gate that opens up with a very light touch and which remains open considerably longer during sustaining notes and chords. It also makes it possible to use the guitar’s volume control to con- trol the gate directly.

Both the analog and digital noise gates share the same sensing — which can be set to either Guitar Input or Return Only.

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