This thing works great. I've switched it in and out while playing and it doesn't affect the tone in any way. I use it in the effects loop of my amp and it effectively kills all the noise in my rig. I think the bad reviews are a result of "lack of understanding" in how to adjust and properly use it.

i play through a marshall jvm and this pedal sucks some tone for sure. i read some reviews saying it did, but i thought i'd give it a chance. i'd rather have some feedback than this pedal. if your not so worried about your tone as much as me, then this pedal will be great for you, it cancells the feedback and hum.

After reading the comments on this pedal and checking out the videos of it in action on Youtube, I decided to try it out. First, the people who said it "sucks tone" are right BUT ONLY IF they turned the Threshold Level knob all the way up. IF they were smart enough to read the instructions (Admittedly, the instructions could be better. Looks like they were written by someone for whom English was not their primary language. If you're still not sure how to get the most out of it, check out Youtube, they have some great vids showing how to use it properly.) So do what the instructions tell you to do, adjust the Threshold and Decay knobs properly, and you'll have no problems with your tone. This pedal works great with guitar, bass or keyboards. It removed all the hiss from my signal chain when I tried it with guitar and bass and adjusted it to each instrument. Absolute silence! From a tube amp! Love it! The pedal comes with a "wall wart" so you can plug it into your power strip and don't have to use a battery all the time (it comes with a 9V battery already hooked up so all you have to do is plug and play, just don't leave the cables plugged in or it will drain the battery). This pedal also has an additional power line out that, when used together with the optional BOSS PCS-20A Parallel DC Cord, lets you hook up as many as 8 additional BOSS pedals without taking up any more outlets on your power strip. Bottom line - Great pedal for the price! Just Remember - "WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!"

I just picked this pedal up used from a local music store and it does exactly what it,s suppose to. I'll be chugging away on palm muted power chords and as soon as I stop dead silence. Oh the sound of silence is so nice. I am very happy with this product.

this noise gate is the best investment i have made. it cuts the loud feedback that your amp might give you and provide you the silence you need in parts of the songs you are writing.