Boss NS-1X Noise Suppressor Pedal

Boss NS-1X Noise Suppressor Pedal

The BOSS NS-1X Noise Suppressor Pedal is the modern answer to one of the least glamorous but most irritating problems in guitar and bass rigs: noise. Using BOSS's advanced Multi-Dimensional Processing (MDP) technology, the NS-1X intelligently tackles hiss, hum and high-gain background racket while working hard to preserve the natural attack, decay and playing response of your instrument.

That's the clever bit. Traditional noise gates can certainly make a rig quiet, but push them too hard and they can start chopping off note tails, interfering with dynamics or making your guitar feel strangely disconnected. The NS-1X analyses the incoming signal in real time, adapting its processing to what's actually happening rather than simply slamming a gate shut at a fixed point.

There are three operating modes to cover very different jobs. Reduction mode is the everyday choice, providing smooth, natural noise suppression for guitar, bass and other electronic instruments. It's designed to work beautifully even with lower-output single-coil pickups, cleaning up unwanted noise while allowing notes to decay naturally.

For the high-gain crowd, Gate mode is where things get particularly interesting. This setting delivers extremely fast noise elimination, making it ideal for tight metal rhythm playing, djent, tapping, sweep picking and heavily distorted rigs where dead silence between notes is part of the sound. Big gain, brutally precise stops, considerably less ssssssssss between riffs.

The third option, Mute mode, turns the footswitch into a convenient signal mute. That's extremely handy when swapping guitars, tuning, taking a break between sets or trying to unplug something without treating the audience to the traditional 120dB cable-removal explosion.

Controls are straightforward despite the clever processing underneath. Threshold determines where suppression begins, Decay adjusts how the suppression behaves as your signal fades, and Damp controls the maximum amount of noise reduction. A multi-LED Reduction indicator provides visual feedback, so you can actually see how aggressively the pedal is working.

The Send/Return loop is another major advantage for pedalboard users. Place noisy overdrives, distortions and other gain pedals inside the NS-1X loop and it can detect your clean instrument signal at the input while dealing with the additional noise generated further along the chain. It's an especially useful configuration for complicated or high-gain boards where simply putting a noise gate at the end doesn't always produce the most natural results.

BOSS hasn't limited it to conventional six-string guitar either. The NS-1X's wide frequency response and sophisticated processing make it suitable for bass, extended-range guitars, keyboards and other electronic instruments. Under the bonnet you've got 48kHz sampling, 32-bit D/A conversion and 32-bit floating-point processing, giving the pedal plenty of digital horsepower to perform its noise-removal duties without getting in the way of your actual playing.

You also get buffered bypass and a handy DC OUT connection, which can distribute power to additional pedals when the NS-1X is used with the appropriate optional BOSS PSA adaptor and PCS-20A parallel cable. Alternatively, it'll run from a standard 9V alkaline battery, with approximately 6.5 hours of continuous operation depending on conditions.

For guitarists and bassists looking for a premium noise suppressor pedal in Ireland, the BOSS NS-1X is a serious bit of pedalboard problem-solving. It's equally useful for cleaning up a mildly noisy everyday rig and bringing military precision to a wall of modern high-gain distortion.

At Musicmaker, we'd particularly recommend having a look at this one if your current solution to noise is turning around between songs and angrily staring at your amplifier.

The amp feels no remorse.

Features

• BOSS NS-1X advanced noise suppressor and noise gate pedal

• Suitable for guitar, bass and other electronic instruments

• BOSS Multi-Dimensional Processing (MDP) technology

• Intelligent real-time noise suppression

• Reduction mode for smooth, natural everyday noise control

• Gate mode for ultra-fast high-gain noise elimination

• Mute mode for silently changing instruments, tuning and set breaks

• Threshold control adjusts the suppression trigger point

• Decay control fine-tunes natural note decay

• Damp control adjusts the maximum amount of noise reduction

• Multi-LED Reduction indicator provides visual suppression feedback

• Send/Return loop for optimised operation with noisy drive and distortion pedals

• Excellent for high-gain metal, djent, tapping and precision rhythm playing

• Works with standard and extended-range guitars and basses

• 48kHz sampling frequency

• 32-bit D/A conversion

• 32-bit floating-point processing

• Buffered bypass

• DC Out for powering additional pedals with compatible optional accessories

• Runs from a 9V alkaline battery or optional BOSS PSA-series adaptor

• Approximately 6.5 hours battery life under continuous use

• 60mA current consumption

• Dimensions: 73 x 129 x 59mm

• Weight approximately 460g including battery