Which is the best noise reduction system? - Help me out!!

[slug]

Hey, all--

Just looking for a good (and hopefully affordable) hush-type unit. *What do you all recommend? *I need to quiet down the hiss on my 5150. *I prefer floor-type units, but am open to any suggestions. *Also, will a noise gate/limiter do essentially the same thing? *I'm just curious if there are strict technical differences or if one company simply calls it something different than another.

Thanks,
mg

[Greg RG7]

I have a SIMPLE answer for you here : *SELL YOUR 5150 if you want SILENT PLAYING/RECORDING. * Especailly if you rely on your Amp Overdrive as your lead tone. *
* The Hush Unit is nice. Rack or Pedal version. *I use a Boss VF-1 Multi effects unit at the end of my chain for delay, reverb, and N/R. *for the price, its a fine N/R that works great live, even with heavy distortion. *
* *Try experimenting with less gain on the amp, *or the "vai method" which is used by many, and that is light overdrive on the amp, pushed even further with an overdrive pedal. *This may remove some hiss, since the gain is coming from a more silent pedal. *I havent really tried that with my rig yet (I can't find my DS-1! ARGH!) but many swear by this combination. *
* *The hissing of a 5150 is what you get from that much gain. *I sold mine and got a Sansamp PSA-1 and a 30 band EQ rack unit. *My tone is even sicker now, and Silent.

[slug]

Thanks, Greg!

Just one problem.....I'm too in love with my 5150!! *I just want to quiet down the hiss, and your pedal idea is soon coming into effect. *I just bought an SD-1 and am going to try it out tonight. *The main problem I'm having is that I want a true 3-channel system. *Clean, crunch, and lead. *Why in the hell couln't Peavey have done that for the 5150 in the first place?! *I guess I just need to get as good as Eddie and have someone tailor-make one for me, too. *Anyway, what I'm planning is to run the crunch side as clean as it will get, then using the lead side with the gain down far enough to get a decent thump out of it for rhythm, then using the BOSS SD-1 to send it over the edge for leads. *Think that'll work well? *Any and all advice is really appreciated.

Thanks again,
mg

[pri0531]

Slug:
Tell me how it works out. *
Out,
Gregory

[Greg RG7]

Trust me, I was madly in love with my 5150 tone. * It is becaus of my years with a 5150 combo that I hate the gain structure of Mesa/Boogie amps. ( i know I know, blasphemy, but yo, *for $1600, TRIPLE RECTIFIERS have no head room in Gain. *a T.R. on 10 is a 5150 on 6!!) *
* * Its the nature of the beast that the 5150 hisses and buzzes when cranked. *My final judgement on that amp has always been : GREAT Live amp, HORRIBLE recording amp. *

[rgr]

EVH uses an old Scholz Rockman Noise Gate on his 5150s.

[slug]

Hey, Gregory--

Last night I messed around with my effects setup and wound up with a very comfortable situation. *I ran the guitar (JEM7BSB and Hamer Californian) through the wah, then the SD-1, then through the Yamaha FX500 for chorus and a bit of reverb and delay. *I put only the Yamaha on the loop and put the gain on the rhythm channel on the 5150 at about 6 for rhythm and used the BOSS for leads. *It worked perfectly, and I actually think I'm going to abandon the lead channel. *It's just too hot and hissy for some of the stuff my band does. *I'm going to buy an EQ pedal, and I think I'll wind up backing the gain on the rhythm channel way off and pumping the drive on the SD-1 up a ways and using the EQ for a boost for leads. *I'm pretty happy with the Yamaha for the other effects, so I'm not going to dive off into a hundred pedals yet.

I'm finally getting happy with my tone!!

Hope I answered your question, and if anyone has any suggestions on mods for this setup feel free to let me know.

Later,
mg