Overview
Every guitarist using distortion effects or a chain of many different pedals needs some sort of noise gate. These pedals have a simple yet crucial purpose - minimize the unpleasant hissing or humming sound produced by a high gain from other effects by attenuating the signal of these "noises". They can also help clean up the sound of a guitar with noisy pickups - which is common for many lower-end electric guitars. Because of the versatility in removing unwanted signals and sounds from the electric guitar's output, noise gates are common pieces in a guitarist's pedalboard and are even considered by some as an essential.
However, the source of noise must also be considered and identified before spending on a noise gate pedal. They can only filter out unwanted sounds from the signal being run into it, and cannot help with sound issues coming from a component that comes after it in the chain - such as another pedal or the amplifier. A faulty amplifier cannot be fixed by a noise gate but issues coming from high gain can be dealt with by placing one between the source and the amp. However, having a reliable noise gate for emergencies is a good idea - especially one that does its job well at an affordable price and does not take up much space in your pedalboard.
The Joyo JF-324 Gate of Kahn guitar pedal is an affordable, compact, and reliable pedal that attenuates unwanted noise even at very low signals, making sure your sustain is not cut. Unlike most noise gate pedals in the price range, the JF-324 Noise Gate pedal does not affect your guitar's tone and seamlessly removes the hissing and humming from high gain effects. Compared to another variant from the same brand, the Joyo JF-31 Noise Gate pedal, the Gate of Kahn has a more compact design with a flip cover over the control knob. Joyo has built a reputation for reliable and effective pedals at very affordable prices, and the JF-324 is no exception.
Should You Get One?
If you run your tone through distortion or overdrive effects at high gain values, the Joyo JF-324 would be an excellent addition to your board. It can also help eliminate the hums of pickups that are single coil, especially those that do not feature shielding. The pedal has gained a lot of positive customer reviews praising its simplicity and reliability. Furthermore, according to customer reviews, the size allows them to fit other essential pedals in their board while enjoying the performance of the JF-324. Its brother, the Joyo JF-31 Noise Gate pedal, had a larger size and had no knob cover - making the JF-324 the preferred product from Joyo. If you want a low-profile, affordable, and effective noise gate with true-bypass design, the Joyo Gate of Kahn is a great investment.
Guitar | Pedal | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Main | Joyo | JF-324 Noise Gate |
Joyo JF-324 Noise Gate
PRO's & CON's of joyo JF-324
Before we dive deep into our review, let's look at some of the pros and cons of the joyo JF-324 noise gate:
Pros
Cons
Features and Benefits
Features
The Gate of Kahn, similar to other noise gates like the JF-31 Noise Gate pedal, offers a straightforward and intuitive pedal design. What makes it a great purchase, however, is its compactness, effectiveness, and price. Joyo did an excellent job of providing guitarists with a simple pedal that has a tiny footprint in the rig. This frees up more space for other pedals.
For musicians who prepare their pedalboards for gigs, having all your essential effects on your board is a must. If you're like me, then you would want more space for overdrive, modulation, wah, and reverb pedals; and having a noise gate that shares the same size as these seem a little impractical - especially since I only use noise gates as some sort of emergency pedal in the case of weird noises such as feedback and hissing. However, the size is also what hinders the JF-324 from having a battery compartment, which is a small price to pay. The size of the JF-324 is a great implementation for the product and is one of its greatest selling points.
The addition of a knob cover is an excellent idea especially for a pedal of this size. It won't be difficult to accidentally knock the knob up or down with your foot while stepping on the footswitch during a performance, but the knob cover solves this perfectly. The pedal also features true-bypass design, preventing it to interfere with your tone when it's not in use.
The only significant drawback I've found in terms of design is the placement of the DC power source port. Similar to the Joyo JF-31 Noise Gate, the DC port is located on the side, beside the input jack. Although it is not exactly a deal-breaker, the design prevents from maximizing pedalboard space, as connecting it to a daisy chain with longer plugs will leave a considerable space between the noise gate and the pedal situated to its right. However, its compact size kind of makes up for the flaw. It can also be fixed by placing the product's input side on the edge of the pedalboard - though this would require longer patching cables to connect its input jack to the preceding pedals.
Controls
The JF-324 has a single threshold knob to control the range of noise frequencies you want to attenuate just like the Joyo JF-31 Noise Gate pedal. In other words, the threshold knob allows you to control the amount of noise reduction in your output. Turning it clockwise will allow you to hear unwanted noises fade out. However, you must take the time to find the sweet spot rather than maxing out the controls as this could eat up your tone and affect the richness of your sound.
The Gate of Kahn does a great job in helping guitarists achieve a noiseless performance with a single, simple knob that even beginners will have no trouble operating it. This knob can be left uncovered for easy access, or covered with the flip-over piece of plastic to prevent accidental changes to your settings unlike its predecessor, the JF-31 Noise Gate.
Sound
When it comes to noise attenuation pedals like the JF-324, you're only ever supposed to be concerned about the reduction of hissing and humming, and the preservation of your tone. The Joyo JF-324 does both excellently. Although slightly inferior to higher-end pedals, the JF-324 still has seamless noise reduction without affecting your sustain - which is surprising for its price range. This Joyo pedal performs a little better compared to the JF-31 Noise Gate, which had issues with distortion and cutting out the sustain of guitars.
Depending on the settings on the control knob, users will be able to decide on how much they want to cut out from their signal using this Joyo noise gate. The product allows for easy alterations to the output in terms of attenuating harsh tones without any detriment to your sound.
For a demonstration of the product, you may refer to this video:
Social Proof of the Pedal
We now present some of the selected customer reviews about the product in discussion. You are advised to look out for such reviews, before taking a final call on the product.
The reviewer considers Joyo JF-324 as a good choice for always ON pedal. He is impressed with the small size of the pedal and ease of usability. One drawback cited is non availability of battery compartment, but there is always a trade - off between size and such type of features for any pedal.
In this short review, the user recommends purchasing the very affordable Joyo JF-324 Noise Gate, as it does the required job, instead of trying expensive pedals. He has used many Joyo effect pedals in the past and likes them.
This user also echoes the views of other reviewers and comments about the effectiveness, simple design and control.
In Conclusion
In terms of an affordable and effective noise gate, Joyo did an excellent job with the JF-324 Gate of Kahn and heavily improved on the flaws and imperfections of the Joyo JF-31 Noise Gate. It's a great guitar pedal for guitarists using a lot of high gain effects or experiencing noise issues from guitar pickups with a single coil.
It can even act as a noise gate for bass guitars, making it a versatile product. With a simple, single control panel and improved design implementations, the product is a step up from the Joyo JF-31 noise-gate. The JF-324 is an excellent pedal that lets you keep your sustain and tone while removing the unwanted signals from your output - all for $50.
You can check out the Joyo JF-324 Gate of Kahn Noise gate on Amazon and get one for yourself through this link:
