What is a noise gate and why doesn the Mix-It2 have one?
A noise gate is another special circuit that really acts as a filter. When an audio input contains a constant low level noise like a buzz, hum, or whatever, it can grow irritating to listen to. A noise gate mutes a noisy input at a preset threshhold level – just above the normal noise. When the incoming signal exceeds the threshhold, the gate opens and allows the signal AND noise to pass through. As an example, lets say you were playing a cassette tape and didn’t like the background hiss. With a noise gate, during quiet passages or blank spots between songs, the noise gate would be “closed” and not allow sound to pass to your earphones. When a new song begins, the gate “opens” and allows the music and noise through. It’s a cheap way of curing a noise problem without having to tackle why there is a noise problem! The Mix-It2 does not use noise gates simply because it does NOT have noise problems with the inputs! The amplifier itself produces some white noise, but that is the nature of a
