This probably the best video I ever saw in UA-cam, no joke no one ever takes the time to show how it works. That includes the manufacturer of the product ugh. Thanks again so helpful
This is so true. This is the most useful noise gate video I've ever seen. I used to have a Sentry but sold it, because I couldn't figure out how to make the most of it in my rig. I really wish TC Electronic had a manual on their site, showcasing the 4 cable method when I had the pedal... I did a lot of research trying to figure it out, but never heard of the 4 cable method at the time. I really don't understand why most pedal companies don't clearly state the best ways to use the noise gates they make!
Only YT vid I have found that explains where to put time effects. Holy crap it works. Couldn't have figured this out in 100 years. Thank you for extending my life expectancy.
Dude!! You're video is absolutely GENIUS!! I used the 4 cable method as described, and my high gain Marshall DSL 40CR's with numerous high gain OD pedals are unbelievably quiet. As a gigging musician, I used to run 2 ISP Decimators, one through the front of the amp, the other through the effects loop. BUT it always choked out my trails regardless of how you set the ISP's. The Sentry is probably the most practical pedal out there. Way more gigging musicians NEED this...there are a lot of noisy rigs out here in the industry.....well, ONE less now! Thank you for making this "show me" vid. More guys like you need to do this.
Hey man ,,, I know you're working with it on stage ... And it works well w/ the 4 cable method ... That's all the review I need ,,, well done ,,, regular gate takes a lot away from the sound ... Thanks a lot ... Every little bit helps ,,, in the quest for good tone ...
Dude THANK YOU. Bought this pedal a few days ago and I could tell it was a beast but I could not for the life of me figure out why it was configured the way it was. Totally makes sense now. Cheers!
Thanks for the direct explanation. The site map was a huge help and made it easy to understand. Just got the Sentry and was a little on the fence about its results, but after following this it works perfect and couldn't be happier. Originally was looking at the Revv G8 and I'm sure it works well also (also has the effects loop feature) but saved a good chunk of cash on the Sentry and with the 4 cable method I can set it and it works for high gain and clean without having to change settings. . . Love it!
I have used the Sentry for 4 years now but only with 2 cable method in the loop. I just tried the 4 cable method and, first of all, the gating works even better, second the pedal actually improves the signal going into the amp. I don't know if its buffering or something else, but the pedal surely sounds the best in the 4 cable setup
I wrote the first comment without watching entire video, after watching the entire vid …u just solved so many of my troubles ..,I have a dirty tree into Evh stealth 100 I love how the boost works with my amp but noisy …looks like this my solution awesome
Gotta try this. I've been using a Sentry for a few years now but I only have my overdrives/distortions on the gate loop. Now that I bought a high gain amp (5150 Steatlh) the red channel hisses like crazy. I have tried to create this setup on my own but I probably messed up at some point because my sound was 90% killed of whatever the threshold setting was on the gate xD
Glad this helped. When I made this video I was surprised this info wasn’t out there. It’s why I made the video because I knew there had to be lots of other people wondering how all this works.
Having tried in front of amp and now the FX 4 cable method... well, placing noise gate in front of an amp feels like the wrong way of doing things :D noise gate via FX loop kills ALL THE NOISE. Great video, thanks!
Brilliant video. I bought the Electro Harmonix Silencer, which is very similar to this, and used your method to help set it up. I used the send and return in the same way that you did and think your advice is spot on. I eliminated that hum/buzz/unwanted noise from my noisy overdrives/fuzz/distortion pedals, but still kept the trails from my reverb. Great pedal and brilliant video to explain it. Thanks!
Cheers man! Happy to hear the video helped. I remember when I got this pedal being really annoyed the instructions didn’t lay it out properly and there were no videos that explained it. Glad so many people are finding this video useful.
Really appreciate this video - I have never investigated how to use the loop on the pedal and as I increased the gain on my amp (which does not have it's own gain control like some amps do), the amp itself really got noisy. I was considering putting a gate in the effects loop, but this should save me the expense of another pedal for a couple of extra cables! Thanks again!
Wow. Works like a charm. Great video. I have to think about this though because my brain is struggling to follow the signal path in a way that makes sense. I'm sure it will click eventually.
Tnak you SO much for this, it cleared up so much confusion I had with my Boss NS-1X, I also may get the TC Electronic Sentry, it has a lot more tweakable features with the softwrare,!
My pleasure man, glad you found it helpful! I basically tried to make the exact video I was looking for but couldn’t find when setting this thing up. Happy belated!
Oh man... these were the exact answers I was looking for in regards to the 4CM. I have an EHX Silencer, but the method would be exactly the same. This is the only video explaining “overdrives here”, and “time based effects here”.... lol Great video... I’m subscribing!!!
Hey Ryan, glad you found the video helpful! I remember trying to find a video just like this online and for some reason no one had done it yet, so I figured, hell I'll make it! Thanks for watching and subscribing, I appreciate it!
@@ScottBynoe 680 subs?? Feel like I’m getting in on the ground floor.. lol... started watching some of your earlier videos... Great content... keep em’ coming
@@RYAN-cj2fp thank you sir, really appreciate that! I cringe a bit at some of my older ones, I feel much more natural lately on camera lol...thanks again for watching! Cheers!
Hi Scott, Firstly just wanted to thank you for your awesome video and explanation. Best one I've come across and you're so right. Having a visual makes things so much easier to understand :) Ok.. so here is a problem I am having. I am utilising the two FX loops on my Marshall TSL100 head. FX loop A is dedicated to the clean channel which I have my modulation pedals in, so I don't need any noise gate on the clean channel. I don't use any OD or distortion pedals, just the crunch channel which also has its own dedicated FX loop B so I have setup my Sentry gate just as you have it in the 4CM diagram to eliminate amp hum and buzz on the crunch channel which works as it should however.. here is my problem.. I want to include my MXR 10 band EQ after the pre-amp to better shape my crunch tone so I have added it into my amps FX loop B, the crunch channel, in place of where you have the time-based pedals in your diagram however the EQ is actually cutting all the sound when engaged for some reason and I cannot work out why? When my EQ pedal is in the FX loop by itself it operates normally however when in the loop with the noise gate it cuts all the sound.. Can you help please?? Cheers
Been using the NS2 for life (~15 year-old pedal) with 4CM ( exactly same setup described at 3:30) Recently bought a Sentry, give it a try 4CM, the Sentry is just too harsh that it cuts/sucks my tones/ frequencies very noticeably while NS2 never disappoints (it only cuts noise) Something wrong here with Sentry ? i tried all settings Threshold/ Dam/ Decay (Gate, Toneprint of Gary Holt, Hiss, ...) Any idea ?
@@ScottBynoeI’ve had the sentry for a few years but I’ve always felt dissatisfied with it. I was thinking of learning the 4 cable method but, is it worth it? How much better is the SUN Guptech noisegate pedal?
Thanks for this video. Looking at the manual (its not that clear) I had set mine up with 'Send' going to my time based pedals and 'Output' going to my Amp Input. You have it the other way around...
Ya the manuals on these pedals and the way they are labeled is confusing. Setting up as a 4 cable method you basically swap the Send and the Output with each other. I think that's where most people get hung up and get it wrong. Send to your pedals and Output to your FX loop.
Now those examples are excellent explanations. I’m using the GT100 with the Sentury because the internal NS system sucks. I wasn’t sure of the 4CM route, so I just went input to output to input of the GT100. TC Electronics doesn’t quite explain the alternative wiring. To get this gate to work with my Android is nothing but trouble. On my laptop it’s a mess too. I’m trying to get rid of a F# buzz drone that creeps up as my notes fade out. Funny thing is when I use the GT’s tuner, I have it set to bypass so I can balance the patch levels to unity. The buzz drone goes away in the bypass mode. I can hear my guitar unfiltered just like going straight to an amp or board. I know high gain is a problem child, but I’m using medium to low gain tones. In a live situation it’s not as noticeable but in a studio environment it’s a menace. I’ll see how the 4CM works. I’ll move it around in the virtual chain to find the sweet spot. Thank you very much.
How whould you use the 4CM on a digital amp or a multieffect like the HX Stomp. Signal Chain Inside the HX: (possible FX Send/Return) - DS - Amp - Y-split to one Side Reverb other Side delay - Y-revered - IR I wanted to have a OD Pedal as a boost in my Sidechain on the FX loop cause i want to get a Clean Sound when deaktivating the Problem is it makes so much noise. I need the Overdrive pedal i want to use before the DS inside the HX. Also everything needs to be fore the Amp. I feel like with this Gate i need to do it something like this: Guitar -> Gate Input -> Gate Send -> HX Stomp Input -> Inside the HX before anything even comes ->FXsend -> OD Pedal -> Gate Return -> Gate Output -> FXreturn ..... Am i stupid? In theory that should mean that my Signal chain now looks like this: Gate -> OD -> Gate -> DS ->Amp -> Y-split -> IR I whould love to get the Gate behind my Amp or DS, but since its digital i dont know how i should do that when i want to deactivate the FXloop completely to get a clean tone. Also, i dont need that gate for the Clean Tone.
Thanks - currently experimenting with using preamp pedals with pedalboard power amps - I would imagine placing my mod/TB effects in-between these would be the "FX loop" in this set-up?
For the record: i tried this with a dual rectifier roadster and while it did the trick of silencing the amp i must admit that it really changes the tone of the amp. And I’m not a tone snob. Also: beware of the loop level (if setable ) to avoid high frequency squeel while playing
Yeah everything's got pros and cons ,,, you got to play with it to figure it out ... Been mixing sound long time ,,, but I know I lost hearing at AC DC ,,, it hurt my ears ...18 double head Marshall stacks ,,, all with the lights on ... But I know both musicians and the audience ,,, like to hear the high-end hot ... So I just put it in there ,,, even if it makes my inner ear buzz ... Good point ,,, thanks ... D
I’m so glad I found this video! You did such a great job putting this together clearly and succinctly. I even took a picture of the final diagram so I can use this as soon as I get home. For whatever reason, everything I’ve read and watched on the subject turns into algebra in my head. I wish I could use the four cable method to plug this fucker into my brain when ADHD starts to squeal.
I run a pedal signal chain for my bass and have it in this order: Bass>tuner> compressor> noise suppressor (NS-2)> decimator (noise gate)> macbook/logic pro X> Headrush frfr-112 And from the Send/Return jacks from the noise suppressor, i have it in this order. NS-2 send>darkglass alpha Omicron output>sansamp bass driver input> sansamp output>NS-2 return. Any tips?
My pleasure. I basically tried to make the video I was looking for and couldn’t find when I was first trying to set up this pedal. Thanks for watching!
@@ScottBynoe Scott, I have a pedal like this ( the stone deaf reaper). I am still confused on where these pedals would go ( wah, compressor, and boost) ? Because these are typically before the od, and distortion pedals that need to go through the gate. Does that mean guitar into boost, wah, compressor , distortion, od then gate to amp? I know you didn't want to recommend order because everyone has different signal chains but I'm confused about this. Appreciate your input. I have a wah, compressor, boost, od, distortion, chorus, flanger, reverb and delay.
@@allboutthemojo You'll really have to experiment, but generally speaking I like the gate in front of the ODs, as well as the time based pedals (that goes for whether you have them in line or in the FX loop). If you put a gate after your time-based pedals it can really alter what they're doing (which, who knows could be cool...but probably not what you want).
@@ScottBynoe I don't want the gate to cut off all of the trails from my modulation and time effects. I just need the gate to reduce noise from my od, and distortion pedals , so I understand the setup of gate in front of od etc and the other's in the amps loop but have not found anything on where to put wah, compressor, boost.
Personally i would put it in front of a boost (but that’s my preference). As for wah and compressor you’ll have to experiment and test before and after to find which sounds most musical and best to you. I’ve seen it done both ways.
Saved me banging my head against the wall today... Works REALLY well. Would love a video for dialing this effect down. I did something (mainly with playing with the threshold moving it as much to not gate anything as I can get it to) :) is it the best ? no idea...
Yes, wanna see more videos like this ahaha!!! I like you channel, very good tests and explications, and, as a non native english speaker, I appreciate the way you talk, I can understand 98% at the first hear ahahah keep it up!!!! Peace and Metal!!! 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
I am about to try this 4 cable method 👍But have you any thoughts on compressor,wah,tuner and on my board a Digitech drop pedal would go. Would they go first on the board and they into the guitar input of the sentry. I assume it would be Tuner Drop pedal Wah then compressor!!!! Then into the sentry and then the rest of the pedals would be exactly like you show on the 4 cable method 🙄🤞
Hey Everyone- I downloaded the apps/Firmware and connected the pedal. A couple of questions: 1. When I download the toneprints to the pedal- how do I access each do them? The toggle only sets to tone print- am I only able to change tone prints on the pedal by the app- or can it be done on the pedal. 2. I downloaded the firmware- and not the pedal doesn’t seem to be working right. Is it possible to completely do a hard reset?
Thanks for saying that, glad you found it helpful. I was surprised no one made a video with a proper visual before mine, it's why I made it. Thanks for watching!
@@ScottBynoe I needed a good and fast tutorial to show a dude on facebook what to do. Yours was the best I had found. Little bit about noise gates in genereal, but then just to the point. Real great work!
so i used a donner soph gate pedal and hooked it up using this method (Katana 100 mk2) and it actually created a feedback issue that didnt exist prior. Maybe it's an issue with the pedal but if volume and/or gain was over a certain threshold(not even that higher) there would be a very short feedback squeal as the gate close when i stopped playing. Incredibly annoying. I'm saying it's the pedal for now and returning it and will get something else but I have no idea if that's really what was happening
I'm late to the party, but.. I've been using 4 cable method for some time and last night I noticed that engaging the noise gate in the fx loop changes the sound - removes some treble, cuts off a bit of the dynamics. Any takers on how to solve it? Playing with the knobs on Sentry makes little difference, as soon as it's engaged it colors the sound. It doesn't sound bad, maybe I can compensate on the amp EQ somehow, but it's weird, isn't it? Or is it just inherently the way all noise gates behave in the fx loop? I'd appreciate some help on this one.
Been searching and watching this kind of video, this one the most helpful and understandable for me. 🙏 thanks so much. Hahaha btw im using ehx silencer 😅
A little bit confused here, my chain goes from tuner -> compressor -> fuzz -> od --> input amp. In your video I understand that noise gate go befores drive pedal? Mean after compressor in mychain, before fuzz & od. Or after fuzz / od? 🧐
I thought about doing that...and I still might but also don't want to be too prescriptive since some of it is dependent on your style and the effects that you are using...but there are some general principles...maybe i'll make one in the future. Thanks for watching, cheers!
Thanks Scott! This is the explanation I was looking for. One quick question. I assume that my modulation pedals currently in my effects look (chorus, flanger, phaser) would go between the effects send on my amp and the effects return on the pedal or do they go with the reverb and delay?
Probably depends on your set up. I don't have a stereo rig so I can't say for sure. But with my chain, I have the Sentry feeding into a couple Strymon pedals that connect into my Effects Loop. If I were to have a second amp I could send L and R to each amp and it should gate both. If you don't have stereo pedal in your chain you would probably need some sort of splitter (unless you wanted to buy two gates haha). Like I said I can't say for sure since I don't run it that way, but logically that seems to make sense to me. Best of luck!
Yeah when you get gain ,,, ya get noise ... Friend got a TC Sentry ... I thought it was a stereo pedal ,,, I no big dummy ... I didn't know about pedal loop ... My Marshall valvestate got loop ,,, tried a A-B-Y switch and Loop selector switch and none of them get rid of the noise ... Then I got a tone suck gate pedal ... Just a cut filter ... The four cable method ... The only thing can get it out ,,, without taking your tone or level ... Well done ✅👍
This is great thanks!. But what if i want to use all my pedals in the effects loop and bypass my amps preamp (just utilize the power amp of my marshall head)? I have fuzz's, distortion, OD, and delay.
Still run it as you would in the loop of the 4 cable method. I guess you’d be only using 2 cables then but it would be in your chain of pedals using the send and return of the loop on your amp.
I tried this recently but it created a massive ground loop. The hum was louder than the hiss I was trying to get rid of. I added am isolation transformer to break the ground loop. It squeeled louder than the hiss and the hum lol.
Is the effect loop (send and return) separate from the direct line?( The input and output) lf I run my guitar into the input and the output into my pedalboard, and my amps effect loop into the effect loop of the pedal, would that work? Or will there be any interference with the different inputs
The effects loop allows you to plug in pedals to sit between your preamp and power amp. Compared to pedals that run in front of your amp (into your amp’s input) which run in front of the preamp. 4 cable method is beneficial since you get gating in front of the preamp and then again after the preamp and before the power amp. A lot of amps, specifically high gain amps, generate a lot of noise and gating after the preamp has benefits.
Thx for the simple instructions! Watching again as I’m setting up my pedalboard. So you would put a compressor in the effect chain when using 4CM? Or maybe before the Sentry?
It's a good question, I've seen people move compression around on their board (more specifically around ODs and boosts - but I've also seen people place them before or after their gate). As for where to place it relative to the Sentry I would suggest experimenting both before and after to see how it works for you in your set up and style of playing. Whichever provides the most musical and effective use of both the Sentry and the Compressor is your winner.
@@ScottBynoe I`ve done it like in the video, but now there is a hum present when I enable the Sentry ... will check again. Maybe a cable, maybe something else ... Before. when I was running it normally (input/output) it was all ok.
You should be just fine. I tend to put my gate first in line in the loop but you can experiment. I have a parametric eq in my loop right after my gate and it sounds great. Thanks for watching!
Don't you want to place this unit after your effects pedals? How else can it filter out noise if it doesn't yet have a signal to clean? You have it as first in the chain (guitar --› input).
Think if it as the sensor is up front, so it's sensing the loudness of your playing, without interference from your gain pedals, and the gate is in the effects loop, so after your preamp and gain pedals. Having the time based effects _after_ the gate allows reverb tails and echoes and the like to escape. If you have a really noisy effects pedal though, you might have to move it in front, i.e. have them before the return input. Still want guitar -> tuner -> input to sense your playing.
As a linear representation of the chain would look something like this: guitar -> tuner -> input-(threshold sensor)-send -> gain pedals -> preamp input-(preamp)-loop send -> return-(noise gate)-output -> effects -> loop return-(power amp)
Hey that's a great question! To be honest, I use this entirely in series loops, since I don't run any amps with parallel or any noisy vintage pedals. However, you won't know until you try. Depending on how aggressively you set your gate, you may have an adverse affect either in line or in the amp, but I honestly don't know. Only one way to find out! Thanks for watching!
@@ScottBynoe and @Nicolas Feduccia - no, it doesn't. I set this up on my JVM410 and with the loop set to the way I used to run it (parallel mix knob at 12 o'clock/50%) and it sounded like I was playing in a tunnel. Not sure why this is, but it sounded shite. Once I turned the dial to full serial, it was absolutely perfect. Hope that helps fella!
This is the greatest explaination of the 4CM on a noise gate ever
Glad you found it helpful, thanks for watching!
This probably the best video I ever saw in UA-cam, no joke no one ever takes the time to show how it works. That includes the manufacturer of the product ugh. Thanks again so helpful
Cheers!
This is so true. This is the most useful noise gate video I've ever seen. I used to have a Sentry but sold it, because I couldn't figure out how to make the most of it in my rig. I really wish TC Electronic had a manual on their site, showcasing the 4 cable method when I had the pedal... I did a lot of research trying to figure it out, but never heard of the 4 cable method at the time. I really don't understand why most pedal companies don't clearly state the best ways to use the noise gates they make!
Seriously!!
Only YT vid I have found that explains where to put time effects.
Holy crap it works.
Couldn't have figured this out in 100 years.
Thank you for extending my life expectancy.
Haha cheers! Glad the video helped!
Dude!! You're video is absolutely GENIUS!! I used the 4 cable method as described, and my high gain Marshall DSL 40CR's with numerous high gain OD pedals are unbelievably quiet. As a gigging musician, I used to run 2 ISP Decimators, one through the front of the amp, the other through the effects loop. BUT it always choked out my trails regardless of how you set the ISP's. The Sentry is probably the most practical pedal out there. Way more gigging musicians NEED this...there are a lot of noisy rigs out here in the industry.....well, ONE less now! Thank you for making this "show me" vid. More guys like you need to do this.
Glad this video helped man! It’s definitely a game changer once you use 4CM on a Sentry. Also cheaper than buying two gates! Thanks for watching!
Hey man ,,, I know you're working with it on stage ... And it works well w/ the 4 cable method ... That's all the review I need ,,, well done ,,, regular gate takes a lot away from the sound ... Thanks a lot ... Every little bit helps ,,, in the quest for good tone ...
Dude THANK YOU. Bought this pedal a few days ago and I could tell it was a beast but I could not for the life of me figure out why it was configured the way it was. Totally makes sense now. Cheers!
Thanks for the direct explanation. The site map was a huge help and made it easy to understand. Just got the Sentry and was a little on the fence about its results, but after following this it works perfect and couldn't be happier. Originally was looking at the Revv G8 and I'm sure it works well also (also has the effects loop feature) but saved a good chunk of cash on the Sentry and with the 4 cable method I can set it and it works for high gain and clean without having to change settings. . . Love it!
Thank you SO much for showing the ins and outs of the 4CM in one picture at 3:25 ! It saved me from buiyng a second Noise Gate...
Cheers!
Wow...the only video on the entire internet that explains this properly. Well done! I finally understand it.
Cheers!
I have used the Sentry for 4 years now but only with 2 cable method in the loop. I just tried the 4 cable method and, first of all, the gating works even better, second the pedal actually improves the signal going into the amp. I don't know if its buffering or something else, but the pedal surely sounds the best in the 4 cable setup
I wrote the first comment without watching entire video, after watching the entire vid …u just solved so many of my troubles ..,I have a dirty tree into Evh stealth 100 I love how the boost works with my amp but noisy …looks like this my solution awesome
That’s great man. Glad the video helped!
Thank u all these companies tell bout their features but doesn’t actual show …great vid man
I have finally found the video to make it all make sense. Thank you.
Thank you Scott for posting this - the only demo I found that accurately explained this. You have a new subscriber!
Thank you! Appreciate it!
Thank you so much. Finally got my Synergy SYN2, Helix, and outboard pedals all working nicely!
Gotta try this. I've been using a Sentry for a few years now but I only have my overdrives/distortions on the gate loop. Now that I bought a high gain amp (5150 Steatlh) the red channel hisses like crazy. I have tried to create this setup on my own but I probably messed up at some point because my sound was 90% killed of whatever the threshold setting was on the gate xD
Thanks for taking the time to create exactly what no one else could.
Cheers. Glad it helped.
You see kids-- this is how you make a video. No BS- to the facts. And it’s why I just subscribed to his channel.
Thank you!
By far the best 4CM explanation, out there.
Bro, thank u... This is perfect.
The only video on youtube that explains thos properly. I'm getting a new amp with an fx loop, and dude was it hard to find this info.
Glad this helped. When I made this video I was surprised this info wasn’t out there. It’s why I made the video because I knew there had to be lots of other people wondering how all this works.
Having tried in front of amp and now the FX 4 cable method... well, placing noise gate in front of an amp feels like the wrong way of doing things :D noise gate via FX loop kills ALL THE NOISE. Great video, thanks!
Thanks man !!!!!! I'm pretty handy but I'm still a bit baffled I guess primarily by most pedals labelling
Thanks for giving me something to go with !!
Thank you for the great explanation on the 4 cable method. Wasn’t able to find a good video on it until I stumbled across this. Thank you sir.
Brilliant video. I bought the Electro Harmonix Silencer, which is very similar to this, and used your method to help set it up. I used the send and return in the same way that you did and think your advice is spot on. I eliminated that hum/buzz/unwanted noise from my noisy overdrives/fuzz/distortion pedals, but still kept the trails from my reverb. Great pedal and brilliant video to explain it. Thanks!
Cheers man! Happy to hear the video helped. I remember when I got this pedal being really annoyed the instructions didn’t lay it out properly and there were no videos that explained it. Glad so many people are finding this video useful.
Thank God someone showing us
Really appreciate this video - I have never investigated how to use the loop on the pedal and as I increased the gain on my amp (which does not have it's own gain control like some amps do), the amp itself really got noisy. I was considering putting a gate in the effects loop, but this should save me the expense of another pedal for a couple of extra cables! Thanks again!
Wow. Works like a charm. Great video. I have to think about this though because my brain is struggling to follow the signal path in a way that makes sense. I'm sure it will click eventually.
I did this and it’s game changing, thank you.
Awesome. Glad it helped!
Tnak you SO much for this, it cleared up so much confusion I had with my Boss NS-1X, I also may get the TC Electronic Sentry, it has a lot more tweakable features with the softwrare,!
Best demo I've seen of a noise gate in the fx loop. Thank you!
Thanks Wesley, glad you dig the video! Cheers!
Great explanation! Cheers.
This helped so much, I had it setup wrong and was scratching my head until I found this! Cheers dude. You posted this on my 40th bday too :)
My pleasure man, glad you found it helpful! I basically tried to make the exact video I was looking for but couldn’t find when setting this thing up. Happy belated!
Oh man... these were the exact answers I was looking for in regards to the 4CM. I have an EHX Silencer, but the method would be exactly the same. This is the only video explaining “overdrives here”, and “time based effects here”.... lol
Great video... I’m subscribing!!!
Hey Ryan, glad you found the video helpful! I remember trying to find a video just like this online and for some reason no one had done it yet, so I figured, hell I'll make it! Thanks for watching and subscribing, I appreciate it!
@@ScottBynoe 680 subs?? Feel like I’m getting in on the ground floor.. lol... started watching some of your earlier videos... Great content... keep em’ coming
@@RYAN-cj2fp thank you sir, really appreciate that! I cringe a bit at some of my older ones, I feel much more natural lately on camera lol...thanks again for watching! Cheers!
Best 4 cable method vídeo ever done! Congrats!!!!!
Thanks for watching!
Hi Scott,
Firstly just wanted to thank you for your awesome video and explanation. Best one I've come across and you're so right. Having a visual makes things so much easier to understand :)
Ok.. so here is a problem I am having. I am utilising the two FX loops on my Marshall TSL100 head. FX loop A is dedicated to the clean channel which I have my modulation pedals in, so I don't need any noise gate on the clean channel. I don't use any OD or distortion pedals, just the crunch channel which also has its own dedicated FX loop B so I have setup my Sentry gate just as you have it in the 4CM diagram to eliminate amp hum and buzz on the crunch channel which works as it should however.. here is my problem..
I want to include my MXR 10 band EQ after the pre-amp to better shape my crunch tone so I have added it into my amps FX loop B, the crunch channel, in place of where you have the time-based pedals in your diagram however the EQ is actually cutting all the sound when engaged for some reason and I cannot work out why? When my EQ pedal is in the FX loop by itself it operates normally however when in the loop with the noise gate it cuts all the sound.. Can you help please??
Cheers
this simplified something i was so confused on, that you so much!!
Cheers!
Thanks for this. I have the Sentury. It works .
Thanks for making it short, sweet, and to the point! Subscribed!
Cheers thanks!
I am shure going to give it a try before I pitch the thing. So far I hate it. Thank you, this may have saved the day.
Awesome. Hope it works out for you!
Been using the NS2 for life (~15 year-old pedal) with 4CM ( exactly same setup described at 3:30)
Recently bought a Sentry, give it a try 4CM, the Sentry is just too harsh that it cuts/sucks my tones/ frequencies very noticeably while NS2 never disappoints (it only cuts noise)
Something wrong here with Sentry ? i tried all settings Threshold/ Dam/ Decay (Gate, Toneprint of Gary Holt, Hiss, ...)
Any idea ?
I found the same thing. I don’t use the Sentry any longer. I switched to a GUP Tech SUN a year or so ago. It’s great.
@@ScottBynoe clear fail for Sentry lol
@@ScottBynoeI’ve had the sentry for a few years but I’ve always felt dissatisfied with it. I was thinking of learning the 4 cable method but, is it worth it? How much better is the SUN Guptech noisegate pedal?
Thanks for this video. Looking at the manual (its not that clear) I had set mine up with 'Send' going to my time based pedals and 'Output' going to my Amp Input. You have it the other way around...
Ya the manuals on these pedals and the way they are labeled is confusing. Setting up as a 4 cable method you basically swap the Send and the Output with each other. I think that's where most people get hung up and get it wrong. Send to your pedals and Output to your FX loop.
Now those examples are excellent explanations. I’m using the GT100 with the Sentury because the internal NS system sucks. I wasn’t sure of the 4CM route, so I just went input to output to input of the GT100. TC Electronics doesn’t quite explain the alternative wiring. To get this gate to work with my Android is nothing but trouble. On my laptop it’s a mess too. I’m trying to get rid of a F# buzz drone that creeps up as my notes fade out. Funny thing is when I use the GT’s tuner, I have it set to bypass so I can balance the patch levels to unity. The buzz drone goes away in the bypass mode. I can hear my guitar unfiltered just like going straight to an amp or board. I know high gain is a problem child, but I’m using medium to low gain tones. In a live situation it’s not as noticeable but in a studio environment it’s a menace. I’ll see how the 4CM works. I’ll move it around in the virtual chain to find the sweet spot. Thank you very much.
Good luck, hopefully it works out for you!
Really great tutorial!
Thanks for watching!
How whould you use the 4CM on a digital amp or a multieffect like the HX Stomp.
Signal Chain Inside the HX:
(possible FX Send/Return) - DS - Amp - Y-split to one Side Reverb other Side delay - Y-revered - IR
I wanted to have a OD Pedal as a boost in my Sidechain on the FX loop cause i want to get a Clean Sound when deaktivating the Problem is it makes so much noise.
I need the Overdrive pedal i want to use before the DS inside the HX. Also everything needs to be fore the Amp.
I feel like with this Gate i need to do it something like this:
Guitar -> Gate Input -> Gate Send -> HX Stomp Input -> Inside the HX before anything even comes ->FXsend -> OD Pedal -> Gate Return -> Gate Output -> FXreturn
..... Am i stupid?
In theory that should mean that my Signal chain now looks like this:
Gate -> OD -> Gate -> DS ->Amp -> Y-split -> IR
I whould love to get the Gate behind my Amp or DS, but since its digital i dont know how i should do that when i want to deactivate the FXloop completely to get a clean tone. Also, i dont need that gate for the Clean Tone.
Thanks for the info! I always wondered how to do this.
Cheers thanks for watching!
Thanks - currently experimenting with using preamp pedals with pedalboard power amps - I would imagine placing my mod/TB effects in-between these would be the "FX loop" in this set-up?
For the record: i tried this with a dual rectifier roadster and while it did the trick of silencing the amp i must admit that it really changes the tone of the amp. And I’m not a tone snob.
Also: beware of the loop level (if setable ) to avoid high frequency squeel while playing
Yeah everything's got pros and cons ,,, you got to play with it to figure it out ... Been mixing sound long time ,,, but I know I lost hearing at AC DC ,,, it hurt my ears ...18 double head Marshall stacks ,,, all with the lights on ... But I know both musicians and the audience ,,, like to hear the high-end hot ... So I just put it in there ,,, even if it makes my inner ear buzz ... Good point ,,, thanks ... D
I’m so glad I found this video! You did such a great job putting this together clearly and succinctly. I even took a picture of the final diagram so I can use this as soon as I get home. For whatever reason, everything I’ve read and watched on the subject turns into algebra in my head. I wish I could use the four cable method to plug this fucker into my brain when ADHD starts to squeal.
I run a pedal signal chain for my bass and have it in this order:
Bass>tuner> compressor> noise suppressor (NS-2)> decimator (noise gate)> macbook/logic pro X> Headrush frfr-112
And from the Send/Return jacks from the noise suppressor, i have it in this order.
NS-2 send>darkglass alpha Omicron output>sansamp bass driver input> sansamp output>NS-2 return.
Any tips?
Thanks chief this is complicated and really helps having a clear explanation!
My pleasure. I basically tried to make the video I was looking for and couldn’t find when I was first trying to set up this pedal. Thanks for watching!
@@ScottBynoe Scott, I have a pedal like this ( the stone deaf reaper). I am still confused on where these pedals would go ( wah, compressor, and boost) ? Because these are typically before the od, and distortion pedals that need to go through the gate. Does that mean guitar into boost, wah, compressor , distortion, od then gate to amp?
I know you didn't want to recommend order because everyone has different signal chains but I'm confused about this. Appreciate your input.
I have a wah, compressor, boost, od, distortion, chorus, flanger, reverb and delay.
@@allboutthemojo You'll really have to experiment, but generally speaking I like the gate in front of the ODs, as well as the time based pedals (that goes for whether you have them in line or in the FX loop). If you put a gate after your time-based pedals it can really alter what they're doing (which, who knows could be cool...but probably not what you want).
@@ScottBynoe I don't want the gate to cut off all of the trails from my modulation and time effects. I just need the gate to reduce noise from my od, and distortion pedals , so I understand the setup of gate in front of od etc and the other's in the amps loop but have not found anything on where to put wah, compressor, boost.
Personally i would put it in front of a boost (but that’s my preference). As for wah and compressor you’ll have to experiment and test before and after to find which sounds most musical and best to you. I’ve seen it done both ways.
Thank, This is a great setup video.
Cheers
Love this video. I just wish you could have given us some examples of how you set your noise gate controls up as well. Either way loved it!
Topic for a other video! Settings would be so dependent on your gear and style or playing. Thanks for watching.
Saved me banging my head against the wall today... Works REALLY well. Would love a video for dialing this effect down. I did something (mainly with playing with the threshold moving it as much to not gate anything as I can get it to) :) is it the best ? no idea...
Perfect video and exactly what i was looking for
Great, glad it helped!
Yes, wanna see more videos like this ahaha!!!
I like you channel, very good tests and explications, and, as a non native english speaker, I appreciate the way you talk, I can understand 98% at the first hear ahahah keep it up!!!! Peace and Metal!!! 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
Thanks man, glad you are digging the videos! Cheers!
Perfect. Thanks for this.
Cheers
I’ve got a TC electronic iron curtain, still not sure how I feel about it but I got it for really really cheap so that was a bonus
I haven't tried one of those personally, hard to beat the price though of an Iron Curtain.
Thanks so much for this. Helped me alot. I had the send and output backwards and was wondering why it wasn't working right 🤣
Awesome! Glad it helped man!
I am about to try this 4 cable method 👍But have you any thoughts on compressor,wah,tuner and on my board a Digitech drop pedal would go. Would they go first on the board and they into the guitar input of the sentry. I assume it would be Tuner Drop pedal Wah then compressor!!!! Then into the sentry and then the rest of the pedals would be exactly like you show on the 4 cable method 🙄🤞
I just bought this pedal and this video is GOLD!!! Thanks again, tío (spanish version of dude/man/bro etc....) 😜
This pedal is really awesome. Thanks for watching the video man, I appreciate it! Cheers!
Hey Everyone- I downloaded the apps/Firmware and connected the pedal. A couple of questions:
1. When I download the toneprints to the pedal- how do I access each do them? The toggle only sets to tone print- am I only able to change tone prints on the pedal by the app- or can it be done on the pedal.
2. I downloaded the firmware- and not the pedal doesn’t seem to be working right. Is it possible to completely do a hard reset?
Thanks! Best tuturial for the four cable method I found so far.
Thanks for saying that, glad you found it helpful. I was surprised no one made a video with a proper visual before mine, it's why I made it. Thanks for watching!
@@ScottBynoe I needed a good and fast tutorial to show a dude on facebook what to do. Yours was the best I had found. Little bit about noise gates in genereal, but then just to the point. Real great work!
@@ciddax754 Thank you!
Awesome video, I'm now running my rig like this.
Thanks for sharing.
You nailed it. Thanks. Any thoughts about integrating with a joyo pxl live?
What about pedals like compressor, wah, equalizer?
Hi. What is there is no effects loop in your amplifier and you have dirt and modulation pedals? Thanks for any and all help!
so i used a donner soph gate pedal and hooked it up using this method (Katana 100 mk2) and it actually created a feedback issue that didnt exist prior. Maybe it's an issue with the pedal but if volume and/or gain was over a certain threshold(not even that higher) there would be a very short feedback squeal as the gate close when i stopped playing. Incredibly annoying.
I'm saying it's the pedal for now and returning it and will get something else but I have no idea if that's really what was happening
Excellent. Thanks for the video
Glad you liked it!
Where would you put a eq pedal in your loop? Right before you return back to your sentry?
I'm late to the party, but.. I've been using 4 cable method for some time and last night I noticed that engaging the noise gate in the fx loop changes the sound - removes some treble, cuts off a bit of the dynamics. Any takers on how to solve it? Playing with the knobs on Sentry makes little difference, as soon as it's engaged it colors the sound. It doesn't sound bad, maybe I can compensate on the amp EQ somehow, but it's weird, isn't it? Or is it just inherently the way all noise gates behave in the fx loop? I'd appreciate some help on this one.
Been searching and watching this kind of video, this one the most helpful and understandable for me. 🙏 thanks so much. Hahaha btw im using ehx silencer 😅
Awesome. Glad you found it!
A little bit confused here, my chain goes from tuner -> compressor -> fuzz -> od --> input amp. In your video I understand that noise gate go befores drive pedal? Mean after compressor in mychain, before fuzz & od. Or after fuzz / od? 🧐
What about a fuzz pedal? Does it go before the sentry or first in chain after the send output of sentry?
Let say I’m using a pre amp pedal like boss MetalZone which i use to put at return amp, is it okay to use input at the amp after the 4CM?
hey man,make more videos like this with any type of gear,effect etc. not so many ppl show diffrent possiblety of how setup gears.thnx
I thought about doing that...and I still might but also don't want to be too prescriptive since some of it is dependent on your style and the effects that you are using...but there are some general principles...maybe i'll make one in the future. Thanks for watching, cheers!
Thanks Scott! This is the explanation I was looking for.
One quick question. I assume that my modulation pedals currently in my effects look (chorus, flanger, phaser) would go between the effects send on my amp and the effects return on the pedal or do they go with the reverb and delay?
Correct. I would put modulation and time based pedals in the loop.
So basicly your guitar goes in to input and send to input amp and between Send and input amp you put your tuner?
Does this work the same for the ISP Decimator X G-String?
Great video! Thank you! If I have a Boss Katana, with built in booster pedals and time based pedals, how would I connect it? Thank you!
2 cable method in front would work just fine.
Does this remove the noise from the actual amp itself. My amp is noisy on high gain without pedals
So this means the gate would not affect an EQ if the EQ is placed in path with time based effects going into the amp's effects loop?
Thank You so much seriously great decision to make this video now one ever shows this like you said .
Glad it helped!
My fx loop has a level adjustment, where would you set the level at?
Finally, thank you!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this video! How would you incorporate this setup with a switcher like a boss ES 8?
what if you have a stereo rig? how’s that gonna work?
Probably depends on your set up. I don't have a stereo rig so I can't say for sure. But with my chain, I have the Sentry feeding into a couple Strymon pedals that connect into my Effects Loop. If I were to have a second amp I could send L and R to each amp and it should gate both. If you don't have stereo pedal in your chain you would probably need some sort of splitter (unless you wanted to buy two gates haha). Like I said I can't say for sure since I don't run it that way, but logically that seems to make sense to me. Best of luck!
Do you put Wah or Whammy pedale first, or Sentry should be always first, not just in from OD type pedals? Kind regards.
I think I just had a mini-stroke trying to figure out how all that makes sense, but thank you. I would not have figured this out lmao
Great video ... Only one ,,, using the gate ... With 4 C M ,,, like it was designed 4 ... Thanks ...
Thanks for watching!
Yeah when you get gain ,,, ya get noise ... Friend got a TC Sentry ... I thought it was a stereo pedal ,,, I no big dummy ... I didn't know about pedal loop ... My Marshall valvestate got loop ,,, tried a A-B-Y switch and Loop selector switch and none of them get rid of the noise ... Then I got a tone suck gate pedal ... Just a cut filter ... The four cable method ... The only thing can get it out ,,, without taking your tone or level ... Well done ✅👍
Good one. There is a reason the German thomann website links to you.
Oh really? Haha I didn’t know that
@@ScottBynoe Yup. You're them man. Obviously. That is how I found your video.
I liked the various configurations you showed. Thanks. Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub! Glad you found the video useful, cheers!
So, where do the overdrives go?
This is great thanks!. But what if i want to use all my pedals in the effects loop and bypass my amps preamp (just utilize the power amp of my marshall head)? I have fuzz's, distortion, OD, and delay.
Still run it as you would in the loop of the 4 cable method. I guess you’d be only using 2 cables then but it would be in your chain of pedals using the send and return of the loop on your amp.
I tried this recently but it created a massive ground loop. The hum was louder than the hiss I was trying to get rid of. I added am isolation transformer to break the ground loop. It squeeled louder than the hiss and the hum lol.
Curious about connecting it a line 6 hd500x or Helix 4cbl setup.
Don't have one so I can't comment unfortunately, but others may have previously commented.
What if you have a pedal wich has distortion and delay on it ? Where does that go ?
Is the effect loop (send and return) separate from the direct line?( The input and output) lf I run my guitar into the input and the output into my pedalboard, and my amps effect loop into the effect loop of the pedal, would that work? Or will there be any interference with the different inputs
The effects loop allows you to plug in pedals to sit between your preamp and power amp. Compared to pedals that run in front of your amp (into your amp’s input) which run in front of the preamp. 4 cable method is beneficial since you get gating in front of the preamp and then again after the preamp and before the power amp. A lot of amps, specifically high gain amps, generate a lot of noise and gating after the preamp has benefits.
Thx for the simple instructions! Watching again as I’m setting up my pedalboard. So you would put a compressor in the effect chain when using 4CM? Or maybe before the Sentry?
It's a good question, I've seen people move compression around on their board (more specifically around ODs and boosts - but I've also seen people place them before or after their gate). As for where to place it relative to the Sentry I would suggest experimenting both before and after to see how it works for you in your set up and style of playing. Whichever provides the most musical and effective use of both the Sentry and the Compressor is your winner.
@@ScottBynoe I`ve done it like in the video, but now there is a hum present when I enable the Sentry ... will check again. Maybe a cable, maybe something else ... Before. when I was running it normally (input/output) it was all ok.
@Goran Lorencin sow how about your problem , any conclusioun? because i got same problem with my sentry
i have a question. can i mess up the sound using a gate with 4 cable method, 'cause i'm using a graphic eq in the fx loop? nice video b.t.w. thanks.
You should be just fine. I tend to put my gate first in line in the loop but you can experiment. I have a parametric eq in my loop right after my gate and it sounds great. Thanks for watching!
Don't you want to place this unit after your effects pedals? How else can it filter out noise if it doesn't yet have a signal to clean? You have it as first in the chain (guitar --› input).
Think if it as the sensor is up front, so it's sensing the loudness of your playing, without interference from your gain pedals, and the gate is in the effects loop, so after your preamp and gain pedals. Having the time based effects _after_ the gate allows reverb tails and echoes and the like to escape. If you have a really noisy effects pedal though, you might have to move it in front, i.e. have them before the return input. Still want guitar -> tuner -> input to sense your playing.
As a linear representation of the chain would look something like this:
guitar -> tuner -> input-(threshold sensor)-send -> gain pedals -> preamp input-(preamp)-loop send -> return-(noise gate)-output -> effects -> loop return-(power amp)
This is a great video. I was wondering if it will work with a parallel effects loop?
Hey that's a great question! To be honest, I use this entirely in series loops, since I don't run any amps with parallel or any noisy vintage pedals. However, you won't know until you try. Depending on how aggressively you set your gate, you may have an adverse affect either in line or in the amp, but I honestly don't know. Only one way to find out! Thanks for watching!
@@ScottBynoe and @Nicolas Feduccia - no, it doesn't. I set this up on my JVM410 and with the loop set to the way I used to run it (parallel mix knob at 12 o'clock/50%) and it sounded like I was playing in a tunnel. Not sure why this is, but it sounded shite. Once I turned the dial to full serial, it was absolutely perfect.
Hope that helps fella!
Thanks for letting us know!