Both are great in comparison as expected, but the Zuul+ definitely adds that tailoring for different situations that the original can’t. Either pedal you can’t go wrong, rock on bro!!
Thanks for the mention! Yeah - I closed the the company and joined KMA Audio Machines. We'll have a successor coming up soon, that has so many more cool functions but also does everything the K&G did :) Would love to see it in Steves hands at some point - I really love this channel here!
good demo, i have the regular zuul and to be honest ive just run it infront of my amp like a regular gate with no issues, i think the key in feature is really cool but ive not found it to be something ive needed, for my set up anyways.
will this gate eliminate feedback when going through the loop? my current gate only helps with feedback when in front of the amp. I'm trying to avoid a double gate situation.
This will 100% tame the noise. Now, if you want something you can dial in to feel and perform exactly how you want, this is what you want, but if not a standard zuul will be perfect.
Have you tried running the Zuul+ with 12v of power? Did it make any difference? Do you think that option replaced the slide switch from the original Zulu that compensated different pickup types?
The slide on the original zuul isn't for pickups, it's if you're not using the key input and/or you're using a particularly noisy rig. I never tried it 12v, but I don't really think that'd do much.
Damn that’s a hefty price for a gate. Guess I’ll stick with my isp decimator. Half the price and zero tonal loss. Does what the hell I need it to. But still, you got me thinking.
I've owned a decimator. The g string can compare a bit to a zuul because it has a side chain input, but a regular decimator or decimator II just can't do what this does. I'd say this is priced fairly well and competitively within the market for what this is, and does.
bro I watched the video a few times .. I just praise your comment “ and you can play that unnatural stuf dah dah dah dah dah dah .. thank you .. no sustain … dah dah dah dah dah dah … peace
I don't have much experience either sentry personally, but I don't need to plug it into my computer to dial in a gate that works for me so there's that
@@MetalHeadProductions You don't need to plug in the sentry to a computer.....It's an Option not a need nor a requirement. I have a Sentry & it works as well as the Zuul the tone print feature is in case you have specific problem frequency.
Both are great gates and do the job well for metal. The built in boost with the schnauze is cool, if you need it and the it's extra routing options are pretty cool for pedal rigs, the zuul+ however has more tweak-ability and can be tighter or loser than the schnauze if you need it be, and I think having the top mount jacks with the key and key through in the right of the pedal are more practical for a pedal board, and the ground lift is also a really good idea. For me personally, the plus works better for me.
Do you happen to know what the hold and release of the original Zuul are locked to relative to the knob positions of the plus? I would assume noon but that's just my guess. The original Zuul is very good and transparent with my bass rig but I can't get the really tight start stop thing with it.
Just wondering-Have you tried using the Zuul Plus along with stacked dirt pedals on a clean channel? I have an original Zuul, and am using it with the key input going to the 2nd output of my Boss TU-3, and the input and output jacks connected to my amp's effects loop. I've found it's SUPER effective on my amp's distortion channel-It gates all the noise, even when stacking like 3 distortion/fuzz/overdrive pedals. It's less effective on my clean channel though, for when I want to get stupid, disgusting tones from stacking like 3 dirt pedals together, haha. It gates a lot of the noise, but can't get rid of all the hiss. And it might be unreasonable to expect a pedal to gate THAT much noise... But I am curious if a gate pedal that allows using the 4 cable method (such as this one), might work better for pedal stacking on the clean channel. I'm curious if you've ever tried that yourself!
It's probably because there is still noise after your amps preamp and because the gate isn't after that, it's not able to stop it. If you can, put it in the loop after everything. That's should work better
Thanks, so I do have the Zuul connected to the effects loop of my amp (only pedal in the amp's loop right now). Wouldn't that place it after the amp's preamp?
Thanks, I think I'm going to try either the Zuul Plus or another noise gate where I could use the 4 cable method. The "Key In" and "Key Thru" are basically the same as the "Send" and "Return" of other noise gates, right?
@@froginthebog8103 well key input is just taking a dry signal to the get the gate. Just having a thru means you can plug directly into it and send your dry signal through the pedal instead of using a splitter of some kind.
I wish reviewers would explorer lower threshold settings (esp with 4 cable method). I set up my NS-2 with nearly zero threshold, as low as it will go and still respond, then fast attack and slightly slower release. The result feels like a naked amp with no hiss, rather than the djenty way everyone else seems to be setting up gates. I don't want an effect, I want to tidy up the last of the noise in my rig, after chasing as much of it out as possible with shielding, breaking ground loops and quality power supplies etc. Even the lower threshold setting in this vid still sounds very much like it is interfering aggressively. The test I like to do is the 'feather test' just mute the strings lightly with yur fingers, the gate should shut and stay shut when you let go of the strings, then the lightest touch with the pick should snap the gate open. The release can be to taste, but I dont like it too fast because it sounds really obvious.
After hearing the plus and how effective it is, I feel like my Donner Sophgate is debatably just as good but for much cheaper. Regardless, excellent video.
@@MetalHeadProductions almost every modern gate pedal since the ZUUL (which is really based on the KK JCM800's gate) is using a THAT noisegate chip. If the Donner is using the same chip, modmst of the difference (besides features) will probably be in the buffer (or buffer in the splitter). Fortin usually does that crazy Fortin high end thing that people either absolutely love or hate. I think the ZUUL+ is a response from Fortin, since pretty much everyone making gates based on the same chip have also included the loop in their pedals, which is nothing new since BOSS NS-2 and the ISP Decimator G-String have been doing this since the stone age. I find it a bit ridiculous the Fortin didn't include this feature in the first place and wanted you to spend in the realm of $450 to get your gate working. The main benefit to using the old ZUUL would be if you wanted a different splitter... But all they needed to do was add an input impedance control and most of the problem would be solved.
@@XChristianNoirX I wouldn't say it's a clone of the gate in the kk jcm800. It takes more than a chip to define a gate. The zuul having that side chain it uses to more accurately gate, and how the zuul is tuned to gate quickly without stepping on playing or feeling, at least way better than previous gates especially for metal players. Now I do agree the weakest aspect of the design was that the key input needed to come off a split signal, I mention this in the video. Yes, the ns2 has the input, output and loop, however, the ns2 applies sound reduction to all of that, it's not using it's input for a clean signal side chain to more accurately suppression noise. Having specifically a side chain to trigger the gate as well as how well the zuul is tuned is what set the zuul apart from modern gates. Now, if you bought the splif, Fortin's most expensive splitter, which has far more outputs and functionality than is needed for the zuul, yeah it'd be over $400. Much less with the roach, or something like a tone bone, a lot of people go off a tu3 without the need for a splitter, and there are lots of affordable splitters out there that will do the job just fine. The appeal to something like a roach splitter is the high quality buffer, which is important for boards and retaining the top end of your signal over long cable runs or through your pedal board. Now towards the end of the video, I did say the zuul+ is a better value because it doesn't need a splitter as it has the key through the zuul should have had the whole time, and the zuul+ can be setup to gate exactly like the zuul, or can be more or less aggressive.
@@MetalHeadProductions Gates are almost entirely based on the chip. This one is even used in studio gear. The keying aspect is built into the KK amp itself, but can't go around something like an Overdrive pedal in front of the amp.. Just the preamp of the amp itself. Whatever the case, it's the first guitar product I'm familiar with that has used a Studio-grade THAT chip. Most of the sound quality can be determined by the buffer in the pedal and the buffer being used in an external splitter and their inherent input/output impedance values, as well as their quality. However, the heavy lifting of the gate itself is handled by the chip. The ZULL+ *might* have 2 buffers. One for the split and one for the gate, but I could be wrong. Whatever the case, noise gates are something that drive me nuts because they ALL affect tone, expecially with a split, because what your pickups see first is the splitter and not the Overdrive pedal (or whatever) that one is trying to gate, so the tone is altered... Twice. Once in front and once after the pedal one is trying to gate. How much that matters to the user depends. If you're using a TU3 to go around a boss pedal, at least the buffer might be the same and not alter the sound too much.
@@XChristianNoirX if you have literally anything in front of the kk amp its not getting a proper clean signal for when you are and arent playing, and Id have to see if the gate in the kk amp is setup in the first place to use your clean signal to dictate to the gate when youre playing and not to open and close the gate. I havent noticed any differences with a good splitter vs going direct. whats nice is I do go direct into the zuul+ npw and Im not hearing or feeling any tonal difference vs when I used the original zuul.
