Tame your gain with the NS-1X: the first new Boss Noise Suppressor pedal in 35 years

Boss NS-1X
(Image credit: Boss)

Boss is back in the noise suppressor game for the first time since 1987's NS-2 with its new NS-1X, promising to offer appeal to, and well beyond, the kind of unwanted background high-gain metal guitar and bass players often have to battle.

Its Reduction, Gate and Mute modes should be able to cover a wide range of needs. The Reduction mode offers natural noise reduction for general needs; it retains your original response and sustain even when you're using it with low output pickups.

The Gate mode will be the first stop for the higher gain users; 'ultra-fast noise elimination for tapping, sweep picking, and heavy rhythm styles'. Mute mode is exactly what it sounds like; it mutes your signal when required. Beyond that, there's plenty of editing control…

Boss NS-1X

(Image credit: Boss)

While this X series pedal uses Multi-Dimensional Processing (MDP) technology to 'intelligently silence noise without affecting the natural tone and playing feel of a guitar or bass', players can dial in their own specific settings for optimum efficiency. 

Threshold, Decay, and Damp controls will allow fine-tuning and there’s also a Reduction indicator on the pedal to display the current noise suppression status.  The NS-1X also features an effects loop for focussing on your noisy distortion pedals. 

The new NS-1X Noise Suppresor is available now for $199.99. 

More info at Boss

Rob Laing
Guitars Editor, MusicRadar

I'm the Guitars Editor for MusicRadar, handling news, reviews, features, tuition, advice for the strings side of the site and everything in between. Before MusicRadar I worked on guitar magazines for 15 years, including Editor of Total Guitar in the UK. When I'm not rejigging pedalboards I'm usually thinking about rejigging pedalboards.