noise floor

Noise floor is the level of background noise present in a pedal's signal, described in sources as low, high, or virtually silent¹². A low noise floor is treated as a desirable trait, keeping a pedal quiet even with heavy gain or at high settings³⁴. Sources note it in relation to compressors, boosts, distortions, delays, and flangers, where a low noise floor supports transparency and clarity⁵⁶⁷. A high noise floor, by contrast, is cited as a flaw, as with the original Boss HM-2⁸.