The Boss NF-1 Noise Gate is the company's original compact noise gate, released in 1979 and produced in Japan until 198812. Boss's own history article describes it as the pedal from which later designs were "derived from 1979's NF-1 Noise Gate"3. It is an analog pedal1, and it is long discontinued2.
What the NF-1 does
A noise gate does one job: it silences the signal when you are not playing. TONEHOME describes the NF-1 as one that "cuts off the signal once the level falls below the threshold set"2. In practice, that means the hiss and hum between notes disappears, while your playing passes through untouched. It sits in the wider family of noise gate pedals, and players comparing it with current options would look at successors like the Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor or the Boss NS-1X.
Controls
The NF-1 keeps things to two knobs2:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Sens (Sensitivity) | Sets the threshold level where you want the pedal to cut off2 |
| Decay | Adjusts how fast you want the signal to fade out once it is cut2 |
Turn the Sens knob up and the gate closes more readily; set it too high and quiet playing gets clipped off along with the noise. The Decay knob shapes whether notes cut off abruptly or fade naturally2.
The name: NF-1, not NG-1
The NF-1's name is a small piece of Boss history. TONEHOME explains that "According to the Boss classification scheme the NF-1 should be named NG-1, but NG could be interpreted as \"No Good\" so NF-1 for Noise Filter was chosen instead"2. The long form of the name still reads "Noise Gate"2.
The SG-1 connection
Griffin Effects, which offers a modification service for the NF-1, describes the pedal as "a LOT cheaper" than the SG-1 and says their mod "changes the circuit to be exactly like the SG-1"4. The SG-1 is Boss's Slow Gear, an effect that produces a bowed, volume-swell attack rather than a gate, so the mod converts the NF-1's gating circuit into that slow-attack behavior.
The NF-1 has been out of production since 19882. Any unit on the used market today is decades old, and modifications such as the Griffin Effects Slow Gear conversion4 permanently alter the original circuit.
Power
The NF-1 runs on 9V DC with center negative polarity and draws 4mA1. That is a light load by modern standards, so it shares a power supply output with other pedals without trouble.
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Questions
What power does the Boss NF-1 need?
The NF-1 runs on 9V DC with a center negative polarity and draws 4mA, figures given by the RockBoard PedalPedia listing. That light draw means it sits comfortably on a shared power supply with other compact pedals, and it is well within what any standard pedalboard supply delivers.
Is the Boss NF-1 analog or digital?
The NF-1 is an analog pedal. RockBoard's PedalPedia lists its circuit type as analog, which fits its late 1970s origins, well before digital noise reduction reached compact pedals.
Why is it called the NF-1 and not the NG-1?
TONEHOME explains that under Boss's classification scheme the pedal should have been named NG-1, for Noise Gate. But NG could be read as "No Good", so Boss chose NF-1, for Noise Filter, instead. The long form of the name still reads Noise Gate.
Is the Boss NF-1 still made?
No. TONEHOME dates the NF-1's production in Japan from 1979 to 1988, so the pedal has been out of production for decades. Players looking for a current Boss noise gate would look at later models such as the NS-2 or the NS-1X.
What is the difference between the Boss NF-1 and the SG-1?
The SG-1 is Boss's Slow Gear effect, which produces a volume-swell character rather than simple gating. Griffin Effects, which offers a modification service, notes that the NF-1 is a lot cheaper and that their mod changes the NF-1 circuit to be exactly like the SG-1, turning the gate into a slow attack effect.
Where can I find the Boss NF-1 manual?
TONEHOST, the independent reference site TONEHOME, hosts a copy of the Boss NF-1 Noise Gate owner's manual as a PDF download on its NF-1 product page, which is where most players will find documentation for this discontinued pedal.
Sources (4)
- NF-1 Noise Gate by BOSS, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
- The PX-1 Plugout FX: Timeless BOSS Pedals Reborn, BOSS (articles.boss.info), 2025-06-06
- Boss NF-1 Slow Gear Modificaion Service, griffineffects.com
