CNZ Audio SNG-20

The CNZ Audio SNG-20 is a compact noise gate pedal: it listens to your signal and attenuates anything that falls below a set threshold, which the maker says keeps unwanted hum, buzz, and other noise out of your mix. CNZ Audio calls it "the guardian of your signal."¹

It is a deliberately simple gate. One knob sets the threshold, a toggle switch chooses between two release behaviors, and that is the whole control surface. It sits in a crowded field of dedicated noise reduction pedals, from the Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor to the MXR Smart Gate and the Electro-Harmonix Silencer, and you can see how it compares on the Noise Gate Pedals page¹.

Controls

The SNG-20 has one knob and one switch, and each does a single job¹.

The threshold setting is the whole game with a gate like this. Set it low and only the quietest noise floor gets cut; set it high and the gate clamps down harder between phrases, at the risk of clipping the tails of quieter playing. The Hard and Soft toggle then shapes how the cut lands: Hard for an immediate stop, Soft for a decay that trails away rather than switching off¹.

Power and hooking it up

The SNG-20 runs from a 9VDC input with center-negative, outside-positive polarity, drawing 10 mA¹. The maker's page does not list battery operation, so plan on a standard 9V adapter or a pedalboard supply output rated above 10 mA.

Both jacks are 1/4 inch, with a 470K Ohms input impedance and a 470 Ohms output impedance¹. When the pedal is off, true bypass carries your signal through untouched; CNZ Audio says this "provides transparent tone in off setting"¹.

Size and build

The pedal measures 3.75 L x 1.77 W x 1.9 H inches and weighs .53 lbs including the box¹. The housing is solid aluminum on all sides with a firm foot switch, according to CNZ Audio¹.

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