The Electro-Harmonix Silencer Noise Gate/Effects Loop is a compact noise gate with a trick most simple gates lack: built-in send and return jacks that let it silence a single pedal or an entire effects loop. Electro-Harmonix launched it at Summer NAMM in 2015, with availability that August1. Premier Guitar included it among Mike Matthews' three newest stompboxes in its Summer NAMM demos that July2.
What it does
The Silencer's defining feature is its effects loop. As MusicRadar reported at launch, it "offers the ability to silence a single pedal or entire effects loop through the use of its built-in send and return jack"1. In practice that means a player can either run it in line to gate one noisy pedal, or place it in an amp's effects loop and gate everything in the loop at once.
Controls
A trio of knobs adjusts the noise reduction: threshold, reduction and release1. Guitar Pedal X's 2025 review lists the same three controls3.
| Control | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Threshold | The signal level at which the gate engages |
| Reduction | How much the signal is cut when the gate closes |
| Release | How quickly the gate closes |
A footswitch switches between the pedal's engaged and buffered bypass states1.
Buffered bypass
When the Silencer is bypassed, its buffer keeps the pedals connected through it in the signal path. MusicRadar reported that "the buffer enables pedals to remain in the signal path when the Silencer is bypassed"1. For a player running other pedals through the Silencer's loop, that means those pedals stay in the chain even when the gate is switched off.
Price and availability
The Silencer was available from August 2015, listed at $76.80 in the US and £49 in the UK1. Guitar Pedal X's 2025 roundup of compact noise gates lists the Electro-Harmonix Silencer Noise Gate at $813.
Where it sits among noise gates
The Silencer's loop-based design, with a footswitch switching between the pedal's engaged and buffered bypass states1, places it among the noise gates players compare on this site. Those comparing it with other gates can look at the Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, which also offers loop-based gating, or simpler compact options such as the Rowin Noise Gate and the MXR Smart Gate. For hum problems specifically rather than hiss and bleed, Electro-Harmonix also makes the Hum Debugger. See the full range on the Noise Gate Pedals page.
Videos
EHX
JJ Tanis
HomeBrewedHero
Questions
What does the Reduction knob do on the EHX Silencer?
Reduction is one of three knobs on the Silencer, alongside Threshold and Release, that together adjust the noise reduction. Threshold sets the level at which the gate closes, Reduction sets how much the signal is turned down once it does, and Release sets how quickly that happens. MusicRadar described the trio as the controls that adjust the noise reduction.
Can the Silencer be used in an effects loop?
Yes. The Silencer has built-in send and return jacks, which Electro-Harmonix says allow it to silence a single pedal or an entire effects loop. That makes it usable either as a straightforward gate in line on a board or as a loop gate placed in an amp's effects loop.
What does buffered bypass mean on the Silencer?
When the Silencer is bypassed, its buffer keeps the pedals connected through it in the signal path rather than cutting them out. MusicRadar reported that the buffer enables pedals to remain in the signal path when the Silencer is bypassed, and a footswitch switches between the engaged and buffered bypass states.
How much does the Electro-Harmonix Silencer cost in the US?
At its 2015 launch, MusicRadar listed the Silencer at $76.80 in the US. A 2025 review by Guitar Pedal X listed the Electro-Harmonix Silencer Noise Gate at $81, so the price has moved only modestly since it was introduced.
Sources (3)
- SUMMER NAMM 2015: Electro-Harmonix unveils 22500 Dual Stereo Looper and Silencer Noise Gate/Effects Loop pedals, MusicRadar, 2015-07-13
- Electro-Harmonix 22500 Looper & More: SNAMM '15 Demos, Premier Guitar, 2015-07-17
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-05-26
