Free The Tone IG-1N

The Free The Tone IG-1N, sold as the Integrated Gate, is a compact noise gate pedal that combines two noise-fighting functions in one box: noise reduction and a noise gate. Free The Tone launched it in August 2022, and Gearnews described it at the time as "combining both noise reduction and gate technology into one compact grey-coloured pedal"¹.

The pedal came out of Free The Tone's G-STAGE project: the company says the noise gate developed for that project was commercialized as the IG-1N². It uses a digitally controlled analog circuit, an approach Free The Tone also uses in its PA-1Q series programmable analog EQ and the TRI AVATAR (TA-2H)³.

Two modes: noise reduction and noise gate

The IG-1N has two operating modes, selected by a switch: noise reduction mode and noise gate mode³. Gearnews explained the workflow plainly: "You choose which mode you require using the switch labelled Noice Reduction/Noise Gate, and set the desired Threshold us[ing the knob]"¹. Guitar Pedal X lists the controls the same way, a Threshold knob and a two-position mode switch⁴.

The difference between the modes is the difference between the two noise-fighting approaches. A noise gate mutes the signal entirely when it falls below the threshold, which suits players who want silence between phrases, especially with high gain. Noise reduction instead pulls down the noise floor while the signal passes, a gentler treatment for hum and hiss that sits under playing. The IG-1N offers both a noise reduction mode and a noise gate mode, so a player can carry both in one pedal and pick per situation³.

The Hi-Z/Lo-Z switch is the control that sets this pedal apart from most budget gates. It changes the input impedance, so the pedal can be matched to what feeds it: Hi-Z for a guitar's high impedance pickup output, Lo-Z for lower impedance sources. Because input impedance shapes how passive pickups load and respond, this switch affects more than noise handling³¹.

Free The Tone also fits the pedal with its HTS (Holistic Tonal Solution) circuit. The company says that unlike a conventional buffer, the HTS circuit performs impedance conversion while drawing out the sound characteristics of guitar and bass, combining high sound quality with low noise, and that it prevents sound quality degradation when the effect is off³. In other words, the pedal is designed to sit in a signal chain without dulling it in bypass.

Power, MIDI and connections

The IG-1N is straightforward to power. It runs on a DC9V center negative AC adapter through its DC9V input jack, drawing 35mA, or on a 9V type 006P battery³. The center negative polarity matches most standard pedalboard supplies, and the 35mA draw is light enough that it shares a daisy chain without strain.

Connections are minimal: one 1/4-inch input jack, one 1/4-inch output jack, and a MIDI IN terminal³. The output expects a load impedance of 10kΩ or more³.

The MIDI IN terminal allows the effect to be switched on and off via a MIDI Control Change number, and that is the extent of it: effect on/off only, not parameter control³. Gearnews confirmed the same capability at launch¹.

That placement freedom matters because many gates are designed to sit in a loop or after a gain stage. The IG-1N instead works as a simple inline unit, which for a player with a crowded board can be the difference between fitting it in and leaving it home³.

Firmware

Free The Tone offers firmware version 1.1 for the IG-1N as a download from its product page³. Firmware updates come from the maker directly.

What the press said

Coverage of the IG-1N has been brief but positive. Gearnews, covering the launch, wrote: "As ever Free The Tone has worked hard to provide the ultimate experience with their latest pedal"¹. Guitar Pedal X included the pedal in its roundup of compact noise gates, listing the Threshold and mode controls⁴.

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