GUPtech MWAC

The GUPtech MWAC is a noise gate pedal from Canadian maker GUPtech, short for Military Weaponized Assault Chicken. It is designed to silence the hiss, hum and leftover noise between notes on a high-gain rig, and it does so with a single knob, which GUPtech says makes it possible to adjust levels on the fly¹. The pedal is listed at £99.00 GBP on GUPtech's own store¹.

The MWAC is a variant of the company's GUP Tech SUN Noise Gate, with what GUPtech calls the same easy setup but described as "a better all-around gate"². Where the two differ is on the low end of the signal: GUPtech says the MWAC is "a bit more efficient on the low signal side, compared to the SUN"¹.

How the MWAC works

A noise gate mutes the signal when it falls below a set threshold, so the noise floor of a high-gain amplifier disappears when you stop playing, while your notes still come through. The MWAC's single knob sets that threshold. GUPtech highlights its simplicity: one control, adjustable mid-song without menu diving¹.

What sets the MWAC apart from simpler two-jack gates is its wiring flexibility. It can be used in 2, 3 or 4-wire methods¹. In practice this means the pedal can act as a straightforward inline gate, or it can be wired so that it listens to your dry guitar signal while gating a later point in the chain, which is how most players get the most natural gating from a high-gain amp.

Jacks and signal chain placement

The MWAC's jacks are laid out with a purpose. The Guitar In and Thru jacks sit on the right side of the pedal, and the gate return jacks sit on top¹. That layout maps directly onto GUPtech's placement advice:

1. Wire the send side (the right-side In/Thru jacks) as early as possible in the signal chain, right after the tuner. GUPtech notes that a buffered connection is better³.
2. Return to the gate via the top jacks as late as possible in the chain: in the FX loop, or just before the amp if the amp has no loop².

This early-send, late-return wiring is the same approach used by other 4-wire gates such as the Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor and the ISP Technologies ISP Decimator II G-String. The idea is that the gate tracks the clean signal from the guitar, so its decisions are not fooled by the compressed, noisy signal coming out of a distortion pedal or a hot amp preamp²³¹.

Boss's guide to noise gate and suppressor pedals makes the same point about placement from the amplifier side: "One of the most common applications for a noise gate is in the effects loop of a high-gain amplifier," where it eliminates unwanted amp noise while still reacting naturally to tone, sustain and pick attack⁴.

MWAC versus the SUN Noise Gate

The GUP Tech SUN Noise Gate, whose name comes from "Shut Up Noise," is the MWAC's closest relative in the GUPtech lineup. Both are noise gate pedals, both offer 2, 3 or 4-wire wiring, and GUPtech says the MWAC keeps the SUN's easy setup²⁵. The differences as GUPtech states them:

GUPtech also offers the GUP Tech TDS Sun Noise Gate, a purple special-color edition of the SUN with, in the maker's words, the "same noise killing power"⁶.

Editions and colors

The standard MWAC comes in three colors: Orange, Army Green and Purple¹. Beyond those, GUPtech has released several special editions:

• Douche Edition: a limited edition of the MWAC noise gate².
• Glow in the Dark edition: the same gate in an enclosure that glows in the dark³.
• Gold Tone Rush edition: "Exactly the same circuit as the original GUPtech MWAC, in a unique Gold box," per GUPtech⁷.

A player review quoted on GUPtech's page reports using the MWAC in both home studio settings and out at rehearsals and gigging³.

Powering it

The MWAC runs on 9V DC, center negative only, and draws 26mA¹².

At 26mA it is a light draw by pedal standards, so it fits easily on a shared supply alongside drives and modulation¹².

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