The KMA Audio Machines Pylon ATB Noise Gate is a noise gate pedal with a twist: an onboard boost section alongside the gating circuit. Launched in February 2022, it combines gating with a boost that can run always on, switch in Sync with the gate, or be taken out of the equation entirely, and it can even be run as an attenuator1. For players comparing gates, it sits among noise gate pedals while reaching into boost pedal territory.
What it does
MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley introduced the pedal at launch as "a noise gate with a twist," with the twist lying "in the fact it as an onboard boost capable of applying 30+dB to your signal"1. The gating side is built around a high-performance Blackmer VCA, the voltage-controlled amplifier at the heart of the circuit1.
The pedal is built for flexible routing. It has in/out and send/return jacks to facilitate various setups, including the four-cable method, which lets the gate sit between a noisy amp's preamp and power sections1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Threshold | The usual gate threshold control, appropriately the biggest dial on the enclosure1 |
| Boost toggle (three-way) | Selects how the boost behaves: always on, Sync mode, or boost off1 |
| Decay toggle | Selects between the softer decay of the High setting and the Low mode, which clamps down fast on any noise above your threshold setting1 |
| Cut mini-knob | Selects between 65 and 730Hz to tighten up your low end1 |
The three boost positions give the pedal most of its range. The boost can be left always on, "sweetening your tone in perpetuity"; it can be left in Sync mode, so that it is activated with the noise gate; or you can "simply take the boost out of the equation and run the Pylon as a straight-up noise gate"1.
The Pylon can also be run as an attenuator, a third operating mode beyond gate and boost, according to MusicRadar's launch report1.
Triggering with the band
One feature sets the Pylon apart from a straightforward gate: its trigger function can be set to a drummer's kick drum, so the noise gate works in concert with the rest of your band's sound1. For players in a loud band setting, that means the gate can be keyed to the rhythm section rather than reacting only to the guitar signal.
Availability
The Pylon ATB Noise Gate was available now at launch, priced £165 in the UK as of February 20221.
Videos
Riffs, Beards & Gear
KMA Machines
JayLeonardJ
Questions
What does ATB stand for on the KMA Pylon?
The Pylon is built by KMA Audio Machines, and the ATB in its name refers to its audio transformer boost section: the pedal combines a noise gate with an onboard boost capable of applying more than 30dB to your signal, alongside an audio transformer. KMA describes it as a noise gate with a twist, because the boost can run always on, in Sync with the gate, or be switched out entirely.
How much boost does the Pylon have?
The Pylon's onboard boost is capable of applying more than 30dB to your signal, according to MusicRadar's report on the pedal's launch. The boost sits alongside the gate circuit and can be set to behave in three different ways with a toggle switch, so it can sweeten your tone in perpetuity, come on only with the gate, or be taken out of the equation altogether.
Can the Pylon be used as a noise gate only?
Yes. The boost can be taken out of the equation and the Pylon run as a straight-up noise gate. MusicRadar also notes a third option: the pedal can be run as an attenuator. So while the boost is the pedal's headline feature, it is optional, and players who only want gating can use it that way.
What does the Sync mode do on the Pylon?
Sync mode is one of the three positions of the boost toggle. With the toggle in Sync, the boost is activated together with the noise gate, so the two functions switch as one. The other positions leave the boost always on, sweetening your tone in perpetuity, or take the boost out of the equation so the Pylon runs as a straight-up noise gate.
Can the Pylon be triggered by a kick drum?
Yes. MusicRadar reports that the Pylon's trigger function can be set to a drummer's kick drum, so the noise gate works in concert with the rest of your band. That makes it possible to key the gating to the band's rhythm section rather than only to your own guitar signal.
What circuit is inside the Pylon ATB Noise Gate?
According to MusicRadar, the Pylon operates around a high-performance Blackmer VCA, the voltage-controlled amplifier core that handles the gating. Around that core the pedal adds the onboard boost section, a Cut mini-knob for tightening the low end between 65 and 730Hz, and send/return jacks for flexible routing.
