An audio noise gate lowers quiet passages while allowing louder material through. Upload a recording, choose a threshold and release time, and process it locally in your browser. Listen to the result before downloading a WAV with the same duration and channel count.

How does Audio Noise Gate work?

A peak follower measures the strongest sample across channels and decays over roughly 10 milliseconds. When that level falls below the threshold, a smoothed gain fades toward zero. A 2 ms lookahead starts opening the gate before a louder passage arrives.

Both stereo channels receive the same gain, so a sound on one side opens the gate for both. This suppresses low-level noise in gaps, not noise underneath speech. Release controls how gradually the gate closes; it does not shorten pauses or remove samples.

Key Features

Threshold from -80 to -6 dBFS
Release times from 10 to 500 milliseconds
Linked-channel level detection preserves stereo balance
Lookahead and gain smoothing reduce abrupt openings
Original timing remains intact when gaps become quieter

Common Use Cases

When and why you might need this tool

Quiet a podcast between sentences
Reduce the microphone noise heard during pauses without cutting time out of the conversation.
Suppress amplifier hiss between notes
Close the gate when a guitar stops playing while retaining louder attacks.
Tidy a voice-over take
Lower room noise in breaks before assembling the recording in an editor.
Keep stereo ambience aligned
Apply shared gain to a two-channel recording rather than opening and closing each side independently.

How to Use This Tool

Step-by-step guide to get the best results

Load the recording

Choose an audio file and wait for the Audio Settings card and source preview.

Set the threshold

Begin at -40 dBFS. Raise the threshold if pauses remain noisy, or lower it if quiet words disappear.

Choose the release

Start with 100 ms. Use a longer release when sustained sounds end too abruptly.

Process and compare

Select Apply Noise Gate, listen to the result, and download the WAV when soft words and endings remain audible.

Pro Tips

1
Test a section containing both the quietest word and an empty pause before processing a long take.
2
Raise the threshold in small steps; a setting above the speaking level can silence the voice too.
3
Extend release for ringing instruments so the gate fades their tails instead of chopping them.
4
Use separate noise-reduction software when hiss is audible during speech; gating cannot isolate overlapping sound.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a noise gate do to a recording?

An audio noise gate fades passages below a threshold toward silence. Louder passages open the gate, and the release determines how slowly it closes afterward.

Will a noise gate remove hiss while I am talking?

No. Speech opens the gate and the hiss passes with it. A gate is useful when the unwanted sound is quieter than the wanted signal and most noticeable in gaps.