Electro-Harmonix Silencer User manual

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THE SILENCER
Noise Gate/Effects Loop
Congratulations on your purchase of The Silencer, a sophisticated noise gate
with gated effects loop from Electro-Harmonix. The Silencer can be used as an
inline noise gate or it can gate an entire effects loop. Whether you play with a
single distortion pedal, or an entire board of effects, noise can be a problem.
With control over threshold, noise reduction and release time, The Silencer can
be fine tuned to fit your system, instrument and playing style to remove
unwanted noise.
- CONTROLS -
THRESHOLD Knob –Controls how much level is needed to open the noise gate
and allow your signal to pass through. At full counter-clockwise the gate remains
open and passes all signal through. As you turn THRESHOLD clockwise more
level is needed to open the gate.
To tune the THRESHOLD knob, we recommend you start with THRESHOLD set to
its minimum position, REDUCTION set to maximum, RELEASE set to minimum,
and The Silencer’s LED lit. Turn up the volume knob on your guitar but hold the
strings to stop any feedback. You should hear noise coming through your
amplifier. Turn up the THRESHOLD knob until the noise disappears, then
continue to turn it up just a little more; this setting makes for a good starting
point.
REDUCTION Knob –Controls how much the gated signal will be reduced.
Reduction is variable between -70dB at full clockwise (for maximum noise
reduction) to +4dB at full counter-clockwise (yes you can boost the noise instead
of reducing it if you like). You may find setting REDUCTION between 12 o’clock
and 3 o’clock produces a more natural gating effect than it does at maximum.
RELEASE Knob –Controls the speed of the envelope signal that closes the gate
after the input signal drops below the THRESHOLD setting. RELEASE time varies
from a quick 8ms at full counter-clockwise to a slow 4 seconds at full clockwise.
Start with a RELEASE setting of 12 o’clock for a natural sounding gate effect.
FOOTSWITCH and LED –The Footswitch selects whether The Silencer is
engaged or in buffered bypass mode. When the gate is engaged, the LED is lit.
The effects loop remains in your signal path while The Silencer is bypassed.
INPUT Jack –Plug your instrument into this ¼” jack which is the main audio
input for The Silencer. The input impedance is 2M.

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OUTPUT Jack –The OUTPUT jack is The Silencer’s main audio output. The
gated signal exits through the OUTPUT jack. The output impedance is 300.
SEND Jack –Connect the SEND jack to the beginning of your effects loop. The
output impedance is 300. The SEND jack outputs a buffered version of the
signal present at the INPUT jack at all times. If you do not need to use the
Silencer’s effects loop, the SEND jack could also be used to split the input signal.
RETURN Jack –Connect the end of your effects loop to the RETURN jack. The
signal preset at the RETURN jack is gated by The Silencer. The input impedance
is 1M. If you are not using the effects loop and prefer to use The Silencer as an
inline gate, do not plug anything into the RETURN jack.
9V Power Jack –Although The Silencer accepts 9V Batteries, it can also be
powered from an Electro-Harmonix 9.6DC-200BI power supply. Plug the output
of the AC adapter into the 9V power jack located at the top of the Silencer. The
Silencer draws 22mA at 9VDC with a center negative plug. The Silencer
accepts Boss®and Ibanez®style AC Adapters.
- REMOVING BOTTOM COVER/CHANGING THE BATTERY -
To change your 9-volt battery, you must remove the 4 screws on the bottom of
The Silencer. Once the screws are removed, you can take off the bottom plate
and change the battery. We recommend 9V alkaline batteries. Please do not
touch the circuit board while the bottom plate is off or you risk damaging a
component.
- WARRANTY INFORMATION -
Please register online at http://www.ehx.com/product-registration or complete and return
the enclosed warranty card within 10 days of purchase. Electro-Harmonix will repair or
replace, at its discretion, a product that fails to operate due to defects in materials or
workmanship for a period of one year from date of purchase. This applies only to original
purchasers who have bought their product from an authorized Electro-Harmonix retailer.
Repaired or replaced units will then be warranted for the unexpired portion of the original
warranty term. If you should need to return your unit for service within the warranty
period, please contact EHX Customer Service at 718-937-8300 or [e-mail] for a
Return Authorization Number. Along with your pedal, please include a brief description of
the problem as well as your name, address, telephone number, copy of your receipt, and a
check or money order in the amount of:
United States - $12 Ship to:
Canada - $15 Electro-Harmonix
Europe and outside countries - $25 C/O New Sensor Corporation
55-01 2nd Street
Long Island City, NY, 11101
Attn: Service Department
Please make checks/money orders payable to New Sensor Corporation.
To hear demos on all EHX pedals visit us on the web at www.ehx.com
Email us at [email protected]