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Donner Noise Killer Review (2023)

This review is exclusively dedicated to checking out everything the Donner Noise Killer has to offer! Including its features, sound, performance, durability, and our overall opinion of the pedal.

BACKGROUND

Donner is a relatively new company that was founded back in 2006. They produce two series of musical products (max and mini), both of which boast high quality and ease-of-use for the customer.

SPECIFICATIONS*

– Input:   1/4″Monaural Jack (Impedance: 1M Ohms)
– Output:   1/4″Monaural Jack (Impedance: 100 Ohms)
– Power Supply:   DC 9V (Plug polarity is Positive on the barrel and negative in the center)
– Working Current:   26mA
– Dimensions:   95(D)*45(W)*48(H)mm
– Weight:   278g(With box)

*(Listed according to the information provided at Donner’s official website)

CONTROLS

Toggle Switch (2 modes)

Hard – Provides hard effect of noise reduction

Soft – Provides soft effect of noise reduction

Threshold Knob

The noise reduction degree is determined by the threshold knob (range: -70 – 10dB). Adjusting the floor cutoff differentiates between every setup, so you will have find that sweet-spot to suit your liking.

Footswitch

Toggles the unit on/off

FEATURES

First and foremost, the Noise Killer should be placed at the very end of your pedal-chain. This is done to eliminate any unwanted noise from both the instrument itself, and any of your other pedals. The unit features true-bypass for that transparent tone we all know and love. A staple of many of the Donner pedals out in the market.

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As mentioned previously there are two modes which provide either a soft or hard effect of noise reduction. The Noise Killer has enough features that it remains very functional without being overly-complex. The amount of time it takes to figure out everything that the pedal has to offer is quite low, so you will be spending more time playing and less time trying to figure out exactly what everything does.

As with most other mini-pedals the Noise Killer does not have an internal battery. This is done in order to reduce the overall size of the pedal. In order to power the unit the only option you have is to use a 9V power supply.

I’ve seen people online question whether the Noise Killer can be used with bass guitars, and not just electric guitars. The answer to that question is yes, you most definitely can use it with your bass guitar.

SOUND AND PERFORMANCE

With the right amount of tweaking I was able to achieve a tone that resulted in no unwanted buzz, while keeping the overall integrity of the tone intact.

You get exactly what you expect from the Noise Killer. The ability to remove any unwanted hum or buzz. Plain and simple.

DURABILITY

The Noise Killer is enclosed in a full-metal housing. It feels incredibly sturdy and durable, so there should be no problem using this either on-stage or at home. Furthermore, the switch and knob feel like they are made from high-quality material.

I found the unit to be a lot heavier than I expected for its size. It’s both small and incredibly compact, while boasting great functionality.

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OVERALL

Eventually we get sick of hearing that annoying buzz and hum that resonates underneath your tone. That’s when have to decide which noise gate pedal we are going to buy to deal with this frustrating issue.

Donner provides a very affordable and functional noise gate pedal with their Noise Killer. I would definitely recommend it to anyone on a budget, or any first time noise gate pedal buyer. Even experienced guitarists could benefit from adding one of these bad boys to their collection. You really cannot go wrong with the Donner Noise Killer guitar pedal.

5

Agree or disagree with our review? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Russ

Monday 11th of October 2021

Thanks for the great review Alex. After reading several online reviews (yours not being the least of which) I decided to pick one up. I wanted something I could squeeze into a corner of my pedalboard and not have to displace a "cooler" pedal. I'm thoroughly impressed with it! I'm not sure how effective it is when used with noisy, high-output pickups into a high-gain amp but for my blues-rock/country rig it works spectacularly.

One thing I have noticed that no reviewer has mentioned it that there is a very slight signal boost when it's engaged. I don't know if that's just my pedal or if it's so slight most reviews either didn't notice or didn't feel it was worth mentioning. It's not troublesome but I suppose if you're one of those players who dials in your amp just at the edge of breakup this thing might nudge your signal more than you want.