The Key and The Gate

Noise Gate

## Description

### Graphic

The graphic - by Hagiophobic - depicts a pair of arched, wooden doors, out of which emerge a pair of tentacles. The lower tentacle grasps a key while the upper encircles the LED indicator.

### Controls

* Threshold - Controls the dB threshold at which the gate is disengaged
* Bypass footswitch - SmartRelay footswitch, engages and bypasses effect

### Jacks

#### Top

* Gate In - Signal input
* 9v - 9 volt, center negative power adaptor input
* Gate Out - Signal input

#### Right

* Key In - Amplifier send or side chain "key" signal input
* Key Out - Amplifier return or side chain "key" signal output

### Webstore Description

> "Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate." - H.P. Lovecraft (The Dunwich Horror)
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> With all the fine sonic terror crafted on your instruments, there comes all sorts of unwanted noise. With every parameter of this gate defined by an envelope-follower this is the most transparent solution you can get on the market! The gate reacts super fast to any change in your playing-style: from staccato to long sustained notes for a singing lead-tone: no problem!
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> "The Key and the Gate" is usable as a simple noise gate, by connecting to the gate to the top-mounted in- and output but the real magic happens when you make use of the "key"-feature:
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> Connect your guitar directly to the side mounted jacks and follow your usual signal chain from there. The pedal splits your signal internally and uses your unaltered guitar-signal as a reference for it´s gating: no tone sucking, no loss of sustain! As the gate uses your pure guitar-signal, you can leave it always on - it really doesn´t care, if you are on your clean or dirt channel or whatever dirt pedals you put in between the key and the gate!
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> Also it´s super easy to dial in: one knob - that's it!
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> You can also inject any other signal into the key-input to control the gate, giving you unlimited opportunities for side-chain operation in the studio or even using it as a weird tremolo by connecting it to a LFO!
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> Features:
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> * Lichtlaerm Audio Smart Relay technology
> * side mounted jacks for the side-chain
> * top mounted jacks for the noise gate
> * standard 9V center neg. power supply
> * True Bypass
> * fully analog circuitry
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## History

### 2018

On March 27, 2018, the Key and the Gate became the second pedal prototype to appear on the Lichtlaerm Facebook page and is described as "A noise gate based on the ISP Decimator G-String." Initially, it featured one knob and no footswitch with the Guitar In, Guitar Out, and Gate In jacks on the right side of the pedal, and Gate Out jack on the left. The graphic was of a robed figure with antlers; the face was mostly obscured by the control knob.

Another version of the prototype appeared on March 31, 2018 as a commission featuring a footswitch and an unfinished enclosure with black, occult artwork and no text.

On June 5, 2018, what was described as the final version was posted stating: "you can use it as a simple noise gate, by connecting it after all your dirtboxes and the preamp or make use of the 'Key'-feature by connecting your guitar directly to the the pedal which measures your signal and only closes the gate, when you stop playing: no more loss in the higher frequencies, no unnatural gating issues and it also makes it possible to use this pedal for clean sounds as well as for tight high-gain metal sounds!" This version featured art by Hagiophobic, again, without text. Six days later, Lichtlaerm posted instructions to test the pedal with a chance to win one in a drawing via bullsheet.de so long as the participant left a message in the leatherbound, "((O))" logo embossed notebook shipped with the demo unit.

The Key and the Gate MKII was revealed on December 7, 2018. The new configuration improved the signal tracking while using the two-cable method and made the circuit easier to wire.

Noise gate prototype, 2018/03/27Noise gate prototype, 2018/03/31The Key and the Gate, 2018/06/05The Key and the Gate MKII circuit boards, 2018/12/07
### 2019

In a post from April 15, 2019, Lichtlaerm announced the production of the final batch of the MKII version of the Key and the Gate and that subsequent batches would be in new, powder-coated enclosures. However, as stated in a post dated June 19, a delay in the arrival of the new enclosures would postpone the release of the MKIII version and another batch of Key and Gates with updated circuits housed in the old enclosures would be produced. The post referred to this version as "MKII 1/2."

The first batch of the Key and the Gate MKIII was completed on July 22, 2019 and had been completely sold out in pre-orders.

### 2020

In a post from September 23, 2020, a new batch of the Key and the Gate pedals was described as having an improved layout with a hybrid of through-hole and surface-mounted circuity.

The Key and the Gate circuit boards, 2020/09/23The Key and the Gate circuit boards, 2020/09/23The Key and the Gate circuit boards, 2020/09/23After returning from a short break in production, Lichtlaerm announced on November 25, 2020 that the Key and the Gate would be discontinued after the January batch. Burnout after assembling over five hundred units during Lichtlaerm's operation was cited as the major reason behind the decision.

### 2021

After nearly five months of silence, Lichtlaerm made an announcement concerning inflated pedal prices online advising customers not to purchase from scalpers. The post noted that the Breathe//Die and the Key and the Gate were especially affected.

### 2022

After Lichtlaerm operations were quietly put on hold in late 2020, a relaunch of the company was announced on July 1, 2022 with the Key and the Gate featured as the first returning pedal on July 3. The relaunched versions of the pedals featured new SmartRelay footswitches and were housed in plain black enclosures with silkscreened graphics replaced by gold plated faceplates mounted to the pedal by pot and switch nuts and washers.

On August 17, 2022, a short run of variant the Key and the Gate pedals were released featuring a silver faceplate, rather than the new gold faceplate, in order to match pedals from the company's previous run.

The Key and the Gate 2022 Relaunch, 2022/07/03The Key and the Gate 2022 Relaunch batch, 2022/07/03The Key and the Gate silver variant, 2022/08/17
### 2023

A second, twenty piece run of silver color variant the Key and the Gate pedals was announced and released on March 17, 2023.

On September 17, 2023, in a post on Lichtlaerm's social media pages regarding Guitar Summit 2023, it was revealed that all pedals in production going forward would feature white text and pedals with dual footswitches (except for the two reverb pedals, the Transcendence and the Untiefe) would feature dual bi-color LED indicators rather than a single bi-color LED.

## Videos

### 2020

* January 17 - Milian Malivuk Music
* May 11 - Louis Torres
* June 16 - Evolution Gear Review
* August 6 - Truck Driver Shawn, Petar Makes Noise
* August 17 - Peter Geltat

### 2022

* July 5 - Truck Driver Shawn (with Aesahaettr, Gehenna, Amber Spyglass, .Ritual.)

### 2023

* October 4 - Mad Steex (feature explanation by Daniel with full Guitar Summit 2023 line)