I've been playing, recording, performing and teaching for better than 30 years and this is flat the best guitar noise gate I've found. If I run straight to the amp, I don't use the pedal 'cause I don't need it. When I use my pedal board, the Noise Terminator will certainly be the last pedal in the chain for the forseeable future. Of course I'd replace it. I want to hear the notes, not the noise.