Blue Tubes Gate Expander GX622

Name: Blue Tubes Gate Expander GX622
Price: 9 USD
Author: Nomad Factory

by Nomad Factory · Gate · Vintage-style gate and expander

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Blue Tubes Gate Expander GX622 by Nomad Factory

Blue Tubes Gate Expander GX622 is a vintage-style noise gate and expander from Nomad Factory.

Two sidechain filters help the gate react only to useful content; it costs $99.

Best for: Drums, Guitars, Vocals, Bass. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: downward expansion, vintage, tube, drums, sidechain input, vocals, electric guitar, percussion, AAX, analog-sounding, bass, hardware emulation, mixing, single-band.

What it does

The GX622 is the noise gate and expander of Nomad Factory's Blue Tubes line, described as a "vintage-style gate and expander." It reduces or mutes the signal when it falls below the threshold, so the noise floor drops while the feel of the performance stays.

Gate or expander: cut low-level signal completely, or just turn it down for a softer, more natural drop between notes.
Threshold: sets the level below which gain reduction starts.
Attack and Release: set how fast the gate opens and how quickly it closes once the signal falls away, the main timing controls.
Sidechain filters: two filters shape what the detector hears, so it reacts to the useful content, for example a tom hit rather than cymbal bleed.
Analog-style gain stage: the gain reduction is modeled on vintage analog behavior rather than a hard digital switch.
Version 4 engine: the March 2026 update rebuilt the internal architecture of the whole Blue Tubes line.

Version 4 was released on 2 March 2026. It is also part of the Blue Tubes Dynamics Pack, the Blue Tubes Bundle and the Integral Studio Pack. Neither the product page nor KVR mentions a demo.

Source: Nomad Factory product page

When to use it

The GX622 is a basic, hardware-style gate for everyday cleanup, with sidechain filtering as its one detection aid. Compared with FabFilter Pro-G, it has no lookahead, no external sidechain triggering and far fewer detection and display options. Unlike sonible smart:gate, it does nothing automatically: you set threshold and timing by ear. Sonnox Oxford Drum Gate 2 and Acon Digital DeBleed:Drums are built specifically for drum bleed and go much further there, while the GX622 is the simpler tool for general noise between phrases and hits.

Best for: cleaning up drum and percussion close mics, amp hiss on guitars and background noise between vocal phrases.
Genres: general-purpose; Nomad Factory aims it at rhythm-driven genres, most of all on drums and percussion.
Look elsewhere if: you need lookahead, external sidechain triggering or serious drum-bleed control; Pro-G, Oxford Drum Gate 2 or DeBleed:Drums are better equipped.

What producers say

Little has been written about it; an older user review sees it as a capable but secondary part of the Blue Tubes dynamics bundle, and no reviews of version 4 were found.

Audiofanzine user (moosers, 2010, reviewing it as the BT Logical Gate Expander GX622) rated it 4 out of 5, said it ran "flawlessly" in Pro Tools HD and found it strongest as an expander.
Criticisms: the same reviewer found it "not as basic and simple" as some gates and said he "wouldn't look to this bundle for this plug-in" alone.

Audiofanzine user review

Where to buy

PluginFox: $9 (regular $50)
AudioDeluxe: $9 (regular $50)
Best Service: $19.99
Nomad Factory: $99

Tutorials and reviews

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