FORTIN AMPS

The Zuul vs The Rest

The Fortin Zuul PLUS is widely considered the industry standard for modern metal, specifically for players who need "surgical" precision and instant silence. While most gates react to the volume of the signal at the point of the gate, the Zuul’s claim to fame is its "Key Input," which allows it to track your clean, direct guitar signal to decide when to open and close.

Here is how the Fortin Zuul stacks up against the other major players on the market.

1. Fortin Zuul vs. ISP Decimator II (G-String)

The ISP Decimator series was the long-standing king before Fortin arrived.
The Tracking: Both use a similar concept (tracking the dry signal), but the Zuul is often cited as being faster. It is a "harder" gate, meaning it shuts off more like a light switch, which is perfect for percussive "djent" or "chugging" styles.
Sustain: The ISP Decimator II G-String generally has a more "musical" decay. If you play lead lines that need to fade out naturally, the ISP often feels smoother. The Zuul can sometimes "chatter" or cut off a note's tail prematurely if not dialed in perfectly.
Form Factor: The Zuul Mini is much smaller than the standard ISP pedals, making it a favorite for crowded pedalboards.

2. Fortin Zuul vs. Boss NS-2 / NS-1X

The Boss NS-2 is the "old reliable," but it operates differently.
The Circuit: The NS-2 is a "Noise Suppressor" that filters noise; the Zuul is a true "Gate" that cuts it. The NS-2 is known for being slightly "tone-sucking" (dulling the high end) because of its older buffer.
The Modern Boss: The newer Boss NS-1X uses digital multi-dimensional processing (MDP). It is much faster than the old NS-2 and rivals the Zuul in speed, but it has a different "feel" that some find less organic than the Zuul’s analog path.
Versatility: Boss pedals have more knobs (Threshold, Decay, Mode). The standard Zuul is a one-knob wonder, which is great for simplicity but offers less control over how the gate fades out. However, the Zuul Plus more than matches the basic feature set.

3. Fortin Zuul vs. TC Electronic Sentry

The Sentry is the "tech-heavy" alternative.

Multi-band Gating: Unlike the Zuul, which gates the entire signal, the Sentry can gate specific frequency bands (e.g., just the hiss in the highs).
Customization: Through TC's "TonePrint" software, you can deep-edit the Sentry's parameters on a computer. The Zuul is "what you see is what you get"—it’s tuned for high-gain metal right out of the box and doesn't require tweaking.