Keeley Electronics 4 Knob Compressor

The Keeley compressors are probably some of the most famous compressors in the entire industry. They've withstood the test of time and provide some of the cleanest, most transparent compression out there. There are two versions he makes, and both are amazing. However, I find that the four knob version happens to be the absolute best thanks to its ease of use and versatility. There are four knobs that control sustain, level, attack and trim. It's true bypass and small enough to fit on any board.

UTILIZATION

Keeley did a great job at shoving a ton of features into this small pedal. It delivers the goods in every way. First of all, the finish on this is amazing. It's super clean and great looking. I especially like the oversized knobs, but that's more of a looks thing than anything else. The pedal is built like a rock and can withstand pretty much any abuse you throw at it. In fact, I've never seen a broken one in my life, but I'm sure there are some idiots out there who have plugged in the wrong power source to these pedals and fried them. Still, I've never seen one actually break. The knobs are laid out in a nice to use fashion, and while the words might be a bit ambiguous, it's pretty easy to use.

SOUND QUALITY

I'm a big fan of clean, transparent compression. I don't like a huge amount of coloration with my compressors. Some people really love coloration, so you need to decide what kind of camp you're in. The Keeley does what I want with spectacular fashion. I'm able to dial in an amazingly funky clean tone, and if I want a country clean tone, with just a few tweeks, I'm there. It's super simple to use, and it sounds great no matter what setting, really. I've also used this as a bit of a lead boost to give me some more sustain. It helps with legato and those super long solos where you're just sustaining a note for days. On top of that, it's fairly quiet, so you don't have to worry about noise.

OVERALL OPINION

To me, this is the ultimate compressor. There's really nothing out there that beats this, in my opinion. It's super transparent, clean sounding, true bypass, easy to use, has great versatility, built by one of the best guys in the business and just looks amazing. I also enjoy how small it is, as these bigger pedals on boards can be a real pain when you're trying to save on space.

This is a compression pedal from Keeley Electronics. I haven't tried to many of their pedals before, but I think that it's safe to say they are probably a really good company based on this pedal. There are 1/4" inputs and outputs, as well an input for a power supply, and a switch to turn the effect on or off. It is a 100% analog pedal. It has no digital qualities, and is not capable of computer enhancements.

UTILIZATION

The effects editing on this pedal is relatively easy. It has four knobs, one for sustain, one for level (output), one for attack, and one for clipping. This makes it a decently versatile compressor. The manual will explain the pedal in detail, but that isn't really necessary assuming you know how a compressor works. If not though, it'll definitely get you going. Setting this up is also pretty easy.

SOUND QUALITY

This is a really smooth compressor, so I like to use it on my clean tones more than the heavy distortion. Don't get me wrong though, this thing goes great with really heavy tones for leads, but they generally aren't the kind of sounds I'm looking for. Besides, with my Big Muff my distorted sounds have all the compression they need. I think that I like this best with my Strat and Twin combo. I really like the way it rounds out the levels and really allows the sound to get nice and thick.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, this is a solid compressor. It's a little pricey but it's nice, because there are no noise issues (unless you're Thurstoon Moore, in which case, that's a good thing), and it's got a great, versatile sound. I really like this pedal a lot and would recommend it to many people who are looking for something nice in terms of compression, without going to outboard or rack gear.

Version 4 buttons on the famous Robert Keeley compressor.
One in, one output jack format.
Boss type power supply outlet (can be powered by a 9V battery)
4 settings:
Sustain | Level | Trim | Attack
True bypass switch.
High-powered blue LED to indicate when the effect is on.
Sustain: used to adjust the intensity of the effect.
Level: adjusts the output level of the effect, so that it is identical to the no-effect level for example.
Trim is used to adjust the sensitivity of the input, useful for bass active pickups or humbuckers for pêchus.
Attack: used to adjust the effect of the attack, when the compression effect begins.

Attack and Trim settings are also two buttons in the version but it is inside of the pedal and are therefore more difficult to use, they are general rule once and for all.

UTILIZATION

The settings are intuitive and effective
The manual, simplicity, gives examples, but you soon realize alone.
Manufacturing is perfect and seems very solid.

SOUND QUALITY

This is one of the most popular compression right now to youesse.
And when you try it, you understand why!
She is super efficient and super quiet!
It is rare in a compressor pedal!
It does absolutely no color and every way, you guarantee true bypass when not in use.

OVERALL OPINION

I have over 6 months.
I love its efficiency and above all transparency.
I did not try before bcp models, except those integrated into the multi-effects (POD, Tonelab, etc. ..) and it is day and night!
I do it again this choice with his eyes closed.