Robert Keeley Electronics: Keeley Compressor

Keeley Compressor

Description
Thanks for visiting this page! You're about to read about our most popular pedal. The Keeley Compressor has become an industry standard for stomp box compression. The sound will inspire, your music will flow freely, and you can just let your head, heart, and fingers fly from here.

The Keeley Compressor, Editor's Pick Award from Guitar Player Magazine! AND, most recently the READERS CHOICE AWARD for Stomp BOX...It is true audiophile and studio grade compressor, exotic rack mount quality in a stomp box for once !

Compressors generally have a back order and ship in 5-7 business days!

HEY! Don't be fooled by other compressors that use the same FONT and BLUE LED just to try and sell you a compressor. Our heart and soul are in this tool. You can't say that about the other folks.

Standard 9V DC battery and AC adapter connection. Low Current Draw - 5mA.

NEW NEW, Compressors now have an Internal Attack control, designed for bass players with high output active pick-ups or active pedal boards with buffers as well as Perfect for BASS GUITARS now!

NEW NEW NEW, Compressors as of October, 2005 build now have an Input Sensitivity Control! This means you can use this in your studio to run keyboards, drum machines, drum mics, even master recordings and other line-level uses with the Keeley Compressor. You’ll raise your signal to a new level of Sonic-Awesomeness. Try it! You and your tone will be taken to new heights!

Who uses the Keeley Compressor?!?!? Well, at LEAST 6 of the CMT Top 10 songs had the Keeley compressor on it this week! Yeah, it IS THE STANDARD for guitar compression! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FRIENDS!

Mr. Gary Morse (Brooks & Dunn) had this to say about the compressor, "The Keeley Compressor is by far the best compressor for pedal steel and lap steel guitar that I've ever used. It is equally at home on stage or in the studio and it stands up to or exceeds any of the rackmount gear I've used in the past." Thanks for the accolades Gary!!

~~~Mr. DAN HUFF said "Yours is the only compressor to come along since then that surpasses the tried and true MXR fave. His comment was simply that after 25 years of only using the old dyna comp, the Keeley Compressor is the first one to warrant a change in the signal chain!"~~~

Hey Mr. Keeley. I have to thank you for making this compressor. It really is an awesome tone tool. I never would've even imagined using a compressor until I tried yours. What you don't get is a really obtrusive "effect" that screams compression at the top of it's lungs while it sucks the dynamics out of your playing. What you do get is an awesome tone machine that organically enhances your natural sound in an extremely transparent way. Lyrical and expressive are words that come to mind.

Thanks again,

Charlie Hunter

Man, I love this job! Charlie is THE BEST, rk

Check out this from our Dear Friend NEIL ZAZA..

http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/artists/interview.shtml

We also got word that PETER STROUD, SHERYL CROW's guitar player is diggin' his compressor too!

Also got news the other day, one my guitar playin' heros, STEVE KIMOCK is really enjoying it too! He had gotten the compressor a while ago and when he first tested he said...hmmm, a box that does nothing??!?!??! Now, if you are following fellow pickers...he's very picky ears were saying this thing was so transparent to him that he thought it really wasn't an effect....HEY, he's right! It ain't an effect, it's a true compressor!!! ;-) I am very pleased to say we will be working on some Mutron related effects for him.

“Using compression is one of the best ways to get a consistently good tone. It makes the guitar feel electric and alive in your hands, because the notes sustain, rather than die on the vine as soon as you play them. Any stompbox compressor (RK: He uses the KEELEY COMPRESSOR and his band mates!!!) will do. I always place the compressor at the beginning of the signal chain, before going into the amp. Setting all the dials at 12 o’clock is a good starting point because it should give you a lot of extra sustain and a little bit of breathiness without affecting your basic tone much.”—Adrian Belew

This email just came in end of Feb, 2004 "hello,interested in your compressor. Just got back from seeing and hearing SONNY LANDRETH. I noticed he was using one of your compressors tonite. he sounded fantastic. thanks,terry"

The Keeley Compressor effect has nothing but tone tested components and has TRUE BYPASS switching!!! Effect switching incorporates a triple pole-double throw switch! You will have clean unaffected sound when in the bypass mode AND an LED for effect indication. Metal film resistors and capacitors ensure the cleanest compressor on the market. Hand matched transistors to less than 1% tolerance ensures you get a perfectly compressed signal, no chance for unwanted distortions. For those wanting a better tone than that of Trey Anastasio from Phish or David Gilmore of Pink Floyd or the Edge of U2 this is it! Nashville/Country guys...boy, you don't know what you're missing, toss the old red Dyna Comp and stay one step better than the other guy's tone! The TOP Studio Guitar Player in Japan, Masaki Matsubara, uses a Keeley Compressor!

The sound quality of the Keeley comp is unheard of in the stomp-box arena and is only seen in the high-end, very expensive rack-mount or tube equipment. Visit SteelBender.com for some incredible sound clips.


	$229 - Keeley Compressor - Classic 2 Knob Version
	$30 International Shipping Charge, 1 Unit $30 International Shipping Charge. Please click this for all sales outside the US. Pedals will be shipped USPS Express Mail (EMS).
	$45 International Shipping Charge, 2-3 Units $45 International Shipping Charge for 2-3 pedals. Please click this for all sales outside the US. Pedals will be shipped USPS Express Mail (EMS). Required for multiple pedal purchase of 2-3 units, new or mod.
	$60 International Shipping Charge, 4-6 Units $60 International Shipping Charge for 4-6 pedals. Please click this for all sales outside the US. Pedals will be shipped USPS Express Mail (EMS). Required for multiple pedal purchase of 4-6 units, new or mod.
	$259 C4 four knob Compressor - Attack and Input Clip $259 C4 COMP - The C4 four-knob Compressor, Sustain and Level just like all other compressors, but the Intput Clipping and Attack controls are now on top for easy adjustment. Perfect for high output guitars, bases, line level instruments, recording, etc.
	Ibanez AC109 9V DC power adapter $17.50 Ibanez AC109 9V DC power adapter. Works great with any Keeley custom pedal or Keeley modded pedal!(Does not work with Line 6 pedals)

Product manual
- KEELEY COMPRESSOR (PDF)

More info

Transparent and Tone Pumping Award Winner

* PERFECT FOR BASS GUITAR, Check out this review! Compressor and BASS guitar review!

BELOW is the 4-Knob Compressor model, perfect for Bass Guitar, Humbucker Guitars, Line Level Instruments, or in the studio!

Here pictured with the 2008, newly renamed fourth knob, "clipping." Older versions call this "trim" but they function in Exactly the Same Way.

Out of the box, the Keeley Comp rules! Here is a review:

I received the compressor in the mail last Saturday and used it right away on Sunday live with my 5-string Lakland. I was truly impressed with it, more than any other rack unit I've used. Before owning the Keeley, we've usually inserted a PreSonus compressor at the FOH board, especially in boomy rooms. I've struggled with achieving great bass tone in boomy rooms for a long time now.... I tried the Keeley between the bass and the active direct box and scrapped the compressor insert, perfect! To me, it did the best job with the "sustain" knob at 9:00 and the level knob at 11:00 to match the by-passed volume. That "sustain" setting still allowed my bass to have dynamics. It worked perfectly at normalizing levels between finger-style and slap playing. Before, I had to adjust the my volume knob or lighten my slap attack if I wanted to accent notes that way without causing problems in the mix, but now, it more of an automatic process with the compressor dealing with those issues. Plus, it did a great job of making notes come out clear (no matter what string), defined, and with great tone (I own Lakland basses and an Avalon U5 direct box, so the compressor didn't create the great tone, but it taps into the potential for great instruments to sound great...if that makes sense). Your compressor was extremely transparent, my basses still sounded like my basses with it on or off. I prefer it on because it adds the finishing touches that make me sound professional.

Another perk that I enjoy with the Keeley compressor is that I can supply the sound engineer with a signal that is "well-packaged" and more consistent without his/her intervention.

I will be an advocate for Keeley compressors here in Minneapolis, MN!

Sincerely,

Doug Smith

Why does this compressor sound so good?

Careful selection of parts. The output transistors are carefully matched transistors. I use these to obtain an exact gain and sound field I heard from the Ross, yet have been able to surpass that sound quality by other careful refinements. We use only the best components in the construction. Metal Film Resistors and capacitors are used throughout the design. It also has a true bypass switching circuit. This makes sure you have absolutely no tone loss or signal reduction through my pedal in the off/bypass mode. This is a very expensive switch but is well worth the tonal difference.

Our compressors are completely hand built and take nearly 12 hours to complete. Every pedal is tested to ensure that there are no failures. The pedal is "semi-abused" to make sure there is nothing but bliss when you install your new compressor. I worked in the pro audio repair business for over 10 years and know what it is like to get something that should have been caught at the factory. Customers don't like it and neither do I. Since each pedal is hand made there might be small differences as improvements are made. Every attempt is made to make sure your pedal looks perfect and sounds better than you imagined.

What is TRUE BYPASS ... ?

True bypass means that when the effect is off you guitar tone will not be affected at all. Nearly all pedals made today have your guitar signal routed through some transistors to make the pedal cheaper and provide you with an effect indication light. I wanted this Compressor to be the best possible compressor available today. The pedal needed to have a triple pole double throw switch. This makes sure you have absolutely no tone loss or signal reduction through Keeley Compressor even in the off mode. This is a very expensive switch but is well worth the tonal difference. Other compressors use a cheap switch and design that runs down your signal even when off or if the battery goes weak. THE KEELEY COMPRESSOR IS UNIQUE. ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES!

How good does it sound ... ?

Nothing but the best, tone-tested components! The Keeley Compressor has been fine tuned with every attention to tone deatil. It has been tested against every stomp box style and rack mount compressor commonly available. Not only is it the best hand built compressor made, it is the cleanest and most tonefull as well. My design pays close attention to ground loops and the circuit to controls and jacks are point to point wired, just like your favorite boutique amp. The Keeley Compressor uses the right parts. The output transistors are matched and the IC is the CA3080. The matched transistors are matched for gain (Hfe) within 1%. This matters most for the output section. The transistors in my collection measure about 360 for the gain. We use the Harris (Intersil) CA3080E because it is very quiet and doesn't effect the original tone at all. These transistors and this IC make a wonderful pre-amp section to drive the input of your amp into TONE NIRVANA!

This pedal has been put against the original gray Ross Compressor, the MXR Dyna-Comp (it just kills it!!!), the Ibanez CP9 compressor from the TS9 family of pedals, BOSS CS-3 Compression Sustainer, Carl Martin, Maxon, other Ross clones like the BiCompressor, and the Behringer Composer, Joe Meeks, dbx rack mount unit, and even computer software compressors. (I have them all...I wanted a good compressor!) I am convinced that this pedal is the ultimate for guitar players seeking a brilliant tone, incredible sustain, note detail from a floor unit. I would never go back to any of those pedals. All of them have problems, loose way too much high end frequency response, or are too expensive!

The Sustain Control: The 9 O'clock position should be barely noticeable. It will just take out really loud sudden peaks, this is great for protecting your speakers and the like. I prefer a little more. about the 12 O'clock position for using it all of the time. The 3 O'clock position is GREAT for solos. It really adds some cool effects to your playing dynamics. Only when really cranked do you get the pluck sound of your pick emphasized. Why? This is because the circuit in the Ross and Keeley Compressor is so fast (the attack time) that it truly transparent. Even initial picking is compressed or expanded. This pedal WILL NOT destroy your original guitar sound! It will add beautiful sustain and be seen and not heard!

This pedal has been tested by over 10,000 people to stellar and rave reviews!!! Go to Harmony Central to see what some have been so kind to say. Click here for some emails I have received. I have a passion for tone, just see what people say about the TS9 and BD-2 modifications. This is the edge!

What is the warranty ... ?

The warranty is in two parts. The first warranty you have is for your satisfaction. I know how personal guitar sound is that is why I give you 2 days from the delivery confirmation date to e-mail me and state any problems you may have. If you are not happy in that time period you can send it back for a full refund less shipping costs. I want you to be extremely happy. Second I warranty it against defects for a full 2 years parts and labor. It is a custom, hand built unit but I want it to last you a lifetime.

Even more custom features ... ?

Keeley Electronics was the first to have a full production stomp box with a blue LED. I think it's kinda sexy looking! With the LED on this pedal only uses 2.5mA of current!!!! WOW, batteries should last 4-6 months with heavy usage!

POWER SUPPLY: The DC jack is the standard type fitting just about every power supply out there. The Voodoo Labs PEDAL POWER, MXR DC BRICK, Boss, Ibanez, etc. power supplies work perfectly with the compressor

How can I get one ... ?

The Keeley Compressor is hand built on a per order basis. Plus there is a rigorous test procedure to ensure your satisfaction. Paypal links below. You can send my a check or money order too. Just email me fx@rkfx.com and I will send you my address for money order or check payment

* The TOP Studio Guitar Player in Japan, Masaki Matsubara, uses a Keeley Compressor! Thank you!

* "Best compressor I've ever run a guitar through, hands down. Lead tones that sit perfectly in the mix with no effort whatsoever. Sounds great with every guitar and every amp I've attached it to. A magic amulet of tone. Never have been able to find a compressor that sounds and feels right on my old Gretsch -- till now. The attack just feels so natural, a very inspiring device. It's always a huge deal to find a new Secret Weapon of Tone; even more so to find one that's not 30 or 40 years old, and that doesn't have to be babied along. Thank you Robert for making it so much easier to get great guitar sounds on tape! I have a small handful of Essential Secret Weapons for Guitar Recording; my old Neve mic pre's and new Keeley compressor are easily at the top of the list." -Michael Dukes www.michaeldukes.com Nashville-based producer/guitarist/writer

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Chris Reeves performed the 3rd compressor clip. With his group Georgia Overdrive he shows what the compressor sounds like set to very high settings, squashed twang and country pickin!

Chris Reeves and Georgia Overdrive

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New Compressor audio clip!

Check out Scott Pilla with his new compressor. This is a great, very pretty, well done clip. This clip shows how the Keeley comp beats all others in term of noise, transparency, clarity and oh, ALL ELSE! Great job man!

http://www.misscreant.net/lj/scott/

Down load the EVA mp3

Here is his gear: The gear I used to make the clip is basically the only gear I have (or need!) Fender American Deluxe Fat Strat,Keeley Compressor, Penn Custom Channel Switcher 20 Watt EL84 1x12 Combo with Weber Alnico ,Silver Bell speaker. For that matter, Bill Penn makes some amazing amps! www.pennalizer.com

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Mr. Keeley,

I just sent the payment (for a TS808 true-byass). I'm looking forward to hearing it.

Cheers, Finn

P.S. I bought one of your compressors recently and we did a shootout in the studio vs two original Ross units, an Analogman bi-comprossor, a Way Huge Saffron Squeeze, and various other pedals. I think it was about 12 pedals in all. Yours was the unanimous winner. I immediately started using it on the new Morrissey record I was producing, which debuted at number 11 in the charts last week.

SABURO MINAMI uses the compressor, watashino tomodachi, DOMO arigato gozaimasu!!!!