Keeley Compressor Plus

With the offering of the Compressor Plus, Keeley has given their fans a newer, more versatile take on their classic four-knob compressor. With more settings to tweak and a more user friendly interface, this pedal gives its intended audience (guitar players) a magnificent a terrific solution for compression. Although this pedal is perfect for guitar players, it may have limited applicability in the world of horn players. If you are the type of player that wants to use compression to simply add some personality, a little grit, or some more mid range to your sound, than this pedal will do wonders for you. However, if you view compression as a tool to manage your signal, and to corral and contain all of the craziness that your pedals are creating, then this pedal may not be the right choice. Unlike its brother, The GC-2, the Compressor Plus has its own sound. It does not reproduce a super clean and crisp version of your tone, rather it inflects your sound with its own personality. If this is what you are looking for out of a compressor pedal, this is exactly the pedal for you.

External Control: None
Price Range: $$

HornFX Review

Interface:  4/5
This pedal is truly an upgrade from its predecessor, the C4. It's reconfigured knobs are truly simple to understand even at first glance. The attack/release switch is a remarkably convenient way to tweak your settings even further. We especially like the white blend knob. This knob controls, in our mind, the most important parameter on the pedal, and that fact that it stands out from the other three knobs is a wonderful touch.

Noise: 4.5/5
This is a very quiet compressor. If you like some of that bacon sizzle sound, you can find it, but for the most part, this pedal will not create a noticeable hiss.

Live application: 2.5/5
This category is one that truly depends on the user. For those who are looking for a compressor that will not drastically alter your tone, and will simply manage your signal, this is not your pedal. Many horn players need ways to tame all of the added frequencies and signal level their pedals create, and a compressor like the Keeley GC-2 does that perfectly without sucking out your tone. This is in part due to the ratio of compression (the lower the better for this purpose). Even at its lowest compression setting, the Compressor Plus gives you that squished mid-range-heavy sound that certain levels of compression create. For those that want to use compression as an effect itself, this pedal is one to check out. The Compressor Plus gives your sound more edge, more focus on the mids, and more “electrified” sound. There are many scenarios where this could be quite useful and translate well on stage. If this is what you hope to get out of a compressor, then this is precisely the pedal to add to your chain.

In the following clips, you will be able to hear the Compressor Plus at various level of compression as compared to an uncompressed sound. This serves to highlight the tonal and textural changes the Compressor Plus can make to your sound. In each clip, the Level knob is at 12 o'clock, the Tone knob is at 12 p'clock, the Blend knob is all the way to the right, and the toggle switch is set to Single Coil. The Sustain knob (compression control) is the parameter that changes from clip to clip.

Product Information

The Legendary Keeley Compressor Plus

The Keeley Compressor is the most popular boutique compressor in the world.  With well over 80,000 compressors built in our shop we have an expert understanding of compression, limiting, and sustain.  We know what it takes to make an instrument sound like it’s been professionally recorded.  We know how to make your guitar jump from the mix. We know how to make it fun and easy to play.  Keeley Compression is how.  The Keeley Compressor Plus is the first true advancement in our 2 and 4 knob compressor line.  The new features are simple and straight forward.  Now there is a simple Release Switch that is tuned for single coils or humbuckers.  No more wondering if you have the attack or release set right.  Your humbuckers will have all the attack and punch that they should.  Our team designed a gorgeous sounding Tone Control which emphasizes the most sensitive harmonics that can be lost in compression.  The Compressor Plus now sports a Blend Control that retains the peaks in your playing and, more importantly, the proper phasing of your guitar signal.  The Keeley Compressor Plus offers the same gorgeous push of frequencies and sweetening of tone that the old comps gave you, now with the flexibility to easily handle any instrument.

The Keeley Compressor Plus is a compressor with an expander/sustainer.  Not only does it act as a regular compressor, limiting the peaks in your playing, it adds more and more gain as notes fade out.  Now you have sustain.  Nothing worse than a note or a bend that has died before its time. The Keeley Compressor Plus adds just the right amount of sustain and expressive bloom to your notes.

The new Release Switch on the Keeley Compressor Plus is designed to make it very easy to transition between single coil and humbucker guitars.  Humbuckers have more average energy than single coils which can cause compressors to stay in “compression mode” for a lot longer.  When this happens, any series of notes you play will sound dull.  With the quick release of the new Compressor Plus, your humbuckers remain true sounding, and each note retains dynamic attack and definition.

The Tone Control is our own design taken from analog delays and other vintage effects.  Those effects used an emphasis circuit to recover treble and highs after they went through the BBD or other analog delay lines.  We took that circuit and made it into a full fledged tone control!  We have found that it is the perfect way to gently add back in those highs lost in the compression process.

The Blend Control is a way of getting the peaks to come through while having sustain at the same time.  So if you want sustain more than peak-limiting, this style of Manhattan Compression is for you!  Keep all the peaks and transients with the Blend and Tone Controls while adding sustain on the back end.  Heaven!

This compressor isn’t just for heavy funk or chicken pickin’ anymore.  The new Compressor Plus is for players wanting a smooth, subtle wash from their guitar.  Remove just the right amount of peaks for an ambient layer and then blend in the right amount of treble for a nice shimmer to your guitar.  Use with your favorite fuzz to create a wall of tone like you’ve only heard on records.  Looping has never been easier than with this compressor.  Consider it an essential tool when creating loops that sound well-balanced.  Forget it all and use the Compressor Plus for the best amp boost you’ve heard.  Nothing pushes an amp better than the Keeley Compressor Plus.

The new Keeley Compressor Plus is the result of us specializing in compressors for over 15 years. Chief Engineer and founder Robert Keeley said, “Compression was the first effect I found that was hard to make sound good off the shelf, so I set out to create the best sounding compression effect possible.”  We have it down to a science but still treat it like art.  Since it is at the core of what we do, we can offer it for an incredible price now.  The Keeley Compressor Plus is completely made in the United States.  Come by our shop and watch the magic happen. We didn’t just start making compressors to look good alongside co-branded coffee mugs and shirts and hats.  We’ve worked with and listened to the pros who have had the the original compressor on their boards for 10 to 15 years and found out what it would take to keep it on their boards for another 10, 20, or 30 years…. Add the Compressor Plus to your rig, you and your guitar will be singing for days.

Product info taken from the Keeley website.