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Keeley Electronics - Bass Guitar Effects w/ Aaron Boehler

Keeley

collapse expand iconDescription

The Bassist Limiting Amplifier bass compression pedal is built around the exotic and extremely high-fidelity THAT Corp. 4320. Think of it as a very affordable studio-grade dbx compressor in stompbox format. It uses high-performance Voltage Controlled Amplifiers, onboard true-RMS detector and ultrahigh-performance op-amps to bring you the very best quality. VCA compressors give you precise control. Therefore, they are directly suited to bass guitars. The Keeley Bassist Limiting Amplifier pedal is both musical and very transparent. Where Keeley's older compressors were based on the CA3080 or the LM13700, and are perfect for single-coil guitars, the new Keeley Bassist Compressor has no problems with active preamps and line-level input signals. Not only can the Keeley Bassist handle astonishingly large signals, it has an incredible bandwidth of over 20kHz and incredibly low noise. No detail in your bass guitar's tone will be lost. The Keeley Bassist will be a sound investment in your tone, you now have rackmount quality at your feet.

Compression and Threshold

When bass players use the Keeley Bassist Limiting Amplifier, they will be greeted with a sound that is more easily amplified and heard. Using the effect as a limiting amplifier saves your speakers from clipping and distortion. Set the Threshold to look for peaks in your signal and limit distortion from your amplifier or damage to your speakers. Simply watch the Threshold Indicator light to see what type of playing you want to limit, it's that easy. Next, set the Compression Ratio Control to determine how much squash you want when the signal is above Threshold. Set Compression all of the way down for no (1:1) compression and use the Gain control as a boost. Set Compression all of the way up for an above-Threshold hard-knee limiter.

A typical soft compressor setting would be 2:1 above threshold. A good starting ratio for the Compression control may be 4:1 as it generally sounds good with bass guitar. A ratio of 5:1 or 6:1 will sound great for slap or funk-style playing. For synth-bass try 10:1 Compression.

Attack and Release

There is a certain figure that just sounds good as far as compression goes; and that's 125dB/second. With feed forward compressors that use this type of true-RMS detector, you use a single-time constant parameter. The timing capacitor gives you attack and release times that are adaptive to your playing level or the signal input to the compressor. Bottom line: Attack and Release times vary on program content. Attack times are generally speaking, about 100 times faster than release times.
Keeley Bassist Limiting Amplifier Bass Compression Pedal

collapse expand iconFeatures

  • Studio-grade compression in a pedal
  • User-friendly controls so you can find your perfect sound
  • Attack Time: typically 15ms for 10dB, 5ms for 20dB, 3ms for 30dB
  • Release Time: typically 8ms for 1dB, 40ms for 5dB, 80ms for 10dB, 160ms for 20dB, 240ms for 30dB

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5

10 Reviews

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend

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  1. Experienced5
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  1. Excellent Sound Quality7
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Reviewed by 10 customers

  • Great compressor!

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted10 months ago

    byJohn

    fromBeaumont Tx

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    Was looking for an easy to use compressor to add to my bass pedal board and found it. Had an opto compressor with just one knob so didn't give much adjustment. With the bassist you get the control you need and none of the other complex adjustments. It bites at just the right time.

  • No Brainer

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitteda year ago

    byMike

    fromFort Collins, CO

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    Love the simple design and range.

  • Exactly what I was looking for.

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted2 years ago

    byRob

    fromNorth Carolina

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    It is quick and easy to adjust without being overly complicated.

  • After a long search, the perfect compressor!

    5

    submitted4 years ago

    byRobert S.

    fromlong island NY

    i bought this used from GC after being disappointed with several other compressors i have tried out, never finding one that i really liked and was reasonably affordable. The Keeley bassist is EXACTLY what i was looking for... no noise floor that i could hear and it does not color my tone in any way. Perfect! if you are looking for a high quality compressor that doesnt break the bank, i recommend you check out this unit!

  • Highly Recommended

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted7 years ago

    byMike

    fromundisclosed

    The Keeley Bassist is the best pedal any bass player could ever add to their pedal board. Clear and transparent, you'll never notice it until it's needed, whether for compression to even out your touch or as a limiter to keep you from overloading your amp..... this pedal is pure and will keep your tone intact for any style of playing.

  • I would recommend it to a friend .

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted8 years ago

    byPhilip

    fromundisclosed

    So far I love this unit , it's a great preamp/ compressor .

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collapse expand iconQ&A

Have a question about this product? Our expert Gear Advisers have the answers.

  • submitted4 years ago

    asked byPete

    fromLA, CA

    Will this pedal run off of a Dunlop KSAS0121800050D5 18V AC adapter?

    Will this pedal run off of a Dunlop KSAS0121800050D5 18V AC adapter?

    Open Reply - Thomas
    No.The pedal is 9V

  • submitted5 years ago

    asked byRob

    fromStaatsburg N.Y.

    if im using the ampeg classic do/can i use a compressor. some hi's are lost in a band setting

    if im using the ampeg classic do/can i use a compressor. some hi's are lost in a band setting

    Open Reply - Kenneth
    Yes you can use this pedal with that amp