Keely four knob compressor

[dannopelli]

Any one try this new Keely Four Knob Compressor? How does it compare to the Barber Tone Press?

[mbrown3]

Not as good.

I haven't tried the Keeley, but not as good! ;)

[ckofahl]

I haven't tried the tone press, but in both my pedal boards, I have the two knob keeley. The pros that are using the keeley reads like a who's who's. I like the keeley, it's very transparent and I hear that the 4 knob is the same with the two internal controls being moved to the outside of the casing.

[dannopelli]

The two knob Keely I turned down becasue it sounded "too much" like a compressor. The best you can get if you want that "squash sound." But I was looking for something other than that.

I got the Tone Press becasue of its "blend" feature. You can get a full on Squash" if you choose, or a kind of volume leveling. In fact I leave my Tone Press on 100% of the time. It just kind of takes the edges off the tops and bottoms. And it too is VERY transparent.

Now that said, the Keely is smaller, which will help my in my never ending quest to free up space in my overcrowded board. But I am not interested if it does not do the "Blend" thing.

[ckofahl]

In setting the keeley's, I try and avoid the "squish" sound as well. I play with the level and set it so that on or off, there's no diff. if the signal level and the adjust the sustain according to pref. The two knob keeley does not have a blend control. I don't the 4 knob version does either, the only diff is that they have moved to internal controls of the two knob to the outside so that you can adjust on the fly. I have found that the level control is where I can keep the keeley from squishing my signal.

[crash]

... In fact I leave my Tone Press on 100% of the time. It just kind of takes the edges off the tops and bottoms. And it too is VERY transparent...

+1
And it makes a great gift.

[mbrown3]

The Tone Press is just ridiculous. Great, great pedal. Though all of Barber's are!

[macmeda]

What are you using the compressor for?
What is the effect?

[dannopelli]

I just use it to level the edges of the signal. Sometimes in live work I get overly rambunctious, and my signal can "bleed" over the other instruments, outside of the groove. I find that I do that a bit on funk grooves. Like Steve Martin, I get "Glad with the Rhythm."

Nuance is cool, and the way I use the TP allows that to remain. I just don't want to step out of my boundaries unwarranted. The pedal is set to UNITY, so you really can't tell it is on. And if I need a boost I use the RC.

This "levelling of the edges" of the signal is REALLY helpful in quiet passages.

Does that help explain?

[olectric]

another vote for the tone press. i love that i can get the sustain of a compressor and the dynamics of an uncompressed signal at the same time. i plugged into a keeley comp one time, and i remember thinking it was waaaaay too expensive. but, to each his own. a lot of guys dig the keeley, and even though i don't, i know that it is a really well built and well thought out design. try them both.

[Casper]

David Barber Rules!!! Love all my Barber pedals!
Shaun

[jimmieb]

Tone Press is great if you don't what to notice your Comp, and the Keeley is great if what a hear and feel the Comp.

Jimmie B

[GuitarNorton]

Tone Press is great if you don't what to notice your Comp, and the Keeley is great if what a hear and feel the Comp.

Jimmie B

The Tone Press can be set up to be a compressor you hear and feel or a transparent compressor or anything inbetween. The internal squish control sets the type of compression. You can go from the old Ross type squish or clear compression or anywhere inbetween.

With the internal squish knob and the external blend, sustain, and level knobs the TP does everything from clean boost to what ever type and amount of compression you want to hear.

There is no other pedal on the market that is as versatile as the Tone Press so why buy a one trick pony compressor. Plus they are cheap and no wait time.

I guess you can tell the Tone Press is one of my favorite pedals. It's funny I play humbucker guitars through amps that can sustain on there own and could see no reason for a compressor. I have been a long time user and fan of Barber pedals and heard so much positive comment on the TP that I gave it a try. I liked it at first but didn't really get it until Bob at The Perfect Note http://www.tpngear.com/ explained the internal and external knob functions. After some experimentation it has become a pedal that is always on.

[Casper]

I am hearing that, more & more players are leaving the TP on "all the time"
now and find myself doing the same thing...I have to dial it in at the beginning of the night, but I find I'm using it for many things and even during solos! (probably a bad habit dynamically), but I just love the thing:p
Shaun

[mbrown3]

Yep, +1 here on the TP always on (or, I should say, on is the default and off is the exception rather than the rule...it does happen but not often).

[dannopelli]

I am hearing that, more & more players are leaving the TP on "all the time"
now and find myself doing the same thing...I have to dial it in at the beginning of the night, but I find I'm using it for many things and even during solos! (probably a bad habit dynamically), but I just love the thing:p
Shaun

Actually if you set it right it helps on solos. You can still get dynamics, but with a bit of a volume lift.