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Keeley Bassist Compressor/Limiter!!!!!
- Thread starter RodneyMac
- Start date
Hey guys, got a bit of a silly question but hey oh...
Does the Bassist work as a pure compressor in a sense that it limits peaks and also enhances « valleys »? Or does it just work as a limiter, only limiting peaks?
Does it work well at giving an even volume to all the strings?
Does the Bassist work as a pure compressor in a sense that it limits peaks and also enhances « valleys »? Or does it just work as a limiter, only limiting peaks?
Does it work well at giving an even volume to all the strings?
No. On the control knob it shows from 1:1 all the way up to infinity. It can get very compressed.
My understanding is that anything above 6:1 or 8:1 starts to get really compressed...
so when @Hypercaffium says « at lower compression settings », what sort of ratio are we talking about?
so when @Hypercaffium says « at lower compression settings », what sort of ratio are we talking about?
Got myself a Keeley Bassist today. Quite surprised how subtle it is! Obviously with a low threshold it compresses like mad, but with threshold set just slightly with the red LED coming on when I attack harder, and ratio at 3:1, I feel like it tightens my sound slightly. But still, very subtle. I can only try it at home for now, rehearsals haven’t resumed yet here. I really want to try it out at high volume, in a band. I’m sure it’ll do a great job, seeing all you guys raving about it. At home, as I said, it doesn’t do much to my sound but it seems to have potential.
Do you guys use the gain much? Or do you set it up at unity?
Do you guys use the gain much? Or do you set it up at unity?
So, I'm working my way through this thread, and if I missed the answer to this my apologies. But I'm in need of a "explain like I'm 5" explanation of this compressor. First off I really like the way it sounds and what it does for my bass, but... I have no idea what it's doing. I set all controls to noon, then adjust the threshold to where it flashes on only my loudest notes, and it sounds great and definitely different than my non-compressed sound. But I would really like to understand what exactly is happening technically when I set it up this way. My knowledge of compression is seriously lacking, and I'm researching relevant threads, but a basic explanation of this would really help me out...
Compressor and Audio Gear FAQ
My apologies if you have already checked out bongomania's page, but he compiled such a comprehensive faq that I thought it was worth a mention.
Bongo's contributions to compressors on TB is vast, and full of meaty goodness. But if you want a somewhat instant-gratification, brief explanation, here goes:
1. A compressor works by leaving a signal completely alone until the level goes above the threshold set by the Threshold knob. Once it gets louder than the threshold, the effect kicks in. Where you set the Threshold determines where the effect starts working in relation to louder passages or notes.
2. Once the level goes above the threshold, the compressor attenuates (lowers) the level by a factor set by the Ratio knob. So 2:1 is less compression than 5:1 which is less compression than 10:1 and so on. The result is called "gain reduction".
3. Once the level drops below the threshold again, the compressor circuit stops attenuating the signal.
4. Because the compression circuit itself is only about making loud notes quieter, you have to use the Gain or Make-Up Gain knob to compensate for the level lost by the compression of your loudest notes, otherwise it might sound too quiet overall.
5. Compression is about lowering the loud stuff, but also—just as importantly—bringing up the quiet stuff. When the signal is below the threshold (not being effected) the compressor is still boosting the overall level of the bass, because you've got the make-up gain knob set somewhere above zero. This boosting of signal makes it so that your softer passages seem louder. This is a good thing.
6. Attack and Release, if you have these controls, are just a way to tell the compressor how quickly to react to the notes (how fast it starts clamping down after detecting a note) and then how fast or slowly to come back to the uncompressed state (no gain reduction). Different playing styles, tempos, and rate-of-activity in your playing will determine whether you need a faster or slower attack, or a faster or slower release. Best thing about the Bassist or GC-2 is that it's smart enough to know what sounds great without needing to set these controls.
7. Here's one way to set a compressor: put the gain at zero, and the ratio to the degree of squashing you want to perform—3:1 is a good starting point. Then lower the threshold until the peaks you want to control are being effected. Then, as you toggle the pedal on and off, play the LOUDEST notes you can over and over and set the Gain knob to make them the same level with the pedal on of off. Set your Attack and Release until it sounds right.
Just posting to give some continual love to the Keeley Bassist. I just picked one up after straying away from compressors for YEARS. I usually have at least 2 layers of overdrive cascaded (MBD1 into Sansamp bddi), and everytime I added a compressor I felt like I either lost too much high end, or my ability to go from clean to dirty with just my hands. The compression from the drive always felt like enough.
I think my mistake was always using Ross based compressors (wampler ego, ehx bass preacher), though I felt the same effect with the hyper luminal. (may have just been extra picky considering the price tag, didn't give it much time to wow me)
Now, over the pandemic I learned to slap and became enamored with big clean bass tones. Got the Keeley bassist for a "clean" pedalboard (basically just comp and eq)... but then I tried it before my overdrives...
Holy crap does this thing sound good. Its subtle, but it added a consistent depth and "weight" to the notes that just wasn't there before. Im not talking boomy low end, in fact its somehow heftier and LESS boomy than before.
I kept sticking pedals in my chain (a second mbd for insane drive, a russian muff reissue, synth sounds from a c4) , and this thing just made everything full and smooth without taking away character.
Id been trying to get "the sound in my head" by stacking other drives and EQs to add that bottom end heft, never realized I just needed the right compressor to get there. So yeah go buy it if you hate compressors. Go buy it if you love them. Its a keeper.
My current chain
1. Tuner
2. C4 synth (triggers best before the comp)
3. Hi pass filter
4. Keeley bassist
5. Damnation mbd
6. Russian muff reissue
7. Sansamp
I think my mistake was always using Ross based compressors (wampler ego, ehx bass preacher), though I felt the same effect with the hyper luminal. (may have just been extra picky considering the price tag, didn't give it much time to wow me)
Now, over the pandemic I learned to slap and became enamored with big clean bass tones. Got the Keeley bassist for a "clean" pedalboard (basically just comp and eq)... but then I tried it before my overdrives...
Holy crap does this thing sound good. Its subtle, but it added a consistent depth and "weight" to the notes that just wasn't there before. Im not talking boomy low end, in fact its somehow heftier and LESS boomy than before.
I kept sticking pedals in my chain (a second mbd for insane drive, a russian muff reissue, synth sounds from a c4) , and this thing just made everything full and smooth without taking away character.
Id been trying to get "the sound in my head" by stacking other drives and EQs to add that bottom end heft, never realized I just needed the right compressor to get there. So yeah go buy it if you hate compressors. Go buy it if you love them. Its a keeper.
My current chain
1. Tuner
2. C4 synth (triggers best before the comp)
3. Hi pass filter
4. Keeley bassist
5. Damnation mbd
6. Russian muff reissue
7. Sansamp
Keeley announced new Bassist "custom shop LFO edition"
https://robertkeeley.com/product/ke...p-limiting-amplifier-custom-shop-lfo-edition/
Does anybody know whether it's the same pedal with different graphic...or is it somehow different from the normal Bassist?
https://robertkeeley.com/product/ke...p-limiting-amplifier-custom-shop-lfo-edition/
Does anybody know whether it's the same pedal with different graphic...or is it somehow different from the normal Bassist?
Depends on what you consider normal behavior to be.
There’s two sorta general categories compressors fall into: transparent and “colorizing.” Transparent compressors do their thing without altering your tone. Limiters and sustainers fall into this category. The Keeley Bassist is an example of an exceptionally transparent compressor.
Colorizing compressors do their thing but also add add a little tone enhancement to the mix. The Diamond, Photon Death Ray, and Smoothie are few popular compressors that add some tonal magic as well as compression. These are the “just sounds good” compressors. And there are dozens of good choices in that category depending on which flavor (or flavors!) of “secret sauce” you prefer. And that can become a bottomless rabbit hole unless you go in with a clear idea of the sound you’re after.
Truth is, there probably isn’t any piece of gear that is ever going to be more personal than your choice when it comes to picking out a compressor. It’s like strings or pickups. Which is “best” depends on what you like. And since each compressor is different in the way it works and sounds, it’s not unusual to wind up owning more than one compressor once you get your head around the many cool things they can do. (I already own eight and have at least four more on my wish list!
)With a transparent compressor like the Bassist the goal is to only notice it when you turn it off. For me, a transparent compressor has a bigger effect on how the bass responds in terms of things like note attack, sustain, responsiveness, sensitivity, etc. rather than affecting the overall sound. It’s a “feel” rather than an audible effect for me since I’ve already got good control over my playing dynamics. But that’s all I want a compressor to do sometimes. So in situations like that I’ll use my Keeley Bassist. And when I want to add some “Je ne sais quoi” to my sound I’ll use a different compressor.
You might want to visit TB member Scubaduba’s review site for honest reviews and solid recommendations when selecting a compressor.
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Yes, there is a difference.
Keeley GC-2 Limiting Amplifier
"The only difference between the GC-2 and the Bassist is one capacitor that causes the GC-2 to react less to peaks in the lows. This means the Bassist will be a more effective hard limiter, while the GC-2 will be a bit less restrained sounding. "
See post #9 on this thread
Keeley Bassist Compressor/Limiter!!!!!
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The question related to comparison between Bassist and the new "custom" Bassist...not to GC-2...
