Keeley Electronic's range of compressor pedals have been long been a pedalboard favourite, offering a range of tone-sweetening powers and an unrivalled performance, and now it is available in a mini-pedal format.
The Keeley Electronics Compressor Mini scales down the Compressor Plus' feature set into a simple two-knob enclosure that won't necessitate long evenings spent digesting the manual. There are controls for Level and Compression and that's that.
But in the absence of the all important switch for optimise the pedal's response when using single-coil or humbucker pickups, well, Keeley has dialled in an automatic transient release time that finds the best of both worlds. All you have to do is find some space on your 'board and prepare for the event that you will never want to take it off.
Indeed, as with its larger siblings, the Compressor Mini is the sort of pedal that rarely leaves the signal chain. It uses a Manhattan-style of compression, which is to say a form of parallel compression that tightens up your sound without squashing all of its dynamics.
Of course, the Compressor Mini has lost the Compressor Plus' tone control but, again, Keeley has a workaround, installing a newly configured automatic tone recovery circuit to ensure you lose none of your high-end when the compression is maxed out.
As for its other tone-enhancing properties? Well, that comes by way of the Level control, with the Compressor Mini's onboard preamp offering a nutritious boost for your overdrive pedals or guitar amp.
Indeed, you shouldn't necessarily need to set the compression high for the Compressor Mini to add some seasoning to your sound. It takes 9V DC power and draws 10mA, and is made in the USA.
The Keeley Electronics Compressor Mini is available now in Standard Black Neon and limited edition (i.e. first 1000 units) Arctic White. It's priced £139 / $129.
See Keeley Electronics for more details.
