![]() In this application, the GC-2 performed like a true state-of-the art studio unit. The LED stays lit green when there is no compression occurring and then turns red once the Threshold has been met and the pedal applies gain. The key here is to go lighter on the Compression settings to start and then experiment with the Threshold control and watch the Threshold indicator as you play. The idea here is to use the GC-2 as a limiter, meaning that you set the audio level where you want any of the peaks of the guitar’s signal to not exceed the point you set. Whether using a clean signal or playing with overdrive, the GC-2 made the guitar sing with sustain and did so with transparency and low noise that I’ve not experienced with other designs.īut what about smoothing out clean chords for rhythmic work? This is where many compressors can fall short and severely impact the tone with loss of crispness and high-end clarity. With the GC-2, turning the Compression up and reducing the Threshold made the GC-2 do the job and do it well. Certainly a compressor can provide that effect: as the guitar’s signal goes down in volume when the note or chord begins to die, the compressor’s job is to raise the level and keep it audible, providing the feeling of increased sustain. I think sometimes people tend to think of them as useful simply for increasing sustain for leads, but in reality that’s just one basic application. Once the desired level is achieved, balance the output signal with the bypass signal using the Gain control.Ī great compressor and limiter can be extremely useful for guitarists for a number of applications. Depending on the output level of your instrument is where you determine the setting of the Threshold. Keeley recommends to first set the Compression at 10 o’clock, Threshold at noon, and Gain at 2 o’clock. The GC-2 is very easy to use and the manual provides good starting points and tips for setting it up. The circuit employs a THAT Corp IC which is an updated chip developed by former dbx engineers who created the legendary dbx 160A studio compressor. The Keeley Electronics GC-2 Limiting Amplifier has basic controls for Compression, Threshold, and Gain as well as an indicator LED for threshold, true-bypass switching, and the Keeley patent-pending blue LED for overall effect indication. Would the Keeley GC-2 Limiting Amplifier succeed? Let’s take a closer look. However, personally I wanted a compressor that was truly transparent, one that produced the “feel” and smoothness of compression without delivering any sonic characteristics of compression being used as an effect that would color the signal path. They’re immensely popular and he’s shipped many of them for good reason! The original Keeley compressors are low-noise designs using premium quality components and build techniques. ![]() ![]() And certainly Keeley’s original compressor design did improve on many of these shortcomings of the original Ross it was based on. Some models tried to compensate with blend or tone controls, but to my ears, something was still lost and it seemed like a compromise in many respects.Īll said, in many types of popular music, the old compressor designs provide a desirable and classic effect. When set for higher settings of compression, the Ross or MXR Dynacomp style compressors especially can be noisy, have a pumping and somewhat overloaded compression effect, while also cutting off the high-end response. I’ve owned Keeley compressors in the past and while they definitely provide a quality compression effect that they are well-known for, I’ve never quite bonded with them or most any stompbox compressor as they tend to put a particular color “stamp” or other characteristics on the tone when active. Today we’ll look review the more compact model, the Keeley GC-2 Limiting Amplifier.īefore we continue, I have to admit something. The latest designs in the company’s compression family are original and based on new circuits that Robert and his engineering team spent years perfecting. With humble beginnings building early units based on the famed grey Ross compressor from out of his home, to now having sold over 40,000 compressors and growing his business with a complete lineup of original designs, Robert Keeley and the team at Keeley Electronics have achieved great success since the early days. Among musicians, Robert Keeley has become a virtual household name in quality compression for well over a decade. ![]()
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