NPD x 2 - Boss and Keeley

[ErikH]

Got the shipping notification this morning from Sweetwater. A Boss DM-2W Delay and Keeley Compressor Plus are on the way.

The last compressor I tried was the Boss CS-3. I love Boss pedals but I could not get along with that one. Compressors and me don't get along most of the time but the Keeley, this is different. I tried the 2-knob version years ago at a guitar show and I still remember talking to Robert about my experience with compressors and he showed me his then new pedal. I listened to him play through it and then he let me play. It didn't feel like it was even on, but the effect of it being on was there. And the sustain was wonderful. Had I been able to snag one, I would've bought one at his booth then and there. Our oldest was still in a stroller so yeah, not a lot of extra gear money. Can't wait to try out the Plus. It has a blend knob which is a great feature in a pedal format.

The Boss DM-2W Delay needs no introduction. This will be out front for clean settings with a longer delay time and more repeats when needed. Everyone I've talked to that has one loves it. Reviews rave about it, Pete Thorn's demo is flat out greatness. A no-brainer.

A pedal snake is also on order from pedalsnake.com. If I'm gonna have a decent board again (5-6 pedals plus amp footswitch), I'm going to make my life easier with setup and tear down.

[jeremy]

two nice toys for sure! i keep thinking in need another delay when i hear good ones, but i really dont. but a dm2 sounds soo good

[Mincer]

Especially curious about the delay. Let us know how cool it is!

[ErikH]

Out For Delivery. Every musician's favorite words, and hated words because sometimes it takes all day!!!!!! LOL

The Keeley Compressor will be delivered today. I'll be able to use it tonight at rehearsal. I ordered it separately from the Delay after thinking it over and listening to the songs more closely to decide whether it was needed or not.

[ErikH]

The Keeley arrived. Got it on the pedalboard between my Phase 90 Script and OD-3. First impression: awesome. It has the feel that I still remember from the 2-knob version. The blend and tone controls are really nice to have. After fiddling with it and playing through a few songs I have the sustain between half and off, about 10 o'clock. Level about 1-1:30, tone about 2 o'clock and blend around 10-12 o'clock. The toggle for single/humbucker I'll leave in humbucker mode since I use those most often. Sounds fine with them split. Tonight is the first full rehearsal with the new band so I'll have more feedback later.

[Mincer]

A good compressor is really transformative. Happy you like the Keeley!

[ErikH]

I am so glad I got the Keeley. That is the compressor I knew I'd be happy with. I'm still tweaking the settings but I used it at rehearsal tonight so at band volume I really got to give it a go. Ended up dialing the blend back a little bit, the level I'm still messing with to find the happy medium, but I'm close. The tone and sustain are pretty much how I set them beforehand, maybe a little less on the sustain but there was still plenty of it. Songs with clean parts like When You Love A Woman and Stay A While were just great with it. I even used it on Lights and it really reacted well. As I played I didn't feel, "compressed". I could still play and yet feel the dynamics. With drive, and I have plenty on tap for stuff like Be Good To Yourself, the compressor really lends to the singing notes doing what a good compressor should do. I'll be playing with it more tomorrow after the Delay arrives.

[ErikH]

The Delay arrived yesterday and I was able to play with it for a bit. In quick summary, this is probably the best delay pedal I have ever used. So simple but so effective. And the beauty of it is it works GREAT in front of a dirty amp. With cleans it's simply beautiful with that warm analog delay sound where the repeats get warmer as they die off. Couldn't be happier. The bonus is the delay in my amp sounds like it but the pedal has more functionality. The amp delay I can set the level and delay time with the tap tempo. The pedal has the Standard and Custom modes plus the Echo control. Gotta say, this is a worthwhile purchase for anyone looking for a solid delay pedal that gets it done without too many bells and whistles.

[Mincer]

What does the Echo control do? I love delay pedals, so I am always interested in learning about them.

[ErikH]

What does the Echo control do? I love delay pedals, so I am always interested in learning about them.

Echo adjusts the volume of the delay sound.
Intensity adjusts the number of delay repeats.
Repeat Rate adjusts the delay time.

Thinking about it again, my amp's delay setup is more the echo and intensity together on the amp knob with the tap tempo being the repeat rate. The echo on my amp isn't as much as what the DM-2W can do so this is a great addition to the setup. It will serve it's purpose nicely.

[Mincer]

What is the max delay time on that?

[jeremy]

i think its 800ms which is twice what the old one was

[ErikH]

What is the max delay time on that?

It depends on the Mode Switch setting. But yes, 800ms.

Straight from the manual:

Switches the tonal character.
S (standard): The original tone of the DM-2.
C (custom): A clear, customized tone with an extended delay time.

Delay time (maximum)
S (standard): 300 ms
C (custom): 800 ms

[dzdandcunfsd]

I am so glad I got the Keeley. That is the compressor I knew I'd be happy with. I'm still tweaking the settings but I used it at rehearsal tonight so at band volume I really got to give it a go. Ended up dialing the blend back a little bit, the level I'm still messing with to find the happy medium, but I'm close. The tone and sustain are pretty much how I set them beforehand, maybe a little less on the sustain but there was still plenty of it. Songs with clean parts like When You Love A Woman and Stay A While were just great with it. I even used it on Lights and it really reacted well. As I played I didn't feel, "compressed". I could still play and yet feel the dynamics. With drive, and I have plenty on tap for stuff like Be Good To Yourself, the compressor really lends to the singing notes doing what a good compressor should do. I'll be playing with it more tomorrow after the Delay arrives.

Good to hear, I've had the older model, but been hesitant to pay for the plus one(as from your first post I'm about the same way with compressors), I'm biased but knew the Keeley would be a good fit especially with the blend addition, no bad experiences with any of his stuff.