The Keeley Aria Compressor and Overdrive Pedal is a two-in-one stompbox from Keeley Electronics that puts a compressor and an overdrive in a single enclosure. Keeley announced it as "a powerful stomp box that combines modern Keeley Compression with our classic Red Dirt Overdrive!"1 On Sweetwater's demo video, Don Cara described it as "two of Keeley's greatest pedals in one you've got the compressor on one side and the red dirt overdrive on the other"2.
The compressor side carries the Keeley compressor circuit, which Cara described as "known for its transparent character"2. The overdrive side is a two-mode drive with soft clipping that gives a transparent boost to midrange frequencies3. Pedal of the Day summed up the combination as "warm, midrange-y overdrive with delicious compression and a ton of sustain"4.
A compressor and an overdrive in one box
The Aria is laid out as two halves. The compressor side has Level, Blend, Sustain and Tone knobs6, controls that Pedal of the Day notes are "similar control to those that adorn the Compressor Plus"625. The drive side has Level, Drive, Tone and a Low/High gain switch6.
| Side | Controls | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Compressor | Level, Blend, Sustain, Tone6 | Based on the Keeley compressor circuit, described as transparent2 |
| Drive | Level, Drive, Tone, Low/High toggle6 | Soft clipping, transparent midrange boost3 |
Each side has its own footswitch, with an LED to show when each is on, so you can run the compressor alone, the overdrive alone, or both together2. MusicRadar described the pairing as the Keeley Compressor teamed with the Red Dirt Overdrive6.
Keeley positioned the Aria as a flexible drive platform. In the brand's own words, it is its "most flexible overdrive to date"7.
Order switching and the insert point
Two routing features set the Aria apart from simply stacking two pedals.
- Order swap: The order of the compressor and drive can be swapped instantly with a flick of a switch3. Pedal of the Day also notes you can connect it to a pedal switcher to control each side independently, or to switch the order of the two effects4.
- Insert point: The Aria has TRS insert jacks that divide the pedal into two units, so you can insert other effects between the compressor and the overdrive1. On Sweetwater's demo, Cara explained it "features an insert point that allows you to insert whatever effects pedals you like between the compressor and overdrive"2.
"The Aria comes with TRS insert jacks to allow you to divide the pedal into two units. Insert effects between the two sides."
For a player, the insert point means a delay, fuzz or EQ can sit between compression and drive inside the Aria's own signal path, rather than only before or after the whole pedal213.
The overdrive side: two gain modes
The drive section offers Low and High gain modes, selected with a mini-toggle switch24. Pedal of the Day's reviewer described the difference between them:
"Low gives off some clean and bold tones, while High ramps it up and gives you a focused and sustained drive sound."
The overdrive uses soft clipping and gives a transparent boost to midrange frequencies3. Cara described the whole pedal as "priming your electric guitar for prominent lead tones"2.
Where it came from
Keeley announced the Aria in June 2018, with availability from June 28, 2018 at dealers worldwide and at RKFX.com for $1991. Guitar World reported the pedal as available now for $1995.
The Aria was released on 06-28-2018, available at dealers worldwide as well as RKFX.com for $19921. It carries independent footswitches for each side, with an LED to show when each is on2. Keeley pitches it as "priming your electric guitar for prominent lead tones"2. Players comparing it with Keeley's other compression pedals can also look at the Keeley Compressor Mini and the Keeley Compressor Plus Germanium, the 25th-anniversary version of the Compressor Plus.
What reviewers said
Coverage around launch focused on the concept. The Aria became available on 06-28-2018 at dealers worldwide as well as RKFX.com for $19921. Reviewers noted its independent footswitches for each side, with an LED to let you know when they're on2, and Keeley's own description of it as "priming your electric guitar for prominent lead tones"2.
On Sweetwater's demo, Don Cara walked through both sides, the gain modes and the insert point2:
Videos
Keeley Electronics
Keeley Electronics
Questions
Can you change the order of the compressor and overdrive on the Keeley Aria?
Yes. The order of the compressor and drive can be swapped instantly with a switch, and the pedal can also be connected to a pedal switcher to control each side independently or to switch the order of the two effects. That lets you run compression into overdrive or overdrive into compression without re-patching cables.
Can you use the compressor and overdrive separately on the Keeley Aria?
Yes. Each side has its own footswitch, with an LED showing when each is on, so you can run the compressor alone, the overdrive alone, or both together. The TRS insert jacks also let you divide the pedal into two separate units if you want to place other effects between them.
What is the insert point on the Keeley Aria for?
The insert point sits between the compressor and overdrive sections and lets you insert whatever effects pedals you like between the two sides. The TRS insert jacks allow you to split the pedal into two units, so another pedal can sit in the middle of the chain instead of before or after the whole Aria.
Is the Keeley Aria based on the Keeley Compressor Plus?
The compressor side carries controls similar to those on the Keeley Compressor Plus, and Delicious Audio describes the pedal as combining the tone and blend features of the Compressor Plus with a two-mode overdrive. Keeley itself describes the Aria as combining modern Keeley compression with its classic Red Dirt Overdrive.
How many gain modes does the Keeley Aria overdrive have?
Two. A Low/High mini-toggle switch on the drive side lets you flip between two modes: Low gives clean and bold tones, while High ramps up the gain for a focused and sustained drive sound. The overdrive uses soft clipping and boosts midrange frequencies.
Sources (7)
- Keeley Electronics Launches Aria Compressor Overdrive, Premier Guitar, 2018-06-19
- Keeley Aria Compressor and Overdrive Pedal Review, Sweetwater, 2018-07-10
- Robert Keeley Aria Compressor + Drive, Delicious Audio, 2019-02-04
- Keeley Electronics Aria Compressor Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2018-09-19
- Keeley Electronics Releases Aria Compressor & Overdrive Pedal, Guitar World, 2018-06-22
- Keeley releases Aria Compressor & Overdrive pedal, MusicRadar, 2018-06-21
- Keeley combines renowned compressor and overdrive into one pedal, Guitar.com, 2018-06-21
