NPD - Keeley Content, not a happy ending - Update a Happy Ending!

peteri

So

As a birthday treat to myself I put a bigish Andertons order in - got a Keeley Monteray, Super Mod Station and Mini-Wah

Hats off to Andertons, quick delivery as usual.

Mini wah is great, bit of a fiddle/different technique to use since it's so small but sounds great. Annoying they put the switch for voicing behind four screws (why do that?) but it's a keeper.

The other two - complete disappointment.

Monteray - looks great, but I was not impressed that the micro switch for the mod source was missing it's nut (so you can push it in), that's not impressive for £240.

Sounds wise, well it needs it's own power supply, I have an isolated supply (MXR Iso brick) - but daisy chain for more outputs. This doesn't share well, unless it's on it's own supply you get a very audible pulse through the amp (from the rotary/vibe I guess), even when the pedal is off.

Apart from that, the modulation section works fine and good - not amazing but good and I like it.

Fuzz, well it's a fuzz - I have to be fair and say I've tried a lot of Fuzz pedals and never keep any, I just don't get on - I love the sound but not when I'm playing!

In this one, for me it's not nasty enough - I could never get it to really gut loose.

So the pedal is ok - but with the switch, clock noise and cost - it's going back.

Super Mod Pedal

Nice small footprint, sounds great too and loads of sounds. I'm not sure I like the switch arrangement - much like the old Line 6 xx4 pedals you kind of need to look at the manual for what the sounds/controls do all the time, but it sounds good and would replace my MXR Micro Flanger and Carbon Copy, saving me some space and giving me tap tempo.

But - if you're playing and engage the mod (say a Flanger or Chorus), you get a very odd sound, rather than the modulated note just being introduced, you hear it fade in - both in volume and pitch. Once it's there it's great, but again for the money that completely winds me up. I've never had this on any pedal before, and sure you can work around it, but why should I?

Hopefully others will find different

Branshen

Return them and get something else you do like. 

monquixote

Clock noise from pedals really pisses me off. 

FreddieVanHalen

Hmm...wonder if you've got a dodgy example of the Monteray?

I've got one that I'm very happy with and which doesn't have clock noise, although I don't daisy chain my pedals and don't have a daisy chain cable to test it....

Shame to hear you didn't get on with the new pedals as your birthday treat though. Still, at least you can send them back and get some more!

peteri

Thanks all - I agree on the Monteray, it's strange the switch isn't properly finished - almost a Friday afternoon one.

I'll try again tonight before returning both, but the Mod Station is definitely going back.

can't work else what else to buy!

@FreddieVanHalen - doe the microswitch on yours have a nut securing it?

Thanks

Pete

FreddieVanHalen

@peteri not sure actually, will need to check but I'm fairly sure it doesn't have a nut mounted on the top of the case surrounding the switch. I am sure that the switch doesn't collapse back into the casing when I use it though.

For what it's worth, while I like the Monterey I don't like that little switch, it feels far too fiddly and fragile.

On other things to buy, I'm GASing hard for Chase Bliss pedals right now, might be worth a try on one of those?

MrSwanson

I had the Caverns for a while and though the build quality was a little fragile tbh

peteri

Thanks - I've just watched more demos on Youtube, will give the Monteray one more go tonight to make sure and then send it tomorrow if not happy.

Mike Hermans makes it look great, but then he always does

Thanks - Chase Bliss google here I come!

JezWynd

I got the Keeley Compressor Pro a while back and i'm very impressed with it. Build quality is excellent and it's a powerful and flexible comp. I thought initially that it was going to a rip off of the Empress which it has a common layout but in fact it's a step up from that one with more compression and big variation in attack and hold available.

Branshen

If I had your budget, I'd get a boss waza CE-2 for chorus and neo vent mini for rotary/univibe. 

peteri

Well - humble pie time.

I emailed Keeley support in case it was me and got into an amazing dialogue.

Firstly - the Super Mod, it's a fault, they have a fix available - so are shipping me a replacement pedal, very reasonable and happy with that. Very polite, 'it's a mistake, we support the product'.

The Monterey, he said make sure it really is getting enough current - and that 85ma should be looked at as the minimum.

Rewired the whole board to make sure that it had that and it's own input - and it sounds amazing, completely different fuzz which now sounds like I thought it should.

Clock noise still seems a pain, and it highlights a little bit of non iso in my MXR iso brick - would you believe it messed about with my TC Ditto until I found the right order to plug things in - but got there in the end.

So first class support from a human being and I've got there and I'm happily keeping the pair.

Disappointed with the flimsy switch on the Monterey, it's just fiddly and should have a nut - but I can live with that. Same with the clock noise - can live with it now I've got all wired up ok, and I'm now annoying everyone with bad Woodstock impressions!

Pete

Winny_Pooh

Wow. 
Do you have another supply to try with the Monterey

Moe_Zambeek

Note that a few of these now have board mounted mini switches that don't have nuts. You might find it doesn't actually have a thread on the shaft. Source Audio and Alexander have that type.

peteri

Winny_Pooh said:

Wow. 
Do you have another supply to try with the Monterey

Just took a board disassemble and replan so it was all on it's own with 250m/a supply.

Works great now!

viz

Robert is a dude. 

Teetonetal

Always good to hear makers backing there product up with good customer support. This thread had put me off the new stuff now it's made me a bit keener well done Mr keeley

Branshen

Great to hear it's worked out! Keep rocking!

peteri

Teetonetal said:

Always good to hear makers backing there product up with good customer support. This thread had put me off the new stuff now it's made me a bit keener well done Mr keeled

Completely agree - initially I was disappointed given the price.

But the attitude and response of the service department has been amazing, you'll always get duff units - and they've been nearly as good as Thorpy! (No duff unit from him, just amazing customer service)