It seems as if Robert Keeley has again changed the game,
this time diving into the near-untapped world of ‘80s distortion.
The DS-9 by Keeley Electronics combines Two Seminal ‘80s distortions
in one box with some Very Usable Tweaks.
As the story goes, both the DS-1 and old SD-9 Sonic Distortion are
very close relatives. One of them is louder with more punch and grit
(we’ll let you guess which is which). Mr. Keeley first heard these
in the ‘80s in Germany and fell in love. In fact, one of Keeley’s
first pedal ventures was modding DS-1 pedals for Steve Vai. You
might say he has a soft spot for the circuit and its derivatives.
Now, Keeley has recreated both pedals in one box. A toggle in the
center uses a relay circuit to actually change into whichever circuit
you choose. There's also a knob that controls the gain of just the low
end on either side—the folks at Keeley’s operation call it “Cutoff.”
Aside from Cutoff, the controls are pretty standard: Level, Dist(ortion)
and Tone; same as they are on those two classic boxes. They provide
everything they say they do, and the Dist control has been a little
juiced in comparison to those older models.
Keeley Electronics DS-9 Features:
Two distinct flavors of '80s dirt, borrowed from DS9 and DS-1
Unique Cutoff control adds or subtracts gain in lower frequencies
True bypass
Hand made in USA
Standard 9v center-negative power operation
this time diving into the near-untapped world of ‘80s distortion.
The DS-9 by Keeley Electronics combines Two Seminal ‘80s distortions
in one box with some Very Usable Tweaks.
As the story goes, both the DS-1 and old SD-9 Sonic Distortion are
very close relatives. One of them is louder with more punch and grit
(we’ll let you guess which is which). Mr. Keeley first heard these
in the ‘80s in Germany and fell in love. In fact, one of Keeley’s
first pedal ventures was modding DS-1 pedals for Steve Vai. You
might say he has a soft spot for the circuit and its derivatives.
Now, Keeley has recreated both pedals in one box. A toggle in the
center uses a relay circuit to actually change into whichever circuit
you choose. There's also a knob that controls the gain of just the low
end on either side—the folks at Keeley’s operation call it “Cutoff.”
Aside from Cutoff, the controls are pretty standard: Level, Dist(ortion)
and Tone; same as they are on those two classic boxes. They provide
everything they say they do, and the Dist control has been a little
juiced in comparison to those older models.
Keeley Electronics DS-9 Features:
Two distinct flavors of '80s dirt, borrowed from DS9 and DS-1
Unique Cutoff control adds or subtracts gain in lower frequencies
True bypass
Hand made in USA
Standard 9v center-negative power operation