Keeley Electronics Aria Compressor & Overdrive

The Keeley Aria combines two of Keeley’s own flagship circuits, the Compressor Plus and the Red Dirt Overdrive, into a single pedal.

The compressor and overdrive can be run alone or together, and you can select which order they are in the signal chain. There is also te option to place an external pedal between the two. Think of it as two pedals sharing one box!

Two Pedals, One Box, Your Order

Most players run compression before drive, keeping noise under control before it hits the gain stage.

But there’s a real case for the reverse: putting the compressor after the drive gives you a rounder, more sustained tone with the overdrive’s harmonics smoothed out rather than sharpened.

The Aria’s order-switch means you don’t have to commit to one routing. The TRS insert jacks go a step further, letting you drop another pedal entirely between the two circuits, so a compressor-into-delay-into-drive chain, or the reverse, is a cable away rather than a pedalboard rebuild.

Key Features

• Two-mode overdrive: Low mode for a clean, bold transparent boost, High mode for a focused, sustaining saturation
• Compressor side carries the same core control set as the Compressor Plus — Level, Sustain, Blend, and Tone
• Push-button switch to swap the order of the Compressor and Drive circuits on the fly
• TRS insert jacks let you place another effect inbetween the two sides
• Pedal-switcher ready: connect via TRS cable and control each side independently
• 9V DC centre negative, 50mA current draw

Controls

• Overdrive Level: sets overall output volume of the drive side
• Drive: Sets gain
• Tone: brightens the highs on the drive
• Blend: mixes in clean signal alongside the compressed tone, useful for punchy chord work
• Compressor Level: sets the output volume of the compressor side
• Sustain: adjusts the compression ratio and increases sustain
• Order switch: swaps whether the Compressor or Drive circuit comes first in the signal path

Power

The Aria runs on a standard 9V DC centre-negative supply and draws 50mA.

Who Is This For

Worth a look if you want the flexibility of two pedals without doubling your board space especially if you already know you like Keeley’s compressor (who doesn’t) and drive voicings separately and want the option to run them together, split them apart, or insert something else between the two.

Watch The Keeley Aria In Action

What does the Keeley Aria Compressor Overdrive do?

It combines two of Keeley’s own circuits, the Compressor Plus and the Red Dirt Overdrive, in one pedal. You can run either side alone, stack them in either order, or use the TRS insert jacks to place another effect between the two.

What power supply does the Aria need?

A standard 9V DC centre-negative supply at 50mA.

Is the Keeley Aria true bypass or buffered?

True bypass.

Can I change the order of the compressor and drive?

Yes. A push-button switch lets you swap which circuit comes first at any time, and the TRS insert jacks let you place another pedal between the two sides entirely.

Does the Aria work with a pedal switcher?

Yes, it’s designed to be pedal-switcher ready. Connect via a TRS cable and you can control each side of the Aria independently.

Should I run compression before or after the drive?

Most players run compression first to keep noise under control before it hits the gain stage. Running it after the drive instead gives a rounder, more sustained tone with the overdrive’s harmonics smoothed rather than sharpened. The Aria’s order switch lets you try both without repatching your board.