Aurora DeluxeCompressor

From the vendor

An expanded version of the classic Keeley Compressor with an added clean blend, treble control, and output buffer.

The Aurora Deluxe Compressor is based on the Keeley Compressor Plus, an updated version of their world-famous compressor. It was first released in 2017 and was traced by Aion FX in 2023.

Internally, it’s a Ross/Dyna Comp as with the original compressor circuit. A clean blend has been added, as well as a subtle treble control that boosts very high frequencies and adds a touch of brightness or presence. To make room for the two new knobs, they omitted the Clipping knob (an input attenuator) as well as converting the Attack knob to a two-position switch. It’s also been converted to use the LM13700, a current-production version of the obsolete CA3080.

The Compressor Plus fully replaced the previous Compressor. In fact, the standard version artwork omits the “Plus” and just labels it the “Keeley Compressor” in the same font as the original, though the product description does call it the Compressor Plus.

The Aurora Deluxe is a direct adaptation based on our trace of the Compressor Plus. The only difference is that we added a third position to the Attack (Release) switch that simulates the 12:00 position on the original control. We also combined two series capacitors that were clearly left over from the prototyping process.

Note: This project uses a type of capacitor that has been temporarily discontinued by WIMA. Please see our news article about the issue and the substitution spreadsheet for project-specific recommendations. We are stocking an equivalent from Kemet in the mean time. The build document has not yet been updated to reflect this.