Leslie simulators,

[maxwidmer]

any suggestions?

What about the Little Lanilei Rotary Wave Speaker?

http://www.songworks.com/index1.htm

[Anonymous]

http://www.tdpri.com/viewtopic.php?t=6430

and

http://www.tdpri.com/viewtopic.php?t=8513

Lots of times you can use the "Search" function at the top left of every page (right under "The Review Zone") to find out what has been posted before about a given topic (and yes, even if you're the one who posted it...) ;-) Best of luck in your continuing search. :-) CS

[inertian]

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...the overall winner is the Dano Rocky Road.

Can't be beat on the "bang-for-buck" scale, although they are getting kinda scarce (discontinued?). MF was blowing them out for $19.99, but no longer have any.

The main problems with these units are 1) they have a big volume boost when engaged (stomped on), and 2) the On/Off and Ramp buttons are real small and kinda close together.

Problem #1 is solved with a simple wiring mod even I could do correctly. Problem #2 I'm still working on.

Now, I have not tried the real high end units, but I did have an old Korg G4 that sounded great but was a pain to drag around. And just try to get parts for it...

Second choice is a DOD VibroThang. Lots of versatility, from straight tremolo to over the top whirly stuff. Good Leslie in there if you set the knobs right. These turn up all the time between $30 and $50.

Played at a jam the other night, and Badfinger's "No Matter What" was called. When the Leslie guitar part came up in the second verse, I kicked the Dano on. Smiles all around.

[Nick Fanis]

I love my VOODOOLAB MICROVIBE.......... 8)

[TheGoodTexan]

Originally Posted by inertian

<center></center>
...the overall winner is the Dano Rocky Road.

Not flaming you at all - I'm glad the Rocky Road works for your. I've got a Fender VibraTone (with casters) for the authentic Leslie needs, and a Huges & Kettner Rotosphere on my pedal board for gigs.

I love the Leslie tone - real Leslie tone - and I think I actually prefer the slow speed - and I've tried every Leslie simulator available - and the little Dano Rocky Road has got to be the absolute worst Leslie simulator I've ever heard.

Again - nothing personal to you inertian.

[inertian]

...but haven't come across one. I've no doubt it sounds terrific and is much more authentic than most if not all that is out there.

Could you post some sample sound files?

[TheGoodTexan]

Originally Posted by inertian

...but haven't come across one. I've no doubt it sounds terrific and is much more authentic than most if not all that is out there.

Could you post some sample sound files?

I'm not sure how to post sound files on the net. Also - I don't have any recording equipment of my own, and when I do get a call for a Leslie tone on tape, I take the VibraTone, so I don't have a recordings of the Rotosphere.

Yes - the Rotosphere is expensive, but the Leslie tone is such a part of my expression...I can't imagine not having some sort of simulator..and this is the best pedal that I've found.

The best simulator period (IMO), is the tube-driven DigiTech RPM-1, which is a single space rack mount unit. I've owned one, but I don't currently have one...should probably find one since they're not made any more. It has right, left, AND CENTER outputs...REALLY COOL....

[curbinati]

I too am a big fan of the VL Microvibe. I think for the money it beats the Dunlop stuff and gives the boutique guys (Fulltone, etc) good competition even when not considering cost. It has been in my rig since-- I think I got it in `98 and never a glitch. Definitely try one and as many others if you can. Personally, I think the H&K, while great sounding is over priced, but that might be my Marxist view creeping in -- I mean my pedalboard is a bare plank of plywood.



[img]www.jebweb.4t.com/pedalboard2.jpg[/img]


cheers,
carl

[TheGoodTexan]

Originally Posted by curbinati

I too am a big fan of the VL Microvibe. I think for the money it beats the Dunlop stuff and gives the boutique guys (Fulltone, etc) good competition even when not considering cost.

I love the VL MicroVibe and the Fulltone DejaVibe stuff - but these are not Leslie simulators...and they weren't meant to be. Both of them are ment to be sonic reissues of the original Uni-Vibe. Yes the original theory behind the designing of the Uni-Vibe was to simulate a Leslie - but they quickly discovered that it did not sound like a Leslie, but was still cool none the less.

I wouldn't be surprised if less than 5% of "leslie" simulator owners have ever actually played through a real Leslie. Most folks' frame of reference for Leslie tone is SRV's "Cold Shot", which is just a small fraction of how a leslie can sound.

[sticko]

The Line 6 Modulation Modeler does a real nice Leslie simulation. That's the thing though, it's always going to be a simulation. You're dealing with physics here. The moving of the air. The quality of the air that is being moved at a certain time. With the pedals, it's almost a matter of "which sounds the least crappiest" So, that being said, I thought the sound on the Line 6 was very pleasing. Is it a tube driven 147 at full throttle? No. But I have an old 147, and moving it is like moving a refrigerator.

[TheGoodTexan]

Originally Posted by sticko

But I have an old 147, and moving it is like moving a refrigerator.

You got that right! And I've got the ruptured discs to prove it.

But I agree with you about the Line 6 MM4 Leslie model...I think there are actually two different Leslie models on that pedal - one that's just a rotor (Fender VibraTone) and a horn and rotor (147). Both models are less crapy than other pedals I've heard. :)

[inertian]

...you're just gonna have to send me the H&K and I'll record and post some sound files.

%^)

I'm not sure how to post sound files on the net. Also - I don't have any recording equipment of my own, and when I do get a call for a Leslie tone on tape, I take the VibraTone, so I don't have a recordings of the Rotosphere

[James W]

There's a lot here about Leslie simulations but your original post suggested an actual rotating speaker and not a static speaker emulation of a rotating speaker. Sticko's right about the physics -- a real Leslie will be throwing sound all over the room from both a horn and a rotor that aren't in sync so you have sound coming toward you while other sound is bouncing off the wall behind the Leslie while other frequencies are just coming around. The effect is quite encompassing and running a mono amp with a static speaker just isn't going to capture it. There's a great interview with Don Leslie in Mark Vail's book "Beauty in the B" about the Hammond B-3 where Leslie describes the effect himself (BTW, he apparently hated the sound of a guitar through a Leslie amp :o ).

If you're really particular about the true Leslie sound you might look at Motion Sound products. I've never played a guitar though one of their guitar amps but I've played a keyboard though their keyboard amps (though not at stage volume) and I was really impressed.
www.motion-sound.com

Since you suggested a Little Lanilei, you might also check out Motion Sound. I've not heard either (with a guitar) so I can't comment.

If getting a true rotating speaker isn't for you then you might try a stereo pedal and running two amps to get a broader, more encompassing sound.

Luckily for me, I don't care that much about getting it exactly right when I'm playing guitar, though I do want to get it right when playing organ. For my purposes, the Leslie simulation in the Line6 Modulation Modeler is fine (though I'd never run my CX-3 through it ).

YMMV, caveat emptor, and whatever other warnings you can think of.

--James W

[Tim Bowen]

I track with a Leslie too, so it's pretty tough for a little box to make me happy. The original poster did ask about rotating speakers, but I thought I'd throw this out there for fans of the classic Roland CE-1, who are not fans of that unit's various issues, not to mention lack of availability & cult status price tags. This ain't cheap either, but here ya go:

http://www.retrotownmusic.com/catalo...products_id=79

http://www.retro-sonic.com/products.htm

Dedicated fake Leslie pedals like H&K Rotosphere & Option 5 Destination Rotation are waaaaaay too impractical for me. It's not without its own share of issues, but the Voodoo Lab Analog chorus does the fast part of the Leslie thing well enough for me to use live. No ramping though, unless you turn the knob with your feets... FWIW, regarding trying to get these sounds out of a chorus box - in my experience, the units that have more of a phasey character (CE-1, Voodoo Lab) do a better job of copping the Leslie vibe than do the boxes with a more flangey high end (Analog Man Clone chorus, or the Electro Harmonix unit that it's based on), or those with a very pristine, subtle character (TC Electronic SCF). The Analog Man Clone & Arion Fat Chorus both have very pleasing warble & movement for fake vibrato, but, to my ear, do not grok the chewy growl & swirl of the CE-1 or Voodoo Lab.

Another thing to keep in mind with the little boxes is that some have great movement & sound fantastic in stereo, but sound unremarkable & one dimensional in mono. That is the case with the small box Univibe Chorus, in my opinion.

$.02 about little boxes.

[marshallmelloman]

I lugged a model 16 around for a few years and there is definitely nothing like it. Heavenly wide flinging tone. Bassman on the 16, super reverb to the side. I agree with Tim tho, a little chewy pedal is good enough for the fast sound. I use the vibe on my foxrox captain coconut now. Without a roadcrew to carry and set up a bunch of amps on a stage big enough to permit all the volume you sauce up and the agony of getting shocked on microphones due to all the grounding issues I'll take the chewy little box these days. Yes, an old fart at 31. I tried a motion sound for guitar with a built in power amp. The speaker/ baffle was cool, but the amp sound wasn't so great to my ears. They make one without power, but then you are lugging another head and so on and so on, like my dad always says about things like this "It's like chewin buffalo guts, buffalo guts is tough, you can't just bite off one little bit, you got to eat the whole thing".

[hippietim]

Count me in the Rocky Road fan club. You must do the mod to tame the gain. After that, it is a great pedal. There are at least two variations of the mod - one is non-reversible and the other is (you just install a jumper wire) - I chose the latter and am a very happy camper.

For the Uni-vibe thing I am a big fan of the Voodoo Lab MicroVibe. It sounds great and is very friendly with different amps, guitars, and other pedals.

I had the Fulltone Deja-Vibe and it sounded great with the right combination of guitar, amp, and pedals. I use too many different amp and guitar combinations for the Fulltone to be practical so I let mine go. The Voodoo Lab pedal is just a more compatible box.

My favorite effect for this is the Line 6 modulation modeler. It is as close as I've heard without moving air with a rotary drum.

As for the Motion Sound stuff, their electric guitar amp sounded pretty mediocre. It was fairly brittle and lacked dynamics. I'd much rather have my own amp pushing their satellite cabinet.

[SteveK]

I picked up a NOS Korg G4 very cheaply about a year ago. I've used it most times I've played out since. Lovely wobbly sound. Dunno how like a real Leslie it is, hell, haven't been in the same room as one since the mid 70's!

Cheers - SteveK