Are there any Leslie Sim pedals?

[Filament]

I was just fondly remembering the time I owned a great big old Elkatone rotating speaker and pining for it's watery goodness when it dawned on me that I don't see discussion of leslie simulators with any frequency.

Has there ever been a good one done in pedal form?  As I understand it, the Uni-Vibe can get pretty close right?  I'm just wondering if there is any hope of a DIYer building a pedal that is specifically a Leslie sim. 

I had a Bomb Factory Leslie plugin for Pro-Tools but don't think I've even seen a commercially available pedal that gives that great Leslie sound.  Just curious.

[Fender56]

The BBE Mind Bender has a rotating speaker effect:

http://www.bbesound.com/products/stomp_boxes/MindBender/index.asp

Will Ray of the Hellecasters uses one I think.


It is said that it is a kinda combination of the Boss Vibrato VB-2 and a Way Huge Blue Hippo. Starting from that, we are maybe able to create one!!! 

[Mark Hammer]

Both Boss and Line 6 make decent ones.  Digital, though.

Search the archives here.  LOTS of previous discussions about what makes for an authentic-sounding Leslie simulation.

[DocHeavy]

GGG has a Leslie sim project....  haven't heard it though.

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=6&id=20&Itemid=26

[jayp5150]

Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere. I've lusted after that thing for years lol.

They're pricey, though.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Hughes-Kettner-Tube-Tools-Tube-Rotosphere-MKII?sku=151910

[mojo_hand]

Hendrix used a Univox Uni-Vibe for that purpose.  There have been at least half a dozen similar pedals since.

[Phorhas]

GGG has a Leslie sim project....  haven't heard it though.

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=6&id=20&Itemid=26

Looks like a wah with an LFO controlling the sweep

[Solidhex]

Not a DIY project but the samples I've heard of the Line 6 Roto machine sound pretty damn good. I'm usually find their stuff mushy sounding but I was pretty impressed.

--Brad

[DougH]

For the $$ I spent on the Roto-Machine it's not worth my time trying to build a leslie pedal. I couldn't build anything that sounds as good anyway.

[Masuto]

old thread..i know..
well, i have the elka leslie you mentioned and i also tried some of the purported simulators. some were terrible (the boss double pedal unit) some were nice (dunlop uni vibe chorus) and some very interesting for the price (the danelectro rocky roads), but none even came close to the versatility and and the sound of the leslie. the awful roto vibe for instance, is like totally missing the point. lots of these pedals assume a flange going on that on the real deal just ISNT THERE! CLOSE YOUR EYES. face the speakers. listen. then, turn your back to the speakers. your ears create a low pass filter. thats what it is. not a phase shifting. and a variation in volume as the cone rotates: the air element. but, most important: what gives the wetness to the effect is the SPRING REVERB.
thats what i had to say. now i'll hush hush for the next 3 years..
for the price of a rotosphere im sure you will find an used leslie.

[Mark Hammer]

Nearly every day on Kijiji (and I assume your local Craigslist) , someone older than yourself is unloading an old Farfisa, Hammond, Lowrey, Kawai, Yamaha, or other "home console organ" that was sitting in their living room for years, cranking out Englebert Humperdinck tunes and hymns, and can't fit in the new condo or retirement abode.  And a significant number of those units contain  a "cheesewheel" rotating drum speaker that is essentially a Vibratone with a fast and slow-speed motor.  More than likely, it will ONLY be a an 8" speaker, but once you drag the thing home in your van, disassemble the organ to get the speaker assembly out of it, and plug your extension speaker jack into the speaker and fire up the motor, you will wonder how you have ever managed to spend so much of your life without one.

Most of these things can generally be gotten for less than $200, and often for free to a good home.

[Nasse]

gsi soundware site has some samples but does not tell how much it does cost yet

[pinkjimiphoton]

Nearly every day on Kijiji (and I assume your local Craigslist) , someone older than yourself is unloading an old Farfisa, Hammond, Lowrey, Kawai, Yamaha, or other "home console organ" that was sitting in their living room for years, cranking out Englebert Humperdinck tunes and hymns, and can't fit in the new condo or retirement abode.  And a significant number of those units contain  a "cheesewheel" rotating drum speaker that is essentially a Vibratone with a fast and slow-speed motor.  More than likely, it will ONLY be a an 8" speaker, but once you drag the thing home in your van, disassemble the organ to get the speaker assembly out of it, and plug your extension speaker jack into the speaker and fire up the motor, you will wonder how you have ever managed to spend so much of your life without one.

Most of these things can generally be gotten for less than $200, and often for free to a good home.

+1

BUT.... don't try and use  a sewing machine pedal to control the speed. it works.... but i don't reccomend it!! don't ask me how i found about browning out the house.


what i do is yank the 8" speaker off, and sell it on ebay <j/k>  and slap a nice celestion on there instead. like, a 12 or something. bolt it right down over the hole.
take the insullation from the organ, and box it off.

then you'll have a mini portable vibratone that can take a real amp at stage volumes.

i used to build 'em and sell 'em for a hundred bux or so. you can make a control pedal fairly easily with a couple decent stompswitches.

[mistahead]

My baby Vox tonelab has two effects that can meet aspects of the Leslie, if memory serves correctly they are in different banks so can be stacked/cascaded too... could be wrong about that one though, great multi, may not be at all what you want.