The Steel Guitar Forum

What would you recommend for a leslie simulator for PSG?

It seems the principle choices are:

Neo Instruments Mini-vent,

Strymon Lex,

Tech 21 Roto Choir,

Leslie digital leslie pedal (the larger white one),

Leslie G pedal,

Electro Harmonix B9, &

Electro Harmonix C9.

There are probably others as well.

It needs to sound fairly authentic and be easy to use on the bandstand. I don't need a ton of exotic sounds, just a couple good organ type settings.

Do you want to sound like a steel guitar going through a Leslie or a Hammond Organ through a Leslie? The Strymon Lex would give you the Leslie speaker sound, whereas an EHX B9 pedal would transform the sound of your guitar into an Organ-esque tone.

For the rotating speaker sound I like the Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere and the old Maestro PS1A.

Believe it or not, the Behringer Rotary machine isn't bad - it's not the best but in a band situatuion it's pretty convincing - particularly on one particular setting (L16, I think) and you definitely can't beat the price. You should definitely try one out before spending a lot of money on something else.

I once used one at a gig where I happened to be set up right next to the Leslie belonging to the other band's organ player. After the show someone, assuming I had been using the real cabinet, remarked how good it sounded and how "nothing sounds like a real Leslie".

Maybe the secret is to use a dummy Leslie cab?

I use a Roto Choir. I get people come up and tell me it sounds like a B3. I know it doesn't, but it does fool the crowd. The only way I would buy a B9, C9 etc is if they put the Leslie sim in it, so I would have to hit 2 pedals to get the organ sound.

I would want easy access to speed control, to change Leslie speeds quickly. Are any of these doable? The EHX B9 & C9 are not.

Several of the above mentioned units have a separate button for high and low speed. Some even have a knob to control the rate of speed, up or down.

Here's one that doesn't get much attention, at least in North America:

http://www.genuinesoundware.com/?a=showproduct&b=41

I have NOT used this pedal myself..however it is based on the algorithm used in the same manufacturer's VB3 organ simulator application and plugin that I have used, and in my opinion it is the best B3 and Leslie simulation I have heard.

A bit expensive, but killer sounds.

Mike

I love my lex. You can pair it with something like a POG to get real hammond-like tones, but these days I prefer it on it's own with the steel. You can also build an external fast/slow switch to control the speed. I mount mine on the right side of my steel near the back for easy access. Works great!

i really like my strymon mobius. it has other modulation sounds also, such as chorus, rotary, vibe, phaser, flanger, etc.

play music!

I've been using the DSL Rotosim for awhile now and I like it. Works well in the effects loop too. Tons of tweaking options.

http://www.dlseffects.com/Roto_SIM.html

If we're talking serious, you need one of these:

I believe the Behringer is a pirate of the Line 6 Roto Machine. That one is a strong effect but I find its downside to be that it obliterates the original guitar tone which someone might find a plus (if you are trying to NOT sound like a steel guitar) or a minus.
H&K Rotosphere is real good but huge on a pedalboard.
Tech 21 RotoChoir is my current choice.

All of these have variations on what can be tweaked regarding slow speed, high speed and ramp up speed. Rotochoir can tweak the 'mic position' to get the throb of a close mic or the more general effect from several feet away.

I rigged a remote fast/slow switch that sits by my right hand for the H&K when I used it (the H&K has a jack to receive this switch) and now I rigged one for the Roto Choir (which required some desoldering and soldering).

Every time this subject comes up (a dozen times at least) it is not at all clear whether the poster is looking for Leslie sounds or organ sounds. These are two related but separate questions.

Check out the Neo Instruments Ventilator, especially the "Mini Vent". Depends on what sound your going for, if looking for a B3 type effect, this is it but it is as close to a Leslie as I have ever heard. Check out this guitar player (Greg Koch) as he demos it live at a seminar Skip ahead to 13:35 in the videovideo.

https://youtu.be/ewBa2XaRlzA

Thanks for all the responses. Problem is I don't really know what I want. I'm learning that a pedal that produces an organ type tone may not come with a speed control for the rotor effect.

The ideal pedal would provide a good organ tone AND have adjustable rotor effect so it can ramp up and down just like a real leslie.

BTW: I very briefly used a real leslie with PSG many years ago (decades actually) and it sounded great. I had a control, that I could activate with my right hand, to ramp up and down the rotor. That was fun to use and sounded great. But I'm way too old to be transporting a real leslie cabinet.

I viewed Bryan Daste's great podcast describing the EHX C9 pedal. The C9 certainly does a good job creating an organ type tone, but it doesn't have the speed control for the rotor effect. Plus I don't want to have to add a compressor or another device to have easy control of the rotor speed.

I like Strymon products so am tempted by the Strymon Lex, but I've never heard it used with a PSG.

I do not want to have to buy multiple devices to create a convincing organ/leslie sound.

Tom Wolverton wrote:I would want easy access to speed control, to change Leslie speeds quickly. Are any of these doable? The EHX B9 & C9 are not.

The RotoChior has a switch to go from slow to fast, a speed control for how fast it will go. Doesn't have a speed control for the slow speed. Has a control that simulates mic placement on the cabinet. It has a drive switch for adding distortion.

What I did with my Rotochior is, I drilled a hole in the bottom plate so that a 1/4-20 T nut would fit through the hole. You have to bend off the pointed prongs that would normally hold the nut firmly to wood. I added a thin piece of rubber to put between the back plate and the circuit board. Then I just use the clamp arm that came with my Petersen Strobo-Flip. Keeps it right within sight and reach.

I do not want to have to buy multiple devices to create a convincing organ/leslie sound.

Me either. Although you can get a pedal that has a switchable effects loop. You just have both the organ sim and the Leslie sim set to where you want them, hit the switch on the effect loop pedal, and away you go. But that is now 3 pedals to buy. OUCH!!!

Yo! Mark Dayton. Glad and surprised to see you on here. You've hear me use my RotoChior when I have played with you guys.

I just listened to a couple YouTube videos. The first was of the Neo Mini-Vent. It does a good job simulating the rotating speaker sound, and it's nice and simple, which is a plus for me.

Then I listened to a video demonstration of the Electro Harmonix C9. It doesn't have the ability to change rotation speeds easily, BUT it does a great job, in my opinion, of mimicking the sound of a Hammond B3. The click control sounds really useful for adding a percussive attack to note and chords.

Getting the B3 sound is more important to me than being able to change the rotating speaker effect.

Getting the B3 sound is more important to me than being able to change the rotating speaker effect.

Then the C9 is your ticket.

Here's a B9 pedal combined with rotary speaker sim.

http://youtu.be/WThUwj41cQQ JHS pedal ... sion-mods/

I have a EHX B9, and pair it with a Boss RT-20 (rotating speaker sim). The Boss has the ability to ramp up and down.

Certain limitations and caveats have been discussed previously in the Forum. Searching will be rewarded.

I like the RT-20 and use it regularly. The B9 is more of a parlor trick, but it is fun.

Those mods by JHS Pedals adding rotor speed control to a B9 or C9 pedal look real interesting. Thanks Robert! I've bought Larry Behm's C9 pedal and will try it for awhile to see if I really need/want that feature.

Michael Butler wrote:i really like my strymon mobius. it has other modulation sounds also, such as chorus, rotary, vibe, phaser, flanger, etc.

play music!

this page of the strymon mobius shows that the speed of the rotor preset is able to be changed as well as the horn level, slow rotor speed and acceleration time.

it is about 1/3 of a page down. click on the rotary button. there are samples also.

http://www.strymon.net/mobius/

Paul the C9 should be there today.

Hey Paul,
I have both the B9 and the Roto Chior if you want to take them for a spin (HAH!)

I'll PM you my number.

The best sound I've personally heard and played is Kevin Milner's Strymon Lex coupled with an E-H POG2. You need the POG 2 for an authentic organ sound, and the Lex really nails the rotary cabinet sound. Perhaps the new E-H B9 or C9 could give you the organ sound, in a smaller, less expensive box than the big POG2.

I'm saving my allowance for the full size Neo Ventilator, from youtube demos it nails the Leslie sound the best.