Floor pedal effect that can do a good Leslie speaker sound

Bob Metzger · From: Waltham (Boston), MA, USA

Hi All,
I'm looking for a Leslie speaker effect pedal that is good sounding for my steel rig. A friend suggested this very hi-tech pedal but it was $450 (can't remember its name) and it does about a million things I'll never use. So I'm trying to keep it pretty simple (and not too expensive). I've used most of the inexpensive pedal stuff around and not with any great success so I guess I'm looking for something mid-priced that does a very good Leslie sound and can speed up and slow down as a Leslie speaker does. I don't need lots of parameters for different horn/speaker rotating rates and distortion rates, stuff like that. Any and all suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks,
Bob M.
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Bob M.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Hi Bob. I've used a good number of them and the one that has stuck on my pedalboard is the Tech 21 Roto Choir. I've been using it a lot lately and I'm still digging it.
It may not be in production any longer but you might find one on Reverb.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RotoChoir--tech-21-roto-choir-rotary-speaker-emulator-pedal

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Good, but not great, in my opinion, is the common Boss RT-20. I had one, seldom used it, sold it, and subsequently missed it once it was gone. So I purchased another one.

K Maul · From: Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL

I like LEX by Strymon
https://www.strymon.net/product/lex/
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Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Bob,
You've really opened up a can of worms!
There are a bunch of them out there and I've got most of them but I have yet to pick a winner.
A good one is going to cost you some bucks! Very Happy

Erv

Fred · From: Amesbury, MA

Look at the NUX Roctary.

Tom Jordan · From: Wichita, KS

+ 1 on the NUX Rocktary. Nothing's perfect (except a Leslie) but this one is fun, sounds great and gets the point across in small doses.

Tom

Lee Warren · From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Iâ€™ve owned several full-size Leslies (and still have a couple of the smaller ones. ðŸ˜³).
My search for an effect pedal replacement led me to the Neo Instruments Mini Vent.
I find it completely convincing sonically, and an absolute back saver! ðŸ˜Š
There were less expensive options, but none that sounded as real to me.
Ymmv.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Mike Bacciarini · From: Arizona

I use a Neo Ventilator II with an Ashby half moon. Also the EHX B9 and EB wah to get the B3 â€œvoiceâ€.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=neNWqFKPmv4
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Bob Metzger · From: Waltham (Boston), MA, USA

Yes, I've heard praises about the Neo Vent from various sources but there are a few different models of Leslie simulator from this company.

I'll look into the Worm-O-Matic!!

I'm specifically looking for one that sounds very good with a pedal steel guitar, which in my case is a Sho-Bud played thru various amps but more often than not a Nashville 400.
B.
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Bob M.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Bob,
You hit the nail right on the head!
Some pedals are designed primarily to be used with an organ and they have certain features on them that appeal to organ players but not especially to guitar players.
I'm a sucker for Leslie pedals and have several different kinds but it's kind of a crap shoot!
Wishing you the best in your quest. Very Happy

Erv

Bob Womack · From: Virginia, USA

My reply is based upon being a certified swirly head with two rotary amps (Leslie and Motion Sound). If you want a clean rotary sound, the suggestions above are great. If you want a dirty rotary sound and can run the effect in the loop, I still prefer the old tried and true Hughes and Kettner Tube Rotosphere. With its built-in 12AX7 preamp it does the Leslie grind like you hear at 1:14 in THIS clip very well. I keep a Rotosphere MKI in my amp's loop.

They are discontinued but show up on the used market. There is one on Reverb right now. My review is HERE.

Bob
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Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Several aspects of the sound. It's not just the doppler effect but also the organ tone that is sought after and in some cases the drive or grind to which Bob alludes.

If it's just the swirl you're after, many units will emulate that, but it's more complicated for me.

The Boss RT-20 mentioned earlier is a pretty good unit. I have that Boss circuitry built into SX700 and SE70 rack units but they're more complex. With footswitches, you can control the rise and fall, horn and drum ratio, fast or slow speed or use as a brake. [I had a post describing all the Boss features years ago.]
All these things put together, with the proper settings and technique, can get you a fairly realistic B3/Leslie sim and that's what you're really after.

For my taste, I think the H&K unit in Bob's review above does it very well and if I didn't already have the units I spoke of, I'd be on the lookout for one of those. One of the most realistic I've heard.

All these units mentioned are years old but they do the job pretty good IMO.

Ake Banksell · From: Stockholm, Sweden

I vote for the LEX by Strymon
https://www.strymon.net/product/lex/

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