dls roto sim?

[tom]

anybody got one or used one? comments?

[robberns]

Got one.
So far, the best Leslie simulator I have tried. Been through a few (T-Rex BetaVibe, Line 6 Roto Machine) and this is the best short of the Hughes and Kettner Rotoshpere. The H&K sounds great but is huge and fairly noisy.
The DLS is fairly tweakable, has some internal pots you can fine-tune to taste, and is relatively quiet.
I had a question for the folks at DLS and they were very friendly and helpful.
Any specific questions you have about it that I have not answered?

[tom]

having played through real leslies in the old days i yearn for that sound. does this get close to that or is it more phase shifter sounding? does the guitars tone remain mostly intact?

[robberns]

If you've enjoyed the feeling of playing through a real Leslie, I have yet to hear a pedal that takes you there.
The DLS, IMHO, has the best combination of doppler effect wihtout sounding too phasey. The fact that you can adjust the ramp time is nice so you can speed up and slow down the effect by tapping the momentary switch. Also, there is an overdrive toggle that can add some grit like a Leslie being overdriven.
It is not totally transparent tone-wise, but if you switch outputs (A or B) the tone changes slightly. It is true bypass, so no tone-sucking when not in use.
Check out these sound samples (I have no affiliation to Steve's Music Center):
http://www.stevesmusiccenter.com/DLSRotoSIM.html

[tom]

sounds like it's worth a try. i never use my tc chorus, so maybe this will take it's prized real estate on the pedalboard.

[billyguitar]

Tone Quest Report has a story on the DLS this month. I've also heard good things about a new BOSS pedal, of all things.

[robberns]

I'd like to hear the Boss Rotary pedal, if for no other reason curiousity. My experience with Boss pedals is they tend to suck some tone, but it might be worth a listen. The DLS pedal is built like a tank.

[Janine Doubly]

Definitely check out the Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble. I just got one after waiting patiently a few months for Boss to finally send some more after demoing one. It is very close to a real Leslie and here is why...

First of all, it is the first one I've ever tried that replicates the sound of the horn diaphragm getting pummeled by a Marshall head or a Fender head on a Leslie Model 122. Its hard to describe, but you know it when you here it...ala "Badge", "No Matter What", "What it Takes", etc. It is not the sound of a Leslie Model 16 or Fender Vibratone. Its that edgy, but cool bite that happens when that little diaphragm is driven to almost blowing. In fact, most Leslie 122 users WILL eventually blow the horn when used with distorted guitar. Obviously, not an issue here! There are four modes, and three of them have subtle variances depending on the mic'ing they are simulating and the amp head running the Leslie. Two are cleaner amps and one is a Marshall 1959 Plexi. I like setting two, a close mic'ed 122. You can add overdrive (not recommended), adjust the bass and horn rotor volume levels, rise time, slow and fast rates, effect AND a direct level (so that its not all Leslie). Its tone suck is minimal and its very quiet. Its not transparent, but yet, that's not what we are going for now is it! I have tried and owned the Voce Spin II, which I liked, but MAN was it noisy. Plus its keyboard/guitar switch was touchy to say the least. I am not familiar with the DLS.

I have used the RT-20 in practice and live, and its the real deal. Closest I've heard. I know, who woulda thunk? But Boss nailed this one. This and the DD-20 has made me think someone at Boss is noticing the market share loss from the boutique guys.

[Janine Doubly]

Used my Boss RT-20 again today at church and got rave reviews. The Doppler effect is spot on (no super annoying pitch wobble like on a chorus pedal) and I noticed that when going back and forth between slow and fast that the virtual bass and treble rotors accelerate and de-ccelerate at different rates, providing all the cool inter-modulation that happens on a real Leslie as you toggle back and forth between slow and fast within a musical passage. Would love to hear it on an organ patch...must get another for my keyboard player!

[billyguitar]

Unless a synth player grew up playing with Hammonds he probably won't know how to use a volume pedal properly. A true Hammond player stabs that expression pedal all the time. Synth guys usually don't even have a volume pedal. Without that aspect it will never sound right. Sorry, it's a little peeve of mine!

[Janine Doubly]

Well....he's a creative bugger. I wouldn't put it past him to figure it out. He's actually done pretty well with the Leslie simulator on the Kurzweil he has and has started to examine the simulated draw bars with success. A little coaching and some encouragement, he may surprise me!! He certainly knows the sounds I like; Benmont Tench, Booker T., Keith Emerson, Woodstock era Gregg Rolie w/Santana, Rick Wakeman, Spencer Davis and Traffic era Steve Winwood, Mike Finnigan, etc.

[jimmieb]

Does Boogie still have the Roto speaker cab? Very pricey and heavy, but very close to the Leslie sound. What does Gilmore use? He uses a leslie sound a lot. Tom, does your Line 6 pedal have a Leslie sound?

Jimmie B

[Nova70]

I had the opportunity to a/b the DLS and the Boss Rt-20. Being a former owner of a real Leslie which I foolishly sold years ago I must say that the Boss is extremely accurate. I bought it and sent the DLS back. The DLS sounded good but as far as an authentic Leslie sound I prefer the Boss.
Pat

[GaryMcT]

Does the Boss device sound good if it's pre-gain? Does it support line-level?

[tom]

the line6 trem does not do a leslie, but the bias trem is a nice motion kind of sound without being swishy.
i'm in waco for beepcon, and there will be a roland pedal for me to try. i will report my findings.

[Janine Doubly]

I run a fully buffered signal into my RT-20 and it supports it rather nicely. By tweaking the effect level and direct level I can adjust just how much I want it to boost or not and how much of the amp tone I want. It seems to sound best at a 50/50 ratio of Leslie and direct, so that you don't too much of a tonal shift when kicked on. It has a "guitar/keys" switch on the back in case there is some line level/impedence mismatch. I switch it back and forth and I hear no difference. Again, I have a low imp. buffered signal going into it. Other setups may vary more, especially if you have all True Bypass pedals. With or without a gain pedal in front, mine sounds fantastic.