ampage Tube Amps / Music Electronics	For current discussions, please visit Music Electronics Forum.

ampage archive

Vintage threads from the first ten years

Suggestions for leslie simulator?

:

12/27/1999 2:25 PM
Humbucker	Suggestions for leslie simulator? I'm looking for a more affordable alternative to the Uni-Vibe or the Korg G4 leslie simulators, any suggestions?

12/27/1999 2:44 PM

I've seen Leslie 825's going for $200. We actually bought one for $100. We modded it to run a tube amp through it, and made on/off-fast/slow footswitch for it, and attached a power cord. All that cost about $35. An 825 doesn't have the top rotor, so you have to run the amp with a little more treble. Sounds pretty good, and actually throws sound around the room....something a simulator won't do. Keep your eyes peeled, and you may dig up the real thing pretty cheap.
Brad

12/27/1999 5:04 PM
nic	yeah the bone I have with real leslies is they are hard to mic... You have to have one that is loud and mic it ambiently. nic

12/29/1999 9:59 PM
Burgundy	Ive gotten really good results with three mikes: one front, bottom pointing straight in, one side, top, pointing in and one on top, pointing down. I think I once used two 421's for the lower two, and a SM57 for the top mic, but that's all preference. It's a lot of work, but in a live environment it worked (almost to the point of getting seasick)

12/27/1999 7:17 PM

Uni-Vibe & leslie are 2 different sounds...

For a Uni-Vibe sound like Robin Trower, Hendrix on "Machine Gun" & at Woodstock, Voodoo Lab Micro-Vibes are the best bang for your buck. If you have a little more money, pick up a used Fulltone Deja Vibe or Precription Electronics Vibe Unit. Stay away from the Dunlop, reports are not so good on that one.

Leslie sounds are Hendrix's "Little Wing" & "Angel". Another good example of leslie guitar is Clapton on "Badge".
Nothing sounds like a real leslie, but my old Quadraverb's rotary speaker setting gets in the ballpark. It changes speed gradually like a real leslie. I don't know of any pedals that will achieve the tone, but I haven't tried the Korg. A lot of guys use a chorus pedal for fast leslie sounds. These are more forgiving than slow leslie sounds & just about any chorus pedal turned up fast may do. Scott Henderson & Michael Landau use cheapo Arion Stereo Chorus pedals for this effect.

Steve B.

12/28/1999 7:48 AM

I've actually had good results running two choruses in series, with slightly different speeda and intensities. It simulates the speed up/slow down effect of a Leslie cabinet pretty well. And Steve B. is right, the V. Labs micro-vibe actually sounds pretty good; I got rid of one because I was a little disappointed, then when I listened to some recordings I had done with one I thought, "Shit, why did I get rid of that?"
Hi

12/29/1999 9:56 PM

Re: Suggestions for leslie simulator?

Like Steve said, a Leslie and a Univibe are two different things. The Uni was devised I think to try and simulate a leslie, but it's still "just" a phaser, a leslie is a LOT more complex (volume changes, and have you ever heard the two-speaker thing- woofer and horn spinning in opposite directions?).
If you can get around with a soldering iron you might want to try to build your own Uni, RG Keen has PCBs just for that, and the bugger sounds great. To get it more leslie-like, maybe throw in the LERA leslie adapter.
-Hold on, I checked, this won't work in a Univibe, since the LERA circuit wants a single speed pot and the Uni has a dual. It will work with other chorus/flange/phase pedals. What it does is simulate the slowed speed up/slow down thing a leslie does when switching speeds.
Or you can keep your eyes open for the real thing, if you're not hot on having a REAL leslie, you might stumble into something cheap

Page 1 of 3