DLS Roto-Sim

The DLS RotoSIM is easily the best Leslie simulator for my needs. Out of the box, it sounded great. Two minor tweaks on the Tweeter (horn) and Bass Rotor (drum) external pots, and I had the sound I wanted.

I bought the RotoSIM to get the classic Leslie sound found in Cream's "Badge", some Beatles work, Elton John's version of "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds" and a host of other tunes, but mostly I had those tones in my head for use with my own work. I was able to get a very, very convincing sound for all of the above when I put the effect in the effects loop of my 5150 amp. It may seem weird to some, but in this configuration I get a very full, chimey, yet growly sound that is the essence of the above. It is dead quiet there and when bypassed, does not color my tone, nor does it suck tone, at all. I'm not using the built in overdrive because I'm getting enough through the 5150 as it is. One thing that I noticed is that there is a volume change when the effect is on--it's slightly louder so, I'm going to have to tweak the internal output's slightly. That should be no problem because the documentation online shows how and will not affect my rating at all because the box just plain does what I want.

The unit is built like a tank. I can't imagine it ever breaking because it's made of steel. Even the paint was made for durability so yes, I would feel comfortable using it without a backup.

When I was reseaching purchasing the RotoSIM and another effect, I had a very nice E-mail exchange with Dave who pointed me in the right direction for both effects I needed. One of the effects was one of another manufacturer. You can't get more honest than that and frankly, that kind of honesty sold me on the RotoSIM. Dave said the RotoSIM would do what I needed, and it did--better than I ever had imagined.

I play styles ranging from Classic Rock to Progressive Metal and as I've stated above, the DLS RotoSIM fits right in. I've been playing since I was 8 and I'm now older than I really need to be or feel. So, yeah, a lot of years playing guitar, keyboard, and drums. If this box were lost, stolen, ended up as part of the Dharma Initiative, or otherwise was not in my possession, I'd hock stuff to get another.

I love everything about the RotoSIM. I can't find a single bad thing about it. I know this sounds too good to be true, but I've done a lot of shopping and returning things (Boss RT-20, H&K Rotosphere MkII, and host of others) to know when I've got what I need. The ability to tweak this effect both externally and internally and its sound is what sets it apart from the others for me.

Very easy,if you know what Leslie does.

The best Leslie sim. I've ever used.

Been on the road for more than 1 year, No problems.

e-mail returned very fast.

Pretty easy, but...
A few extra controls & internal tweakers so it will rise above the usual crowd. The "learning curve" is worth it, the short 2-page manual helpful, and the design team available. It won't take long to get YOUR favorite Leslie-type sound.

Using with Mesa Stilleto Ace and Lone Star Special combos in the FX loop. Next to it's sister Echotap & a 535Q wah, the true bypass is no lie! Quiet, flexible with all the control parameters so you can get the Gilmour to Harrison to Clapton stuff. Whether with single coils or HH's, you cannot lose.

Made like a tank! Using it in the studio and live, in a pedalboard or on it's own: sweet!

They write you back or lift up the phone if not too busy: superb. Dave is very pleasant to deal with.

Playing for almost 40 years, most styles.
Would buy another if stolen.
Stereo or mono, many sounds & features.

Here's my updated review for the rotosim.

I just came back from demo-ing a Roland JC-90 and a Tweed Fender Bassman. I had brought the rotosim to see if the "stereo" sound was as good as people are claiming.

To say the least, I was very impressed.

I still would tweak the sound a little because the stereo effect is really powerful and floods your overall sound (in a good way, if that's what you're looking for).

For me, I would dial down the blend a little to add more straight signal and use the effect to just color the overall sound (That's just me). I did enjoy the slow speed that I set to a univibe tone, very Trower-ish, probably would have sounded better with more overdrive or fuzz but I just had clean to work with.

To be honest, I thought that since the Output B was thicker sounding that it would drown out the Output A sound but that wasn't the case. Both outputs worked well with one another and the overall sound was very lush.

Anyway, the stereo output makes a huge difference and I would recommend to anyone buying this pedal to also invest in a relatively cheap clean amp. I can guarantee that your ears will love you for it.

Has gone through numerous tweaking sessions and has not broke yet.

bought on ebay probably won't get any

Like I said before, this is the best rotary pedal on the market and is better than before. I am planning to get another clean amp just for this pedal.

It's very easy to use--there's not much to the manual, but there's not much to figure out.

I'm using it with a compressor and it sounds great--very quiet, very authentic. You don't want to overuse it, though.

I'm not a big fan of chorus, but at very low speeds you can get a very subtle chorus effect that's pretty nice. The big surprise to me is that, with the overdrive on and the leslie effect at a very slow speed, you get a nice, retro distortion that sounds great with some sustain from the compressor.

Absolutely

Don't know.

I play jazz and blues. Use a Blade RH-4, Gibson ES175. It sounds better with a solidbody, although I use it every once in a while with the Gibson.

It did take awhile or me to dial in the vibe I was looking for. I do wish DLS would give some tips (dare I say "recipies") for getting some various vibes, it would of helped.

Sounds the best when played through a clean amp.
Don't try it with other pedals, just makes it sound like shite.

This is definently the best vibe on the market.

I've tried the Dunlop Rotovibe (Worthless)
Line 6 Rotomachine (Cheap Garbage)
Rocktron Vertigo (Too Digital)
Original Ibanez Flanger (Cool for slow vibe but too weak)
Marshall Univibe (Cool Design, Not what I was looking for)
Line 6 MM4 Modulation (Meh)

I haven't tried the H&K but the guy I bought the Rotosim from had one and he preferred this sound over the H&K.

I have been able to hook up a real leslie to my rig and this really is as close as I've ever gotten.

Too expensive to buy a back-up

I bought it on Ebay so I doubt I'll get any.

Overall, I have to give this rotary a 8 out of 10. I've tried several so-called vibe effects but never got the sound I wanted til I found this baby. However, there are still some problems I have with the unit. Don't get me wrong this is as close to a Leslie as I've ever got but you can't use other overdrive pedal(s) when this is turned on. To me, when I engage the rotosim with my Tubescreamers, I get this phaser-ish digital overtone. It no longer has that warmth that you get when playing clean. Also, I don't really care for the on-board overdrive, it's just too transperant. This really is the best out there but no pedal is going to be able to produce the same output as the real thing.

Very straight forward and understandable layout with innumerable incremental variations to the modulation and color you can get out of this unit. Simple instruction sheet tells me all I need to know to adjust for and get the various quality of doppler I want. I don't need or want a recipe book of settings as I am perfectly happy to be an intuitional 'cook' with my effects.

I am an amplified harmonica player with 40 years experience. My rig: Vintage Electro-Voice RE10 or Shure545S dynamic mics > ElectroHarmonix POG> Boss OC2> Boss DM2> Van Amps Spring Reverb> DLS RotoSim> Baggs ParaAcoustic DI> Kendrick Texas Crude 4x10 Harp Amp. Obviously all pedals are not used simultaneously and/or all the time. The Kendrick sounds unreal with a mic run straight to the ampalone.

DLS RotoSim is dead quiet - and it even seems to ( although I won't swear to it ) dampen some of the noise that the POG puts out.

The RotoSim can be adjusted with internal and external pots to be thin and bubbly or throbbin' like a robin's ass. From crystalline to dark brown and muddy in terms of tone color. I don't use the overdrive so I can't speak to its quality. I got rid of my H&K Rotosphere because I didn't like what it did to my tone with its unavoidable overdrive.

I do have to say that even with the overdrive off that there is a bit of over-drivey boost to my signal ( which I wish wasn't there ) that sounds slightly Phaser-y. Ah well.

When all is said and done the RotoSim is the best ( for harp ) Leslie Sim I've tried so far - I've owned a H&K Rotosphere ( too big too noisy ), a Sweetsound UltrVibe ( I know, I know its a univibe effect ) an Option 5 Destination Rotation ( pathetic ) & a Maxon PH-350 Vintage Series Rotary Phaser ( nice rotary effect but can't down tune the phaser aspect enough ) . I have also tried some of the rotary modelers made by Line 6 and others and I must say modelers of all types sound "wrong" to my ear. However, I've yet to try the new Boss RT-20 Rotary ensemble, the Vintage Korg G4 ( too big, hartd to find, and uber expensive ) the Dynacord CLS-222 ( too big and too hard to find ).

I don't WANT to and CAN't even get the sound of my favorite artists - I want to get my own flavor going. My favorite artists ( Paul deLay from Portland OR. George Harmonica Smith formerly of LA CA, and HarpDog Brown from Edmonton Canada - of all places and Micahel Pickett a killer acoustic player also inexplicably from Toronto Canada ) frankly scare me...and make me want to give up playing altogether.

The DlS RotoSim is well and thoughtfully engineered inside and out. I have no loyalty to brands so if I find a better Leslie Sim some day ( or ever able to afford a roadie to cart around a rela Leslie ) I'll ditch it in a hot minute.....however, for my money, at the moment it's the most sonically ( to my ear ) covincing and flexibly engineered Leslie emulator I've tried - so for now it stays on my board unless something better comes along.

I'm giving sound a 9 due to its barely perceptible Phase coloration and unwanted ( for the harp ) boost .

Looks solidly built inside and out. I am NOT going to compare it to a tank - no, no, I am not. I like the weight of the steel case VS the usual aluminium alloy enclosure of most "boutique" ( dontcha just hate THAT term ) pedals.

Dunno?

I play R&B, Blues that jumps, swings or vamps (don't like to shuffle or boogie)
and bluesy jazz. Pedal is a good match for some of what I want to play when I want the rotating Leslie effect...I use it sparingly.

The lost or stolen question always leaves me scratching my head.

Anything else I'd like to share?: Actually, yes...If you've been badly parented the blues will make you feel a whole lt better about the whole thing - irony intended.

Not bad. The instructions are very general and could could be more detailed in my opinion. They could provide some sample settings but didn't. Those are my only knocks against the product.

Using a Mesa Rectoverb 50 II 1 X 12 combo and Fender Strat w/ a Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge. This effect is awesome. Better in front of the amp instead of in the loop because there is absolutely no coloring of the sound when off, and DEAD QUIET!!! In fact, when used in the loop there is a volume drop...thats the loop, not the effect. I used to use a H&K Rotosphere, which sounds great, but this is much better...no noise, completely transparent, and yet will give me some fantastic Leslie and "chorusy" sounds. If you are looking for a more "drastic" effect, the H&K might be for you, but it's noisy. I love this pedal, it's perfect for me. I'm gonna get the chorus next.

Built like a tank.

Never deeded it.

The best one I've ever heard in every way. Priced exactly right. Value for dollars is perfect.

Lots of control and tweakability on this unit means you need to spend some time to see what it can do. This is a good thing. Something as complex as a rotory simulator SHOULD have plenty of adjustable parameters. The internal trim pots are the secret weapon here. They really help match your rig to the "leslie of your dreams" sound in your head.

Pristine is a good word for the sound quality of this unit. It is very quiet. The two outputs are designed to have slightly different sounds, one being thicker and darker than the other. It works well with all of my pedals - I prefer the sound of overdrives before the RotoSIM. The internal overdrive circuit is not bad, and I found good settings when dialed in sparingly.

Construction appears rocksolid - the inside is beautiful to look at (if you like the inside of pedals). I wouldn't hesitate to use it without a backup (and I couldn't afford one).

Emails were returned for questions and concerns addressed (see below). I value the contact with the pedal designer an important reason to purchase a pedal of this type and DLS delivers on this promise.

I play pop/rock and do not need "authentic" leslie sounds - mostly I look for a variety of textures and this unit does provide an excellent range of modulated rotating speaker type of sounds. Control of the rotor speed range with an expression pedal is where things did not work out for me. In trying various expression pedals, I could not find one that worked well for my needs. The Roland EV-5 was functional throughout it's sweep from heel to toe, but only controlled about 3/4 of the total RotoSIM available speeds. The pedals I found that could control the entire speed range of the RotoSIM (Yamaha FC7 and Bespeco VM18L) only did so in a small section of it's sweep. In other words, what takes essentially two contols pots on the RotoSIM was reduced to about 30 degrees of foot contol. This is not sensitive enough to work on the fly and ultimately was the reason I did not keep what otherwise is a very fine unit.

Once you adjust the Roto-Sim to your vision of the Leslie effect the unit works fantastic. There are some internal pots inside the unit that you can tweak a bit to get closer to the sound your trying to achieve. Being able to set transition time between the leslie speeds and doing so with the kick of the ramp switch is FANTASTIC !!
I'm very thrilled with this compact quiet little unit and would highly recommend. I play with my stock 73 telecaster through my AC-15 and the sound is sensational. NO NOISE FROM ROTO-SIM and TRUE BYPASS with the easy kick of a switch.

My setup is a lot of the BOSS half racks daisy chained and I added the Roto-Sim to my effects loop with absolutely no added noise. I use in conjunction with the BOSS half rack chorus, phaser, compression, pitch shift delay, flanger, and distortion with no problems. I've just now added a bite of that leslie sound to my effects with the Roto-Sim and I'm very pleased with its performance.
Try Claptons' Wonderful Tonite with the Roto-Sim and you'll see. Kick the ramp switch for the higher speed at the bridge and you'll know what I mean. I play a little of everything: blues, country, rock, even "Girl from Ipanema" etc.

I usually play a little every nite and have had no problems with the unit. Operates off a little wall wart and again unit is very quiet.
However you must experiment to get your sound. I started off using Output B but upon experimentation I find I prefer Output A and the "TRUE BYPASS" doesn't change my tone and volume settings I prefer when I'm not using the unit. Also if your feet are free you can use an EV-5 or the like for even more control of the speed of the leslie effect.

When I first got the unit I was a little apprehensive about adjusting the pots inside the unit but got a quick responce from Dave at DLS and he offered some helpful information. If your contemplating buying a leslie simulator don't forget to try the DSL Roto-Sim. I don't have a lot of room around me when I play as I'm also kicking the PK-5 for my bass so this little compact unit works very well for my situation.

I've been playing music for about forty years. Been through a lot of different effects through the years but find this version of the Leslie sound very satisfying. It sure saves the back from hauling the old Leslie cabinets off and on the truck. Everyone keep pickin and grinnin.....

all i can say is f...n awsome! your true tone shines through as the leslie gets mixed in however you want it. it can also do chorus in slow speed. the best around.!i will not ramble on all i will say is if your reading this and your slightly thinking on buying one, i deffinatly would or kick your own ass later!and for 1 kick ass dude who sells them, call dave at www.killervintage.com and tell him courtney sent ya!

its a 10, and no noise, thats all! nothing else to say!

i wouldn't question its reliability unless i dropped in a lake, and i don't plan on doing that anytime soon!

never needed!

it don't matter what you play, if your looking for a leslie, look no more this is the BOMB!

Simple to use right out of the box. Although tweaking can get complicated with the pots inside, it is explained very well in the instructions.

Used it at a gig where I replaced an organ player, and the unit sounded great. I received many compliments about the sound. It can be left on all the time in the slow speed setting to give a bit of width to your clean sound too. Excellent pedal ... not quite as warm as an H&K Rotosphere, but just as believable and has many more controls over tone and effect. By far the best Leslie effects pedal I have ever played.

This is all I need from a Leslie effects pedal. Total control of the effect really makes it sound authentic, even wit a bit of overdrive running through it. Highly recommended.

Pretty easy but has many options for tweaking inside as well. a 10 on the outside an 8 for the inside

Owned everything leslie that ever came out. The h&k was my fave til now. I never liked the noise of the h&k and it always took away from the punch and attack of my guitar even though its warm/fat sounding. The nice part of the DLS is that its not noisy and has a real leslie thing going on. In mono or stereo.

I dont have the time to run stereo all the time and in mono it is more convincing over the h&k. To be able to control the speed on top and also having the exp pedal input it has got to be the best I ever owned. I dont use the gain on it but I use a pedal in front of it and get all the fat overdrive I need. Having control on the inside for input and output does it for me as well. How many times did you want to balance the levels of a pedal before or after a certain pedal. Kudos to DLS for making the pedal.

Not one leslie pedal has ever done it for me til now. Clean quiet and retains all the punch and attack of the guitar. Last I must say I have only owned it a week but have played it for 20 + hours so far. It has the mojo,and it has the ability to not change your original guitar tone like the h&k for my taste. Now back to rotoland

dont know yet but my echo tap hasnt broken so I dont think this will. built well~

never had to call

Best 300 ever spent on a leslie effect. Overall the h&k cost me more and has far less options. the exp pedal input is a big plus. The effect in mono or stereo is great.