Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MkII

This is a fantastic box that is as easy to use as possible. Three knobs control overdrive, output and hi/low rotor balance. Three footswitches control bypass, the rotor braker and fast/slow rotor speed. The speed of the rotors can be set with a small tweaker - I agree with other reviewers that it would be nice to have these controls more accessible, but I don't feel the need to adjust that setting often, if ever. As a special bonus, the Rotosphere also has the coolest lights of any pedal effect I've ever seen.

On the back of the unit there are stereo ins and outs and a guitar/keyboard switch as well as a jack for the wall-wart PSU. There is no on-off switch for those of us who keep our gear setup at home - but I don't typically expect that in a pedal. This unit is so big and solid it doesn't feel like a pedal, more like a floor effect device.

This box rocks! It takes a few minutes for the tube to warm up, but the quality and depth of the effect is amazingly realistic in stereo and is a thousand times better than the onboard leslie effect in my old Korg CX3.

I give it a 9 because of the difficult access to change rotor speed.

This unit is very quiet even when cranked up and the tube circuit adds the nice warmth and analog distortion for those Deep Purple tunes. The output signal is extremely clean and full-range. You can literally "hear" the quality in this box.

I don't own a leslie speaker but I've been around the block a few times and the leslie effect in the Rotosphere is the most convincing of any box I've heard. You can feel the 3D effect of the spinning rotors and having separate speeds for the high and low rotor makes a noticeable difference in the overall sound quality and accuracy of the effect.

This box is built like a tank and the knobs, switches and connectors are all rock solid. If look and feel are an indicator of quality, this box will be the last thing to break in my studio. The only area of concern is the tube, which is very well protected against impact, but it is inherently delicate and because of that, I won't be throwing this pedal around like my old MXR pedals. One other note is that the power supply does not look like a standard connector and may be hard to replace at Radio Shack.

I haven't had to use H&K support, but they seem like a company that builds great products and will stand behind them.

I love this pedal so much! It's transformed my CX3 into a new instrument that rocks and I love the build quality and sound quality that H&K delivers second to none. The only bummer is that I waited so long to buy one! From now on the Rotosphere is a permanent part of my rig. If it were stolen, I'd buy another immediately and cast a voodoo spell on the thief for his testicles to fall off.

I've purchased some fun musical toys in the last year, but this one was the nicest surprise and has put the biggest smile on my face by far.

The unit has a completely logical design which is easy to handle.
The the two screws controlling Leslie acceleration parameters are protected from unwanted changes and can only be accessed with a small screwdriver which is not always at hand (one point minus). Proper use of the other controls should be easy for everybody after reading the manual but also is crucial for a good sound result. With bad adjustments (especially concerning input and drive sensivity and relations between high and low rotor) you get bad results from a first class device.

I use the Hughes & Kettner together with a VoceV+ Hammond clone, which I range among the top B3 clones - for its warm analogue tone up to the screaming high notes, which often sound edgy or cheesy on other clones.

It's very simple: for my ears this unit is the best electronic Leslie simulator by far for use with *any* Hammond clone, among those effects you can get on the market until now. You have to use it in stereo and well adjusted (see above) to be able to reproduce a good Leslie effect at all: it does not make much sense to use it in mono, because this way you reduce it to a simple frequency modulation unit.

No electronic Leslie simulator is able to reproduce a real Leslie 1:1.
To come really close to them you have to use mechanical hybrids between cabinets and electronic devices, like the excellent new Reussenzehn Birdie.

*But*: no other easy to carry non-mechanic simulator reproduces a creamy, slightly overdriven Leslie as good as the Tube Rotosphere II, combining all the essential controls with a preamp tube and a very warm and wide stereo Leslie sound.

If a user claims he could not detetc a difference between a poor box like a Korg Pandora and this one, then he surely had some adjustment problems in the way he used the Rotosphere. And even then my ears can't remotely reproduce such a judgement.

So my 10 does not mean you get a real Leslie in box format for a few hundred bucks and you're done. I would regard such expectations as idiotic.

It just means: you get the best electronic sim you can get at the moment, and it does a very good job in many different setups live and in the studio.

This one is German Quality in the original sense. Solid materials, well built, no poblems at all in heavy use.

Didn't need any customer support so far.

Completely satisfied: belongs to the gear I just use without any problems...

Easy to use, just 3 dials: Drive, Output and Rotor Balance and 3 switches: Bypass, Speed (fast or slow - ramps up or down in speed, between the settings) and Breaker (spins the virtual rotors down to a stop).

I'm a guitarist and I don't fancy lugging a Leslie Cabinet from gig to gig. The line 6 version (Roto Machine and the sim in the Pod XT) sounds very digital and artificial, the H&K is much more organic sounding.

My set-up is Gibson SG-X or Fender standard US Tele into my pedal board, with the Rotosphere at the end of the chain, into a Matamp King Street Combo.

The Gibson (with the 500T pickup) will saturate the tube in the Rotosphere giving a nice overdriven tone, the Fender will not and so gives a cleaner tone (unless I put an overdrive or distortion before it).

The unit is pretty noisy, not as much, as say an EHX Holy Grail but there definitely some noise in there. Doesn't really bother me though because my tone is more about organic sounds than crystal clear sounds.

For a SIMULATOR this is probably about as close as I've heard. I've compared it to: Line 6 sims, my collection of vintage flangers (Electric Mistress, FL-9, TAM21, etc.) all of which do a good impression of a rotating speaker, but not like the Rotosphere. I haven't had chance to try the Boss dual pedal roto-sim though, so I can't compare, although the new Boss stuff does tend to sound very digital and not organic.

Build like a tank. Takes up a huge amount of pedalboard real-estate, so if you're not sure this is for you, I'd give it a miss, but if you want a good simulator without having to lug an expansive leslie around, then this is the best option. I'd gig it without a backup, if Iit broke down, I'd use my Ibanez FL-9 to approximate a swirling sound.

Not used them.

I play mainly blues, rock and ambient stuff, this suits me fine. The slow speed works well on the spacey stuff, the fast speed gives that swirling sound. I would buy another one if it got lost or stolen. It's expensive though, hence the 8.

As simple as it gets. Only the knobs that u get use for are present. 3 buttons to access bypass, breaker and slow/fast settings. Just like an original leslie preamp.

I use the Rotosphere mkII with my Hammond XK-2 organ, and I`m truly impressed by the sound of this box. It brings growling tubesound to my organ (the inbuilt distortion on the hammond sucks..). The leslie effect also beats the inbuilt leslieeffect on my organ by several meters. I must say that I would have had problems if I was to tell this one from a real leslie in a recording. Sitting by and playing through a real leslie will allthoug beat this one as you then catch a few effects that you miss by listening to a leslie effect from a p.a. speaker or similar. I have also a leslie 760 and a leslie 825 but this thing really is preferable due to its stunning sound and weight/size.

Hard as a rock. Buildt like a tank. Only one thing I would worry about having a backup on and that is the powersuppy. The cable seams thin and easy to break.

Never had use for support jet.

I play mostly organ jazz throug this box and I like what I hear a lot. If I lost this one I surely would get another. I`ve heard a lot of leslie simulators that sucks but this one surely stands out as an excellent piece of work. The tube inside gives it the growl and sound that is charastic for the tube leslie, and the leslie effect itself is a true piece of art. Recommend it to all who does not bare the thougt of transporting a real leslie.

I took it out of the box, had it in a stereo pedal board with left and right channels going to different guitar amps within one minute and, WHEW!!!!, unreal people!!!!

I play guitar and keyboards but honestly, I bought it for the guitar as my B-3 patches on my Kurzweil has an okay Leslie sim. I would not hestitate to try it on the B-3 patches though, (if I could ever part with it on my guitar rig). I have had this for awhile now as I refuse to write one of these reviews during the initial "Honeymoon" with new equipment. This is by far, the best, (and most expensive), pedal I have ever played/owned. Guitarists, you will not be disappointed. I compared this to everything out there and nothing even comes close to these. You see why the Leslie sound is way beyond just a good chorus effect. So many great artists use a real Leslie in the studio and on tour so the trick is finding something on the pedalboard that will come close. This is it.

The Preamp all by itself is worth half the money as you'll probably never want to turn it off once you hear it. Think Mesa Boogie V-Twin only much better. I own a V-Twin and I have been using it for years (for this sound) Ebay here it comes!

Then, once you get the rotosphere spinning, (A STEREO SETUP IS A MUST!!!!) You will never want to turn it off, much less, play without it.

Okay just like some of the other posts have stated: This is still not a Leslie so if you would like to chant that mantra, we know that it is probably because you can't afford the $400 bucks for the Hughes and Kettner.

Forget about every chourus, flanger, phaser, rotating speaker effect you have ever heard or tried. Analog, digital, modeling.....forget them all!!! There is a reason why these cost soooooo much...uh...they are worth every f'n penny.

Very well built

Not needed

Stunning lush stereo effect. You really hear the stereo unlike many other effects that have a left and right channel. Forget the velcro, I could super glue this to my pedal board along with my Demeter Tremulator tremelo, Line Six DL4, Foxrox Paradox Through Zero Flanger! I have many other pedals but these are lifetime keepers.

What distinguishes the Rotosphere MK 2 from the Rotosphere MK1?

The MK II version offers two new features that its predecessor, the first Tube Rotosphere, lacked:

1. When you stop the rotary action, the simulated drum and horn always return to the same default position. This ensures that varying rotor positions don?t color the sound of the pedal and that you get consistent tone when you use the Tube Rotosphere purely as a tube preamp.

2. A couple of trim pots let you adjust the FAST speed separately for the drum and horn. These two trimmers are located to the left and right of the BALANCE knob. Use a small screwdriver to adjust them. Feel free to try out different settings for the two rotors and dial in the combination of speeds that you like best.

The button that controls the BREAKER function was replaced with an On/Off switch. While the old model required you to hold the button down with your foot to arrest the rotary action, now you can simply activate and deactivate the BREAKER at the touch of a button. That frees up your foot to operate other effect devices or, in the case of organs, bass pedals.

I own too much gear to brag about. I have been making music for 40+ years now. If lost I would certainly replace this.

This is one very musical guitar effect that one day will come down in price and probably someone will invent a better Leslie sim, but for now 2-5-2006, Rotosphere MKII rules!!!

This is a follow-up on my previous comment. I just bought a 147 with a combo preamp ang compare it with the HK rotosphere. Match won by Hugues and Kettner. No mechanical noises, very convincing " liquid and watery sound". When played in stereo in a PA, very good with organ patches. The only drawback is sometime I can hear that little digital processing in the background. For pure organ sound (I also bought a L102 organ with it) the leslie is way better as far as depth , dispersion and pure organic experience.

Hammond with 147:
For total organic experience: Organ with 147: 10
For weight ...................................02
For ease of service ..........................05
For size......................................01


Hugues and Kettner

For sound with a PA and Guitar amp............09
For versatility...............................09
Transportable.................................10
Match with other pedals.......................10
True bypass and sound coloration..............09
For use with keyboard organ sounds............10

Very much so

Conclusion:

I kept the leslie 147 and the Hammond L102 for only a month; too big , too heavy, can't carry it around, and hard to get proper service.
Mind you that the experience is worth a try, really. It makes you more knowledgeable about what a good emulator should do (60 cycle hum included, as you know the old Leslies had badly shielded cables and were noisy).

All things considered, this HK Rotosphere is the way to go. Older technology is quite seductive, but size, weight, service and maintenance makes the choice of the HK much more logical.

I sold the Leslie and the organ without any problems . Very good value on the market. Like the B3, those things carry an Aura and, I'd dare to say, a holy and mysterious spirit from the past. Sometime, reason gets ahead of passion ( and Chiroprator).

Fairly easy to use; you just have to understand how to work with the gains and the volume to avoid a little bit of hiss.

I use this for guitar in a Peavey classic 50 and hotrod deluxe. I had a chance lately to try a leslie 125 with a preamp Leslie, a lelsie 120 modified with a Celestion to be driven by a guitar amp, and finally a Leslie 147 (with an organ).

The emulation for the guitar is right on, grit and little distortion included. It makes the guitar sound darker, like a real Leslie does. A Leslie is a low-fi amp that goes only up to 6000 hz, which is not very bright. I checked a 147 low and high rotors ramping up and down and the Rotosphere is absolutely on the money. You will notice it more in a PA system than in a guitar amp, with a narrower bandwith. The top rotors ramp up and down faster since it is only a plastic horn, lighter than the lower rotor. Of course, when I tried a Leslie 120 especially modified with a Celestion speaker and a guitar head, the sound was more convincing. The cabinet of a Leslie provide more natural bass and displace more air. Same goes with the 125 with the preamp. Very natural and balanced sound. Problem is , as you know, weight, size and volume. Of course you can always mike it. If you want the Beatle sound, Hendrix "Angel" , Jethro TUll, and more, this pedal will do the job. In stereo, it sounds quite impressive. I think that a cab with a 15" would even do the job better.

No problem at all. Nowadays, products don't fail very often.

No need for it.

I play some Jazz, some classic rock and used to like Emerson a lot. I always like the sound of a B3 with rotating speakers. I used to teach guitar and at the store, I would always plug a guitar in a Leslie with the preamp at the time. When I compare, I must admit that this is as close and organic as a Leslie emulation will get you, hiss included (a real Leslie is noisy and always has this 60 hz hum)chiropractor excluded. Angel, Badge, It don't come easy, Lucy in the Sky, Sun King, are just there for you to be played. This pedal also works very nicely with my guitar synth, on organ patch. It makes the bland and digital sample sound way more convincing in a PA system. Also, in conclusion, no need for oil, adjustments, hard to get and expensive parts . It is close enough, but you know what, I will get a real Leslie if I can find one in good shape. They're not so hard to find, but in a decent shape with the preamp is a little bit more difficult. Nothing beats the real thing..... at home that is;)

Takes a little while to find the best tones, with your own rig, but after slowing the rotor speed down a touch, to get a nice Fender Vibratone/Leslie 16 simulation, I started looking forward to putting my Leslie 16 on Ebay!!!

First of all, I'd like to let off a little steam at the (negative) reviewers below, who obviously have nothing better to do, than whine and wail like arrogant little children, feeling that their prized and coveted Leslies are being attacked by the makers of this fine piece of gear!!
Writing negative reviews, saying that this pedal, soundwise, comes nowhere near to the original, is just a sign of their lack of intelligence.
This pedal has been made for people who wish to use a Leslie effect in their music, but don't want to schlepp around real heavy pieces of furniture!
If used properly, with patience, it will get close enough to the real thing.
I've been using a Leslie 16 (same as Fender Vibratone), for quite some time now, and it's really been getting on my nerves; the weight of the damn thing, constant repairs/adjustments, and hardly any PA/sound men really know how to mike it! The sound was really cool though, but the Rotosphere 2 gets close enough for me, and using it through the effects loop of my Mesa Blue Angel, I think it actually sounds better!!
Of course this is all subjective, and you should decide for yourself what's more important, weight or convenience...
I tried the first Rotosphere some years ago, but I didn't like it, 'cause I was after the Vibratone sound, which only has a rotating drum.
Turning the balance control towards the LF drum side, just made the sound dull and muddy.
But now with the Roto 2, I can turn the speed of the horns down to the same (fast) speed of my Leslie 16, and it works!
Playng through my '64 Vibroverb amp at the same time, with no effect, gives me a real big sound without having to go stereo.

If the Germans are famous for anything, it's precise engineering, and pilsner beer!
I live in Germany, drive a BMW, and I used to have a Leica, and this is of similar quality.
I don't expect it to go wrong, and it doesn't need constant care and attention like a real Leslie does...
And it fits in a gig-bag too!
I dont like wal-warts either, but I can live with it.
Fulltone put their "wal-wart" tranny inside the housing or their later model (gold) Deja-Vibe, which I also had, and I never got rid of the hum, even after lifting the ground.
So Hughes and Kettner had good reasons for doing it this way.
Because of this, it's also easier to use it in different countries.

N/A

This is a great sounding, well made leslie effect pedal.
So for those of you who are happier truckin' around huge antique furnture, and are happy with the typical Leslie shortcomings, just to get that tiny bit of extra authenticity, GO AHEAD AND CARRY IT YOURSELF!
Don't ask me to help you truck it.... ;-)

This thing is really easy to use. I assumed that I wanted 100% effects mix when I first plugged it in, but then I realized that the leslie sound was more natural with the dry guitar mixed in more. At least through a Marshall JCM 900 stack. The manual seemed to be a little bit broken english.

I play vintage Fender guitars. Sometimes a Les Paul, but only for recording. The way I have my amps (all Marshall) set up, I run this pedal through a JCM 900 stack. I love the way it sounds. The band Buffalo Tom has had some weird leslie sound on some of their guitar solos on some of their records, but to where you could still tell that it was a guitar being played. I figured they had some kind of actual leslie cabinet hooked up in the studio. Then I saw them live in Boston last year (2004) and when one of those songs came up, there was that sound right out of an effects pedal. I was excited to realize you could sound that authentic with a pedal, but I was too drunk by the end of the night to see what pedal it was after they had left the stage. Anyway, when I got home I researched it and I chose the Tube Rotosphere. I totally stand behind it although I don't think it's the one BT used.

No qualms with this unit. I have used it at every gig since I bought it. Even acoustic gigs. If I had a problem I guess I'd rank it lower.

The thing, like I've said, sounds totally cool. Just like a Leslie? Well, it's really close and that's the point. Also, I don't think you can find a cooler looking pedal. Silver prism design with purple glowing display and a window showing the tubes? Yeah!

Input-Output-Rotor balance, On/Off-Breaker-Fast/Slow switches. Doesn't get any simpler than that. Nuts to all the pedals (and Motion Sound) that use expression pedals to ramp up and down, gimme a switch to jump on!!!

I especially appreciate the external 1/4" TRS jack for the bypass and Fast/Slow functions. I added some aluminum ears and mounted mine on a shelf in my rack, and control the functions remotely using a G-Major (which, coincidentally, has 2 relays for external control via a 1/4" TRS cable!). I'd love to see if anyone has ever re-mounted theirs in a rack case, and am surprised that H & K don't offer a rack version.

I play organ, but use this for my guitar. I've owned 145's, 147's, a little 860, and a 302. All of 'em busted my balls and my budget, so I was happy to have a pedal for my guitar gigs that does a wonderful job of filling in. If I had a guitar tech and roadies, of course I'd use the real thing--but then again, I wouldn't be playing in a cover band then, would I???

As many people have said, in mono this thing does leave a bit to be desired. I have a stereo rig, and it's as lusty, lush, and dare I say sexier looking than a 147. Unlike a 147, this fits in my rack and my budget.

I once loaned it for a week to my other guitar player, and he just had to have one for himself.

I use this with a Mesa Boogie Triaxis preamp, 50/50 power amp, and Traditional-sized Rectifier cabinet. I also use a G-Major, and a DMC Ground Control Pro to control the works from the floor.

I wish a brick sh*t house were built this good!

I witnessed the quality close-up when mounting it to rack ears. The chassis is a one piece extrusion of nice, thick aluminum with self-tapping screws that had to be a good 2 inches long holding the side panels on. The nice thing is that allowed me to attach it to a rack shelf using the original screws, not having to modify the chassis at all.

Yes, the wall-wart sucks, but it has a reason--Tube circuits need high voltage to really work in the zone that is most musical. That requires large transformers. Most companies use wall warts because it's easier to receive a UL safety rating. I think in this case, Hughes & Kettner also got the advantage of keeping the noise of a power supply far from the rest of the circuits.

I can use this without a backup, and it would make a fine self-defense weapon in a jiffy--and probably still rock the world with swirly, wonderful tone!

Never dealt with 'em.

For the price and weight/value ratio, this pedal is definitely a 10 overall. I play in a cover band and needed leslie effects for various sounds, including "3 AM" by Matchbox 20. I've played for over 15 years profesionally, and this is the single piece of gear that is guaranteed to put a smile on the face of everyone else in the band (and that's no lie!) every time it's engaged.

It's swirly nirvana in a box.

This is to all of you elitists and purists who badmouth this quality piece of gear:
First of all, not all of us can afford a leslie cabinet.
Secondly, if there are quality products that replicate the overall affect of a leslie cabinet without being a piece of furniture, why wouldn't we want to use it, even if it isn't exact?
Thirdly, no modeler or simulator recreates the sounds of the original affect it's emulating exactly. If you're that anal, use the original affect.
Finally, and this is specific to Anonymous 10/14/03 @ 7:46. If you're an adult, the fact that you don't know the usage of their, there, and they're totally screws with your review's credibility. I read your review, but honestly get the feeling you don't know what you're talking about. You just seem to be some disgruntled dude with an axe to grind.

I think it is really easy. This a a set-and-forget pedal. Very easy to dial in what your looking for.

Repeat after me: THE..ROTOSPHERE..IS..A..SIM..U..LA..TOR (operative word being simulator) It is NOT going to have every little nuance of a real Leslie cab, but it does a great job of impersonating one with breaking your back or wallet. If you strictly play to audiences filled with Leslie purests, and your concerned that they will scoff at you for not having a 150+ lb. cab... dont get the rotosphere.

Here's the skinny for the rest of us. I a/b'd the roto and the Option5 Destination Rotation and to me the Rotophere won hands done (no offense to jay woods...nice guy). The rotosphere had more grit and personality, while the DR is liken to the vibrato on my '68 Deluxe Reverb. Even the friend who let me a/b with his DR sold it for the same fore-mentioned reason.

Look the Rotosphere sounds REALLY good! It is the best purchase I have made. It thickens up slow parts and fast parts, and ears perk up when you play an "organ solo"! It is great for jazz. The people in the audience dont give a crap what equipment your using, Leslie or Roto, but you gotta sound good. Given that the Roto is more portable and 99% of people wouldnt know the difference...get the roto. By the way... It is large, but I fit it on a pedaltrain with 9 pedals easily.

im not worried

hmm...dunno

this is a great pedal for live/studio/and songwriting purposes. Are looking to at a little something to add to your songs without going over-the-top with a ring-mod. Get the roto. If you dont like it...sell it on ebay and re-coup your losses. Meanwhile Im keeping mine cause it is the best thing going for a guitarist who doesnt want a hernea.

I have to agree with the last reviewer. After using real rotating cabs for so long this thing doesnt compare. I wouldnt expect it to sound exact but its not even ballpark. I guess if your blind to the whole leslie thing and this pedal is your first you may like it. I cant believe anyone would think this thing is so good because it ramps up and down to a slow and fast speed. Thats just rediculous. Thats something it just should have to begin with. Thiers no reason not to. A leslie effect is probably something that will never be reproduced by a pedal. The first try was a UniVibe, which I love, but damn it doesnt sound anything like a leslie. It hasnt gotten much better on the leslie sim market. Thiers 2 places Ive heard a leslie sim that I thought were very good. Passable but no direct replacement for the real thing. One was the leslie effect in the Rocktron Replifex DSP which is by far the best effect in that DSP (I owned it just for that one effect) and the other is the Option 5 Destination Rotation pedal. Thier both way ahead of this pedal in terms of authenticity. The Option 5 pedal being by far the nicer effect and as a pedal leslie effect waaaaaaaaay better, and cheaper, then the Rotosphere.

If you want the real thing none will come close. You should compare this pedal to the real thing because that is all that it is trying to do is mimic the real thing. That is its whole point. But I do believe if your willing to spend this much money on a pedal you should do more research. Thiers much much better leslie pedals out thier on the boutique market. Many for less money. This one just happens to be the only one on the "Guitar Center / Sam Ash" market. Its all that most people have to compare to. Thats a market I would have nothing to do with other then strings. I havent bought anything from those stores since I first picked up the guitar.

People shouldnt give high ratings when they dont know what thier talking about. If my only knowledge of the leslies and leslie sim pedals was the Roto and I really liked it Id probably give it an 8 just on the fact that I havent tried many other "real" leslie pedals. I doubt any of the reviewers here who gave all 9s and 10s even know or have tried any other dedicated leslie-type pedals. If they did they wouldnt say the Roto is the best. They may still like it very much but I dont think anyone would consider it better then the Option 5 or some others Ive owned. Not in authenticity anyway.

I guess this pedal is OK if your goin for that Incubus thing since Mike uses this pedal. It doesnt sounds like a leslie on those songs anyway. More like a phaser/chorus hybrid.

15 min. of fooling around with it will train anyone. A lot easier than lugging aroud the real thing (see below). It also looks great - tube glow and a pinkish neon kind of backlighting.

Les Paul and Fender Deluxe Reverb. After reading reviews here and elsewhere, my expectations were high. Alas, I spent too many years areound the real thing (4 ft. tall Walnut Leslies that actually twirled). Based on that, the sound of the Rotosphere is disapointing. It is MILES away from the real thing. I also compared it to the "Rotary" effects of my KORG Pandora, and came out with no improvement, except, it does have the speeding up/slow down effect down.

Simple to use out of the box.

I think some of you stepped up to the boat and COMPLETELY MISSED IT! The reason this pedal is a classic, and one of the best pedals of any type ever made, is the ability to speed up and slow down the rotors while you are playing!! Unbelievable if you have one of these and don't know that. So while you are playing a passage, or a lead, you shut the rotors down until almost the end ...then kick them on again to give it an incredibly dynamic sound. It is not the swooshing sound AT ALL that makes these so great. And vibe clone will do more extreme sounds and a bigger variety of them. But I play organ parts on guitar, and I can get Hush by DP to sound better than the original part. It growls and swirls and is just an amazing sound. This is a BIG time pedal, for those who construct great tunes and leads by crafting their dynamics and tones. Best pedal on the planet.

I had an original, and I stepped on that thing full time for many gigs. The old pedal required you to stand on the break switch, as it did not latch. The only thing to ever worry about is changing the preamp tube after a few years of steady giggin.

This pedal gives you the opportunity to be supremely expressive and dynamic with your playing. Just learn to set the gain and speeds right for your music, and practice shutting the rotors on and off at the right times to make your music really pop out at people.

I don't give 10s unless the item is PREFECT.

It took me about 2 minutes to figure out what did what and about 10 - 20 minutes to get a handle on the breaker switch.

Switches: Left to Right
Bypass

Breaker - This switch emulates turning off the motors that controls the rotors causing them to spin to a complete stop. When this is done you still get the tone from the pedal but there is no rotation sound at all.

Fast/Slow - Controls whether the rotors are spinning fast or slow.

Knob Controls:
Drive - Controls how much gain you get from the tube.

Output - Volume control

Balance - This controls the balance of the Fast/Slow rotors. Turning either direction basically increases the volume the fast or slow rotor sound.

Indicators:

Bypass - Green if on, nothing if off.

Breaker - Red when slowing to a stop, Green when completely stopped. (I may have this backwards)

Fast/Slow - There is a LED for each rotor near the balance know. Each LED blinks according to the speed of the respective rotor.

There is a LED next to the fast/slow switch as well but I just looked at the LEDs next to the balance knob to check fast/slow status when the breaker switch had the rotors stopped.

There is also a tube saturation LED near the drive controls that tells you the pedal is clipping.

When the unit is warming up a light stays on until the tube is sufficiently warm.

Rear of the Pedal
Stereo inputs and outputs.

Jack for remote pedal. You can connect a pedal that can control the breaker switch and I think the bypass.

There is also a spot for the wall wart ***groan***

I used my '87 PRS into a Marshall 4101 Master Dual Reverb w/12" speaker. This amp LACKS bass.

At a bud's house I had the opportunity to go stereo w/his Crate. Not sure which model it was. It *was* a tube amp w/ a 10? speaker and it was fine for the application.

The Drive control in the Roto sounds great. It adds such a great sweetness. I?ve left it on 10 the whole time I?ve played it. Of course, I switched it around at first?IMO, it is a necessary part of the leslie sound. Gotta have that dirt.

Even with the rotors stopped the tube preamp sounds nice. It does color a bit but, the overall sound is bright and punchy with the drive cranked. It is *overdrive* NOT distortion...

It is almost impossible to get a pristine clean sound from my Marshall so I kept the Roto on even when the Rotors were not spinning. It added a nice punch to the wimpy clean of the Marshall.
When I had the Marshall's gain maxed I only used the Roto if I was actually using the Roto effect.

~~~~~THIS THING SOUNDS INCREDIBLE~~~~~

Before I went to my bud's house I was using just my amp and it sounded pretty good. When I went to his house to jam I used his crate for the high rotor and the Marshall for the low rotor. WOW. What a difference! The sound is so incredibly thick and grindy. It makes you want to lean into chords. - I just played it through my amp alone again last night, blah ? this thing screams for stereo. Not saying it doesn?t sound good w/one amp but after you hear it through two you will not want to go back to one.

The Roto captures the sound of the leslie IMO. It fits in perfectly with a band. It is not overpowering at all. By itself I thought it was a tad subtle, but when I connected it to 2 amps and used it in a double guitar, bass and drums context I was completely satisfied. My only concern is using it too much.

I?ve been commenting on the high speed mode only so far because I haven?t gotten the slow speed to sound the way I want it to.

I believe this is because I?m playing through a setup that has very little bass. I believe that once I have some bass response the slow setting will shine through. Also, the high speed setting is just dramatic, that may be keeping me from noticing the slower speed.

The Roto sounds great clean, overdriven or highly distorted. It is usuable, it does not just create whacked out sounds that impress you in your bedroom but are not playable with other people.

Not much of a gigger, mainly play with a few friends.

It *seems* stable.

It does have a wall wart :(

No idea.

I've been playing for 18 years, rock, "blues", spacy atmospheric music, jamband stuff, and metal at one point in my life.

Garcia, Santana, Phil Keaggy, Los Lobos, BB King, Albert, Charlie Hunter, Primus, Jeff Knighton, there are many...Nothing like the sound of humbuckers through a cranked tube amp...cept maybe a b-3 grinding away,. nah...

Listening to Brent from The Dead play that Hammond B-3 organ is what made me want to replicate that sound. This pedal is real close to that sound. It doesn't sound as good as the slow leslie sound he got but I believe that is an equipment issue and the fact that i'm a guitar player not an keyboard player. I'm changing my technique to suit the organ style. It's pretty amazing, my bud who I jam with and I went back and forth on email for a few days commenting how good this thing sounds.

If you are looking for that leslie sound I reccomend it.

If it was stolen I'd replace it right after my guitar and amp were replaced (actually i'll never buy *my* amp again)

Very inspiration pedal, my only problem is turning the thing off!

I'm posting a follow-up to my previous post: If you want to know how to set this up to sound as close to the real deal as possible, it tells you in the instruction booklet.

(when using in mono) you'll get a more intense effect signal if you use the left output.
the trick is to set the plug half way into the jack. this engages the stereo output. the end result: authentic Leslie tone in a portable, affordable (compared to a cabinet) unit.

I purchased the Tube Rotosphere Mark II unit as a alternate effect for my tonewheel Hammond and Voce V5 organ module. I own a Motion Sound PRO3T with the Low Pro bass rotor, but I also live in an apartment so I'm restricted by noise regulations at night. It's pretty simple to setup, one plug going in, two plugs comming out. No patches to edit, no menus, no firmware, just does one thing and one thing very darn well - Leslie effect! There are trim pots you can adjust with a small screwdriver to alter the speed of the horn and bottom rotors seperatly but the default factory settings are very accurate. It is very easy to adjust your tonal flavor or tube grit if you are experienced with properly setting the drive level with a Hammond and a real Leslie.

I run my tonwheel Hammond or Voce V5 into the effect and send a stereo output to my mixer and then over to my effects SEND/RETURN for reverb and noise reduction units. With just a little reverb, it enhances the dry Leslie effect and gives it a more lush swirly tone, also increases bass response for those of you who like to smear the lower octaves while speeding up the Leslie. I would not use this unit without reverb now that I have it setup in this way. For Voce V5 users, I set the Voce V5 to max output with no built in over drive, set the H&K tube drive to about 11'clock, and the effect out at about 1 o'clock. It really gives it a crisp edge for registrations like 88 8000 000. If you don't feed this unit the hot signal it wants then the effect will sound thin and tiny. I was going to replace the default tube but it's the best 12AX7 I've ever heard, I usually go for NOS Mullard 7025 or JAN Philips Military 7025. The default fast and slow speed settings are accurate for me, others may want to adjust them. You cannot adjust the ramp times but there pretty good, I like them a little fast. Overall sound is excellent when drive is properly adjusted. Of course it has a wallwart, but I'd rather use it indoors in my home studio anyway.

This unit is built tough mixture of steel and hard plastic. The little plastic see-through window used to scare me on the last revision on the unit, I'd have thoughs of people in boots or high heels driving their foot though it, but it's not an issue afterall. It is analogue tube gear, make sure you handle it with care and keep extra tubes around for an emergency.

This is the first piece of gear I have purchased from H&K, so it would not be fair to rate this area. I'm sure they would have good support as they are a German company and the high quality of this product does reflect their great cratftsmenship. I wouldn't mind if I had to send this back to Europe or an American office for repairs.

Excellent value for any organist looking for an analogue effect thats pretty much on par with the orignal Dynachord CLS 222 effect unit or a real mic'ed Leslie cabinet. I've been playing organs for about 5 years now and I've gone through a lot of clones and own the real deal. I would definatley replace this if stolen and I've even considered buying another as a gift for an associate. It help's me be creative during those late hours of the night when I can't crank up a real Leslie cabinet. I chose this one because the last revision had promise but this has the sound the last one almost accomplished. I originally wanted to hunt down a 1970's Dynachord unit but their high demand keeps them out of the want ads and off eBay.

Very easy to get good tone out of this product...right out of the box. The dials are very sensitive and fine-tuned. The settings set at the factory are dead on and are tunable for the upper and lower rotor independently in FAST mode if you want either to be a little slower.

The effect is very transparent and will not color your sound more than you want it to. The leslie effect itself is superb and doesn't take your notes and throw them out of tune like a univibe. When used in stereo with two amps the sound is superb...especially the slow setting, which produces an incredible moving feel to your chords. It is very quiet when used through your amp's effects loop.

Very dependable, as long as you take care of it. It's built like a tank with very tough construction. No backup needed.

No need for it.

I play a bluesy-alternative-psychedelic style. I've played for 16 years. If it were stolen I would hunt down the dolt who took it, beat him, and buy another one. I love it's sensitivity, accuracy, superb tonal quality, and the little features like the LEDs that flash showing you the speed of each rotor.

VERY easy to use. the two speeds are already there for you via a footswitch (as well as BYPASS and BREAKER) There are knobs for "drive" "output" and "Rotor balance" which helps balance out the speakers (keep in mind, you have to set it at about 1'o'clock if you want a pretty even balance)

ALRIGHT.... I used to own the original Rotosphere about two years ago. i like this version better because of the design, ruby tube, and new trimpots to tweek the speed of the rotors on FAST mode if you choose (i haven't done this yet, but i usually use this on chorale mode so it doesn't really matter)
when i owned the first "roto" I liked it but thought it sounded much like a glorified chorus pedal (really if you tweek a BOSS CE-2 the right way you will get a sound very much like the slow speed on this). i wasn't getting those really thick watery sounds i've heard from real leslie cabinets. So i eventually ditched it. The inevitable happned though. I started to miss it, believing it was my low-end gear that was the problem,which it was. But now i own a Marshall 62 combo and a 52 Tele repro so I decided to give the improved model a whirl (pun intended, HAHA). i just received it yesterday and got to really test it out in a jam session with my friends. it sounded great . but it was the same scenario, souped-up chorus sound. even the stereo mode sounded too subtle to be stereo, although the the sound was still not bad. these are probably the same cases that a lot of people have with these and think they are rip-offs or not authentic enough. HOGWASH!!! because the real magic for me happened hours after the jam session as i was still playing it:
See i've used a real leslie 147 (they're pretty big in person)in a studio. so i know what they should sound like. and the sounds are really thick and watery (especially when cranked). a real natural sounding tube/modulation device (like any good tube effects like reverb, vibrato, trem) not electronic like effect boxes. perhaps the ones who aren't satisfied never really had up-close experience with a leslie.
First off, A leslie contains a 40-watt tube power amplifier, which is really the thing that's responsible for the leslie tone. You will get an authentic Leslie sound with this if you use any amp with tubes, but preferrable vintage amps with tube rectifiers will give you the best tone.Vintage Fenders/or Victorias would be the ultimate choice i think.
secondly, this may be something that effect buffs already know about but I just tried this to see if it would work: remember how i said when plugged into the stereo jacks, it sounded kinda subtle to be considered stereo? well the trick i found out is you have to insert the plugs half way in the stereo jacks until you get sound (but don't put it in all the way)when i did this BAM! there it was. that thick watery leslie sound i know and love! on slow/chorale mode it's just beautiful waves. The fast mode is really gurgly tremolo. just like a 122 or 147. Like i stated before if you don't like how fast it is you can tweek the horn rotor trim pot to make it go a little slower (Born To Be wild)I may do this but i don't mind the speed the way it is. That's how the "fast" sounded on the one i played through.
as far as i'm concerned this is the closest, easy-to-operate effect you can get without owning the "big ol' piece of furniture" so for those of you who write off this effect, assess your own gear first.Because Hughes and Kettner are a very good company who make high-quality tube amps and effects. And The rotosphere MKII is AWESOME if you have a clue about leslies.
Also i notice there might be some subtleties there. but it sounds close enough to me. If i didn't find this out i would wind up giving it an 8. I'll give it a 10 now that i found that secret (?) out. It is a really inspiring piece of gear to play. I call it the real Uni-Vibe!!!!

I play Blues/Rock. and the "roto" is a great for getting a classic psychedelic sound. It's a very expressive effect and i love it! It adds tremendous soul and feel to the soulful licks i play. I mainly use it on slow/chorale mode. it's a nice alternative to a chorus pedal. But like i said don't be fooled fellow musicians. This is an amazingly great Leslie Simulator. just take note of what i said above. no one who loves this sound for playing organ, guitar, or anything, should be without it, it's an excellent/ reasonably affordable alternative. i wish there was something to be critical about now but there is none.

Very simple and easy to get working straight out of the box! I've got racks that I still havn't used 'coz they are so complex!

Very good sound quality, I have never used a real Leslie but I have heard a few live and lots on record this comes pretty close! The fast rotating sound is amazing but the slow one is a bit boring - that is until you hear it in stereo - then is great!!! As I'm a guitarist I will be using it in mono, basically, the slow speed is good for solos that need a bit of chorus and the fast speed is wicked for chords!! all in all a very cool sounding piece of kit

Can you depend on the Germans? - I think so!!!, I was going to buy the Jim Dunlop Uni-Vibe but I heard a lot of bad things in regards to reliabilty, so that really put me off! I havn't had this thing for very long but I think I can depend on it!!

N/A - My college stocks a lot of H&H guitar/bass amps so they must have a good customer service

I think that I could have bought something a lot cheaper but in the end you only live once and whats the point of getting something second best! if you want a pedal dedicated to getting that Leslie sound then you won't be dissapointed - and it comes with a cool blue light!!!

This one is VERY easy to use, just 3 knobs...input, output, rotor balance, thats it! Has three stompswitches with LED: Effect bypass , Breaker (which is a 'latching' type now, to a 'momentary' like on trhe old modell) and Rotor speed. The Breaker LED is lit red when you hit the switch and turns to green when the rotors had stopped. Horn and drum speeds is indicated by two LED's, stereo in and out plus the 'keyboard / guitar' switch which changes the overall frequency response of the unit....all as the old version. The big difference is that you have two trimpots now to tweak the rotor speeds in fast mode....Some people respond for the old version that the horn was a little slow in fast mode. This can be fixed easily now by tweaking the trimpot to you own taste. Great!

I own the 'grandma' of all Leslie simulators Dynacord CLS 222...the Rotosphere comes very close to it, but has the great advantage of the build-in tube overdrive, which makes the Rotosphere my favourite simulator for club gigs where i only use a Rhodes and a old CX-3 organ. Be aware to set the in and out levels properly, otherwise you some hiss will be introduced...but this is no prob in live situations.
If you know the old version, you know what you get: Swirling leslie sounds with a clearer, crispier horn sound that the CLS 222, but to me, the overall sound is a tad farer away from the 'real thing' than the CLS 222. Matter of taste.....

Seems to be build very sturdy, all metal case with plastic cheeks. The only this i wish for is a build-in supply...this one comes with a wall-wart, and i HATE wall-warts....There seems to be enough space in there, so why not try not put in a transformer?

Never dealed with them, but only heard positive replies from musicians from my area.

I'm playing Jazz & Funk, using the Rotosphere with an old CX-3 or a NordLead2 (who has some incredible organ capabilities if you're familiar in how to programm these patches). I'm very happy with this piece of equipment, because i don't have to haul my 19" effects rack around (instead of hauling a real Leslie, too ;-) )