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.