From tyrvaine@hytti.uku.fi Fri Oct 18 16:53:13 2002
Subject:Re: V5 / V3 Leslie sim?

--- In CloneWheel@y..., "Ed Fliege" wrote:
> For those of you who are using a Voce V5 or V3, I'd like to know
> what you're using for a Leslie sim, if you don't mind sharing. I'm
> not interested in those using a real Leslie or Motion Sound, just
> the electronic sims.

I was using my Hughes&Kettner Tube Rotosphere with my V5 until it
broke. Now the incoming sound doesn't effect it in any way: it just
burbles away with a low frequency tone. But anyway while it was
working ok it sounded pretty good. Doesn't have much of any wood like
cabinet resonance sound but pretty good swirling sound nonetheless.
I've heard that guitarists love it and it's probably true. There is a
12AX7 tube in it to give some "warmth" to the sound but I found it to
be pretty cold compared to the real Leslie overdrive or any vintage
tube guitar amplifier for that matter. It was very transparent
without overdrive but when it distorted it was pretty sharp and not
very bluesey - which is the sound I'm more fond of (a B-3 with a
Leslie 122..?). I swapped to a 12AU7 which distorts a bit all the way
round and found the result to be more of my taste.
The hiss was definately worse after I changed the tube but overall
sound was improved in favor of the organ sound. Although when using
V5 (and especially through a Rotosphere with 12AU7 tube) high
frequencies tend to get a bit buried they can be easily compensated
just by using less low footages in the drawbar registrations. For
example 888000008 -> 555000008. Or with percussion a setting like
444000080 with lotsa keyclick which brings the percussion out front
much better...
Overall I think the H&K Tube Rotosphere is an Ok electronic Leslie
simulator. The stop switch is a good to have - it's nice to have the
Leslie rotors stopped in a certain position and speeding it up again
from there. The tube in it have caused more hype than it probably
should have had but nonetheless it is a good deal and the case is a
very good workmanship. Jacks/switches/box are quality construction
and _very_ sturdy which is a definite plus when you're gigging.

-- Mika

P.S. Oh yes - how did it got broken? Ehm - a working accident.. When
swapping the tube I closed the case but didn't notice that one of the
wires to the pedal buttons had popped a bit out of the insides and
went just slightly between the metal case and a plastic side part...
Without noticing this I used a screwdriver to properly tighten the
parts together after swapping the tube and there you have it - the
wire was stripped between the metal/plastic case parts and probably
shorted the circuit... Lessoon for all of you? If you ever decide to
swap the tube inside Rotosphere be more careful than I was while
doing so. Or just simply buy yourself a setup which doesn't need much
adjusting. How about an M-series Hammond for example and a Leslie
122/147. ;-)