From mate.stubb@gmail.com Sat Nov 10 09:01:31 2007
Subject:Re: Fwd: Decimator web page up with sounds

I'm going to make one final comment about the great "authenticity
debate" and then I will shut up.

First - neither Don Leslie nor Laurens Hammond had any interest in the
type of music their products are known for today. For better or worse,
we have declared that a particular sound as achieved by 50+ year old
designs is "the ideal". Were Don still working on cabinets today, we
would all probably be horrified at what he came up with. He would be
pursuing his own vision, not ours.

Second - nobody can afford to build those old designs authentically
today. Wood is scarcer, and materials more expensive. Not to mention
that we don't really want the original design - we want the original
sound, but louder, smaller, and lighter.

EVERY manufacturer currently making rotary speakers has diverged from
the original designs.

Ham-Suz: the 122 of today has mdf cabinets, a modified power amp,
different (horrible!) motor system, different drive train, different
drivers, foam rotor. Their portable models replace the tube amp
entirely with tube pre - solid state power amp designs, and the rotor
with a sim.

Motion Sound - uses a radically different pvc short horn design, foam
rotor or electronic sim, different motor system, mdf cabinets,
different drivers, different drive train, much smaller cabinet, 2 pole
motors, and tube pre - solid state power amp.

Speakeasy - different drivers, different motors, different drive
train, your choice of different horn or authentic design, birch ply
cabs, wood rotor, authentic 60W tube amp or AMA.

So you have several newer takes on the old design available. And there
are plenty of vintage leslies still available if nothing else will do.
I have found that for me at least, the Speakeasy approach is the most
true to the ideal of the old vintage stuff, while making sensible
improvements. Some folks will prefer other approaches and that's
great!