From c_schonberger@yahoo.com Fri Sep 11 10:23:48 2009
Subject:Ventilator arrived today

Hi all,
 
Just reporting to the group: today my Ventilator (I bought two, one for a friend and fellow keyboarder) arrived. Of course I already tested it. I ran the old B4 software through it (the rortary effect can be switched off by just one button and the siognal is clean) and fed the stereo out to a pair of Yamaha MSP 5A active speakers.
 
I just can confirm that this box is absolutely killer. The stereo image is huge, the detail is incredible and it sounds like a real leslie! I can almost visualize the lesie. - even though this is the simulation of a miked leslie, it is not supposed to sound as if you are sitting in front of a real 122. Yet, in my humble pair of speakers (the Yamahas are nice and transparent professional nearfield monitors) it almost sounded as if I had an invisible leslie in my room. I am not joking.
This is definitely a huge upgrade for many Hammond clones. I don't know all existing leslie sims by having them used actually. But I was able to A/B it directly with NI B4, NI B4II and VB3. The difference really is to big to describe.
The Verntilator is ballsy and adds muscle - like a leslie should. Even at extreme settings it sounds great  I turned the mic distance to extreme close miking, and I really hear the open treble horn passing the microphone, but not in an unpleasant way. There are no artifacts, like the "whining vibrato" of the NI B4II leslie sim when it goes from slow to fast, there are no electronic sounding chorus/phasing artifacts as in the internal leslie sim of the old Hammond XK-3 (which I own).
 
I also ran other signals through the Ventilator, mostly synths - taking away the chorus effect of course. Everything sounded great.
 
Then there's the drive. This is actually better than my Mullard tubes inside my XK-3. The online demo already gives an idea. This is as near Greg Rolie's Santana sound as I have ever heard. I can't believe this is just a simulation. Yes, it is that good.
 
I won't say this is IT and there is no need for another leslie sim. I need to hear it in context and in a mix. I also need to check carefully the ramps of the speed changes. In my first test run it sounded just fine. At any event: this is really the best purchase of musical equipment I did in many years.
 
Hey, I know I sound like a salesman in disguse.  ;-)  I swear I'm not. The above is just my impression.
 
Christian
 



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