From mitchtowne@cox.net Wed May 25 13:54:29 2016
Subject:Leslie Sim Shootout: Mojo vs. Ventilator vs. Lester K

So...my initial impressions and my usual caveat: I'm a Crumar endorser, but
I like what I like. So, apply a grain of salt to my review if you feel it
necessary.

I compared the internal Mojo sim, the Ventilator II, and the new EH Lester
K. My comparison was for a specific purpose - live sound with the Motion
Sound KP500-SN stereo amp. I didn't test them in studio monitors, so this
review won't be of any help to anyone wondering how these compare for
recording purposes. At another time, I also tested these three simulations
with a single PA speaker. My conclusions are pretty much the same for both
stereo and mono amplification systems.

Another caveat: What I look for in a Leslie simulation is probably not what
everyone looks for in a Leslie simulation. I am predominatly a jazz player.
I have unplugged the slow motors on my 147 because I never use chorale. I
am less concerned with how a Leslie simulation sounds on fast than I am on
how it sounds on stop. As long as the fast speed isn't totally crappy (and
few current Leslie sims are), its ok by me. But there is definitely a
certain sound I am looking for on stop.

I am not going to go into depth on the various parameters on each one that
can be edited. Just assume that I tweaked a lot of different things to get
each one to sound as close to what I like.

So…here is where it gets interesting:

I think I like the Lester K the best.

Why? Bear with me here.

Both the Mojo sim and the Ventilator are designed to imitate a mic'ed
Leslie. This is great for recording purposes and they sound great in a live
setting. But there was always something that I wasn't really knocked out by
with either one of them. I can get the Mojo simulation to sound really
close to the Ventilator, but I still like the Ventilator a little better.
The Mojo sim can get a little harsh in the upper registers and I haven't
found a way to dial that out. The Ventilator is just a little bit warmer to
my ears in both mono and stereo. It probably isn't $450 better than the
Mojo sim, so the Ventilator isn't a "must have" with the Mojo like it is
for some other clones. (So, for anyone who might think I have Crumar bias…I
just picked the Ventilator.) The thing about the Ventilator, however, is
that I have never been thrilled with it in the long term. I have had both
the first version and the second version. I always felt like the Vent
allows more of the click to come through than a real Leslie does. A real
Leslie takes the click and percussion and compresses them together, which
is what creates that classic punchy Hammond sound. The Vent doesn't seem to
do that for me. The Mojo sim does a better job of that.

However…the Lester K seems like it has a different agenda. The Lester K
sounds more like a Leslie in the room. It is similar to the KeyB/Numa 1
Leslie simulation. There is more air and space in the tone. The more I
played it, the more I liked it! The overdrive is fantastic and it gives
more bass response than the Mojo or Ventilator. It also does a nice job of
compressing the click. For me, this is more what I am looking for in a live
situation. This was really surprising for me, coming from a $178 pedal. One
of the main drawbacks is that, in order to enter stop mode, you have to
hold down on the switch. That is a total drag. Also, there is no "front
face" stop option….however, this didn't bother me too much because I never
found a place where the organ sounded totally different when it randomly
stopped. I was never happy with the Mojo simulation before they added a
front-stop option because the organ would drastically change character
depending on where it stopped. The Lester K doesn't seem to suffer from
this. The tonal characteristics are different, but not drastically so. More
like how it is when a real Leslie stops.

An important thing to keep in mind with this initial review…this is alone
in the room. Lots of things can sound good alone in a room, and sound
totally different in a band situation. So, the next step is to try this
shootout at a rehearsal. However, I have a good feeling about the Lester K
in that setting also.

So…right now, the standings are thus:

1. Lester K
2. Ventilator II
3. Mojo Internal Sim