bonzoboy Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 I just got back from my usual music store Reid Music in Mt. Pearl,NL and ordering a new Tech21NYC RotoChoir.These pedals have won an international award for technical excellence and innovation.What they do is emulate realistically every little nuance of a real Leslie 860 cabinet.Unlike other simulaators this one can have both the simulated rotating horns and drum going at different speeds creating the beautiful Chorale feature of a real Leslie or have both at the same speed.They even ramp up and slow down gradually like the real McCoy.Another greaat feature that they have is the overdriven growl that only an old Leslie could create when paired with an old Hammond B-3.I can't wait to get this new toy.With my degenerative disc disease,spinal fusion,neuro-muscular-skeletal condition in my hands and now the ticker problems with Atrial Fibrillation,lifting the old Leslie around isn't an option so a 2 lb. pedal should do the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Im sorry to hear about your condition. Tech 21 is making some great stuff, im a fan of the character amp series of pedals and the sans amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 For what it's worth, the Boss Leslie emulator pedal does about the same sorta thing with the horn and bass separate control... I've got one and it works pretty well when I'm pretending to play a B3 'stedda a guitar. It even does a slow ramp up-down when you change speed. The weakness to any of 'em is that the B3 had a lot lower notes and that lack on some stuff can be apparent regardless the way one gets the Leslie sound. I had a Fender version of a guitar Leslie ages ago and loved the sound - but hated the weight and bulk of the thing. I was swapped away in '79. The big wooden organ Leslie cabs were far worse, IMHO. Regardless, you still missed the really low B3 potential with a guitar, although stuff like the organ bit in electric blues and rock stuff like "Whiter Shade of Pale" work pretty decently regardless with the real thing or a pedal. A major advantage to a pedal, too, is that it's easier to mike or run through a board than a "real" Leslie. They're a real bear to mike and my understanding is that unless they're run stereo with good miking there's not that much advantage over a good pedal. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 My Leslie is the CBS Musical Instruments model 16,the bass notes can really resonate in mine because rather than the standard Oxford,Jensen etc. that was in them,the former owner who was an organist,put a JBL-K-120 into it.With the old JBL you can really rattle the chandeliers off the ceiling of your house-and the neighbours too if it's turned up loud enough.I was almost tempted to buy the Boss pedal today but decided to wait it out for the Tech21 because from listening to the demo on their site,I was floored by how much it sounded and responded like a real Leslie 860,plus the awards it has won for technical excellence and innovation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Bonzo... Yeah, I got the Boss pedal a cupla years ago. I was pretty impressed by price/performance - otoh, there's always something a bit better. One real advantage is I think the thing is almost literally bullet-proof. I'm also not sure but what it doesn't handle highs and lows separately better than the one-speaker Fender jobbie I had in the 70s. I don't think the Tech 21 is enough better - if at all - to think "upgrade." The Boss' big metal rubber-covered foot pedals work pretty well without having to hunt and peck, too. Also I have a hunch that either of the above will sound rather different through different amps and amp settings - something any "effect" will have to consider. That Felder Leslie, though, could take a lotta whumph from a 120-watt tube combo amp as an external speaker. <grin> I used it for some of the 60s-70s B3 stuff or stuff commonly done on a B3 like "Alley Cat," but as I said, with just one speaker it didn't match a nice wood real Leslie cabinet with a nice real B3. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 I have to say that from looking at the Boss pedal I was impressed with how sturdy it looked-it appeared to be bomb proof but from reviews I've read about the Tech21 along with the awards and watching the video,I was sold on that one.BTW the manager of the music store said that the Boss was the cat's meow. Re the single speaker Leslie:I used to hook mine up to a Peavey Deuce or a Traynor Mk. III and with that big old JBL it was something else altogether.Now I use it as part of a 3 amp set up for jamming around the house with hopes of using it for gigging some day down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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