Pedal Video Demo: Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MkI
Four years ago, I was fortunate enough to walk into my favorite music store (whose future, it seems, is in question; so please check out their site and send Dave messages of support), Bloomington's Roadworthy Guitar & Amp, to find this beat up, ugly Hughes & KettnerTube Rotosphere amidst a bunch of pedals made by Electro-Harmonix and Stigtronics (whose Fat Classic you'll hear later).
I've always loved the sound of a guitar through a Leslie* speaker, and this pedal was designed to simulate that sound for both guitars and keyboards. And, as far as simulations go, I had come to believe years earlier—while scoffing at the $485 price tag (now around $545)—that this was the ultimate Leslie simulator...Not just based on famous users (Noel Gallagher, Warren Haynes)... And certainly not based on the sound samples I couldn't find. Hell, the company website didn't even do it justice. And with nowhere to try one of these, shelling out that much money seemed far too much of a gamble. (I know, I could return it if I wasn't happy...I guess I could go through the almost inconeivable? unbearable process of returning something, which, I know, is not actually difficult. I just CAN'T bring myself to do it.)
So you can imagine my pedal nerd excitement at finding the MkI version of it on consignment for $160. The differences between the MkI and MkII versions aren't really that great from what I've read on pedal forums, and many people seem to argue the merits of both; so the cost savings was definitely worth any only arguably better difference. Finally, I'd found that great deal I'd always dreamed of finding, the one you always hope you'll find but write off as something that will never actually come true. (Kind of like my childhood dream of finding the red-sailed LEGO pirate ship at 90% off.)
Anyway, $160 and two songs later, I'm still as enamored with having the instant ability to make my guitar sound like it's going through a real Leslie speaker as I was when I first discovered it. However, it wasn't until a few months ago when my bandmate Eric played through it for the first time...using it to write his part in our newest song, "More to Give."...that the idea to make a demo video came about. Immediately, he began researching the difference between the two versions (as only the MkII version is currently available) and found there weren't a lot of decent demo videos of either of the H&K Rotosphere models on YouTube. At least there weren't many with it being used on guitar.
If you're not sure what a Leslie is, it's essentially a massive wooden cabinet with a speaker and a horn rotating individually of each other, to create a sense of space in the room. Both the horn and the speaker rotate at two set speeds with a somewhat pronounced difference in changes of speed when ramping up or down (switching from fast to slow or slow to fast) creating a watery, lush, doppler effect sound mostly heard on organs—as the original Leslie was designed for use with Hammond organs.
So, inspired by the very different stylings of both the great Gearmanndude and Andy at PGS, Eric and I set out to make a demo video to show people what they couldn't find to try out on there own. So here it is. By the way, nevermind that note slur in the beginning. (I know. I screwed up. I'm sorry!)
Well, that wasn't actually that bad. I actually enjoyed that, despite being a bit of a laborious project. That settles it, I'm doing it again!
Actually, I'm already started on demo video number two...I found a really sweet pedal by Skullytone FX, called the Russian Spy, based off of the now legendary Civil War-era Electro-Harmonix Big Muff fuzz/distortion, and it rocks. Finally, I found a fuzz pedal that I not only like, but find useful. Not to mention, the guy who makes them, Mister Mikev, is a great guy. Really rockin' pedal...I promise I'll have it up sooner than later!
Love and bitchin' rockstar pedals from Mars,
Aaron
P.S. For an actual review that someone did really well, check out Thomas Adamson's post: http://clonewheel.ashbysolutions.com/reviews/rotorev.html.
*Always undershadowed by its ability to bring electric organ sounds to a new level, the sound produced by running an electric guitar through a Leslie rotating speaker is a thing of understated-but-equal tonal beauty. Think of the arpeggiated intro guitar part on The Beatles' "Happiness Is a Warm Gun," "Sun King" and countless others off Abbey Road; that gurgling, Leslie drenched rhythm guitar—interestingly enough, played by George Harrison—at the end of Cream's song "Badge"; and the beautifully placed jazz guitar runs in the Yes song "And You and I" durinng the Mellotron- and lapsteel-soaked phase (for lack of better prog rock words) of the song; for a good idea of how great a sound this is.
