Rotary

A Hammond organ cannot do without a Leslie speaker. However, Leslie speakers are huge and heavy devices. In addition, they had a tendency, partly due to all the moving parts, to break down. At the end of the 1960s, the first attempts were made to simulate the rotary effect electronically. The first attempts yielded the uni-vibe pedal.

Although this pedal was (eventually) successful, it only remotely resembles a real rotary speaker. For a long time it was not possible to model the effect in a small, handy format. Partly due to the advent of digital techniques, however, it has become considerably easier to create a realistic-sounding rotary.

There are now various rotary pedals for both guitar and keys on the market. Strymon and Neo Instruments pedals are perhaps the most famous. They emulate the rotary effect very credibly. A nice feature is that these pedals also have two positions with which you can adjust the speed of the rotary effect. In the low position you have a nice pulsating sound and in the high position you get a tearing organ sound, but then for guitar.

Notable users of the effect include guitarists such as Josh Smith, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn and David Gilmour. The Beatles have also experimented with the effect, not only on the guitar, but also on the vocals, for example. In short, it is a very useful effect that can add just that little bit of extra ‘oomph’ to your guitar sound and let you play the stars from heaven.